August 09, 2016

• It was 85°F, partly cloudy and calm with low humidity at 12:00 PM on August 9, 2016.
• This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
• A Tuesday walk is unusual, but the Other Job was postponed and tomorrow's forecast was not good.
• Monday added gray hairstreak to the Cary butterfly species list, but it wasn't seen (in the Fern Glen) today.
• But there was another new plant to point out.

The Trails

• A house wren scolded from the far end of the Gifford House parking lot.
• A late season little glassy-wing was a surprise in the spreading dogbane of the Little Bluestem Meadow.
• The enthusiastic groundnut by the kiosk was beginning to build flower buds.
• Farther along the kiosk side of the pond, some of the carrion flower berries were maturing from green to black.
• Towards the back of the Fern Glen pond, sneezeweed was beginning to bloom.
• On the other side of the trail, New York iron weed was also starting up.
• At the back of the pond, the summer-sweet was filling out and now its scent was in the air.
• At the pond's rocky edge, green-headed coneflower petals were uncurling.
• Across from the deck, swamp milkweed pods were growing tall.
• So too was invasive purple loosestrife.
• Along the walkways, white wood aster was in season.
• Lurking in plain view by the shrub swamp sign all this time has been a black ash - a tree of wet soils.
• It was identified in a recent plant survey. Characteristic features include the bark.
• The bark of the familiar white ash - a tree less specific in habitat - bears no resemblance.
• The leaflets of the compound leaf are more elongated in the case of the black ash...
• ...and more oval in the case of the white ash.
• In a closer look, the black ash leaflets can be seen as finely tooted and attached directly to the main leaf stem...
• ...while the white ash leaflets are almost smooth edged and attached by a short stem.
• Around the corner, horse balm seemed to have gone from buds to seeds in a week.
• I hadn't missed it entirely; there were still blossoms in there.
• Closer to the boardwalk in the fen, turtlehead buds were getting bigger.
• Back on firm ground, the purple-flowering raspberry had just a couple fruits - it was a laid back year for these.
• Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.