May 03, 2017

It was 55°F, cloudy and windy at 10:00 AM on May 3, 2017.
This week's trail report covers the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.
It seemed like all the birds had come back at once.
Maybe it was the temperature, maybe it was the wind, but the shad flies were not bad today.

At Gifford House, lilacs were beginning to bloom.
Various shades and fragrances were represented.
Invasive honeysuckle shrubs were budding. Morrow's is typically white, turning yellow.
Tartaran is typically pink. But just to keep things interesting, the two hybridize.
Right on the other side, Morrow's had actually opened.
Farther along, by the old Pump House, nannyberry, a viburnum, was budding up.
Next to the Pump House, a garter snake disappeared by the water's edge.
Great angelica was already knee high.
And tussock sedge was flowering.
In the back Old Hayfield, common barberry was getting ready to flower.
Next to it, the similar Japanese barberry had already started.
Another viburnum was budding at the head of the short cut that goes down to the Wappinger Creek. The smaller, blunter leaves suggested black haw. Have to watch this one...
In the NW corner, the flowering dogwood was beginning to indeed flower.
The flowers were looking big and fresh.
On descent of the Wappinger Creek Trail, a patch plantain-leaved pussy-toes was blooming.
A few steps away, a mass of caterpillars was consuming a cherry leaf.
At the bottom of the trail, the wood anemone was doing well.
Just past the foot bridge, gaywings were budding up.
One had actually opened revealing the reason for its name.
Behind the Carriage House, Fothergilla had started up.
Had to get a close up of this unusual bloom.
Next to it, buckeye was still just thinking about it.
Next week: the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.

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