I came here exactly two weeks ago (https://alittlewild.blog/2026/09/15/massapoag-brook-8/) and the water level was as low as I’ve seen it. This weekend we just had a nor’easter, and that dumped eight to ten inches of rain on the town, so it was certainly a little changed today.
Three continuous days of rain were perfect for the mushroom population of our town.
Scleroderma aka Earthball
Calostoma cf cinnabarinum
Ceratiomyxa cf porioides, Honeycomb coral slime mold?
Trying to see some late season bugs, but there were surprisingly few out there to enjoy the afternoon sunshine.
Everes comyntas, Eastern tailed-blue
Perhaps Cratichneumon? Perhaps Platylabus?
Crane fly
Not sure what’s happening here. Exuvium? Something eaten by wasps? Anyway, perhaps Tenthridinidae larva?
Broad-faced sac spider, Trachelas tranquilus, hanging out in our compost.
Off Brook Rd. I’ve been there scores of times, in every possible conditions. I always try to see something new each time. I hope you see something new in these photos too.
A big part of what I was looking at in these photos was the standing waves in the stream, the shape of the water.
iNaturalist says:
broad nosed weevil
A great time with Arunah Hill (https://arunahhill.org/). Some absolutely amazing starwatching on the 17 inch Dobsonian telescope. The highlight was a astonishingly clear view of the Veil Nebula using the nebula filter, plus great views of the Andromeda Galaxy, M33, M101, and many many more.
Next morning, lots of dew, as is expected after a nice clear night, and bright sun. Here are some of the highlights. I cranked open the aperture quite a bit because the camera dynamic range can’t really catch the sparkle, unless you translate brightness into size with bokeh. Rather like photos of neon lights.
