On the Trails of
The Cary Institute

The Trails

• In the back Old Hayfield an eastern tiger swallowtail presented the first opportunity to discover how unpredictably the new camera focuses.
• As I peeked into the Sedge Meadow I heard the chatter of a hummingbird. Two whizzed by, the male hovering for several seconds a foot in front of my face.
• The camera... well, I got a shot of the purple loosestrife blooming.
• No appalachian browns to be found this day, but some young birds presented an ID problem. Perhaps they were towhees.
• Of the several mushrooms along the Wappinger Creek Trail, a clutch of tiny orange ones and a pair in moss were most attractive.
• The weather two weekends ago left its mark by the foot bridge near trail post #9.
• And farther down stream in the flood plain, our grounds crew left their mark too.
• One more spot - the little spur to the water's edge was dramatic too.
• Square-stemmed monkey-flower was blooming along the other foot bridge by the "Appendix".
• A bouquet of fern and partridgeberry was tucked along the side of the Cary Pines Trail.
• Spotted jewelweed was blooming in the Fern Glen; it's juices are reported to relieve the itch of poison ivy.
• I recall horsebalm having a lemony scent, but not at all today - more skunky I'd say.
• A tiger moth caterpillar climbed up a jewelweed and perched on a leaf.
• Although it is not native, the alien orchid, helleborine is tolerated in the Glen.
• At the pond's edge, New York ironweed was beginning to bloom.
• The only little wood-satyr seen today was sunning on the alien and invasive bush honeysuckle.
• A spicebush swallowtail in the Scots Pine Alleé made for a delightful conclusion to today's walk: the camera can focus!

Plants

• 1 Horse-balm
• 1 New York ironweed
• 1 Purple Loosestrife
• 1 Spotted Jewelweed

Birds

• 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• 1 Pileated Woodpecker
• 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
• 2 Red-eyed Vireo
• 2 Blue Jay
• 1 American Crow
• 1 Black-capped Chickadee
• 1 White-breasted Nuthatch
• 1 Eastern Bluebird
• 4 American Robin
• 2 Gray Catbird
• 1 Prairie Warbler
• 2 Eastern Towhee
• 1 Chipping Sparrow
• 1 Field Sparrow
• 1 Song Sparrow
• 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• 2 Indigo Bunting
• 2 American Goldfinch

Butterflies

• 3 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
• 2 Spicebush Swallowtail
• 15 Cabbage White
• 7 Clouded Sulphur
• 4 Great Spangled Fritillary
• 10 Pearl Crescent
• 1 Eastern Comma
• 2 Red-spotted Purple
• 1 Northern Pearly-eye
• 1 Little Wood-Satyr
• 15 Common Ringlet
• 33 Common Wood-Nymph
• 2 Monarch
• 4 Silver-spotted Skipper
• 2 Northern Broken-Dash
• 2 Dun Skipper

Moths

• 3 Snowberry Clearwing

The Trails

• The borrowed binoculars can focus a good deal closer now, but only at the expense of distance. And there was a prism out of alignment last time.
• Spotted Knapweed had started blooming in the front Old Hayfield.
• I'm used to Appalachian Browns leaking over from the Sedge Meadow, but a Northern Pearly-eye was a surprise.
• The Northern Broken-dash, the Little Glassywing and the Dun Skipper look very similar and often fly together. Collectively they are referred to as "The Witches" The back Old Hayfield held many NBDs and a fair number of Duns in the dogbane: an excellent opportunity to explore the source of their name.
• The skies opened up briefly while I was passing through the Sedge Meadow. It made for a quiet walk afterwords.
• As usual, while at the Appendix, I heard the Eastern Wood Pewee across the creek. I did not linger as usual with the threat of further rain...
• After a brisk walk it was rather warm with the 100% humidity. I slowed to cool off in the Scot's Pine Alleé and caught sight of a blue bird and heard an indigo bunting.
• Much preferable to the blue arc of lightening and sound of thunder.

Butterflies

• 2 Cabbage White
• 1 Orange Sulphur
• 1 American Copper
• 3 Great Spangled Fritillary
• 2 Pearl Crescent
• 2 Northern Pearly-eye
• 4 Appalachian Brown
• 1 Little Wood-Satyr
• 1 Common Ringlet
• 23 Common Wood-Nymph
• 1 Monarch
• 4 Silver-spotted Skipper
• 10 Northern Broken-Dash
• 1 Little Glassywing
• 7 Dun Skipper

Birds

• 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
• 1 Red-eyed Vireo
• 3 Blue Jay
• 8 Black-capped Chickadee
• 2 House Wren
• 1 Eastern Bluebird
• 2 Wood Thrush
• 10 American Robin
• 5 Gray Catbird
• 1 Cedar Waxwing
• 1 Prairie Warbler
• 1 Ovenbird
• 1 Scarlet Tanager
• 2 Eastern Towhee
• 1 Chipping Sparrow
• 1 Field Sparrow
• 1 Northern Cardinal
• 1 Indigo Bunting
• 1 American Goldfinch

Plants

• 1 Spotted Knapweed

Moths

• 1 Hummingbird Clearwing
• 1 Snowberry Clearwing