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Trail Reports
...
May 15, 2019
Notes and Changes since last report
It was 60°F, mostly cloudy and breezy at 2:00 PM on May 15, 2019.
Today seemed like the only rainless day in a week.
This week's trail report covers the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.
The Trails
The
Old Hayfield
at Gifford House was really looking like spring now.
Along the paths,
buttercups
were coming up.
The first dandelions had finished blooming and their
seeds
were ready to blow away.
Several
rose-breasted grosbeaks
were arguing in the back of the field.
Below them, invasive
Tartarian honeysuckle
was starting to bloom.
And in the grass, a colony of
Bird's-eye speedwell
was in operation.
Out in the Sedge Meadow,
cinnamon fern
was uncoiling.
Along the edge of the back Old Hayfield, invasive
Russian olive
was getting ready to bloom.
Near by, the obscure flowers of
burning bush
were opening.
With all the recent rains, the
Wappinger Creek
was full and roaring.
Near the little confluence,
false hellebore
was getting big.
Even from a distance, the
fungus
on the sycamore was obvious.
That was quite the
colony
they had going.
Even the noise and turbulence of the creek was not enough to mask my approach. The two
common mergansers
were out of sight in a moment.
The
mystery plant
was in it's usual place.
When the
flower buds
open, I will try again to figure them out.
Narrow-leaved bitter cress
I know too well as a recent invasive in our area.
Small-flowered crowfoot
has a small flower, indeed. It's in the buttercup family.
Golden ragwort
will be putting on a better show shortly.
At the "Appendix", a
veery
popped into view, then out again.
The carpets of
Canada mayflower
were beginning to bloom.
Mixed in was the occasional
starflower
.
Here and there,
spotted wintergreen
still had last season's fruit.
And once in a while, last year's fruit of
partridgeberry
could be spotted hugging the ground.
Next week: the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
Sightings
Mammals
Birds
Butterflies
Moth
Insects
Caterpillars
Arthropods
Fungus
Herp
Plants
Other
2 Common Merganser
1 Black Swallowtail
1 Bird's-eye speedwell
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Spring Azure
1 Burning bush
1 Mourning Dove
1 American Lady
1 Buttercup
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Canada mayflower
1 Northern Flicker
1 Golden ragwort
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Small-flowered crowfoot
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Starflower
1 Warbling Vireo
1 Tartarian honeysuckle
3 Blue Jay
3 Tree Swallow
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Veery
1 Wood Thrush
5 American Robin
2 Gray Catbird
1 European Starling
1 Yellow Warbler
1 Prairie Warbler
2 Black-and-white Warbler
2 Ovenbird
1 Louisiana Waterthrush
1 Common Yellowthroat
6 Eastern Towhee
2 Chipping Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
2 Song Sparrow
1 Northern Cardinal
3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Indigo Bunting
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
3 Baltimore Oriole
2 American Goldfinch
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