October 2nd. An afternoon walk east of Route 207. Blue Wood-asters (Symphytotrichum cordifolium) Thanks to Heather Campbell for the ID.

 

 

 

Twenty Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta).

 

Looks like Purple Brittlegill mushroom (Russula atropurpurea).

 

Two Pickerel Frogs (Rana palustris) on a boulder.

 

The one on the right, close up.

 

A third one a couple of hops away.

 

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) near the powerlines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another thirteen Painted Turtles in this photo.

 

Closer view of some at the right.

 

October 3rd. Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii).

 

 

 

 

 

Norton's Pond. Great Blue heron (Ardea herodius) at the lower left.

 

The same bird strutting along. The feet moved ever so gently to avoid disturbing prey.

 

The eyes set in the head to favor sight forward and below.

 

 

 

 

 

Pause.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 4th. Early fog lifting.

 

The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) was back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Cranberry Bog, a male Autumn Meadowhawk damselfly (Sympetrum vicinum).

 

A pair of young Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) and a Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).

 

Female at the left; male in the middle.

 

Lots of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) at Cranberry Bog.

 

Moulting.

 

 

 

A pair of Mallards andsome Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) at Norton's Pond east of River Road.

 

October 5th. Maybe an immature Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)?

 

Lots of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) at Raymond Brook Marsh this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 7th. More color developing at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

Killing some time before a local business opened, I walked East (north on the compass) along the Colchester Spur from Crouch Road in Amston to the former United Distillers building and pond. A few pictures along the way. Virginia Creeper (pink) and Poison Ivy (green and yellow).

 

Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis).

 

Right at the Route 85 crossing a patch of the nasty invasive Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica), also known as False Bamboo.

 

Seeds.

 

The jointed stems that look so much like Bamboo.