September 02, 2021

Water Under the Bridge

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 65°F, mostly clear, and windy at 1:30 PM on September 2, 2021.
• This week it was Hurricane Ida that dumped a couple inches of rain on us.
• The creek could be heard through the woods and across the fields.
• This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.

The Trails

• The view up the creek from trail marker 10 was wilder than in the spring.
• And down the creek was hard to recognize.
• Out in the Fern Glen, our late season black cohosh was starting to bloom.
• Throughout the whole trail system, there was but one storm problem and it was in the Fern Glen.
• Back in the fen, beggar-ticks were blooming. The two-pronged seeds stuck to one's socks are more familiar than the bloom.
• The water looked closer to the deck than it actually was.
• And the matted vegetation showed that it had actually gone down a foot.
• It was hard to imagine more passing under the bridge.
• Thankfully the work on the steps to the deck did not appear to have suffered.
• The zigzag of zigzag goldenrod was easy to observe on a rain flattened plant.
• In a more typical posture the leaves were more recognizable.
• Tall white lettuce was nearby.
• The tubular flowers help ID this plant - the leaves are very variable.
• Rough-leaved goldenrod grows in wet place and its lower leaves get pretty large.
• A trill was overhead by the kiosk up front - cedar waxwings were in the branches above.
• Love that hair.
• Little squiggles of yellow above the edge of a witch hazel leaf prompted an investigation: Drexel's prominent caterpillars. Caterpillars of prominents are colorful and exhibit interesting behavior, such as here when disturbed .
• Around the corner, along the edge of the pond, false Solomon's seal fruit was ripening.
• Closer to the ground, bottle gentian was blooming. It takes something like a bumble bee to get in.
• The assertive little vine, groundnut that has been sprawling over everything was starting to bloom.
• Its pea-like flower indicates it is a legume. Look for rolled up leaves with silver-spotted skipper caterpillars.
• Tiny calico aster was blooming along the railing.
• Back on the trails outside of the Glen, the bottom of the Old Gravel Pit was looking like spring.
• And back at Gifford House, an expanding patch of common milkweed was calling.
• One big monarch caterpillar was to be found.
• Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail the side of the trail system.

Sightings