July 31, 2018

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 79°F, calm and cloudy 1:30 PM on July 31, 2018.
• The forecast was again not good for Wednesday, but I was able to go out today, Tuesday.
• This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
• Cicadas have been noted calling during the day and katydids at night .

The Trails

• At my arrival, a Baltimore oriole was calling from the big oak at Gifford House.
• The milkweed patch behind Gifford showed evidence of caterpillars: holes in the leaves and "frass" (caterpillar poop) on those below.
• There indeed was a monarch caterpillar, but a dead one - they are attacked by diseases and parasites.
• Near by, milkweed aphids had colonized a seed pod.
• On the drive to the Carriage House, clouded sulphurs were at moist spots.
• Groups of them would line up and lean over to take the sun.
• It was a beautiful day and camp was returning across the front Old Hayfield from an outing.
• Behind the Carriage House, green-headed coneflower was starting to bloom.
• At the edge of the Little Bluestem Meadow, there was a flash of black and blue.
• It was a female black swallowtail.
• Just beyond, a monarch had found butterfly weed.
• This milkweed species was popular with the pearl crescents, too.
• Along the trail through the Old Gravel Pit was an empty looking eastern tent caterpillar nest.
• Up ahead, a white triangle stood out on a maple.
• Distinctly different from the female Gypsy moth, the white underwing hides much better on birch and poplar!
• A new find in the Fern Glen was harebell. Things come and go...
• Swamp milkweed at the pond's edge was being tapped by a great spangled fritillary.
• Just beyond, elderberry was ripening.
• Farther along the side of the pond, jumpseed was leaning over the path.
• Culver's root was right there, too.
• On the other side of the path, sneezeweed was beginning its gradual process of blooming.
• Hiding behind the rocks, goldenseal berries were ripening.
• Beside the boardwalk through the fen, climbing hempweed was getting ready to bloom.
• It would be a little longer before turtlehead blooms.
• The narrow leaves of water parsnip are hard to spot among other leaves.
• Its flower is sparse and stands out only a little better.
• The old deck has been removed - it slid off the hill last winter.
• On the other side of the site, a white-striped black made a rare landing. The caterpillar of this pretty day flying moth eats impatiens, e.g. jewelweed, which is abundant here.
• By the stone bridge, the alien orchid, helleborine, was blooming.
• It was amusing to find mushrooms growing on mushrooms.
• One little yellow mushroom seemed to be looking up the path to the road.
• Out on the Cary Pines Trail, coral fungus was appearing.
• Easy to overlook was Indian pipe, one of those interesting plants that lack chlorophyll.
• Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.