Photowalk: Furry, feathered and/or winged

This time I took a stroll along the side roads to see what animals I might find. The trees were buzzing with life, literally, since there were a whole bunch of cicadas buzzing in the trees but I did not manage to spot one. 

Numerous birds were tweeting all around but I only could get a glimpse of a Downy Woodpecker and a very nervous Blue Jay.

Rustling of some branches in an oak tree brought my attention on a chipmunk. I am not sure whether it went for the acorns or something else. 

Further down the road I met another, more curious chipmunk.

Mourning doves outnumbered the other birds I saw this time.

I have no idea yet what bird this is but it was staying for a few minutes
before disappearing into the bush again.

Three Blue Jays made an appearance but only let me picture them while I was sitting in the car.

  Along the beach I found a beautiful big (about 1 inch or 2.5 cm) Great Golden Digger Wasp, 

a few Honey bees,

and numerous Bumble bees. 

There were a bunch of young (almost) 'invisible' grey grasshopper trying to blend into the surroundings.

Lots of other (adult) grasshoppers all around, too, of course.

Photowalk - Greenbelt Trail 10

Today was a beautiful sunny, hot and humid day. We decided to walk a loop in the Greenbelt that is also close to home. We parked our car at P2. We walked the red path to the east to point A, then the yellow path north all the way to P1 at Shirley Bay and then back via point F, E, C and B to the parking lot.

The mosquitoes were very happy that we came along and kept us moving on sometimes faster than I wanted. I even skipped a number of photo spots since it's supposed to be fun out there and not torture. A few times I almost felt like I'm a "Schuhplattler" (If you have no I idea what I'm talking about, have a look at this video example of Austrian Schuhplattler Group called "Voigasplattler").

Along the way we saw some curious insects, a few birds (I guess there are tons in the bushes but it looks like that they kept a low profile during the heat of the day) and there were tons of beautiful wildflowers, shrubs and grasses in a wide spectrum of colors and a teeny tiny wood frog.

 Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed - Echium vulgare 

Daisies 

Birdfoot Trefoil - Lotus corniculatus 

 Creeping Bellflower - Campanula rapunculoides 

 Cow Vetch - Vicia cracca 

Baby Wood Frog - Lithobates sylvaticus

 Milkweed - Asclepias syriaca 

Greenbelt pathway (yellow path on the map)

 Wildflowers everywhere. 

Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus 

Crown Vetch - Coronilla varia 

 Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura

 Red Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus

Hubby found the little guy hitchhiking on my back. Within 5 seconds,

I went from "aaahhh" to "ohhh he's so cuuute". :) 

Ninebark - Physocarpus opulifolius

That was quite a surprise obstacle along the way. :) 

Mossy Stonecrop - Sedum acre 

All in all, a great walk!