On the Trails of
The Cary Institute

Trail Report for May 06, 2009

Notes and changes since last report:

Let's Walk

The Trails

  • Starting in the Fern Glen today I found Jacob's ladder just beginning to bloom near the pond.
  • The water snakes had returned last week in style.
  • Across from the Jacob's ladder starry Soloman's seal was blooming.
  • Next to the bench in the limestone cobble Great Soloman's seal was just getting ready to open - a state that deer are very apt at detecting.
  • Behind said bench are still a few unidentified exotics from an earlier time that come up every year.
  • White baneberry is quite native to this part of New York.
  • I don't know the sedges too well yet, but I have a growing appreciation.
  • Two spots in the cobble held foamflower.
  • The large-flowered trillium we have seen in bud, in glowing white blossom, and now pink in age.
  • Shubs in the fen were taking off starting with rhodora.
  • Bog rosmary buds are pink turning white as they open.
  • Leatherleaf and high bush blueberry have nodding white bells as well.
  • No confusing the pitcher plant buds.
  • Heading down towards the deck one can see the unique gaywings.
  • Heading up the road I noted that thin clouds are good for butterfly watching. The eastern pine elfin and American lady both showed up last week but were too active for portraits that day.
  • Out along the Wappinger Creek Trail were several patches of wood anemone in bloom.
  • I lingered in the Old Pasture hoping for a cobweb skipper but only found a snowberry clearwing moth snooping along the path - I'd seen one last week. Oh well.
  • Bush honeysuckle was beginning to bloom, I noted, and as if to make a point the snowberry clearwing zoomed in, curled her abdomen under a leaf and zoomed off!
  • So startled was I, I had to turn the whole branch to find the leaf with the egg.
  • Continuing behind the Sedge Meadow, I looked up as I passed under a great buzzing sound. It wasn't a swarm but an old apple tree in bloom - and very popular with the bumble bees.
  • Along the edge of the 2nd Old Hayfield I back stepped to examine an irregularity in the hedgerow foliage: another pair of insects preparing eggs for the laying.
  • Passing behind the Carriage House I went by buckeye and a viburnum, I think, both handsome today.
  • The way back to the Glen through the Scots Pine Alleé and Old Gravel Pit was notable for the call of the scarlet tanager.
  • And that was plenty for one day.

Butterflies

  • 1 Cabbage White
  • 2 Eastern Pine Elfin
  • 11 Spring Azure
  • 1 Mourning Cloak
  • 1 American Lady
  • 1 Juvenal's Duskywing

Birds

  • 1 Ring-necked Pheasant
  • 1 Wild Turkey
  • 1 Red-shouldered Hawk
  • 3 Mourning Dove
  • 2 Pileated Woodpecker
  • 8 Blue Jay
  • 2 American Crow
  • 1 Tree Swallow
  • 5 Black-capped Chickadee
  • 2 Tufted Titmouse
  • 1 House Wren
  • 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • 2 Eastern Bluebird
  • 1 Wood Thrush
  • 7 American Robin
  • 8 Gray Catbird
  • 2 Blue-winged Warbler
  • 1 Pine Warbler
  • 2 Prairie Warbler
  • 2 Black-and-white Warbler
  • 1 Louisiana Waterthrush
  • 1 Scarlet Tanager
  • 3 Eastern Towhee
  • 2 Chipping Sparrow
  • 7 Field Sparrow
  • 1 Northern Cardinal
  • 1 Red-winged Blackbird
  • 2 Brown-headed Cowbird
  • 3 Baltimore Oriole
  • 2 American Goldfinch

Plants

  • 1 Apple
  • 1 Bog rosemary
  • 1 Bush honesuckle
  • 1 Foamflower
  • 1 Gaywings
  • 1 Great Soloman's seal
  • 1 High Bush Blueberry
  • 1 Jacob's ladder
  • 1 Japanese barberry
  • 1 Leatherleaf
  • 1 Rhodora
  • 1 Starry Soloman's seal
  • 1 White baneberry
  • 1 Wild blue phlox

Moths

  • 1 Snowberry Clearwing
© 2009 Barry Haydasz