July 27, 2016

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 85°F, partly cloudy and calm with low humidity at 2:30 PM on July 27, 2016.
• This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
• With the late start, butterfly activity was slowing down.
• But there was a new plant for me.

The Trails

• The Little Bluestem Meadow had a few interesting plants, like bee balm, lurking along the edge by the Carriage House.
• Tucked in a little deeper was American germander.
• It's individual blossoms were unusual.
• And behind that was just a little patch of butterfly weed, a species of milkweed, being visited by a pearl crescent.
• A pecking noise drew my attention upwards in the Scots Pine Alleé: it was a hairy woodpecker.
• The spreading dogbane at the back of the Little Bluestem Meadow was still going strong.
• With all the butterflies in there, it would be a fine place to work on IDs... like skippers - this one looks sort of like a northern broken-dash, but then again...
• In the Old Gravel Pit, a noisey family of white-breasted nuthatch was overhead.
• At the top of the Fern Glen, hobblebush berries were ripening.
• Ditto with the elderberry along side the pond.
• Farther back, New York ironweed was starting to think about flower buds.
• All the way at the back, summer-sweet was still thinking - it had been seemingly ready to bloom for weeks now.
• Near the base, goldenseal berries were ripening.
• In the back of the 'Glen, in the fen, swamp milkweed was still going strong and attracting spicebush swallowtails.
• The missing hindwing orange spot 3 up from the bottom helps ID this butterfly. It has been having a good year.
• Right at edge of the boardwalk, boneset was budding up.
• Tiny tearthumb was blooming too.
• Not much farther in, that strange pitcher plant had dropped its red petals and was forming its fruit.
• On the other side stood the innocent looking poison sumac.
• Its loose berry clusters are one distinction from the other benign species of sumac.
• The big spikenard was still going strong in the back of the 'Glen.
• Something was rambling around its big flower clusters.
• It looked like a stink bug of some sort.
• Near the deck, one of the yellow lady's slippers was producing a seed pod.
• At one of the little bridges was an interesting lacy plant. I'll have to watch for the flower to try to figure this one out.
• Another interesting plant had been on my watch list.
• The clasping, divided leaves seemed unusual.
• The umble type flower was not so distinct, but suggested carrot family. I later settled on water parsnip.
• By the kiosk, there was no mistaking cardinal flower getting ready to bloom.
• You might want to check next week because...
• Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.