On the Trails of IES

Views

• It was a bit more exciting on the trails this week compared to last week.
• The little meadow above the Fern Glen is a great spot to find butterflies.
• Gaywings were blooming along the Cary Pines trail.
• The large oval leaves were of Canada mayflower about to bloom.
• The "evil, invasive" Japanese barberry was blooming.
• At the "Appendix" something sinister looking sprouted in the middle of the trail.
• And along the wappinger Creek Trail the equally "evil, invasive" honeysuckle bush was just starting to bloom.
• Farther along a new bridge replaced the one taken by the spring floods.
• Finally, as I climbed the bluff to enter the Old Pasture, a Juvinal's duskywing allowed a fair photo.
• An American copper escorted me through the Old Pasture; as I tried to take a photo something else came by and the copper went up in persuit.
• As they parted I could only track one. When it settled it turned out to be the trespasser, a cobweb skipper - a new butterfly for me!
• In the tunnel of the Sedge Meadow Trail, it looked as if a blue jay had exploded. I would presume a hawk took it. And come to think of it, this was not an unfamiliar sight in this area.

Plants newly in bloom

• Gaywing
• Japanese barberry

Butterflies

• 2 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
• 4 Spicebush Swallowtail
• 1 Cabbage White
• 1 American Copper
• 6 Spring Azure
• 1 Pearl Crescent
• 1 Silver-spotted Skipper
• 4 Juvenal's Duskywing
• 1 Cobweb Skipper

Birds

• 2 Canada Goose
• 2 Mallard
• 1 Ring-necked Pheasant
• 1 Red-tailed Hawk
• 2 Chimney Swift
• 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
• 1 Downy Woodpecker
• 2 Pileated Woodpecker
• 1 Yellow-throated Vireo
• 1 Warbling Vireo
• 2 Red-eyed Vireo
• 4 Blue Jay
• 2 American Crow
• 1 Tree Swallow
• 3 Black-capped Chickadee
• 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
• 1 White-breasted Nuthatch
• 2 Wood Thrush
• 9 American Robin
• 1 Gray Catbird
• 1 Northern Mockingbird
• 4 Blue-winged Warbler
• 2 Yellow Warbler
• 1 Black-throated Green Warbler
• 4 Prairie Warbler
• 3 Ovenbird
• 2 Louisiana Waterthrush
• 1 Hooded Warbler
• 2 Scarlet Tanager
• 3 Eastern Towhee
• 4 Chipping Sparrow
• 1 Field Sparrow
• 2 Song Sparrow
• 4 Northern Cardinal
• 1 Red-winged Blackbird
• 2 Brown-headed Cowbird
• 1 Baltimore Oriole
• 1 American Goldfinch