Ready to pounce

This goldenrod crab spider is waiting for some prey to turn up. It doesn't spin a web, just lunges out and grabs its victims.


It was defying its name and sitting on this plant, rather than a goldenrod:


I'm sure that this striking furry-leaved plant should be easy to identify, but I haven't managed to yet.

[Postscript: It's Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) - thanks to Daphne for identifying it!]

There's a lot of Bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) out:


It goes particularly well with the American vetch that is also flowering at the moment. It's a fore-taste of the colour combination of the goldenrods and asters that will appear in late summer.