Each month is different, but there’s always much to see along the Kirkland trail! I took all the photos below on June 29-30. You’ll see flowers in open areas – along trail edges and in fields. Daisy fleabane, field mustard, and wild parsnip are currently the most abundant, but beware the last one because its sap causes a rash. Shrubs currently in flower – dogwood and elderberry – are white, while honeysuckle and raspberries have started producing colorful fruit.
Listen and you’ll hear an appealing soundtrack along the trail, with warblers, catbirds, song sparrows, and red- winged blackbirds being the most vocal. I found 30 species of birds these last 2 days, including green herons and a kingfisher at the pond. Volunteers have worked to control the Japanese knotweed near the beginning, and the town has mowed the trail edges, so you can enjoy a July 4th walk on our local trail.
