October 11, 2012

Notes and changes since last report:

• It was clear and 58° with light breezes at 2:30 PM on October 11, 2012.
• This was another Thursday walk as Wednesday was wet.
• A fine, brisk autumn day with low afternoon light on golden leaves and the scent of the earth in the air.
• Two butterflies were about in spite of the cool air.

The Trails

• The Old Hayfield by Gifford House was starting to look bare.
• It was warm along the sunny edge so it wasn't a complete surprise when a red admiral darted out to challenge me.
• Goldenrods were puffing up with their tiny fuzzy seeds.
• Milkweed was sending their larger parachutes aloft.
• In WWII milkweed fluff was used to insulate battle vests.
• An occasion bloom of wild basel could still be found.
• Some spotted knapweed was looking perfectly fresh.
• The little asters were few.
• Tiny bee mimics - hover flies were still finding them.
• A surprise was that a giant puffball had survived to maturity in the fast lane of the Sedge Meadow Trail.
• And it looked like its younger sibling was going to make it as well.
• Up ahead red glowed as the trail descended into the wood.
• It was burning bush, a vigorous escapee from cultivation.
• Leaves were really coming down now, I realized as I looked back along the boardwalk.
• In the back Old Hayfield some trees were totally bare while others were still green.
• The sunny edge of the field looked like potential butterfly haunt.
• Lurking just under the edge was black swallowwort vine, its unblemished leaves testimony to its unpalatability to wildlife - in fact it is poisonous to monarch caterpillars, though it is in the milkweed family.
• New shoots were waiting for next season... or to take over had I simply pulled the stem up. Last year's rhizome was still there at the bottom of this year's - and still viable had I not dug carefully. Fortunately it had not produced seeds - they are very much like common milkweed's.
• A favorite sight is the view from the bluff where the trail throught the Old Pasture comes to the Wappinger Creek.
• The trail bends to the west with proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
• Low afternoon light illuminated the creek by the Watershed Kiosk.
• A little farther downstream was another view with a different atmosphere.
• The footbridge at the end of the floodplain marked the beginning of a waist-high infestation of Japanese stilt grass. A band of volunteers this past weekend stripped it to the ground! Thank you!
• The last rays of sun in the Fern Glen were falling on ostrich fern along the pond.
• Witch hazel seemed to be picking up since last week and was filling the cool air with its fragrance.
• It has been a day of textures: fallen leaves, branches against the sky, here needles and leaves on the boardwalk.
• Eager as I was to get home, I had to check out the view from the new bench on the Scotch Pine Alleé.
• Birds were quiet here today and I continued through with a glance back at the light in the Alleé.
• There was something about the long shadows and the lines of the Carriage House that appealed to my eye.
• As I continued past, I couldn't help notice the base of the big maple.
• Perfect little mushrooms.