Great Golden Digger Wasp

I had just sprinkled some bird seed (note sunflower seed chips) when I noticed an unusual wasp (new to me) going in and out of a hole. It turned out to be Sphex Ichneumoneus - a great golden digger wasp.

I also found a new to me milkweed plant in the hayfield on our walk this morning. Green comet milkweed, apparently. I'm going to watch it and hope to see it with its buds fully open - but the extra is what it looks like right now. I initially only noticed it because of the bumble bees, two of them, asleep on it. It was a gloriously cool morning - very unusual for August - and the bees hadn't gotten up yet to start their day. They were gone when I looked on the way home.