While walking the portion of the trail that leads toward the old train station this morning, I noticed that hornets' nest hanging in the hawthorn tree alongside the trail. (The nest is about 10' from the ground.) I think the nest is larger than when I posted a photo of it originally. Today I caught one lone Bald-faced Hornet at home, maybe guarding the nest??
While walking on the spur of the trail that ends up at the old railway station, I was surprised to see this Bald-faced Hornets' nest hanging in a hawthorn tree alongside the trail. I don't know why I hadn't noticed it before; perhaps because it was a cloudy morning, it was more evident. These hornets, actually a kind of wasp, are the ones that make this style of paper nest. Bald-faced hornets are beneficial, killing great numbers of flies and even other wasps, apparently. But yes, they will defend their nest if it is disturbed.
