Birdsfoot Trefoil, which gets its name ‘bird’s foot’ refers to the appearance of the seed pods on their stalk. They are frequently found growing on the side of roads.
In doing some research, I found that that they some medicinal uses: “the flowers are used mainly as a sedative and for other aspects of the nervous and cardiac systems. In Italy they were sometimes used to calm anxiety, insomnia and exhaustion.” Interesting…
Have you ever seen a Birdsfoot Trefoil? Pretty, don’t you think?
I’ve heard the Great Crested Flycatcher’s distinctive call in our yard quite a bit lately, so I know he is around. Its call is a nasally-sounding series of “wheep” whistles. And then… he landed on our bird feeder. I quickly got my camera and got a photograph from my living room. It’s the only one I got, before he flew away.
The Great Crested Flycatcher, who catches insects, has a gray breast and throat and a yellow belly. His bill is heavy and black. They are most often found breeding in deciduous forests and at edges of clearings and mixed woodlands, which is probably why he likes our yard.
Have you ever heard his call? Beautiful bird, don’t you think?
Sometimes the early morning skies on Coast Guard Beach, part of the National Seashore, are just breathtaking. This one was exceptional! Look at those clouds!
We were walking down to Nauset Spit and saw that this huge log that had washed ashore. I thought… what a gorgeous photograph!
Fort Hill is always one of my favorite places to take a hike… it is ever changing daily. You never know what you are going to see. (Click on blog link to see other photos.)
Phil and I were just finishing a hike when I saw this tiny red-orange flower on the side of the road. It was a really tiny flower, only 1/4,” with 5 petals and a central purple circle. The plant only grows 2-6 tall inches so it is difficult to see in the grass. I took a few photographs and went home to do some research. It is a Scarlet Pimpernel.
I wasn’t happy with my photographs as they were a bit blurry so I debated whether to go back and try again or wait until the next time I was there. Good thing I decided to go back that same afternoon as the next morning they had all been mowed down.
So pretty, don’t you think? They bloom from June to September so, if they grow back again, you will have plenty of time to see it.
I loved this photograph and reflection of a Snowy Egret at Goose Pond at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. He had just caught a fish and his bill was still wide open.
Pretty cool, don’t you think? Love the yellow around his eye…
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.