August 18, 2021

New York Ironweed and Silver-spotted Skipper

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 78°F, cloudy, calm and humid at 12:30 PM on August 18, 2021.
• The front Old Hayfield had been mowed.
• A number of new things were blooming after a quiet stretch.
• This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.

The Trails

• We left off last week with these two puffballs near trail marker 10. Surprisingly, they were not that much larger this week.
• Another surprise was in the Norway Spruce Glade at the top of the Fern Glen: a dogbane tiger moth where there's no dogbane.
• Expected on that sunny hillside was Zabulon skipper.
• Females have been easy to find this year, indeed one was only a few feet away.
• In the Fern Glen proper, spikenard fruit was ripening.
• Back in the fen, boneset was starting to bloom.
• The tiny petals of purple-leaved willow herb perch on the end of what will become seed pod.
• Another easy to miss flower was that of tearthumb.
• The stem, however, is hard to miss.
• Joe-Pye weed was being attended by a feather-legged fly.
• Common elder berries were ripening.
• Turtlehead was doing well this season.
• On the path out of the fen, virgin's bower, a wild clematis, was beginning to bloom.
• Moss and lichen were ornamental on a witch hazel trunk.
• The narrow leaves are as interesting as the whispy flowers of water parsnip.
• Three lobelias were blooming: Indian tobacco had started a few weeks ago.
• Great lobelia had just started.
• Mysterious cardinal flower could only be found in one spot.
• Several species of aster were blooming.
• Along the side of the pond, sneezeweed was fully in bloom.
• New York ironweed was attracting silver-spotted skippers.
• Across on the other side, green-headed coneflower was coming up through the ostrich fern.
• Tiny least skippers were weaving in and out of the grasses.
• Out in the Little Bluestem Meadow, horse nettle had been blooming since last week.
• Field sparrows were in and out of the Scots Pine Allée.
• And along the edge, silver-rod, a white goldenrod, was starting to bloom.
• Lance-leaved goldenrod was easy to recognize with its narrow leaves and flat flower clusters.
• Butter-and-eggs is usually a taller, fuller spike, but it's an easy call.
• Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.

Sightings