August 23, 2017

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 75°F, partly cloudy, and calm at 1:00 PM on August 23, 2017.
• This week's trail report covers the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.
• Yesterday's heat and humidity ended with thunder storms giving us pleasant temps and humidity today.
• Fall colors were beginning to appear...

The Trails

• One could no longer ignore the fact that summer was getting late with all the goldenrods in the front Old Hayfield.
• Towards the back of the field, dogbanes were making seed pods.
• Along the dry side of the Sedge Meadow Trail, gray dogwood berries were ripening to white.
• In moister sections, silky dogwood berries were turning from green to white to blue.
• The sky over the Gifford Tenent Barn was very nice.
• First signs of fall color were showing up in burning bush.
• As the trail dropped down to the boardwalk, an eastern comma appeared, also in fall colors, i.e., its hindwings were orange, not black.
• In the Sedge Meadow, tearthumb was climbing up the purple loosestrife.
• The tiny flowers can be easy to overlook.
• The tiny barbs are not easy to miss.
• A big sky stretched across the back Old Hayfield, too.
• On the ground, red was showing up in the Virginia creeper.
• In between, butterfly diversity seemed to be starting to drop with great spangled fritillaries dominating.
• Close behind were silver-spotted skippers.
• The view from the bluff over the full flowing Wappinger Creek was nice.
• At the bottom of the trail, hickory nuts awaited the unwary foot.
• Farther along was another favorite creek view.
• In the flood plain zig-zag goldenrod was just about to bloom.
• Just past that, jumpseed was blooming.
• Its tiny flowers will produce tiny, self propelled seeds.
• At the foot bridge below the "Appendix", wood nettle was making its seeds.
• As they ripen, the seeds look like little black orbs offered in little green cups.
• An interesting ambush bug lurked among the seeds - it had a yellowish as opposed the usual green.
• Under the nettle was an expanse of invasive Japanese stilt grass - this one had only 3 stilts.
• A lucky American millipede survived all the foot traffic.
• The creek view at the "Appendix" was a nice finish.
• Or so I thought: there was activity back at the Gifford trail head kiosk.
• Right on the sign-in box was a monarch chrysalis. With wings becoming visible, eclosure (hatching) was imminent - perhaps the next morning.
• Next week: the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.