August 2nd. Just one not-so-young Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). No other waterfowl at all.

 

Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) on an afternoon walk in Cobalt, west from Route 16 towards the Route 66 tunnel.

 

 

 

Dodder (Cuscula gronovii), a parasitic twining plant that lacks leaves and has only tiny white flowers in bud here.

 

Spotted Joe-Pye-Weed (Eupatorium purpureum).

 

My destination: the bridge that carries Route 66.

 

A stream now runs through it, complicating plans to restore the trail there.

 

The trail resumes about 80 feet further on and runs past Depot Hill Road into Portland.

 

Pretty sure this is a male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis).

 

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

 

 

 

Pure invasive evil. Nymphs of the dreaded Spotted Lanternfly. Read all about them and the devastation they have caused elsewhere here: https://portal.ct.gov/caes/caps/caps/spotted-lanternfly---slf

 

Kill them if you can, but note that they are runners and jumpers.

 

Back to my usual portion of the trail in Cobalt, east of Depot Hill Road. Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) and Sweat Bee (Family Halictidae) on Thistle (Cirsium sp.).

 

Bumble Bee (Family Bombidae) with various Halictid Sweat Bees.

 

Look at all the pollen the bees are carrying on their hind legs.

 

Two-striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus).

 

A mated pair of Carolina Grasshoppers (Dissosteira carolina).

 

Spotted Touch-me-not or Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).

 

New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis).

 

Tiger Lily (Lilium tigrinum).

 

Crown Vetch (Securigera varia).

 

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense).

 

 

 

August 4th. Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae). Despite the name, it feeds on most woody trees.

 

 

 

The usual pair of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) in their usual spot.

 

Wow, first Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) I've seen in months.

 

Given yesterday's heavy rain, I don't know how the crew managed to pour concrete, but pour it they did!

 

Now they're working on rebar for the far side.

 

 

 

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) in the same resting spot as a few days ago.

 

 

 

Dew on Orb Weaver spider webs.

 

The Barred Owl (Strix varia) was back at it's perch near the Colchester Spur junction.

 

 

 

 

 

An afternoon walk east from Route 207. As flowers fade away, sticky seeds ("ticks") are maturing on Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense).

 

Lots of mushrooms after recent rains. Perhaps Amanita sp.),

 

The same mushroom, tipped over.

 

These powerlines were my turn-around point.

 

So much water there that I couldn't get close to flowers.

 

Bumble Bee (Family Bombidae) just starting a foraging run: little or no pollen on it's hind legs so far.

 

 

 

 

 

Indian Tobaco (Lobelia inflata).

 

Turning back west, I spied this American Giant Millipede (Narceus americanus). Nearly 4 inches long!

 

I often see them, year after year, in this section of the trail. Some people keep them as pets.

 

Millipedes have two pair of legs for each body segment. Centipedes have only one pair.
Read more about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narceus_americanus

 

A brief stop at the Old Colchester Road bridge project. A worker is dismanteling temporary walkways on the side just finished.

 

I was told that tomorrow (Wednesday), they'll be pouring the far side...

 

...and this team's role will be done this week. I wonder what the next team's role will be.