Sneak peak at early spring wildflowers

Round-lobed Hepatica

Today’s sunshine and low 60s tempted me outside to search for any early spring wildflowers that may have taken advantage of recent rains and warmth (following a very mild “winter”) to emerge, or, better yet, pop open a flower bud.

I headed over to the unnamed 41-acre property along the Mohawk River that is owned by the Town of Clifton Park for a look see.  The sunny skies beckoned the songbirds frequenting this woodland to sing loudly, clearly and often.  Cardinals, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Phoebe, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and, greeting me upon my arrival, a Barred Owl, were among the voices that stood out most.

Join me for a virtual walk through this scenic property to view the wildflowers that I happened upon.  Please note:  One tick was indeed and most certainly mangled to death during the filming of this video.  You’re welcome.  However, rest assured that this footage, which obviously contained graphic violence and an abundance of adult language, is not included in this video.  Rather, the final video is quite family friendly.  I hope you enjoy it.

For a better focused and more close-up view of each species mentioned in the video, please see these images –

• Coltsfoot
• Round-lobed Hepatica
• Red Maple
• Beaked Hazelnut
• Trout Lily (leaves only – too soon for the blooms!)
• Cut-leaved Toothwort (leaves only – too soon for the blooms!)
• Carolina Spring Beauty

Happy trails!

Happy Weed Appreciation Day!

March 28 is National Weed Appreciation Day.

What is a weed?

A definition:  a plant that is not desired where it is growing.

A perspective: “A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Most folks view this common plant as a weed:

Common Dandelion

Truth to be told, that was probably the first “wild flower” most of us observed as a child.  My mother was not likely the first to receive a bouquet of these on Mother’s Day from a grubby-handed tyke!

There is a substantial amount of curious information associated with Common Dandelion.  Here are a few examples:

Dandelion flowers are photosensitive, which means they bloom during daylight and close in the evening or in gloomy conditions.

Folklore:  Some believe that brewing a strong roasted dandelion tea helps promote one’s own psychic powers.

Edible uses: Dandelion leaves can be added to a salad or cooked. Flowers can be made into a jelly. The root can be made into a coffee substitute.

Medicinal uses: The latex-containing sap is a styptic and combats acne, boils, diabetes, eczema and warts.

Wildlife value: Flowers provide nectar and pollen to honeybees and other beneficial insects, particularly important in early spring when they are one of the relatively few plants in bloom.

Interestingly, there are a number of species of wildflowers whose common name contains the word “weed.”  Such as –

Butterfly Weed

Common Milkweed

Hedge Bindweed

Mayweed

Mouse-ear Chickweed

Pokeweed

Prostrate Knotweed

Quickweed

Rattlesnake Weed

Sneezeweed

Spotted Jewelweed

Swamp Smartweed

Thimbleweed

Regardless of whether or not you feel that the word “weed” is pejorative when referencing a certain plant, I’m content to know each as simply another species of wildflower.

With that being said, join me, won’t you, in raising a glass of dandelion wine…or…cup of coltsfoot tea…or…shot of knotweed-infused vodka, in celebration of National Weed Appreciation Day!?!

Happy trails!

Ephemeral Spring Wildflowers will now be online virtual walks – please join me for both sessions!

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I will alternatively offer online presentations rather than the in-person gatherings I had originally scheduled for April 22 and May 6.  We all need to stay healthy and be safe while practicing our social isolation, but that should not necessarily keep us from “gathering.”  Please join me for either or both of my upcoming 45-minute online presentations featuring the spring ephemeral wildflowers we will be viewing at that time at these and other local nature preserves, parks and trails.

For logon information for these two sessions as well as information about my other upcoming activities, please view my Events page.  Please visit my Events page on a recurring basis for updates (and likely additional changes) to other scheduled activities as we all monitor the rapidly changing conditions associated with this health crisis.

Please stay healthy and be safe.

World Water Day

In recognition of World Water Day, I thought I’d share a sampling of images illustrating our abundant freshwater resources.  Each provides us with not only that life-sustaining liquid, but also dramatically adds to the scenic landscape in which we live while offering seemingly unlimited recreational opportunities throughout the year.

Looking across open water feature and marsh along Community Connector Trail

View of intermittent waterfall along Zim Smith Trail

Shenantaha or deer water – AKA Ballston Creek

Mini waterfall at Sanders Preserve

Mohawk River overlook from Tommy’s Trail

View of Mohawk River and outlet of Wager’s Pond along Community Connector Trail

Driftwood Homesteaders: Cattail and Monkey Flower reside on muddy log along Mohawk River

Great Blue Heron – Mohawk River at Mohawk Landing Nature Preserve

Shimmering Landscape – Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve

Frozen Flood: The Mohawk River in Still Life

McDonald Creek from atop Old Lock 9, Historic Champlain Canalway Trail

Common Shadbush – along Erie Canal near Clute’s Dry Dock

Stony Creek Reservoir off Englemore Road

Looking upstream along Shenantaha Creek

Heron rookery in meadow along Ballston Creek

Stony Creek Reservoir

Pond along Blue Trail at Woodcock Nature Preserve – note Winterberry along left shoreline

 

Learn more in the World Water Day Toolkit.

Cheers!

Another ‘first bloom’ of the season!

Yesterday, I spied this –

Coltsfoot

which, in honor of today being World Poetry Day, I suggest you read this and also this.

And, speaking of poetry, I was inspired to entitle this image “haiku” –

Haiku – late October snow, North Woods Nature Preserve

Happy trails!

Vernal Equinox 2020

The vernal equinox will occur later this week.

With longer days to come, the new season will begin heralding the emergence of a myriad of wildflowers and the unfurling of tree leaves throughout our area.

Skunk Cabbage

Emerging False Hellebore leaves

Consider these activities as part of your adventures this spring –

• Vosburgh Swamp WMA Birdwatching (March 21 @ 8am)
• Eagle Watch (March 21 @ 9:30am)
• Only YOU Can Protect the Forest: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Info Session (March 21 @ 10am)
• Mineral Springs Tour (March 21 @ 11am)
• Backyard Maple Sugaring (March 21 @ 1pm)
• Nature Hike (March 21 @ 1pm)
• Mineral Springs Tour (March 22 @ 11am)
• Nature Hike (March 22 @ 1pm)
• Wetland Hike (March 25 @ 1pm)
• Eagle Watch (March 27 @ 9:30am)
• Birdwatching at Lions Park and along Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail (March 28 @ 8:30am)
• Mineral Springs Tour (March 28 @ 11am)
• Lake Ann Hike (March 28 @ 1pm)
• Nature Hike (March 28 @ 1pm)
• Wildlife Tracks & Signs (March 28 @ 1pm)
• Signs of Spring Hike (March 29 @ 10am)
• Mineral Springs Tour (March 29 @ 11am)
• Stewardship Hike (April 3 @ 1pm)
• Spring Season Wildflowers (slide presentation) (April 10 @ 7pm)
• Early Migrants Birdwatching (April 11 @ 7:30am)
• Signs of Spring (April 11 @ 11am)
• Birdwatching at Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve (April 12 @ 8am)
• American Woodcock Survey Training (April 15 @ 7pm)
• ‘Tonight’s Sky’ at Thacher Visitor Center (April 17 @ 10am)
• Clifftop Walk (April 18 @ 10am)
• Birdwatching at Collins Lake (April 19 @ 8am)
• Ephemeral Spring Wildflowers (April 22 @ 5:30pm)
• Wild and Wacky Woodcock Walk (April 23 @ 7pm)
• Birdwatching at Fox Preserve (April 25 @ 8am)
• Early Spring Wildflower Walk (April 25 @ 10am)
• Stewardship Hike (May 1 @ 1pm)
• Birdwatching at Stillwater School Nature Trail and Lock 4 State Canal Park (May 2 @ 7:30am)
• Birdwatching at Washington Park (May 6 @ 7am)
• Ephemeral Spring Wildflowers (May 6 @ 5:30pm)
• Eastern Whip-poor-will Survey Training (May 6 @ 7pm)
• Birds and Breakfast (May 9 @ 6am)
• Big Birding Morning (May 9 @ 8am)
• Birdwatching at Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve (May 10 @ 7:30am)
• Foraging for Wild Edibles: Plantains, Docks and a Pair of Invasives (May 13 @ 5:30pm)
• Birdwatching at Schodack Island State Park (May 17 @ 7:30am)
• Birdwatching at Hannacroix Creek Preserve (May 20 @ 6pm)
• Capital District Friday Field Group at Ann Lee Pond Nature and Historic Preserve (May 22 @ 5:30pm)
• Birdwatching at Bozenkill Preserve (May 23 @ 7am)
• Karner Blue Butterfly Hike (May 23 @ 11am)
• Birdwatching at Partridge Run WMA (May 25 @ 6:30am)
• Birdwatching at Cherry Plain State Park (May 30 @ 7am)
• Beginning Birding Worshop (May 31 @ 8am)
• Late Spring Wildflowers (June 3 @ 5:30pm)
• Stewardship Hike (June 5 @ 1pm)
• Full Moon Hike (June 5 @ 7:30pm)
• Birdwatching at Dyken Pond (June 6 @ 7:30am)
• Karner Blue Butterfly Hike (June 7 @ 1pm)
• Karner Blue Butterfly Hike (June 13 @ 11am)
• Birdwatching at Strawberry Fields Nature Preserve (June 14 @ 8am)

Lastly, I have scheduled several walks featuring wildflowers and foraging for wild edibles throughout this year, including those listed above for this spring.  Please join me.

Happy trails!

First bloom(s) of the year! – Day 2

Continuing my wildflower inventory of the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve in the Town of Clifton Park on “day 2” of this weekend, I found two more species in bloom – adding to my “first flowers” of the year!

Speckled Alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa) – female flowers on upper twig and male flowers on lower twig 

Read about this shrub species.  Read about its preferred habitat, which is found throughout much of this preserve.

American Hazelnut (Corylus americana) – male flower centered between two female flowers

Read about this shrub species.  This species is most often found along any of the former towpaths in this preserve.

KEEP THINKING SPRING!

Happy trails!