August 11th. Looks like the young Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) has relocated from near the mural to the distant trees on the south side of Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

This young male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) at the usual spot.

 

Moving a lot of dirt at the Old Colchester Road bridge project.

 

A load of crushed rock in the background. Maybe destined to be placed against the wall for drainage?

 

 

 

A Bolete (Family Boletaceae) beside the trail. Boletes have pores under the cap, not gills.

 

Back out to Cobalt in the afternoon, looking for adult Spotted Lanternflies. Found them right where I photographed the nymphs a few days ago.

 

Read all about them and the devastation they have caused elsewhere here: https://portal.ct.gov/caes/caps/caps/spotted-lanternfly---slf

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop, Old Colchester Road where a dump truck full of boulders had been delivered.

 

 

 

Dirt delivery on the far side.

 

 

 

A brief stop where the trail crosses Old Hartford Road, near Route 149. Lots of Butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris).

 

Groundnut (Apios americana) in the Pea family (Leguminosae).

 

Differential Grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis).

 

A new plant for me! Trailing Wild Bean (Trophostyles helvola). Read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strophostyles_helvola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partridge-pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata).

 

 

 

 

 

August 12th. Three Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) hanging out where I often see one or two. Female at left.

 

Moving boulders this morning to positions beside the wall.

 

 

 

Bluecurls (Tricostema dichotomum). Tiny and low to the ground. Easy to miss.

 

Back to just one Wood Duck on the favored spot.

 

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe).

 

The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) looking over its shoulder, scouting for a meal?

 

 

 

 

 

August 13th. Two young Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) and lots of Fragrant Water-lilies (Nymphaea odorata).

 

 

 

Virgin's Bower (Clematis virginiana), a climbing vine.

 

Female Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).

 

 

 

August 14th. New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis). In Taxonomist's Latin, "noveboracensis" translates as "of New York."

 

Moving a lot of dirt on the far side this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slightly better picture of an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe).

 

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) was looking pretty bedragled this morning.

 

August 15th. At Old Colchester Road, no work on the weekend, but piles of fill on the near side...

 

...and the far side.

 

At Norton's Pond, three Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) sunning on a cool morning.

 

Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)...

 

...visited by Honey Bees (Apis mellifera).