May 21, 2014

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 75°F, partly cloudy and calm at 2:00 PM on May 21, 2014.
• It would become cloudy and breezy.
• More butterflies were back including red-spotted purple and silver-spotted skipper.
• Returning moths included snowberry clearwing and white-banded toothed carpet.

The Trails

• For some distance before reaching the Carriage House, one could see color in the tree ahead; it was the strange buckeye.
• I finally spotted pink lady's-slipper leaves. I'd kept an eye out on the last several walks.
• Canada mayflower was finally blooming - it seemed to take a while to get going this year.
• A small, dark, fluttering form eventally settled in front of me: an eastern pine elfin... laying eggs!
• And right by my feet was another pink lady's-slipper - yes, blooming.
• In the Fern Glen, the deer left enough twigs of the poor striped maple that it could bloom.
• And in several places, columbine was blooming. I didn't know if we'd see any this year.
• By the bench in the limestone cobble, an Asian (I think) Solomon's seal was also blooming.
• Small-flowered crowfoot indeed had small flowers.
• Along the western edge of the pond, golden Alexanders was just barely starting to bloom. I like its Latin name: Zizia.
• Foamflower was in just a few locations in the cobble.
• Everywhere herb-robert was starting to bloom.
• An (alien) marmorated stinkbug was running out of room on a grass blade.
• Good thing I was looking overhead for the honeysuckle vine in the fen.
• That odd dark blob was a little water snake.
• The limber honesuckle was there, too. I almost forgot.
• Way in the back of the Glen, wild sarsparilla was now blooming. I never realized it had two 'r's.
• Above the deck, yellow lady's-slipper had opened.
• Towards the kiosk, swamp azalea was indeed alive and should bloom soon.
• Near the kiosk, choke cherry was perfuming the air. It was being tended by ants, as was the sarsparilla.
• Wild geranium was blooming in a number of spots.
• I'm always amazed at the little things I find while in the "dark room".
• A stone's throw from the kiosk, mayapple seemed to be having a grand year.
• On the pond side of the kiosk, false Solomon's seal was taking off.
• A little farther along, the carrion flower was finding support in numbers in its efforts to get up in the world.
• Today's buds should be soon filling the air with its namesake aroma.
• Just behind, our native euonymous, wahoo was quietly budding.
• Back in the cobble, twinleaf pods had been forming.
• On the way out of the Glen across the road, the other azalea out in the sun was in bloom.
• Out on the Cary Pines Trail, the Canada mayflower had caught up with the starflower already in bloom.
• It was looking like maple-leaved viburnum was going to have a good year.
• On the Wappinger Creek Trail, invasive narrow-leaved bittercress was budding. Interestingly I had recently visited a creekside area where last year it was knee-high and spreading in every direction. This year it is absent. Curious...
• Invasive dame's rocket has been and will be around for some time. It is often mistaken for phlox, but has four petals rather thank 5.
• Out in the Sedge Meadow, cinnamon fern was living up to its name.
• In the back Old Hayfield, Russian olive, an invasive shrub, was getting ready. Somewhere it, or the similar Autumn olive, was actually blooming - I could smell the heavy, sweet scent.
• In the back of that field, common barberry was filling the air with its funky blossoms.
• Near the old Pumphouse, another or our viburnums was making itself obvious with its flower clusters.
• One last sighting this day, along the front Old Hayfield, was the tiny lily, blue-eyed grass.