October 15, 2014

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 75°F, cloudy and windy at 11:15 AM on October 15, 2014.
• I hoped to beat the forecasted rain with an early start; sun and sprinkles fell in equal amounts. Nice.
• More leaves had fallen since last week, but those remaining... may have been close to peak.
• The grounds close for the season at the end of October.

The Trails

• The sky over the front Old Hayfield was typical of the whole walk: occasional patches of blue, occasional sprinkles.
• Behind the Carriage House, fothergilla was turning dark red and I recalled its little white Buckingham-palace-guard-hat blossoms of spring.
• A scan of the sky yielded flat wings, not the V of the earlier turkey vulture.
• The wedge shaped tail of my first impression was not in the photo... so much for raven, but a little adjustment of brightness and contrast made obvious that it was a red-tailed hawk.
• Back on earth, the larger Stewartia was almost the same red as the fothergilla next to it.
• Looking around again, I found blue skies and company approaching.
• From view from the Scotch Pine Alleé was different with the Little Bluestem Meadow mowed.
• A wood frog jumped across our path in the Old Gravel Pit.
• It was as easy to loose as last week's sulphur... It's in the center, of course.
• Another find was a dead blister beetle. I'm guessing something tried to eat it and won't try again.
• I almost squashed some little mushrooms right behind me.
• Eastern commas were still at the sap run, one in pretty good shape and another missing most of a hindwing.
• The colors in some places were amazing.
• Right at the Fern Glen parking lot was one of the nicest displays.
• On the bridge, a runner wearing bright red was almost invisible.
• By the Fern Glen pond, I sought out last week's scrawny wahoo sapling.
• Yes, the saddleback caterpillar was still there, too.
• The Appendix (Trail Marker 10) was good for lunch and birding. White-throated sparrows were many but avoided open spaces.
• Across the Wappinger Creek by the recently fallen oak was a wall of spicebush... and a spreading carpet of Japanese stilt grass. Let's take this picture next year and compare.
• I always like the view from the bluff over the Wappinger Creek.
• The Sedge Meadow seemed bigger with so many leaves down.
• But that winterberry in the corner was holding onto its yellowing leaves making the berries really stand out.
• Just around the corner was the entrance to the back Old Hayfield.
• And soon my exit.