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Spring is springing, and we’re delighted that it is! Hepatica is fully open now along the trail; it’s the first wildflower to follow skunk cabbage, which opens up very early in low wet areas. Bird life is more active now with abundant red-winged blackbirds and song sparrows. Mourning cloak butterflies have been flying along the trail during the past few warm days. The photos below (except the fairy houses) are from the trail in the past few days. This coming Wednesday (April 14) morning we will return the fairy houses that we saved from the trail before snow started flying last fall. We’ll leave them at the Dugway Rd trailhead for families and kids of all ages to reinstall wherever they want along the trail. Although the far part of the trail was disrupted last November by widening, the entire 1.9 mile trail from Dugway to Deansboro is in very fine condition now for walking, biking, running, birding, and enjoying the outdoors.

The summer is winding down quickly. The latest plants to flower, all nice additions, are blue-stemmed goldenrod and crooked-stemmed and panicled asters, along with beechdrops, a non-green parasite on beech roots. Fall is the season for seeds and fruits, and you’ll see many. A number of plants have been flowering for a long time now and have remained conspicuous in September (see the bottom row) but are fading fast. Since late April, I’ve identified 146 plant species along the trail (with the flowering phenology of most; ask if you’re interested).

Bird life is much quieter now, although catbirds and crows regularly announce their presence. Pheasants and turkeys have been sighted on the trail, while fall warblers (northern waterthrush last week) dart in and out, preparing for migration. There are always things to be seen along the trail, but this is the last nature update for 2020. Keep using the trail and keep your eyes open! Let me know what you see.

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Summer is passing quickly! The most abundant flowers along the trail in early August are Queen Anne’s lace, spotted knapweed (a noxious invasive), daisy fleabane, bindweed, and soapwort (bouncing Bet), while typical late summer flowers – goldenrods and asters (and ragweed!) – are emerging. Clematis, coneflowers, evening primrose, and bee balm (monarda) are recognizable because of their similarity to garden plants. Red and white clover, chicory, and alfalfa remain abundant where we walk through the field. Native wildflowers keep appearing, contributing to more than 120 flowering plants identified along the trail since April. Soon – the next update – we’ll be in the season of fruit and seed dispersal.

The trail remains a wonderful place for wildlife. On every trail walk I hear song sparrows, goldfinches, indigo buntings, cardinals, catbirds, and bullfrogs. The open fields around Dugway support both orange and clouded sulphur butterflies, while pearl crescents and summer azures appear along open sections of the trail. Chipmunks remain abundant. A new fairy birdhouse has appeared; can you find it? (ask for a hint about its location). All photos below are from the past week.

Want to test your knowledge?  Hover your mouse over or click on any image to see the name!