White-spotted Sable
Notes and Changes since last report
- It was 68°F and overcast with light breezes on June 1, 2022.
- Thunder was occasionally rolling in and it sprinkled a couple times.
- Despite the lack of sun, little wood-satyr was abundant and Peck's skipper made an appearance.
- This week's trail report covers the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.
The Trails
- With the forecast of increasing chance of rain, careful note was made of shortcuts back to the Gifford House trailhead.
- Spittlebugs were back, especially in the bedstraws.
- It can be worth scanning the clover coming up in the path for smaller butterflies.
- A pearl crescent passed over and dropped into the tall grasses.
- Not being very active on gray days, they are harder to spot. But once found, they are easier to watch as they sit and bask in whatever weak sun is available.
- And details can be observed, such as the light patches that distinguish the female pearl crescent.
- Photo opportunites appear while things are slow. The white-spotted sable is a common day-flying moth. Several other species are similar...
- A blackberry species was starting to bloom along the hedgerow.
- Something whizzed by faster than a pearl crescent... a zabulon skipper.
- It's always nice to also get a view from below with skippers.
- A brand new Peck's skipper had not a scale out of place.
- Only a glimpse of the forewing above was enough to be helpful.
- As the Sedge Meadow Trail forked off, a little hickory stood peppered with galls.
- Not much farther along the path was mock orange.
- A quick peek into the Sedge Meadow itself revealed that the cinnamon fern had been getting bigger.
- Several examples of great angelica would soon dwarf the ferns.
- Along the edge of the back Old Hayfield, golden Alexanders were blooming.
- With the darkening sky and closer rumbles, it was time to pick up the pace.
- The depths of the Sedge Meadow might offer some protection.
- A pair of pileated woodpeckers led the way to and through the Old Pasture all the way to the Wappinger Creek. (Note: low light does not help photography...)
- With luck, the view of the Wappinger Creek would not change during the next hour...
- The descent to the floodplain was dotted with stands of maple-leaved viburnum.
- At the lowest section, aniseroot had finished blooming and was forming fruit.
- Stinging nettle was just beginning to flower.
- Just a little farther along, less common, but equally tingley was wood nettle.
- Garlic mustard was forming seedpods.
- So too was dame's rocket.
- It was nice to find a plant native to our region: false Solomon's seal.
- Sprinkles began in earnest at the "Appendix", but they did not last long and the return leg was happily uneventful.
- Next week: Cary Pines the Trail the side of the trail system.
Sightings
Birds
| Butterflies
Moths
Plants
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