On the Trails of
The Cary Institute

Trail Report for Aug 20, 2008

Notes and changes since last report:

Let's Walk

The Trails

  • The sunken garden at Gifford House was being removed today.
  • Little bluestem grass and goldenrods were beginning to show themselves in the first Old Hayfield.
  • "How long will this last?" I wondered when I spotted a puffball coming up in the middle of the Sedge Meadow Trail.
  • A female Peck's skipper was more cooperative on the SMT than in the Old Hayfield.
  • The Great Spangled Fritillary is usually seen in the open fields; this one deep behind the Sedge Meadow seemed to be a female looking for violets on which to lay eggs.
  • Wild bergamot is beginning to yeald to goldenrods in the back Old Hayfield
  • A tattered American Lady was on wild oregano.
  • Speaking of tattered, something has been working on the mushrooms near the fallen Old Oak.
  • I found the view approaching the "Appendix" very tranquil. Pewees were calling as a black-and-white warbler climbed a tree limb.
  • Heading towards the Cary Pines Trail I found a truely purple mushroom.
  • The little meadow above the Fern Glen is an amazing spot. Today it held the first Zabulon Skipper I've seen on the Trails.
  • Both Tall Coneflower and Great Blue Lobelia have been blooming for a while, but these were nice views, so they are included today.
  • Groundnut was new today along the pond's edge.
  • Nearby, Elderberry berries have been ripening.
  • A dead dragonfly had a curious backdrop.
  • Just on the other side of the path was wild mint.
  • Up at the front of the pond, Joe-Pye Weed was blooming and attracting various insects.
  • Some of the plants were looking a bit stressed.
  • They had attracted juice sucking leaf hoppers which were being tended by ants.
  • And I went home.

Moths

  • 1 Snowberry Clearwing

Birds

  • 2 Northern Flicker
  • 1 Pileated Woodpecker
  • 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee
  • 2 Red-eyed Vireo
  • 2 Blue Jay
  • 1 American Crow
  • 3 Black-capped Chickadee
  • 2 Tufted Titmouse
  • 1 Carolina Wren
  • 1 American Robin
  • 2 Gray Catbird
  • 2 Cedar Waxwing
  • 1 Black-and-white Warbler
  • 1 Eastern Towhee
  • 1 Northern Cardinal
  • 2 American Goldfinch

Butterflies

  • 2 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • 18 Cabbage White
  • 11 Clouded Sulphur
  • 8 Orange Sulphur
  • 1 Eastern Tailed-Blue
  • 12 Great Spangled Fritillary
  • 5 Meadow Fritillary
  • 12 Pearl Crescent
  • 1 American Lady
  • 38 Common Ringlet
  • 28 Common Wood-Nymph
  • 3 Monarch
  • 8 Silver-spotted Skipper
  • 1 Least Skipper
  • 5 Peck's Skipper
  • 1 Tawny-edged Skipper
  • 2 Zabulon Skipper

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© 2008 Barry Haydasz