August 27, 2014

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 83°F, and hazy with light breezes at 12:00 PM on August 27, 2014.
• Northern pearly-eye was one of several butterflies that seem to be on the wing past their usual season.
• Another dreaded invasive, Japanese knotweed, was in bloom.

The Trails

• On the warm up lap around Gifford parking lot, I wondered if the milkweed aphids were a bit heavy this year.
• The next question was if we'd soon be seeing a lot more lady bug larvae... or adults.
• It looked fallsy across the front Old Hayfield, but it didn't feel it - not with 80s and the humidity.
• On the dry side of the Sedge Meadow Trail was an unusual butterfly-like thing.
• On the wet side was another: two northern pearly-eyes flying about in apparent argument. Some butterflies are territorial and investigate any passerby, courting females and driving off rivals. NPEs seem committed to that practice.
• A more cooperative group was on the Wappinger Creek Trail: researchers dragging for ticks.
• On the other side of the creek, a patch of Japanese knotweed was blooming.
• This vigorous invasive has distinctive leaves that make ID easy even when not in flower. It spreads more by root than by seed.
• A noise in the leaves at my feet drew my attention - a sneaky American green frog was getting closer to the creek... just to make sure.
• A puff of gray off the side of the Cary Pines Trail was all that was left of a yellow jacket's nest that had been a meal for something else.
• Near the front of the Fern Glen pond, bottle gentian was blooming. It's also called closed gentian...
• Just behind it, turtlehead was about to bloom - I'm not sure I remember it being in this location.
• Back in the fen, rough-leaved goldenrod was blooming. It's large basal leaves and wet habitat makes this goldenrod easy to ID.
• The leaves always made me think it was witchhazel, but the little cones meant alder.
• And the little orange butterfly I saw on the woolly aphids Monday had to be the harvester - our only carnivorous butterfly: it's caterpillar feeds on woolly aphids.
• On the other side of the boardwalk, tiny water speedwell was blooming.
• Even tinier was the blossom of arrow-leaved tearthumb.
• Also in the mix of tiny things was purple-leaved willow herb.
• Interesting is how red the blossom is before it opens.
• The posture of swamp milkweed pods is interesting and is one feature setting it apart from common milkweed.
• Back towards the kiosk, cardinal flower took me by surprise.
• Almost the same color were jack-in-the-pulit berries right next to it.
• Right by the kiosk was zigzag goldenrod.
• The roundish lower leaves and dry woods location are more obvious to me than the namesake kinky stem.
• I paused in the Old Gravel Pit to see what might be traveling with a noisy pack of chickadees and titmice - the dragonfly was not what I had in mind, but it sat right in front of me - the prairy warbler did not...
• Farther along, one of those real big dragonflies stopped and hung out just long enough.
• I would have liked to sit and enjoy the view and warm, pine scented breezes along the Scotch Pine Alleé, but...