July 27th. A walk east of Cook Hill Road on a gloomy day threatening rain. Edges of the trail mowed past the dairy farm.

 

Cattle sheltering by the barn.

 

A dead tree crowded with House Sparrows (Passer domesticus).

 

 

 

 

 

Past the barnyard, the trail narrows down.

 

 

 

Corn looks lush.

 

Wild Sensitive-plant (Chamaecrista nictitans)...

 

...and its tiny yellow flowers.

 

 

 

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa).

 

 

 

Everything so lush, it's hard to remember that this is all marsh. The long-dead trees are a hint to its history.

 

Lots of spiked Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

 

 

 

Buttonbush or "Honey-balls". (Honest.)

 

Bumble Bee (Family Bombidae) on Spotted Knapweed.

 

Hummingbird Clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe), feeding while hovering.

 

Square-stemmed Monkey-flower (Mimulus ringens).

 

 

 

Heading back through the marsh.

 

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) again.

 

 

 

A young Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)...

 

...anting". I've seen this in birds too. They prostate themselves and thus encourage ants to come aboard and relieve them of ectoparasites like fleas.

 

It rolled around as seen in the following photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was spotted...

 

...and it soon took off.

 

Back through the narrow section towards the cattle and Cook Hill Road.

 

July 28th. Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon).

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) trying to cool off.

 

It was gular fluttering...

 

...which works like panting in mammals.

 

July 29th. Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata).

 

 

 

Green Heron (Butorides virescens).