September, 2017: Describe your walk by adding a comment below
Each time you go out and make observations for this project, describe your walk by adding a comment to this post. Include the date, distance walked, and categories that you used for this walk.
Suggested format:
Date. Place. Distance walked today. Total distance for this project.
Categories.
Brief description of the area, what you saw, what you learned, who was with you, or any other details you care to share.
Comments
9/1/17. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier VT. 0.4 miles today, 461.1 miles total.
Categories: birds
Went on an early morning bird walk with Chip Darmstadt and 10 other birders around the perimeter of the Nature Center. We were looking for warblers since it is the beginning of the migration season. We saw a few, but several were wearing Nature Center tags, probably residents. Amongst the morning's birds were common yellowthroat, ravens, blue-headed vireo, American redstart, song sparrows and hummingbirds.
Sara--I loved your term "unintentional plants"!
9/2/17. Martin Rd, Adamant VT, and West Hill Pond, Cabot VT. 3.8 miles today, 464.9 miles total.
Categories: birds, fruits, ferns, herps
Our Saturday morning walking group started up again this morning after the summer gardening hiatus. We had a leisurely stroll up Martin Rd. Since I've walked that one many times before, I tried to watch just for new plants or animals. I started off with some alfalfa in full bloom beside the road. That's not one we see everyday, but not a big surprise since there are pastures nearby. The group paused by yet another Fairmont Farms field so that I could survey the weeds. This field had some black nightshade.
In the afternoon, I kayaked around West Hill Pond in Cabot. It was quite scenic and quiet (except with the mom and the 2 boisterous boys who were trying out echoes...but they were cheerful and outdoors, so that was fine). Plenty of fish, and few invasives. There was some honeysuckle, but plenty of highbush cranberry and mountain holly as well. Lots of cattails and rushes, but not phragmites, Japanese knotweed or purple loosestrife. The bluestem goldenrod is now in full bloom. I got to watch the resident loon pair fishing, and also saw both a northern kingbird and a belted kingfisher. Quite regal!
9/3/2017. McCullough Hill Rd, Middlesex, VT. First mile walked today! 999 to go!
Category: liverworts
Going to focus on liverworts for a while, mostly while I walk the dog (Daisy) on my road and neighboring woods. Photographed two species of leafy liverworts and brought back specimens to ID. Pretty sure I found Calypogeia muelleriana growing on soil with other bryophytes (including probable Pellia sp.) and a very large patch of Scapania nemorea growing on a boulder. Amazed how these little plants are so common, but so little noticed. Glad my eyes have been opened!
9/3/17. East Montpelier Town Forest, Adamant, VT. 1.8 miles today, 466.7 miles total.
Categories: fungi, bryophytes, flowers
Donned my full rain suit for a soggy walk in the woods this morning with the remnants of Hurricane Harvey. I've been through the town forest many times, so I decided to focus on fungi this morning. Plenty to see, from puff balls to corals, gilled, pored, and toothed. Identifying even a few of what I saw will be a challenge. The puffballs should be okay, and maybe I can get some of the others, like Scuttelaria (the eyelash fungus) to genus. The bryophytes were in their element today, so I couldn't help but capture a few of them as well. My goal for the morning was to find the elusive wet meadow towards the back of the town forest. Mission accomplished! Quite a bit of nasturium back there, oddly enough. I brought back a seed pod to see if I could get it to species.
Welcome aboard, Chip!
yeah i want to go explore that wetland in East Montpelier Town Forest too, not great for a toddler though so will have to wait for a day i am alone
9-2-17. Six Mile Run, Blackwell Mills, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 113.25 miles total
Categories: flowering, fruiting, insects, weeds
Explored the beginning of what must be an extremely popular mountain bike trail (judging from the overflowing parking lot and number of cyclists who passed me). It's mostly a field absolutely chock full of patches of Tyrol knapweed interspersed with mown grass, but there were a lot of other weed species in with them. Then I moved over to the canal towpath which is wooded and weedy.
Welcome, Chip! Aside from Frullania sp. I virtually never see liverworts, and will enjoy looking through your findings to sharpen my eye.
9-4-17. Bayberry School, Watchung, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 113.75 miles total.
Categories: flowering, fruiting, insects, weeds
I wanted someplace nearby that I'd not done before, and so chose this elementary school in the next town. There was amazing amounts of Japanese angelica tree, blooming and fruiting and starting to change for the fall as well. Also tons of flowering Japanese knotweed, covered in bees and wasps. And the tallest pilewort (or whatever you call Erectites hieracifolia) I think I've ever seen, well above my head. It's a beautiful day, the end of a rainy holiday weekend, and likely the last time I will have all four of my children home at once until Thanksgiving. (Mind you, not one of them wanted to come walking with me).
9-4-2017 - about 4.5 miles, 90.5 total. Cross Vermont Trail in Groton
Walked the Cross Vermont Trail between Kettle Pond trailhead and Boulder Beach Road (and beyond). I know erika's been out that way too and may have also walked this stretch. Nice flat wide trail, perfect for Holly to walk about 0.5 miles more. I should start tracking her progress on here too :) She stops to pick up every stick, which makes progress slow and means plenty of time for me to add things to iNaturalist when grandma and grandpa are walking the trail with her. Was mostly just adding to the inventory of the northern hardwood forest in this habitat block. Got a little peek at a small wetland but didn't really get to climb in there. Also a few of the normal roadside/trailside plants. Not sure how best to categorize these in our new system because it's the wide rail trail - not a normal trail, not a normal road, hasn't been a railroad in a long time. Also added some early fall color observations.
Hi Chip!
9-4-17. Rt. 14, East Montpelier, VT. 3 miles today, 469.7 miles total.
Categories: road weeds, road kill, invasives, flowers, fruits
I was short on time today, so I chose this route since it was close to home. Terrible walking road, but I did find some interesting weeds, and even one that was new to me. It was a short purple mint-like flower with the inflorescence on stems branching out from the main stem. Other than that, there was plenty of honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife, poison ivy, wild chervil, bishop's weed, burdock, but at least no hogweed. The road kill included 1 frog, 2 dragonflies, 2 grasshoppers, and 2 skunks. At least the skunks were far enough gone that they didn't even smell anymore. The overloaded manure trucks, though, they smelt.
Glad you mentioned the purple milkwort, Sara! As I was going through my July photos (I'm a bit behind), I found some more milkwort observations of my own. I never would have been able to ID it if you hadn't described it. These latest observations were from the same powerline cut as where I found it before, but about 1/2 mile away the other direction from the road. As for your Tyrol knapweed--that's one I've never heard of...yet.
Charlie, what a wonderful walk you must have had today! That is a gorgeous stretch of woods! And I don't think I photographed many trees while I was there, so if you looked at trees at all, they're probably all new for that trail.
yeah, i got all the trees i could see, and the typical understory stuff but didn't get all the road weeds. One thing i found interesting was i didn't find a single black cherry. I almost always see a few in the northern hardwood forest. No oaks but that was expected. I was looking for black ash in the seeps and little wetlands but didn't see any. Pretty much all the other usual tree species were there. And yeah, super pretty . will be even prettier in two or three weeks!
9-5-17. Hill St., Montpelier, VT. 3.1 miles today, 472.8 miles total.
Categories: flowers, fruits, ferns, invasives
Headed up Hill St in Montpelier under cloudy skies this morning. Part way up the hill, the clouds opened up with heavy rain. I was glad I chose my waterproof camera this morning! This was an interesting road that emphasized once again how quickly you can go from very urban to very rural in this little capital city. A block away from Rt 2 and you can barely hear the traffic anymore. A little further and you're deep in farm country. Plenty of buckthorn along the road margin and honeysuckle. Further up the slope there is multiflora rose and lots of common barberry. A very nice patch of turtlehead in a ditch a little ways up the road. The only road kill today were gastropods--lots of them.
Interesting. That's an intriguing part of town, i feel like no one gets up there. I've done a few observations around there but not as systematically.
Last time I checked I still had the most plant observations on iNat but you are gonna pass me soon Erika!
I just looked, and I'm 500 observations ahead of Erika in plants (but she's a bit farther behind in posting than I am), but we have a little over 3000 to go to catch you, Charlie.
You both are gonna catch me eventually though... at least until I train Holly to do iNat and then I will catch up again. Just kidding, instead she will have her own account and will pass me also :)
Though truth be told i am super excited about the area of 'heavy' inat coverage expanding out from Calais to neighboring towns thanks to Erika's walks. I'm sure it's similar in New Jersey :) What are we going to do when we've walked every road in every season? I guess that's a while away
I was daydreaming about the future today in between road weeds. Maybe somewhere down the line, I might choose a 5 mile square centered on home and see how long it takes to tally 1,000 species within the square. Could be a fun challenge....
But not until I finish hiking these first 1,000 miles. I'm not even halfway there yet, so I'd better stay focused on the present.
As for numbers of observations...yikes! I had no idea! Is that where all my time goes?
9-6-17. Clark Rd, East Montpelier, VT. 3 miles today, 475.8 miles total.
Categories: flowers, fruits, invasives, road kill
Clark Rd was an interesting hike, a genuinely pleasant road to walk along. Traffic was light. The open sections have terrific views towards the Worcester Range. The wood sections allow views into deep hemlock forest, with plenty of Christmas ferns. On the other hand, the hedgerows were buckthorn, almost end to end, with a little honeysuckle mixed in and even some burning bush. There's a giant hedge of burning bush in a yard along the road, so finding burning bush in the woody hedgerows isn't that much of a surprise. Turtle head, Joe Pye, and brilliant blue chicory were the plant highlights. The squished amphibian with toes was a low point--frog or toad--I couldn't tell without DNA analysis.
9-7-17. Folsom Hill Rd, Marshfield VT. 2.1 miles today, 477.9 miles total.
Categories: flowers, fruits, invasives, fungi
Took a hike up Folsom Hill Rd just north of Marshfield center this afternoon. It was a straight steep climb for 0.7 miles, than leveled off somewhat and eventually deadended at a water pump just past a scenic hilltop estate. No buckthorn today, but there were odd patches of invasives here and there, some crown vetch near the top. And a small patch of Phragmites near the bottom. That was clearly a landowner mistake. The surprises of the day included an orchid gone to seed in a ditch (probably a ladies' tresses), and a monarch butterfly caterpillar, the first I've seen in a few years. So hard to believe that the milkweeds in my front yard used to be crawling with monarch caterpillars just a few short years ago.
ugh the idiots in the HOA next to us accidentally plowed a bunch of our milkweed in our field when their less than stellar field mower roamed into our property. i saw two monarchs this year and really hope the guy didn't kill our first caterpillars in our field. I'm sooooo mad
9-8-27. North Branch Nature Center. 0.8 miles today, 478.7 miles total.
Categories: birds
Early morning bird walk at the Nature Center this morning led by Chip Darmstadt and attended by 14 other birders. Despite a little foggy start, we saw quite a few warblers: Nashville, black-throated-green, black-and-white, common yellowthroats. Also saw blue-headed and red-eyed vireos, as well as the usual blue jays, chickadees, and woodpeckers. Quite a fine stroll!
9-5-17. Stacy Park, Trenton, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 114 miles total.
Categories: unintentional plants, insects.
Walked between a pond and the Delaware River while my daughter was at physical therapy today. There was tons of wingstem and some rough buttonweed (the buttonweed was new for me).
9-6-17. Chimney Rock Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.5 miles, 114.5 miles total
Categories: insects, flowering, fruiting, not posted before
I walked here, despite some drizzle, because I knew I'd seen viper's bugloss here before, and there was still a big patch of it. I also found several two-spotted treehoppers, which were a nice surprise (and on mugwort, which is not where they belong).
9-6-17. East County Reserve, Warren, NJ. 0.5 miles, 115 miles total.
Categories: unintentional plants, insects
Walked around the middle school football field, which for some reason I'd never investigated before, while my daughter did her "walk-through" to meet the middle school teachers the day before school starts. There's a very nice selection of damp-ground weeds here, but with almost no natives. Nothing I hadn't seen before except one grass I don't recognize. The winterberry is starting to turn red, and so was the seedbox, a favorite of mine. There is also a hidden drainage ditch that I managed to step right in all unawares. Splashed mud all over myself.
9-7-17. Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ. 0.75 miles today, 115.75 miles total.
Categories: unintentional plants, insects.
This is an urban park designed by Frederick Law Omstead. Very run-down and now mostly big trees and mowed (and weed-whacked) lawn. But there were untended edges full of interesting plants. Tons of blooming Japanese knotweed with insects. Jetbead that I don't think was intentional, a bush clover I don't know, and ginkgo saplings, which I have never seen before. I was walking while my daughter had physical therapy again. I'm going to get to know my state capital quite well by the time she's all healed.
I tried to upload pictures tonight and it failed, twice. It let me use the uploader and enter all my info, then when I went to save it told me it "failed to add observations to the group: Journey of 1000 miles" but in fact it didn't save them at all. Very frustrating.
9-9-17. Camp Riverbend, Warren, NJ. 1.5 miles today, 117.25 miles total.
Categories: flowering, fruiting, insects, fungi, not posted before.
Family day for our elementary school at a local day camp. While my husband took my youngest canoeing I took pictures of plants. As far as flowering goes it was mostly goldenrod, boneset, smartweeds, false foxglove, asters, ragweeds, joe pye, begars-ticks, pilewort. But I found a lot of interesting stuff, including Lindernia dubia (new for me, not either of you), maleberry, several different St. John's worts, ditch stonecrop, the first sliverrod of the year, and my first locust borer of the year as well. Tupelo, virginia creeper, seedbox, blackhaw and blueberry were all starting to turn colors. The weather was amazing: 63 and sunny, just a perfect afternoon.
9-10-17. Middlebush Park and Hagerman, Wycoff-Garretson, and Van Liew-Suydam Houses, Franklin, NJ 1.25 miles today, 118.5 total
Categories; flowering, insects, unintentional plants
Checked out four sites in a row in Franklin Township. First was the edge of a ball field. Mostly mugwort and red cedar. Tickseed sunflower and goldenrod. I found a walnut husk fly, it will be the 10th on iNat (it says 11 but one is mis-identified) and the closest one so far is in Chicago. So that was cool.
Second site is an old farm house. Several were bought up in the area for a reservoir that was never built. This had an electric fence separating the property from what looked like acres and acres of Tyrol knotweed growing under power lines. It must be grazed occaionally, but I didn't see any cattle. I did see amazing numbers of bold jumping spiders, though. Lots of goldenrod and queen anne's lace as well.
Third site was another old house, but this one was open, with a guide. I was visitor number two., though they'd been open for over an hour at that point. Tons of goldenrod here, and my first goldenrod soldier beetle of the year. Flower of an hour and jimson weed at the edge of the adjacent fields, and lots of white snakeroot.
Last was the last of the preserved farm houses. This is adjacent to a preserved grassland of about 30 acres that I've visited before (but from the opposite corner). It was more well mowed here, with fewer plants, but an impressive collection of evergreen bagworm moth "bags" on the only red cedar around. And more of the Tyrol knapweed that seems to be everywhere here this month. It was a lot of fun to have four sites I'd never visited before and no one has ever iNat-ed, so I didn't need to wonder if I was duplicating observations.
9-10-17. Quarry Rd, Adamant, VT. 2 miles today. 480.7 miles total.
Categories: things with wings, fungi, road kill
Went for a bird/insect walk through downtown Adamant this morning, then headed up the trail along Adamant Pond before continuing up Quarry Rd to the end. I manage to spot a few warblers on my own this morning. Something yellow, possibly a magnolia warbler, and some black-throated greens. A pair of northern flickers, and then a hawk soaring way overhead. The best birding moment of the day was watching a trio of wood ducks for several minutes. Road kill today included a toad, 2 unidentifiable frog/toads, and an eastern newt. Also, a jumping mouse.
Your list of unintentional plants sounds so exotic, Sara! Some like jimsonweed I've heard of, but wouldn't be able to recognize without a book. Jet bead? Buttonweed? Wingstem...nope, I don't think we have them around here.
9-10-2017 - 1.75 miles, 91.75 total. Have a mild cold or something, and still annoyed with having to wait on getting a resolution to the illegal mowing on our land, etc, etc, feeling kind of blah this weekend. We did go walk around North Branch Nature Center for a small walk today though. Nothing too exciting, but lots of nice asters blooming. On a non walk related note found that a turtlehead 'volunteer' popped up in the rain garden, i think the seed came in on another plant which a friend gave me. So that's fun but haven't added it to inat yet.
It's a neat aspect of living in New Jersey; a lot of southern stuff is at its northern limit and a lot of northern stuff at its southern limit in the state.
9-10-17. Watson Park and Shabakunk Creek, Ewing and The Watershed Institute, Pennington, NJ. 1.0 mile today, 119.5 miles total
Categories: insects, flowering, fruiting, unintentional, interesting.
While my daughter was in PT I checked out two suburban parks. several goldenrods, white snakeroot, and pilewort were the main bloomers. The first was the wooded edge of a mown playfield. I found a little family of green stinkbugs in three different stages, a goldenrod valiantly blooming despite about a half dozen bunch galls, and a shelter someone had created, presumably for about a dozen stray cats (none of which was present). But otherwise it was so completely dull that when I pulled up to the next park that looked identical I just couldn't face the same thing, and instead went across the street to an unnamed parking lot with a wet sunny spot with lots of goldenrod and ironweed (and wingstem, which made me think of you, Erika). There was an aspen (I think) grove, and tons of bees and wasps.
On the way home I finally followed the signs I've passed a dozen times now to the "nature center". Turned out to also be a "wildflower garden" and butterfly house. The butterfly house had nothing but monarchs and pearl crescents (and one lone black swallowtail). And it also had a praying mantis, eating a monarch. The garden was lovely, though I always feel a bit guilty photographing all these native but not naturally occurring flowers: New England Aster, two white asters, lots of goldenrods, sunflowers, turtlehead, boneset, cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, burdock, red clover, queen anne's lace, yarrow, orange coneflowers, at least four smartweeds, horseweed, ragweed, clotbur, pilewort, white campion, mistflower, partridge pea (which I don't see often), chicory, and lots of grasses. Lots of fun, at any rate. It's been iNat-ed before but not in the fall, or at least not in the fall by a plant-fanatic, as there was very little species overlap, which was neat.
i just mark natives that aren't naturally there as not wild/naturalized and then i can filter them out of my life list if i want.
Had a nice walk around a little CCC pond called Downer Pond this afternoon. It was work related so not counting the miles here. but it was a pleasant trail with some interesting wetlands though nothing too unusual. Highlight was some spiranthes ceruna growing on the edge of a lawn! Also some nice fall foliage starting at some of the high elevation wetlands especially the red maple.
9-11-17. Cabot Rd, Woodbury, VT. 3.1 miles today, 483.8 miles total.
Categories: flowers, ferns, invasives
A steep climb up Cabot Rd from Fletcher Quarry Rd, then it flattened out into some nice wetlands. Little traffic and few houses, so there was lots to see, although the traffic that did come by was going far too fast. Lots of goldenrods and asters. Also, lots of bishop's weed, vinca, wild chervil, crown vetch and some poison ivy. But no buckthorn. The bluestem goldenrod was out in force today, painting the shady spots yellow.
9-12-17. Wheeler Hill Rd and Dog Pond Rd, Woodbury, VT. 2.7 miles today, 486.5 miles total.
Categories: flowers, fruits, ferns, fungi
A beautiful road for walking through the center of Woodbury. Plenty of wetlands as well as some rather steep slopes. Found my turtlehead of the day, as well as plenty of Joe Pye weed. Some poison ivy on this stretch, also crown vetch an a large patch of vinca. The highlight was the beaver pond on Dog Pond Rd and the waterfall below it. I paused to sample quite a few thimbleberries along the route.
9-12-17. Washington Valley Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 119.75 miles total
A quick walk between errands, and just as well it was short as this is a mountain bike trail on a basalt "mountain" which means the path is absolutely covered in loose, fist-sized rocks. Horrible for ankles and knees. It's also wooded, which means the main bloom here was white wood aster. I did see a little bluestem and zigzag goldenrod, my first of each in bloom this year, I think. The most interesting was probably a smartweed I've been told is waterpepper, but it's got far more hot pink in the white flowers than I am used to in P. hydropiper. hmm....
I've never tasted a thimbleberry, though I've see the plant up north. And while we have turtleheads, I think I've seen two this summer and one was planted.
9-13-17. Coits Pond and Coits Pond Rd, Cabot, VT. 3.8 miles today, 490.3 miles total.
Categories: flowers, ferns, fungi, birds
Walked Coits Pond Rd from the fishing access parking lot to the Nichol's Ledge Parking Area, where I have hiked before coming from Nichol's Pond. Then I returned to Coits Pond and followed North Rd out to where I turned around on my North Rd walk earlier this summer. After I got my walk in, I got out my kayak and paddled around Coits Pond. The area is quite scenic and quiet, with just a couple of camps (all but one unoccupied) and practically no traffic (2 cars passed as was loading my kayak back in the car). Plants in bloom were limited since the usual weedy road species were mostly absent. There was one patch of poison ivy, a bush or two of honeysuckle, some Indian tobacco and clovers where the road crew seeded a ditch, and a lonely bittersweet nightshade. On the pond, I saw my first great blue heron of the year (at last!) and quite a few wood ducks as well as some mallards. There is only one house right on the pond with a lawn. Which was nicely kept, but had ladies' tresses popping up all through it. I wonder if they know...
9-13-17. Kunkel Park, Temple House, and Curlis Lake, Pennington and Ewing, NJ. 0.75 miles today, 120.5 miles total
Categories: flowering , fruiting, insects, unintentional plants.
First I stopped at a wooded trail, very well used, with very little blooming except smart weed, mugwort, and an occsional white snakeroot. But I found ramps, which I rarely see.
Next was a restored house with a little, eclectic garden out back. I was planning to walk, but the docent snagged me and asked about the bees, and we talked about the insects. I think I impressed her by pointing right next to some big carpenter bees; she was afraid to weed when the sun is out for fear of being stung. But the best part there was several paper wasps with twisted wing insect parasites! Not that you can see much more than a warped back end of the wasp and a tiny dark speck sticking out between the segments, but a whole other order of insects always excites me. The ones that infest paper wasps (Xenos sp.) apparently reach their northern limit in NJ.
Finally, in the pouring rain, I walked (with an umbrella) along another wooded path. Very junky woods. The only surprise was probably the lack of certain invasives, such as Japanese knotweed, but the vast majority of what was there was not native.
I see lots of great blue herons, but very rarely wood ducks (one pair so far this year).
i had a ladies tresses pop up where i was restoring mystery spring but ironically as it restored itself to actual wetland plants i haven't seen it the last couple of years. It was an S3. :(
When I saw poison ivy in the wetland the other day i thought i didn't touch it, but now i have a few blisters on my hand that look suspiciously like they are poison ivy related. Oh well.
More wetland mapping tomorrow, but or work so not in this project. Hope to do some foliage walks this weekend as some areas are already pretty.
9-14-17. Stirling Rd. Warren and Stirling, NJ. 1.5 miles today, 122 miles total.
Categories: insects, blooming, fruiting, unintentional plants.
I walked a road edge, one of the few in town with less than half mowed grass, in an area prone to flooding. Tons of traffic. One dead grasshopper (thinking of Erika and her road kill tallies; generally 50% of road kill I find is deer). Lots of familiar invasive species. Two lamb's-quarters relatives that I haven't IDed yet. And pink chicory. I've read of it, and I've seen the blue fade to pink, and I've seen white before, but this was the first ever actual pink for me. Very excited.
Mostly blooming was goldenrod, mugwort, pilewort, chickory, purple loosestrife, smartweeds, devil's beggarticks, and tickseed sunflowers. Not much of any of these out, though.
I have never seen lady's tresses of any species. In fact, I've seen less than a handful of any kind of orchid at all in NJ; I just see them when I'm up visiting my parents in NH.
9-15-17. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, VT and Hill St. Extension, Berlin, VT. 2 miles today, 492.3 miles total.
Categories: flowers, fruit, birds
Started the day with a bird walk at the Nature Center with Chip Darmstadt, Zac Cota, and about 10 other birders. Our first bird of the day was a bald eagle that made a low, slow pass over the group. Then Chip found a northern waterthrush in a bush. After that, a newbie to the bird walking group spotted a saw whet owl through a bush in a tree. We spent a half hour trying to see it, but wasn't able to direct us successfully. By then I was out of gas (figuratively), and had to leave early. I sprained an abdominal muscle on Wednesday and was simply unable to keep up with the group.
In the afternoon, my mind said "it's beautiful out--go for a walk!" while my body said "go back to bed!". I went for a very slow meander on some flat hilltop in Berlin. I should have stayed in bed. Still, it was quite beautiful out. Just at the point where I had decided to turn around, I heard a horrific caterwauling. What was that bird call???? I was getting out my phone to try to record the call, when I saw some birds in the road ahead. Canada geese? No. Free range African guinea fowl. I'll submit them anyway, together with the recording. I assume they were being kept by somebody, so I'll mark them as tame.
9-15-17 Mountain Park, Liberty Corner, NJ. 0.75 miles today, 122.75 miles total
Categories: insects, not blogged before.
I took a quick walk before duty, at 8:30 in the morning. Everything was covered in dew and there were enormous numbers of sleeping bumble bees in the goldenrod. The milkweed bugs were up and at them, though, as were several monarch butterflies. I really have to come back soon while the goldenrod and asters are in full bloom in the middle of a sunny day and do pollinators.
I went and looked up guinea fowl noises. There used to be a pair that would walk in the street about two miles from my house, but mostly I remember them from my childhood, running loose and attacking one another outside the Cincinnatti Zoo.
We never did find that saw-whet owl Erika! I think it was a case of the mind (and a leaf) playing a trick on our beginning birder. We didn't get back from the walk until 10am, the birding was so good! In addition to the birds you mentioned we saw Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrow, Bay-breasted, Palm, Black-and-white, Magnolia, Tennessee and Chestnut-sided Warbler. Also Philadelphia, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo. It's been quite a migration this fall, with better than usual diversity.
Hope you're feeling better!
Cheers, Chip
9-16-17. Willowwood Arboretum and Hacklebarney State Park, Bedminster, Chester, and Washington Twps., NJ. 1.75 miles today, 124.25 miles total
Categories: insects, unintentional plants not posted before, asters, goldenrods, knapweeds, not posted before, blooming
I stopped first at Willowwood Arboretum, which has a minimally-maintained wildflower meadow. I've never been able to be certain of the knapeweed species here (Tyrol) and I'm learning asters and goldenrods, of which there were lots (mainly New England, calico, heath, and frost asters, I think, and rough and canada goldenrods). Three quarters of the way around the mowed loop I was on there was what looked like a slightly muddy patch. I decided to risk it. Wrong choice. I nearly lost my shoe in mud up over the tops of both. Lovely. But I came out by their formal flower garden which was a lovely riot of color (and polinating insects). The "wild" field had turtleheads (finally) and cupplant, and a lone bottle gentian (at least I think it wasn't planted).
Next I stopped at a dirt "fisherman's lot" simply because I figured it had never been put in iNat (it hadn't). No real surprises, lots of invasives, until just as I was leaving I found whorled milkwort, which was cool.
A mile down the road was another similar lot and I did that one, too. Interestingly about 50% of the species here were different from those at the other lot, which didn't look much different, aside from being slightly more shady. No surprises here, though.
Last was a stroll through Hacklebarney Park, which used to be (20 years ago) a beautiful, dark hemlock ravine. Now basically all the hemlocks are dead (aside from a few young ones right on the water), thanks to the wooly adelgids. I live basically across the street from what used to be a smaller hemlock grove in a ravine but they all also disappeared 15-20 years ago. Now both are just mixed oak woods. But this one has been a park for a very long time, so has some of the less disturbed woodland around. I walked here because I vaguely remembered seeing baneberry here a decade ago. Didn't find any but there were lots of other interesting things: richweed, wood nettle, black cohosh, sanicle, nipplewort, beechdrops, and bluestem and zigzag goldenrods. But the highlight was some kind of fungus, the color of red chanterelles, but the shape of an earth star (I think; I've never seen an actual earth star fungus before). I'm fascinated and stumped and going to post it ahead of the rest of my photos, just to see if I can get someone to ID it for me.
Turns out my weird mushroom is even weirder (to me); it's a stalked-puffball-in-aspic (thank you Facebook Mushroom ID forum). It didn't look much like aspic, but it was pretty gross. Oddly it's not an earth star or a puffball but a really weird bolete. Go figure.
9-16-17 - 4 miles, 95.75 total
Joe's Pond area, Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Looking for fall foliage and checking out the wetlands here... and not much iNat from the area yet.
Another in a series of walks in places where little Holly can walk along. It started out not great. The first part was very close to Route 15 which had surprisingly high traffic. The cars going by distracted Holly. Then someone was running a huge mechanical leaf blower down the trail for some unknown reason. Annoying, loud, dusty, disruptive, a waste of fossil fuels, and blew all the leaves off the trail so Holly couldn't look at them. How dumb. But anyway, that thing went away and when we got a bit further down the trail it went into some woods. There are some disturbed wetland patches such as cedar swamp on the east side of Joe's Pond, interspersed with camps. There are a billion camps almost completely surrounding the pond but at least some of them are interesting funky little old ones. The best part for me was the wetland at the edge, full of Carex lasiocarpa, sweet gale, and other stuff like that. Between that and the cedar, seems this is a pretty calcareous site. From the air photo, looks like the wetland would be fun to explore by canoe or kayak too. We also found prince's pine which seemed random, i barely ever see it. (and seems like it would like acid not calcareous). And in several different spells, Holly walked over a mile!
9-17-17 - about 3.5 miles, 99.25 total (almost 100!) - various trails around Montshire Museum. We took Holly here to enjoy the museum and water exhibit and do some walking on the trails. Holly's furthest walk yet, she went at least 1.5 miles and probably more. She actually preferred the trail over rougher terrain with roots and rocks and hills... (i guess i do too)... over the flat wide path from yesterday. Mostly no surprises here, post glacial river terraces and semi-limy ledges, was neat to see white oak and bitternut hickory near the north end of their range in eastern Vermont. I found a fungi that might be a Destroying Angel - kept Holly far away from that one.
Oh we love the Montshire Museum! I've brought the kids there many times over the years (even though it's over an hour from my parents'). And the nature trail on the hill across the driveway is my favorite, especially now that they are old enough to explore on their own and not whine about my photography. There's probably half a dozen native New England wildflowers that I first saw in person at the Montshire.
We also really liked ECHO over in Burlington, SEE in Manchester, and the Children's Museum in Dover, though they lack the lovely trails.
I like Echo too, haven't been to those other ones. Echo doesn't have quite as much stuff good for Toddler age though. And no trails. So much random stuff at Montshire to see and as predicted she absolutely loved the water stuff outside (though they only have that on during the warm season). That upper trail in the ledges looked like it would have some nice spring ephemerals, we didn't do the smaller loop but will at some point
9-16-17. Mallory Brook Trail, East Montpelier VT. 1.6 miles today, 493.9 miles total.
Categories: flowers, ferns, fungi
Joined my friends for a last Saturday morning hike together until April. They were very patient with my slow pace since my belly was still sore. On the trail we found the usual late summer/early fall flowers: rough goldenrod, swamp aster, calico aster. We made it all the way to the bridge, which is closed for repairs. Everyone paused to admire a magnificent nurse log near the bridge, covered with moss and a remarkable line of yellow birch seedlings.
9-17-17. Quarry Rd and downtown Adamant, VT. 1.7 miles today, 495.6 miles total.
Categories: birds, road kill
Went for a stroll in downtown Adamant to see if I could find any warblers on my own. I did find a few, some yellow-rumps and common yellow throats. Plenty of water birds in the ponds, some Canada geese of course, and some other ducks that weren't mallards. I won't be able to identify them until I download my photos, but it sounded like there were some wood ducks. And a great blue heron. Towards the end of my meander I found several trees that must have just been taken down by a beaver. They had seasonably yellow leaves, but the leaves hadn't wilted yet.
9-18-17. Bennis Farm Rd, Coddington Rd, Rail Bed East, Marshfield, VT. 3.1 miles today, 498.7 miles total.
Categories: flowers, fruits, ferns, fungi
This was a lovely stretch of flat, wooded road/trails with no traffic whatsoever. The aural backdrop to the day was the constant patter of dry leaves falling. According to my photo records, we seem to be about 7-10 days ahead of previous years for fall foliage, probably because of the dryness in August and September. Lots of rough goldenrod today and a few plants of flat-topped. No signs of bluestem or zigzag on these roads. Plenty of fungi and ferns, including a lot of polypody ferns.
the cool weather got us way ahead in August I think too. And now it is super warm and the foliage change has slowed down. maybe it will mean a prolonged foliage season. but i hope the hurricanes go away and we go back to early fall weather.
9-18-17. Loveless Wilderness, Lawrence, NJ and Amwell Lake, Ringoes, NJ. 1.0 mile today, 125.25 miles total.
Categories: insects, unintentional plants
I walked the Loveless Wilderness in suburban Trenton today, while my daughter was in PT. It started out all planted spruce and pine but then opened up to a meadow over old pavement. Lots of mugwort, honeysuckle, goldenrod, boneset, and grasshoppers. The main surprise was Perilla.
On the way home I stopped at a man-made, but older, pond with a section of weedy bank, and a weedy road edge, but mostly lawn. This had more interesting species (to me), the biggest being water chestnut, which I had never photographed before (not that I was pleased to see it; there was a pile on the bank where someone had started pulling it and barely made a dent). There was also a new-to-me Bidens and what I think must be a Carex but was weird enough I'm not sure, a pink pug caterpillar, tons of grasshoppers again, and aphids on evening primrose which I've not seen before.
Turns out my interesting sedge is Kyllinga (or Cyperus) brevifolius, which I'd never even heard of, and iNat hasn't got anywhere near NJ (though BONAP, and the USDA do). Even for the USDA I'm two counties farther north than any other record in any state.
9-19-17. Montpelier, VT. 1 miles today, 499.7 miles total.
Categories: sidewalk weeds
Slipped in a walk and a few phone photos between errands today downtown. I focused my efforts on plants growing between the sidewalk and the curb, brave little souls, however non-native. The most colorful were the state flower, red clover, and a pretty little strand of butter-and-eggs.
I've been enjoying reading about your PT treasures, Sara. You are really making the most of discovering some new sites while getting through the PT sessions. Congratulations on the Kyllinga brevifolius! And congrats on 125 miles! It looks like Charlie's going to complete 100 miles this week as well. What a summer it has been!
BTW: I've decided to start entering my most recent photos daily again, now that summer activities are finally winding down. I'll work on the backlog as I can. I'll get all the photos loaded eventually, but for a while I think I'll be doing batches of new and old on the same day.
9-19-17 Washington Valley Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 125.75 miles total.
Categories: not posted before, blooming
A quick walk at the local park. I found woodland stonecrop, which I've never seen here before.
I'm holding my breath for your last 0.3 mile to the half-way point, Erika. I'm 3.75 miles from my half-way point, as well.
I'm very nearly caught up with posts, just yesterday and today to do. It's taken forever, even with the kids in school (and therefore more free time).
9-20-17. Griggstown Grassland, Princeton, NJ; Flemer Preserve, Princeton, NJ; Page Park, Trenton, NJ; TCNJ, Ewing, NJ. 2.0 miles today, 127.75 total
Categories: Unintentional plants, insects
First stop on my way to take my daughter to PT was a "preserved native grassland", an interesting concept in itself as, unless there is extremely frequent fire, grasslands aren't native here. I assume they mow every couple of years. Lots of goldenrod, mugwort, actual grasses, ragweed, blackberry, roses. No real surprises here.
Next, still on the way down, was Flemer Preserve on the Delaware Canal. I was surprised by how degraded the site was. Virtually all the shrubs were Amur honeysuckle and the understory was heavily mugwort. The main surprise here were actual Ailanthus webworm webs with caterpillars. I've seen the moths countless times but never the larvae.
During PT I walked at an urban park on a brook in a somewhat sketchy part of Trenton. No surprises, though I always like it when I find poison ivy with leaf galls, as if the poison ivy itself has a rash.
Finally I walked all the way across campus and back, as I had to park in a different lot. The campus is well maintained, so there were just a few lawn-edge weeds to be found.
9-20-17. Lightening Ridge Rd and Chickering Bog, Calais, VT. 3 miles today, 502.3 miles total.
Categories: road kill, caterpillars, fungi
Time constraints had me choosing a path close to home for my walk today. When I first got out of the car, I found myself surrounded by dead snakes on the road, so I took a little walk up and down Lightening Ridge Rd to count dead snakes (and squished insects) before heading up to the bog. How fitting to hit my 500 mile mark on the way to Chickering Bog, my spiritual home in the woods! I hadn't planned it that way, but since I've probably spent more time walking Chickering Bog trails than anywhere else, maybe it was inevitable. Today I walked straight to the Bog, then took a long route home along some Chickering trails. Since I've logged so many plants here before, I was mostly just looking for fungi today. The leaves are falling fast though, so the fungi weren't always easy to see. There was one particular kind (an Amanita, perhaps?) that seemed to be growing everywhere in great abundance, on all kinds of dead conifers. Out at the Bog, some horned bladderworts were still holding forth. And near the road I saw what may be my last jewelweed flower for the season.
Preserved native grassland in New Jersey? How very interesting! And poison ivy leaf galls? That's one I'll have to look out for!
i love chickering bog.
It's such a weird foliage year. I started off super promising but i don't think it's gonna be one of the better ones. Everything got kinda golden, pretty but not stunning like it sometimes is. Stupid hurricanes, or climate change, or whatever. Can't wait until the next hot week is over
9-21-17. Railroad Bed East, Marshfield, VT. 3.4 miles today, 505.7 miles total.
Categories: things that called to me
I enjoyed my walk along the railroad bed in Marshfield the other day so much that I returned again today to see the other other end. I've now walked the entire railroad bed from the Plainfield park'n'ride to the center of Marshfield, except for a very short section in the middle. This is a fabulous trail, well worth returning to. Many, many leaves down today, and the flowers are starting to tail off as well. I really feel the Equinox upon us this year, more than in past years when I wasn't looking as hard at what was happening when. And as I start the second half of my "journey", I'm thinking a lot about all the transitions we'll be seeing soon. I'm considering the categories to use for observations for the fall. I feel like I want to do something different for a while, but I'm not sure what it is yet. And what called to me most today? An Indian cucumber root in full fruit, with its deep blue fruit atop pale yellow leaves tinged with purple.
9/23/2017 - just over 4 miles, 103.25 miles total. Elmore State Park. Goals: to let Holly try a harder trail and to see if the early season foliage there looked better than Montpelier.
the early season foliage is better up route 12. It looks like the maple leaf borers along with the weird weather are damaging the fall color of the sugar maples that provide the neat yellow and orange backdrop to the red maples. Also the sugars are covered in fruits which is good for the trees but not good for the foliage as they are kinda ugly brown. The red maples themselves are starting to turn and look nice. Birch might not be great this year but too early to say up there. Montpelier is already basically done due to the insects, etc.
we went up the ridge trail rather than straight up to the peak. Holly did great, probably went over a mile including some steep ups and downs. She also has taken to hugging trees and trying to eat a stick. I told her that was for beavers and not humans :)
In terms of iNat, I hadn't really added anything from that ridge trail area and there was some new stuff for Elmore Mountain up there. we went up to Balanced Rock and turned around, didn't do the loop because we kinda remembered the other side being steeper. Also trying to mark the locations of natural communities using the fields. There is a Montane Spruce-Fir Forest to unusually low elevation on that ridge north of the mountain, or else possibly Red Spruce-Heath Rocky Ridge Forest. Will have to see what the ecologist who mapped that called it.
September 24, 2017. Middlesex (my backyard, plus). 1 mile walked - with Daisy! 2 miles total?
Focused on clubmosses while Daisy gave me my morning walk today. I posted 3 species (and 3 genera) of clubmosses, but have another 1 or 2 to post. All the latin names have changed since I last paid attention to clubmosses!
I hiked up White Rocks in Middlesex yesterday and photographed another clubmoss. Will post that soon! Also photographed a slew of lichens, so I have some ID work to do.
9-24-17. Pleasant Valley Park, Lyons, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 128.25 miles total
Categories: insects, blooming, fruiting, unintentional plants
I feel bad about not getting it together to walk since Wednesday, so I walked around a different section of a local park, basically in a big circle around a kids' soccer game. Highlights were what might be a fruiting slime mold, I think American germander in fruit, and several delicate Cycnia caterpillars (the moths were everywhere in the spring but I've never seen the cats before).
9-22-17. North Branch Nature Center. 1 mile today, 506.7 miles total.
Categories: birds
Early morning bird walk with Chip Darmstadt and about 14 other birders at the Nature Center this morning. The fog hung heavy over the valley this morning, so the birds were hiding for the first part of the walk. When the sun finally came out, however, we had a terrific show. Including a 4-6 point white-tailed deer who wanted to be counted as well. We saw black-throated green warblers, yellow rumped warblers, chestnut-sided warblers, and common yellowthroats. Also, song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, a swamp sparrow and a Lincoln's sparrow. Plenty of woodpeckers, including a pileated and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. A beautiful heron on the river in the mist. Scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, and a large flock of blue jays.
9-23-17. Pierre Trudeau Airport, Dorval, Quebec. 0.4 miles today, 507.1 miles total.
Categories: brave little weeds, butterflies
Went hunting for anything living near the airport departure area. The access road past the departures led to an apparently abandoned Air Canada building with very weedy grounds. I found the usual road weeds, such as Canada thistle, cow vetch, white and red clovers, some Sonchus and autumn dandelion. I saw at least 4 species of butterflies, although I was only able to photograph 2, a blue and an American painted lady. And a house sparrow saw me and quietly slipped under a bush before I could shoot it.
9-24-17. Gradignan, France. 2 miles today, 509.1 miles total.
Categories: plants that called out to me
My husband and I went on a first exploratory hike of our new neighborhood in Gradignan. We are quite excited with what we see--a quiet suburb of Bordeaux, with parks and woods everywhere, including in our back yard. It was already growing dusk by the time we set out to find the village center, so I only managed to snap a couple of photos. One was of common yarrow--a familiar face! And something else growing in a ditch that looks like an escapee from cultivation. We have a patch of that same mystery plant in our yard.
9-25-17. Gradignan, France. 2.7 miles today, 511.8 miles total.
Categories: yellow flowers
Went out for an after dinner walk with my husband towards Passac this evening. I limited myself to yellow flowers so that our walk wouldn't be slowed to much, and also to focus my identification efforts. I found several familiar faces, like black medick and bird's foot trefoil, and several plants that weren't in my book, so I can't identify them. Also, 2 dead hedgehogs, a completely new species to me, especially as roadkill.
wait you're in France? Awesome! And gonna be great for your life list :)
9-25-17 Clemente Park, Trenton and Clover Hill Park, Flemington, NJ. 1.0 mile today, 129.25 miles total
Categories: flowering, insects, fruiting
Went to an urban "children's garden" without thinking about the fact that it might be closed (with a huge chain and padlock, actually), but there were many familiar street weeds in the area, and it was one of the most urban places I've botanized; neat to see what was able to be there.
Second was a chunk of preserved (abandoned) farmland. Goldenrod and mugwort as far as the eye could see, with some shrubs and a section where a stream crossed a road. Very few insects despite being a warm and sunny day. Mostly honeybees. The most interesting stuff was mostly in the cracks of the old pavement (including a mint I don't recognize). And there was mile-a-minute weed and both bur cucumber (common here) and wild cucumber (not common).
Very much looking forward to your posts from France; how exciting!
I'm 0.25 miles from my half-way point. Next walk will do it.
9-26-17. Gradignan, France. 3.6 miles today, 515.4 miles total.
Categories: blue and purple flowers
Took several provisioning walks with my husband this afternoon and this evening. We are trying to learn our way around, and we found a nice shortcut to town through a park tonight. I stayed focused only on purple plants so as not to delay our walks so much. I also only carried my point-and-shoot once again, so my photo quality is not very good. I can't wait to get out there with my real camera, but that may take a few more days since there is so much settling in to do. Today's familiar faces were chicory and black knapweed. I also shot a new Potentilla, even though it wasn't blue, and some heather, as well as several plants that I don't know.
Sounds like great urban weed gathering, Sara!
9-26-17. Stelle Farmstead, Lyons and Mountain Ave., Warren, NJ. 1.0 mile today, 130.25 miles total
Categories: unintentional plants, flowering, fruiting, insects
First was a stroll around the edges of the yard of this historic farmhouse. I've done the park next door many times but not this section. Goldenrod, asters, smartweeds, pilewort, mugwort, and Bidens were in bloom. I found clearweed, false nettle, and wood nettle all in fruit, as well trumpet creeper pods. And the dawn redwood in the yard was covered with immature male cones.
Then I walked along the roadside and through the woods along a stream at the edge of a different preserved farm. Blooms here were similar to the other site, plus a little knapweed. Virginia creeper, poison ivy, and smooth sumac were in full fall color here, and the silky dogwood was starting as well. Gray dogwood had lost its berries so the red panicles were very showy. It was interesting to see how the north side of the road differed from the shadier south in vegetation, and how very barren the woods were (we are overwhelmed with deer here) compared to the roadside.
I've made it half way to my sister's in Boston. Started two days less than 7 months ago. Guess I'll need to pick up the pace a little bit if I am going to make it in a year, but fall is still ahead and my favorite season. I'm looking forward to a break from these 90 degree days we've been having.
9-27-17. Gragdignan, France. 5.6 miles today, 521 miles total.
Categories: birds, butterflies, white flowers
Took several provisioning walks with my husband today through town. For one of them, I actually carried my SLR camera, so I got a few better shots than I've been taking lately. Today I found Queen Anne's Lace, white campion, and black nightshade. I've been seeing a few evening primroses, so I'll have to catch them next time "yellow" comes along. I saw my second lizard of the trip and actually caught this one on camera.
It's warm here, too, but not in the 90s, thank goodness! More like mid-70s, very pleasant and sunny. Thanks so much for your ID help on these new-to-me European plants! For many of the new ones, I don't even know where to start. It really helps to get the family. Then I can often figure out where to look in my French flower book.
Congrats on making your halfway mark! What a terrific achievement!
It sounds like you are going to be there for a while!
9-27-17. South Branch Reservation, Three Bridges, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 130.75 miles total.
Categories: blooming, fruiting, unintentional plants
Took my daughter for a follow-up with the surgeon today, which involved driving 190 miles and took 7 hours. But half an hour of that was stopping by the Raritan River on the way home and checking things out.
There were enormous amounts of bur cucumber and Perilla. Japanese hops, giant ragweed, box elder. All four kinds of nettle (stinging, wood, false, and clearweed). Clotbur, waterpepper, some amaranth I don't recognize. Lots of things I don't see much of, and very few of the typical river-edge plants I was expecting.
I've been having a lot of fun guessing at your French plants. It's very interesting how many of them are just the same as here.
9-28-17. Gradignan, France. 4 miles today, 525 miles total.
Categories: birds, fruiting plants, odd-colored flowers
Carried my camera as I walked to work today with my husband and as we walked to town after work. I'm slowly starting to parse some of the new vegetation and animal sounds. There are so many acorns under foot that it's quite slippery in places. There are tall buckeye trees just outside the lab dropping lots of shiny buckeyes on the ground, but I haven't seen any likely buckeye volunteers yet. In the yard this morning I got a good long look at a European robin as it sang--it's clearly not a thrush like our robins, but it has a very beautiful song. On the road I found St Johnswort and evening primrose. I also was surprised to see a box elder tree in full fruit. 'Do they really grow here?' I wondered. I looked it up, and the answer is yes. They are considered a horrible invasive from North America. So now I have a familiar species to look out for and report everywhere I see it.
box elder even acts kinda invasive in vermont
It was certainly the most prevalent tree on the little stretch of river I walked Wednesday.
9-28-17. Cadwalader Park, Trenton; Skyview Preserve, Hopewell; Neshanic River, Amwel, NJ. 1.0 miles today, 131.75 miles total
Categories: insects, flowering, fruiting, unintentional
I walked at the Trenton City Museum during my daughter's PT, in Cadwalader Park which is a run-down Olmsted-designed park. This section was a damp, overgrown area with a mown path through goldenrod. Surprises here were partridge pea and rabbit tobacco.
On the way home I stopped at Skyview, which had no view of the sky in the wooded section I walked. It was very dry oak-hickory with sparse undergrowth of stiltgrass mostly and a few scattered herbs, and large craneflies everywhere. I found a brown-hooded owlet caterpillar, though, and what I think was coralberry, which was surprising.
Then I got out briefly at the Neshanic River in an open space acquisition with no name. I was hoping for wetland plants but it was just more goldenrod and mugwort with lots of grasshoppers. There was a mustard I'm not certain of, and ivy-leaved morning glory, which I don't see often.
9-29-17. Gradignan, France. 1.5 miles today, 526.5 miles total.
Categories: birds, beetles
I started the day with some bird watching in the backyard. Then things got a bit hectic at work, so I wasn't able to get out to walk much. In the evening, I managed to find a few beetles and a pigeon on the way to town with my husband. Not so exciting, but I still got a new lifebird today--Eurasian blackcap.
A run-down Olmsted-designed park? Very cool!
9-29-17. Warren, NJ. 0.25 mile today, 132 miles total
Category: insects
I was stuck home on duty with the rescue squad (having not gotten organized enough in the morning to walk before 9). The morning was busy but the afternoon was slow, so I walked around and around my yard, looking for insects. And I found white pine aphids, some aphid on lamb's quarters that's not chenopodium aphid, and oak lace bugs, plus a number of more familiar species. I also had fun photographing fruit of the weeds in my garden (which has vastly more weeds than not).
9-30-17. Gradignan, France. 4 miles today, 530.5 miles total.
Categories: birds, bryophytes, bugs, trees, flowers
I wandered around our yard a bit this morning looking for bryophytes. While searching for some liverworts, I lifted up a piece of wood in the yard and was rewarded with a toad, a very large deep orange slug, and a small centipede. But no liverworts. Finally, I found some liverworts on the grapevine growing over our cottage, including a Frullania. Then my husband and I walked Randonee #1 (of 7) published by the Gradignan Tourist Board, a 7 km loop that goes right past our house. It was a delightful walk mostly through some of the town parks. Some of the parks are well manicured and some are quite wild. One of today's stretches was along the municipal vineyards, so I got a peek at some agricultural weeds to go with all my sidewalk finds. For invasive plants, today's list included bamboo (lots), one box elder, some vinca, and acres of Hedera. And bunches of pokeweed. Down along the river I found 3 thalloid liverworts growing together on dam. Also along the river was a banana grove with a wooden drawbridge. And plastic figurines that looked a bit like Disney-Amazonia. That apparently a backyard display that was less than a quarter mile from the Cayac Church, a stop along the Campostella Route. The birding in our backyard was terrific this morning--I think I saw 3 kinds of tits: great tits, blue tits, and long-tailed tits.
Disney-Amazonia figurines and a banana grove, wow!
We dropped a car off for my daughter, who is now allowed to drive, and so I may be doing significantly less walking down at our state capital. My son was impatient to be getting done with the errand, so I didn't walk, either, but counted roadkill instead. On the 40-mile (one way) route we passed 3 deer, 2 racoons, 2 squirrels, and a goose (and a live deer and a lot of vultures). Arrived home to find a black out (that ended almost immediately) and a large maple limb that fell on my husband's car and broke the windshield. Joy.
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