September 4th. Trail muddy and puddled after heavy rain in the early hours. At Old Colchester Road, just one worker tidying up.
Guessing that's it until Monday.

 

Nope. Crew was there in the afternoon, creating and placing these "trays".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was told the cement pour would be next week sometime. (I may be in New Hampshire and miss it.)

 

While they worked, I headed west on the trail to a spot overlooking Raymond Brook.

 

 

 

A female Pelecinid Wasp (Pelecinus polyturator). The long ovipositor is used to parasitize insects hidden deep in rotting wood.

 

A Coral Mushroom, perhaps Yellow-tipped Coral (Ramaria formosa).

 

September 11th, Nine Eleven. Twentyfive years ago I finished my walk at this spot, put on the car radio... and the world had changed.

 

After a week away at our New Hampshire cottage, Red Maples (Acer rubrum) here were showing their Fall colors.

 

 

 

Male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) showing his fall colors.

 

A female not far away.

 

 

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) down by the second beaver dam a hundred yards before Old Colchester Road.

 

The blade of grass is behind it, but it almost looks like the bird has a mosquito in its beak.

 

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra).

 

Doesn't look like I missed much on the Old Colchester Road bridge project last week.

 

Workers were measuring out a pattern and spray painting it onto the ground...

 

...then placing rebar on the pattern.

 

A brief stop at Norton's Pond where I saw this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) not far from the trail.

 

 

 

Always fun to see them standing on one leg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It moved to another spot nearby.

 

 

 

Back out to Old Colchester Road around 3 P.M.to check progress before the weekend. They're building a lot of forms. I don't know where they'll go.

 

 

 

They're doing something with heavy steel (I assume) plates. (See the one behind this worker.)

 

Four more plates being delivered.

 

A Red-headed Bush Cricket (Phillopalpus pulchellus) on the side of my truck.

 

It's there time of year. I see them everywhere.

 

This is a female. (Note the curved ovipositor out the back.)

 

At Norton's Pond, two young male Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) and a Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).

 

 

 

 

 

September 12th. The usual Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

Various aged Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) starting with these two adults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Heron again.