Morning at Sudbury Reservoir Trail

It was time to check on the Sudbury Reservoir Trail.  I thought I saw a pretty, new wildflower, but now that I've looked at it on the computer, I realized that it's just a short purple loosestrife.  It was only about 2 feet high.

Purple Loosestrife

Blue Vervain

(one of my favorite meadow flowers)

Blue Vervain always makes me think of fireworks ~~ a good July wildflower!  I saw one Black Swallowtail just getting going this morning in the middle of this meadow.

Chicory

Fleabane

Garden Bird's Foot Trefoil

Lady's Thumb Smartweed

Common St. John's Wort

Queen Anne's Lace (wild carrot)

Whorled Yellow Loosestrife

Blackberries

(and no, I didn't eat that missing one!)

Gray Catbird

House Finch (male)

Eastern Kingbird

I was walking along the fence line, taking pictures of the various flowers, when I suddenly noticed this Eastern Kingbird.  I was surprised that it didn't fly off.....but soon realized it was because there was a juvenile near it.  The juvenile let out the occasional squawk...and I patiently waited until I captured it in a photo.

Eastern Kingbird parent and juvenile

Juvenile

Back at home, I found a female American Goldfinch picking fluff off a spent cattail in the wetlands in front of my house.  I took these photos through the passenger car window.  I should have shut off the engine to reduce the vibration!  But, I'm always afraid they'll fly off before I can get a photo!

I made an afternoon stop at the Wegman's plaza in Northboro.  When we were there last night, I noticed a field of Black-Eyed Susans and wanted to check it out for butterflies.  Of course, once I left the house, it clouded over and the wind picked up.  I saw one skipper that I didn't have a chance to ID and nothing else, but the field itself was pretty.

Tonight I stopped at Wildwood Cemetery in Ashland and heard the juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk squawking.  I spotted him in a tree, but did not see any parents around.  I was able to get pretty close, but I felt uneasy as I was doing it.  I do not want to upset any hawk parents!

I also got another "hook shot" on the deck, although this one is not too crisp.  It looks to me like a juvenile Eastern Phoebe stopped, although it was only for a second, before flying back out into the back part of the yard.  That "hook shot" calendar may be a reality yet!