This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
It was 73°F, partly cloudy and breezy at 2:00 PM on August 26, 2015.
It would cloud over and become calm in short order.
Birding was at its best on all sides of the Sedge Meadow today.
The Trails
Along the road to the Carriage House, pokeberry berries were forming.
On the other side of the road, thistle was going to seed. It was actually lively and colorful with goldfinch seeking out the first seeds and fritillaries the last blooms.
At the head of the Scots Pine Alleé, a common green darner dropped out of a low altitude sweep to rest in the shade.
Nearby, a lacewing was perched in the sun, slowly waving its abdomen from side to side. No, I don't know why.
A glance back over the shoulder across the Little Bluestem Meadow revealed a fallsy landscape.
The clouds had thickend by the time the Fern Glen was reached. A damselfly was trying to get the most of the remaining weak sunshine.
Along the edge of the pond, bottle gentian was blooming. Another name is closed gentian...
Closer to the kiosk, the rambling vine, groundnut was blooming.
Nearer to the back of the pond, sneezeweed was peaking.
In the shade at the back of the pond, summer-sweet appeared to have been blooming for a while.
On the way around and back to the kiosk, climbing hempweed was filling the air with its sweet fragrance.
There was another little turtlehead. This may be more common than it seems, keeping a low profile by not appearing in large colonies.
A speck of color caught my eye on the way out of the 'Glen: the tiny, psychadelic candy-striped leafhopper.
The Cary Pines Trail was quiet, so quiet I noticed the easy to overlook jumpseed.
Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.
