May 31, 2017

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 72°F, mostly cloudy and windy at 12:30 PM on May 31, 2017.
• This week's trail report covers the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.
• More butterfly species were back including Little Wood-Satyr, Silver-spotted Skipper and Tawny-edged Skipper.
• The cool air and intermittent warm sun made for good butterfly viewing.

The Trails

• It was mild, but blustery and the leaves were showing their white bellies at the Old Hayfield trail head by Gifford House.
• Spittle bugs were amongst the bedstraws filling the field.
• The moth that seemed to flutter from every foot step was the White-banded toothed carpet - its caterpillar shares with the spittle bugs.
• Oxeye dasies and hawkweeds were new bloomers.
• Suddenly this week little wood-satyrs were everywhere... but who's that next door?
• It looked * a lot * like the emerald ash borer, but it was the half-sized honeysuckle borer.
• One nice thing about the sun going in and out is getting views of both sides of that satyr.
• Tower mustard seems to show up so quickly you could watch it grow.
• A tiny blur of orange settled on a grass stalk - always away from me. The moth, Pyrausta bicoloralis was my best guess.
• Invasive black swallowwort was hiding in the tall grass.
• "Black" refers to its tiny, dark flower. Monarchs recognize that it is related to milkweed, but it is 100% fatal to their caterpillers.
• Angelica and larger blue flag were up in the Sedge Meadow.
• The Angelica was popular with some small bees.
• Some of the blue flag were already open.
• In the back of the back Old Hayfield, the strange fruit of ironwood were dangling.
• Cow vetch was blooming deeper in the field.
• The fungus stump on the Wappinger Creek trail was in production again.
• A flock of some 15 mallards was feeding up ahead.
• Garden escapee, star-of-Bethlehem was around in clusters.
• It was nice when a mayfly actually landed. The head seemed to be little more than two eyes.
• It hadn't been too warm out today, but the bench at the "Appendix" looked pretty good by now.
• Next week: the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.