May 05, 2020


Oak Fern

Notes and Changes since last report

  • It was 58°F and partly cloudy with light winds at 2:30 PM on May 5, 2020.
  • This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
  • After a warm weekend, it has returned to cool temps. The early flowers didn't seem too bothered.
  • Just a reminder: Lovelace Drive (by the Fern Glen) is closed to cars for safety. Walking is welcome with parking at the main building and other designated areas.

The Trails

  • Heading up the Cary Pines Trail from trail marker 11, one will notice the occasional starflower coming up among the Canada mayflower, which was just beginning to get flower buds.
  • In the Fern Glen, Jack-in-the-pulpit was up and blooming.
  • Throughout the limestone cobble, early meadow rue was finally blooming.
  • Hiding in a corner was goldenseal.
  • Rue-like leaves give blue cohosh its species name: thalictroides, Thalictrum being the genus of rues.
  • It is not the flower that is blue, but the fruit - later for that.
  • Several kind readers have offered IDs for one of our mystery plants. Siberian bugloss is the most interesting common name for Brunella macrophylla. And there are records of plantings from Russia in here.
  • Maidenhair fern was featured in an earlier trail report. Actual leaflets were unfolding today.
  • Another exotic resident is Paris, one of some 24 species from Asia and Europe.
  • Native to our area is red baneberry.
  • Off the boardwalk through the fen, rhodora was barely noticable.
  • It should stand out when the buds open in a week or so.
  • Nearby, highbush blueberry was quietly budding up, too.
  • At the corner of the boardwalk, cinnamon fern was coming up.
  • The densely hairy fiddleheads are easy to spot.
  • Along the high bank, Canada violet was blooming.
  • Way in the back, yellow lady's-slipper was emerging.
  • Not far away, little oak fern was coming up.
  • Interrupted fern is a relative of cinnamon fern that prefers dryer soils.
  • On the other side of the road, wild blue phlox was blooming in sheltered sunny spots.
  • Next week: The Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.

Sightings

Birds
  • 1 Mourning Dove
  • 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • 1 Downy Woodpecker
  • 3 Eastern Phoebe
  • 6 Tree Swallow
  • 1 White-breasted Nuthatch
  • 1 Wood Thrush
  • 7 American Robin
  • 2 Brown Thrasher
  • 1 Pine Warbler
  • 2 Ovenbird
  • 1 Chipping Sparrow
  • 1 Red-winged Blackbird
  • 2 Brown-headed Cowbird
  • 1 Baltimore Oriole
  • 1 American Goldfinch
Plants
  • 1 Blue cohosh
  • 1 Canada violet
  • 1 Early meadow-rue
  • 1 Goldenseal
  • 1 Jack-in-the-pulpit
  • 1 Paris
  • 1 Red baneberry
  • 1 Wild blue phlox