Stress Relief at BHCL

Work has been absolutely crazy since last Friday morning.  Thank goodness I salvaged most of the weekend for myself, but today was just horrible.  The best parts of my day were a half hour break I took at noon and another half hour break I took at 7PM, both at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land!  My stress melted away as I walked there.  It's such wonderful therapy.

Afternoon:

First thing that caught my eye were blackbirds mobbing a Red-Tailed Hawk.  Someone must have come too close to a nest!

 Red-Tailed Hawk

 Common Ringlet in wildflower patch

 Pearl Crescent

(a bit tattered)

 Milkweed buds

(looking like a balloon bouquet)

 European Skippers

 Eastern Tailed-Blue

(old and worn)

 Gray Hairstreak

Evening:

It's ALIVE!

(a tree full of birds)

 Roesel's Katydid

 Meadow grasses lit by the sinking sun

 One of three rabbits I saw on the path tonight.  This one let me get really close!

White Campion 

(closed during the heat of the day; open for evening hikers!)