July 24th. A male calypterate muscoid fly perched in the sun, hoping for a female to stop by.

 

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon).

 

 

 

Once again, the young Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus).

 

More Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) than I expected this year.

 

 

 

 

 

On my return trip, two Northern Water Snakes where there was one earlier.

 

 

 

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) where I saw it yesterday.

 

Hebron Park & Rec coming through to clear much of the nasty Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense) and other plants impinging on the trail. Hopefully, they'll also restore some sight lines into the marsh.

 

A family of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) at the pond east of River Road.

 

 

 

Escaped Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)...

 

...comes in several colors.

 

Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae). Wonder where I found it? Note that the hairs can cause a rash when handled by some people.

 

Sunflower (Helianthus sp.).

 

 

 

Back to Raymond Brook Marsh mid afternoon to check on the mowing. Generally conservative, and tidied up. Not a lot of mowed plants laying around.

 

A great job cutting a few sight lines on the south side - which is Town of Hebron open space. (Too bad no sight lines on the northern side, but perhaps that would need DEEP approval since it borders on their "Wildlife Management Area".)

 

Sure does emphasize how much the marsh has filled in over the years. Sigh.

 

Glad that most of the Showy Tick-Treefoil was removed before the sticky seeds could get all over trail users.

 

An ancient male Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula vibrans).

 

 

 

July 25th. Several groups of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) at Cranberry Bog. (No sign of the geese anywhere.)

 

 

 

 

 

Last time I saw this family, there were three ducklings.

 

 

 

 

 

A male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus).

 

 

 

 

 

Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) gone to seed.

 

Spotted Joe-pye-weed (Eupatorium purpureum) flowers are open now.

 

 

 

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus).

 

 

 

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata).

 

Butter-and-eggs or Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris).

 

 

 

July 26th. Crayfish crossing the trail again. Same spot as a few days ago.

 

East of Route 207, a Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) leaf gone red already.

 

Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) at its peak.

 

 

 

A male Syrphid Flower Fly. Looks like American Hover Fly (Eupeodes americanus).

 

 

 

Bumble Bees (Family Bombidae) also harvesting pollen from Chicory (Cichorium intybus).

 

 

 

Barely 8:30 and the day's Chicory flowers are pretty much stripped of all their pollen.