It was 70°F and clear and calm at 1:00 PM on September 18, 2013.
Warm sun and cool, dry air. I love this weather.
Mosquitoes were almost non-existant. I love this too.
Not a skipper in sight anywhere today. Others might love that.
The Trails
Right in front of me in the Gifford parking lot was a small milkweed with a colony of the introduced oleander aphids.
I thought about looking for monarch caterpillars but didn't have to make a decision: one was already there. It's getting late in the season - I hope it makes it. Their numbers are way down with reports of a 60% drop to a 20 year low at their Mexican winter grounds last winter.
Along the edge of the front Old Hayfield was fine example of a goldenrod bunch gall, caused by a midge's larva living inside. Its secretion stops the stem from growing taller, but the leaves keep coming out and so form a bunch, giving the larva a safe place to live. Bunch galls only happen on Canada goldenrod, making that goldenrod ID easier.
The boardwalk across the end of the Sedge Meadow had been collecting falling leaves - something I'd been denying.
Another goldenrod that I find relatively easy to ID is rough-leaved goldenrod. It likes wet soils and has pretty big basal leaves.
The Old Pasture has been reliable for American coppers for a while now. Just sit at the bench and watch the path.
Across the path, a white form female sulphur looked as if it were extra massive as it dangled from an already curved goldenrod.
A view of the sun dappled Wappinger Creek exemplified the beautiful day it was.
There was one a few weeks ago. This time the characteristic red abdominal prolegs were obvious.
A dragonfly was perched nearby and I had to try for it.
In the Old Gravel Pit, I thought I heard golden-crowned warbler and swung my gaze in that direction but found instead psychadelic spider webs up fairly high.
The lighting, the smells in the air... it was spectacular today. The view down the Scotch Pine Alleé was another that will be recalled when this day is mentioned.
Off to the side, I spotted my first common milkweed letting loose its seeds to seek new homes. And I returned to my own.
