July 18, 2018

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 80°F, mostly clear and breezy at 1:00 PM on July 18, 2018.
• Yesterday's rain broke the hot, humid weather for a beautiful cool, dry day today.
• This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
• It was a quiet day on the trails.

The Trails

• Behind Gifford House a Queen Anne's lace the size of a dessert plate.
• Several monarchs were cruising about the milkweed out there.
• Lingering damp spots on the road to the Carriage House were attracting numbers of pearl crescents .
• One nice thing is the opportunity to observe numerous individuals above and below and so get a sense of individual variability.
• With the earlier mowing of the Little Bluestem Meadow, the dogbane only got a foot high before flowering. But still, it was bringing in, among others, northern broken-dashes. The diagnostic pale "3" is not always so distinct.
• About the same size, but with a very different flight style was an American copper.
• In the Old Gravel Pit, a northern pearly-eye had taken an atypical position on the ground.
• The dry hill side above the Fern Glen held meadowsweet, a native Spirea.
• Down in the Fern Glen proper, tall bellflower was having a great season.
• The pistle is remarkably long on these flowers.
• Round galls were on many leaves of our one hackberry.
• They resembled the characteristic bumps on its bark.
• A male dun skipper was basking on the broad leaves after feeding on the flowers of swamp milkweed.
• In several locations, spotted wintergreen was blooming.
• The nodding blossoms require some gymnastics to view.
• Fruiting staghorn sumac required binoculars for a good look.
• Daisy fleabane was just the right height and along the side of the road.
• There were plenty of individual blossoms to view.
• On the way out of the Glen, thistle was soaking up the afternoon rays.
• It was a quiet walk to the "Appendix" where a rather relaxed discolored renia allowed a photo.
• Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.