This week's trail report covers 1/2 the trail system - the Wappinger Creek Trail side. Next week will be the Cary Pines Trail side.
Like last week, it was mostly clear, a little breezy and a bit humid with 80°F at 1:00 PM on June 10, 2015.
Again like last week, this followed some days with precipitation.
Butterfly arrivals included banded hairstreak and great spangled fritillary skipper. Hackberry emperor, and long dash made special guest appearances.
The Trails
The dirt road between the Gifford and Carriage Houses was busy with butterflies. One dark wedge was considerably larger than the plentiful European skippers.
Something zoomed by at the beginning of the Sedge Meadow Trail. It was the seldom seen hackberry emperor.
Gray dogwood was starting to bloom along there too. Spring azures were interested - they will lay their eggs here.
Deep in the Sedge Meadow, a skipper was lurking under a fading blue flag - it was the uncommon black dash.
The first Appalachian browns were out there too, but they were even more secretive.
As I scanned from the entrance to the back Old Hayfield, a banded hairstreak actually landed at my feet. I've taken the liberty to invert the photo...
The "chips" of birds are not much to go on, but the constant stream overhead suggested indigo bunting.
It's always worth scanning cow vetch. A Peck's skipper paused in feeding to spread wings and warm up. It's always nice to see both sides of a skipper to nail an ID...
The tiny lily, blue-eyed grass was looking up at me as I returned to the Sedge Meadow Trail.
At the base of the Watershed Kiosk on the Wappinger Creek Trail, shinleaf. was getting ready to bloom.
