On the Trails of IES

Trail Report for July 29, 2004

Notes and changes since last report:

The Trails

Views

  • This walk was early with the hopes of finding Hairstreaks: Some of these butterflies like to bask in the morning sun along hedge rows.
  • I found but one Banded Hairstreak.
  • But I did get a nice view of two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at the start of the Sedge Meadow Trail.
  • As I paused by the Carriage House, a Gypsie Moth on the wall turned out to be an Oval-based Prominent.
  • Attempting to continue on towards the Cary Pines Trail, I was arrested by the most peculiar "Moon Flower".
  • It was actually Angel's Trumpet, a tropical relative.
  • A young rabbit nearby barely paused from eating to watch me.
  • The foot bridge by the "Appendix" was popular with a Question Mark and - new to the Trails - a Mulberry Wing.
  • The Mulberry Wing prefers wet areas, has a low, hanging way of flying through the grass, and has a distinctive, bright yellow patch against a dark red-brown background under the hind wing.
  • It was also seen in back of Old Hayfield II close to the Creek, and in the Sedge Meadow.
  • Appalachian Browns have similar tastes and were seen in the Fern Glen and Sedge Meadow today.
  • The Northern Pearly-eye was dropping in abundance. One was basking along the Wappingers Creek Trail.
  • The fungus has continued to expand at the base of the Old Oak. It was not alone.
  • Almost back to the Gifford House, I caught one more flutter in the grass: a Chickweed Geometer.
  • Once more around the Gifford Gardens and I spotted a Peck's and a Tawny Edged Skipper on the gravel of the Xeriscape section.
  • But it had grown pretty hot and humid by now, and that makes butterflies fast and me slow. No pictures of them today...

Moths

  • 1 Hummingbird Clearwing
  • 1 Snowberry Clearwing
  • 1 Oval-based Prominent
  • 1 Chickweed Geometer

Birds

  • 1 Red-tailed Hawk
  • 1 Mourning Dove
  • 4 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • 1 Downy Woodpecker
  • 1 Hairy Woodpecker
  • 1 Northern Flicker
  • 3 Pileated Woodpecker
  • 7 Eastern Phoebe
  • 1 Eastern Kingbird
  • 6 Red-eyed Vireo
  • 6 Blue Jay
  • 4 American Crow
  • 9 Black-capped Chickadee
  • 4 Tufted Titmouse
  • 2 White-breasted Nuthatch
  • 1 Carolina Wren
  • 2 House Wren
  • 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  • 2 Eastern Bluebird
  • 1 Wood Thrush
  • 12 American Robin
  • 6 Gray Catbird
  • 6 Cedar Waxwing
  • 1 Blue-winged Warbler
  • 2 Prairie Warbler
  • 1 Louisiana Waterthrush
  • 4 Common Yellowthroat
  • 13 Eastern Towhee
  • 2 Chipping Sparrow
  • 6 Field Sparrow
  • 4 Song Sparrow
  • 2 Northern Cardinal
  • 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • 1 Indigo Bunting
  • 1 Common Grackle
  • 1 Baltimore Oriole
  • 4 American Goldfinch
  • 1 House Sparrow

Butterflies

  • 1 Black Swallowtail
  • 1 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • 4 Spicebush Swallowtail
  • 30 Cabbage White
  • 1 Clouded Sulphur
  • 1 Orange Sulphur
  • 1 American Copper
  • 1 Banded Hairstreak
  • 1 Spring Azure
  • 6 Great Spangled Fritillary
  • 34 Pearl Crescent
  • 1 Question Mark
  • 3 Eastern Comma
  • 4 Red-spotted Purple
  • 4 Northern Pearly-eye
  • 4 Appalachian Brown
  • 2 Little Wood-Satyr
  • 2 Common Ringlet
  • 43 Common Wood-Nymph
  • 1 Peck's Skipper
  • 1 Tawny-edged Skipper
  • 4 Mulberry Wing
  • 5 Dun Skipper