It was 70°F, breezy and clear at 3:30 PM on June 19, 2013.
I finally saw the suspected woodcock that always startles me.
Milkweed was starting to bloom!
The absurd seemed to be today's theme.
The Trails
The first objective was to check the common milkweed at Gifford House parking lot; it was indeed blooming.
Between each of the 5 "hoods" is a shiny black dot that is the base of the pollen bearing structure; larger insects can carry these away on their legs or mouth parts; smaller insects can become trapped.
In the Little Bluestem Meadow by the Carriage House, a stand of foxglove was in bloom.
There is usually some insect lurking on a blossom that I don't notice until I'm working on the photo. Today it was just hairy lips.
By the stone bridge, shinleaf was about to do the same.
And back by the pond, elderberry was in full bloom.
Its flower heads are usually popular with insects, but it was quiet today.
On the Cary Pines Trail, I almost walked by the little partridgeberry flowers.
This paraphrased quote, "Untenanted, a stroller rolled into view." immediately came to mind as I came upon this scene.
The view from the Appendix, as I like to call the area around trail marker 10, was tranquil than absurd.
Just below in the flood plain of the Wappinger Creek, I found something familiar was blooming.
I thought mad-dog skullcap, but a closer look at the flower - and a gentle note from a gentle reader indicated hemp nettle was the correct ID.
Entering the Old Pasture, I finally got a decent look at the bird usually startles me in the adjacent Sedge Meadow - it was a woodcock.
From the back Old Hayfield, we have good news and we have bad news. The good news is luna moths are out. The bad news is there is one less, as one wing in the grass attested.
