Viceroy at Hopkinton State Park

This morning I forced myself out of bed in time for an hour's walk before work at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land.  While I was checking the milkweed for monarch caterpillars, this crane fly flew into the grass next to me.

Cranefly (Tipula Sayi)

Leaf-Footed Bug Nymph

Chipmunk

Northern Flicker

Evening Primrose

During early morning hikes, you can still find Evening Primrose in bloom, but later in the day, the blooms close up.  

In the afternoon, I hiked along both sides of the spillway at Hopkinton State Park.  I saw one fly-by Monarch, but it was uncooperative for a photo.  Here are the butterflies that I was able to photograph.

Great Spangled Fritillary

Viceroy

 Eastern Tailed-Blue on my shoe!

closeup

Pearl Crescent

 again

 Robber Fly

While this robber fly was on this rock, it kept tapping its tail down on the rock.  I would love to know what purpose that served....

the view

The spillway appears between the trees.  There is no water in it currently, so there were no interesting sandpipers.  Once you get through the trees, though, there were black-eyed susans and joe pye weed on both sides.