May 29, 2019

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 65°F, mostly cloudy with a light breeze at 2:15 PM on May 29, 2019. It would start raining around 4PM.
• Little wood-satyr had returned.
• This week's trail report covers the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.

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The Trails

• The grass in the front Old Hayfield at Gifford House was getting tall.
• At the trail head, common milkweed was getting tall, with flower buds just forming.
• Out in the field, spittle bugs were on the bedstraws.
• In spite of the overcast day, pearl crescents would pass by from time to time.
• Along the edge, an American redstart was calling loudly, but hiding skillfuly.
• These smoky-winged, orange backed flies are around every year.
• Hawkweeds look a bit like dandelions.
• Caterpillars of the day-flying white-banded toothed carpet feed on bedstraws.
• A pair of tiger moths might have been ignored as spittle bugs.
• In the Sedge Meadow, there was no doubt about the blue flag.
• Next to it, Angelica was beginning to bloom.
• And behind them both, cinnamon fern was living up to its name.
• Another commonly encountered fly was out in numbers.
• Gray days don't seem to bother the little wood-satyr, which had just returned.
• The phlox immitator, dame's rocket, was coming into its own.
• In the back of the back Old Hayfield, ironwood flowers and leaves were host to a lot of activity.
• A long, green bug blended in well.
• A fly and spider seemed quite aware of each other.
• Several gypsy moth caterpillars were about.
• If there were only one, this little gall could have been dismissed as a scar.
• The petals of chickweeds are so deeply notched that they appear to be twice as numerous.
• Again, the Wappinger Creek was looking full from the bluff in the woods after the Old Pasture.
• The trunk of an old oak had fallen across the path.
• At the bottom of the hill, a great flapping noise rose with a turkey vulture.
• A forest tent caterpillar was spralled out along a twig. In spite of the name, they make no tent.
• Another caterpillar on another twig was unknown to me.
• Along the floodplain, only a few blossoms of star-of-Bethlehem were out this year.
• Up ahead was a healthy stand of stinging nettle.
• It's separate male and female flowers were forming.
• Below, invasive narrow-leaved bittercress blossoms took a practiced eye to notice.
• Next week: the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.