I wonder what happens if you phone that number. I wonder if anyone has ever phoned it.

[Don Watcher reports that it gets you the voicemail for restoration services. Good!]

Four of the regulars got together on Wednesday night and were joined by Shauna, a new recruit. The first thing I noticed as I approached the site was a dead grasshopper being dealt with by a swarm of ants. A moment later I spotted a dead bird beside the path -- also a big hit with the ants.

The death theme continued as we felled tansy, Queen Anne's lace and glossy buckthorn. Shauna and I removed the flowerheads from tansy and QAL across from the site in the hope of creating a buffer zone: there's no way we'll ever keep our site clear of these aliens if they're living right across the road and wafting seeds our way.

At the end of our work sessions we always report on wildlife we've noticed. This week I forgot to mention the "shore birds" I've been seeing on the pond and river lately. They're a bit shy, so no photos yet, but I assume it's some kind of sandpiper. A slender bird, brownish-grey on top, light underneath, long legs, medium-long bill, no black collar. Do we have any birders in the audience who are familiar with our local sandpiper types? My best guess, after consulting my Peterson's Guide, is a spotted sandpiper.

Check out the orange pollen sac on this bumblebee's back leg:

The apples are ripening on a tree near the Beechwood site:

Another mystery: does anyone know what these purplish, yellow-veined leaves are?

Here's a closer look: