Nature Strollers

Blog on temporary hiatus

2010-09-14T20:35:00.003-04:00

The Nature Strollers are still out hiking, but our Blog is on temporary hiatus. Please click on the recent posts to the left for an overview of our family hiking club's adventures and advice. We will resume blogging when our work schedules allow. Thanks for your patience and keep on strolling!

Twenty Toads A-Trilling

2010-04-05T17:03:00.002-04:00

Our Monday Strollers trip leaders reported not twenty but over one hundred American toads active in the ponds! The high temperatures has served to inspire an early breeding season. The first males heard trilling were sounding off a month earlier than last year! The main contingent of toads made it to the pond sixteen days earlier than last year! The photo above is of a couple in amplexus. You can see the necklace-like strings of toad eggs which will result in hundreds of tapoles per couple! Luckily for them, they leave the little guys on their own, no need to parent a hundred babies at time.

Here are some of the miles and miles of toad eggs found in the pond. As the eggs age and the embryos develop, the outer jelly-like coating clouds up. Soon it will disintegrate and the small black tadpoles will be free to swim about and find food.

This male is trilling, hoping to attract a female. American toads are among my favorite creatures for teaching children about the natural world. They call and lay eggs within inches of the shore, and are not startled by the approach of little feet. The Strollers and their kids are able to watch them sing, breed, and lay eggs close up. Then we can track the growth of the tadpoles on each subsequent trip. I must say that American toads are the mascots of the Nature Strollers, a perennial favorite, a wonderful sign of spring, and an auditory and visual treat.

The Strollers Celebrate the Vernal Equinox on the Trail

2010-03-20T17:08:00.008-04:00

Two-and-a-half weeks ago we had three feet of snow.

One week ago we had inches and inches of flooding rains.

This week we have temps in the sixties and seventies!

It isn't every year we begin our outings in t-shirts and shorts.

What a way to welcome SPRING!

Of course in this shoulder season, there are some remnants of Autumn out and about as well. The kids spotted this wooley bear caterpillar on the move. Soon enough it will pupate and become an Isabella moth.

The spring peeper chorus began on the 17th of March this year. Their song accompanied us on the trail. We saw, but did not hear, six woodfrogs in the buttonbush swamp.

The kids were in ecstacy, using their nets to bring up a cast of aquatic characters including a bullfrog tadpole, damselfly larva, several dragonfly larva, caddisfly larva cases, backswimmers, and a brown and red aquatic beetle.

We found an asian praying mantis egg case.

And a Carolina mantis egg case. Both had predator marks, woodpeckers or chickadees.

We tried to be quiet by the buttonbush swamp, but even so, the shy wood frogs would not sing.

With Goosepond Mountain in the background, the Strollers catch up after a long, cold winter.

Here are the dragonfly larva the kids found, an up close and personal view.

Camille found a snail!

Sebastian holds a caddisfly larva case made out of stems from aquatic vegetation.

Penelope tests feet that have been trapped in shoes too long.

Here are her tootsies in the mud! Isn't it great to be a kid. Isn't it great to be barefoot!!!

Under the old oak tree what should we find but evidence of a noctournal visitor. An owl pellet.

What's inside. We picked a pellet apart with two sticks and discovered the bones and skull of a rodent.

In the red maple swamp, the skunk cabbages lend a certain um... air to the environment. Inside their flashy spathes are the tiny flowers. The honeybees we saw on the wing will soon be visiting these first flowers of spring.

Secret Messages and Hidden Gems

2009-11-11T21:06:00.001-05:00

Other children have passed this way before us. They left behind a cryptic message

written on the smooth tablet of an artist's conch mushroom. Our kids look on, impressed, wishing they'd been the ones to find nature's sketchpad.

Our favorite state parks can be relied upon to reveal some hidden treasures this season. The gemstone-quality luster of the native salamanders: red eft, blue spotted, and redback are revealed as the kids overturn logs for a peek at the hidden worlds beneath.

Boys and sticks. What more is there to say?

Autumn Rambles--Sterling Forest

2009-11-09T20:41:00.002-05:00

Sterling Forest State Park is our new stomping ground this season. The kids have grown and are enjoying the more challenging terrain. We climbed to the top of the Sterling Ridge. Here several Nature Strollers rest atop a glacial erratic made of puddingstone. We also saw the scrapes in the rock made by the passing glaciers of the last Ice Age.

Sterling Forest is home to a lovely lake.

Ripe pear-shaped puffballs provide lots of entertainment.
Olive brown spore clouds enchant the kids.

No, She Doesn't Sting!

2009-06-02T21:55:00.003-04:00

Sybil discovered this five inch long ichneumon wasp, Megarhyssa macrurus, on the side of a shagbark hickory tree at Goose Pond Mountain State Park. This impressive female wasp is a member of a predatory wasp species that sports a long, flexible ovipositor, or egg laying tube, that is often mistaken for a three to four inch stinger! This beautifully patterned wasp is harmless to humans. The purpose of the ovipositor is not defense but reproduction. The female identifies a potential host for her larva, the larva of another wasp species (the pigeon tremex wasp) deep within the tree by using her antenna to detect the chemical odor of a fungus that is associated with the host larva. She then drills through the wood of the tree with her ovipositor and lays her eggs on the wasp larva within. When the Megarhyssa wasp's eggs hatch, they make a meal of the pigeon tremex wasp larva. I was triply impressed by this creature, for her beauty, size and complex ecological role. Thanks, Sybil!

Orchid Surprise!

2009-05-26T20:59:00.001-04:00

On our walk today, we came across something completely unexpected, a rare and wonderful surprise. Scattered across the forest floor in a secret shady wood, nineteen pink lady's slippers were in bloom. This was so special an event we took several trips out to show them to our Nature Strollers. Several people commented that they had never seen these beautiful orchids before. This specimen was at least a foot tall and impressed these two Nature Strollers with its unusual design. This young lady declared that being the first to spot one entitled the sharp-eyed child to a wish. With so many in bloom, there were plenty of wishes to go around.

Not all of the twin leaves produce a blossom (see the leaves on the left hand side of the photo). Lady's slipper can take four or more years to flower, and then they may not produce a flower every year.

"Graceful and tall the slender, drooping stem,
With two broad leaves below,
Shapely the flower so lightly poised between,
And warm her rosy glow."
---Elaine Goodale

The puffy lady's slipper flowers have an intricate pattern of dark pink veins. Honeybees, bumblebees, andrednid and halictid bees enter the flower, only to find they can progress in only one direction. This one-way street ensures that the bees will pass by the anthers and collect pollen.

Acadia is thrilled with our find. Her very favorite color is, of course, pink!

This is the dried seed capsule from one of last year's lady's slippers. The orchid produces over 100,000 miniscule seeds which are dispersed by the wind. However, they can only grow in spots with the perfect combination of soils, moisture, and particular species of symbiotic fungi. The presence of standing seed capsules will clue you in about where to look for flowers in the spring.

Our eyes dazzled by the beauty of orchids, there is still no way we could miss this startlingly orange creature. Lily inspects the red eft, in high contrast against the green moss of a fallen log. The red eft is a juvenile red spotted newt. It represents the terrestrial phase of an aquatic salamander. Red efts have the ability to survive out of water, cross great (considering their size) distances, and colonize new ponds and swamps.

Here is a close-up of our fine fellow. Look at those spots!

Okay, I haven't taken the time to page through the 400+ photos and descriptions in my caterpillar book to identify this one. He was happily munching on an oak seedling. Doesn't he sport lovely chevrons? I wonder what he will turn into, moth or butterfly?

Fuller Mountain Brook

2009-05-09T19:00:00.013-04:00

We subscribe to the immersion method of nature study here at Nature Strollers. Rule number one: never visit a stream without getting your feet wet! Fuller Mountain Brook was running fast and clear this Saturday afternoon, its babble pleasant accompanyment to our stroll. Five families joined us on this pre-mother's day hike to take in the native flora of this relatively untouched river corredor. I particularly love this land trust preserve because of its relatively unknown status. The trail is fading, one must step carefully for all the wildflowers coming up in the middle of it, so few feet trod its length. It is a hidden gem.

The promethea moths must find it satisfactory as well. This cocoon, spun from silk and a spicebush leaf, is extremely well camouflaged. It sure kept its secret from the strollers who were looking hard to spot something "different" on this spicebush tree. Eventually, I had to give it up. The children admired its clever design and felt its weight. The pupa is still inside.

The streambanks are lined with ferns and skunk cabbage. The colors still springlike in their cool intensity. It is an invitation to follow the twists and turns of the riverbend deeper into the forest.

Exquisite Jack-in-the-pulpit were flowering in profusion. The flowers can be male or female depending on the amount of energy stored by the corm (similar to a bulb).

I don't think this is exactly what I was talking about when I said we should get kids back into the woods! But the virtually impenetrable tangle of fallen tree branches made for an all natural (and inexpensive) jungle gym.

Along the streamside, the corregated leaves of the hellebore lend a striking glossy green to the foliage of the preserve. These have not flowered yet. I am told the blooms resemble orchids.

Renew all hope, ye who enter here!
The grapevine arch acts as a portal to the marshy wetland.

I guess it's water strider mating season. Shhhhhhhh...

Fuller Mountain Brook is known for its beautiful violets. Most of these lovely five petalled flowers go unpollinated, but that is okay. The violet has small flowers at the base that never open and self-fertilize. The seeds of the violet are transported to fertile sites by ants.

Dwarf ginsing--not the kind sold in health food stores--makes a lovely floral accent to this mossy tree root. This is a wildflower I seldom see elsewhere. Whether on account of its habitat being relatively undisturbed for two hundred years or its particular preferences for soil types or moisture regimes, I do not know.

The pileated woodpecker Polly heard early on in our walk has been hard at work looking for insects under the bark of this dead tree. Our walk included many such finds including frogs, red velvet mites, and a flat millipede. A leisurely pace and lovely surroundings made for a wonderful success, I hope all the mothers that followed our lead were pleased and found renewed strength and refreshment from this outing.

Glenmere Lake, 26 April 2009

2009-04-26T11:41:00.001-04:00

The 95 degree weather kept most creatures out-of-sight, but we couldn't pass up a quick (but HOT) trip to Glenmere for a picnic in the pavilion. We did see the resident Bald Eagle soaring in the sky as we pulled in, but that's about all we had energy to chase. Who would have thought it would have snowed and been almost 100 degrees in the very same month?

Fuzzy shot because it was soaring so high, but you can clearly see the distinct "straight-out" wingspan of a Bald Eagle.

"Hello!!"

Fitzgerald Falls, 24 April 2009

2009-04-24T11:29:00.003-04:00

Ferrying toddlers across the stream proved much easier than we thought.

Olivia enjoys her sandwich with the falls as a backdrop.

What a picnic spot!

The big kids stopped by for a snack, taking a break from their sloppy slurching.

Are these dangle earrings or the work of the Caddisfly larvae?

This fern was growing in a tiny crevasse right next to the falls.

Bees galore pollinating the Trout Lily, which takes seven years to bloom.

Whether Acadia said something hysterically funny or it was just the fresh waterfall air, Lily couldn't contain her gut-busting laughter.

Goosepond Mountain Created Wetlands, 19 April 2009

2009-04-19T23:46:00.003-04:00

Haven't gotten to Goosepond yet to see them? Listen to the American Toad here!

Toadally Terrific!

2009-04-19T20:48:00.004-04:00

A Male and Female American Toad in Amplexus

Well, we have proof that American toads do not read the local newspaper. Despite our advertising a Toad Walk for Saturday, the featured amphibians did not show up at Goose Pond Mountain State Park until Sunday. The two day stretch of high sixties weather drew them out for quite a party. I heard a few males singing between ten and eleven am. Between eleven and my return to the pond at one-thirty pm, thirty to forty toads had joined them and all the females were busy laying their long necklaces of eggs (see the lines of black dots in photo).

Toad Couple Surfacing Under Strands of Eggs

April brings more than just showers!

Alex checks out the newly emerged painted turtle.
Our April rambles bring sightings of toads, turtles, early butterflies, salamanders, and wildflowers. It is an exciting month of change, and you'd better get outdoors every day or you might miss something.

This darling reptile is the size of a quarter. The underside is a brilliant orangey-red, especially around the shell margins. This individual was travelling over the ground, probably from the underground nest where he or she spent the winter.

At another Goose Pond Mountain location (the Fire Hydrant Trail) we found pink-tinted dutchman's breeches blooming (if you turn them upside-down they'd look like pants). Their nectaries are so deep that only bumblebees have tongues long enough to reach the nectar.

This fabulous bloodroot (named, obviously, after the color of its root) is not yet open. The flowers last only a day or two before dropping their petals. Like many spring ephemerals, the seeds are dispersed by ants.

Trout-lily is also abloom. These nodding yellow flowers are also partially closed. The trout-lily has speckled leaves that are said to resemble the sides of trout.

Acadia says goodbye to the turtle and the toads.
Is three hours long enough to spend beside the pond on such a bountiful day? Alas, all good things must come to an end. With the turtle safely ensconced in the water and the toads carrying on with their egg laying, we left them in Mother Nature's capable hands and headed home.

Goosepond Mountain Created Wetlands, 18 April 2009

2009-04-18T12:05:00.001-04:00

Last week's cold weather didn't stop us from coming out to see if we could witness the American Toads mating. This week proved a bit warmer, and 33 people came out to see if the toads had arrived. The three strands of eggs we saw last week had hatched, and we could see tiny wiggling tadpoles on the edge of the water. While we longed to see the toads and were slightly disappointed that they hadn't made their appearance yet, this meant that we could get our nets and wade into the water without worrying about disturbing those seemingly delicate strands or the loving toad couples. Our net wielders today must have had quite a bit of experience... within minutes, Crayfish, Newts, Predaceous Water Beetles, and Caddisfly larvae filled Laurel's collection tank. Suddenly we heard a shout from the middle of the pond, and Laurel splashed over and deposited the largest water insect we have ever seen into a bucket! This true bug, the Giant Water Bug, was probably just over three inches long. It had terrifying-looking front arms that were clearly the inspiration for its common name - the Toe-Biter. The crowd around the bucket jockeying to get a look at this creature watched it in awe.

We spotted a single Spring Peeper desperately hopping to the safety of the reeds and the water. I captured it and we took turns peeking at it as it clung to the sides of the container. We then said goodbye to our catch, making sure Laurel released the Giant Water Bug deep into the middle of the pond, and walked along the boardwalk to the second and third ponds. We spotted some first-of-season Cabbage White butterflies and children took off trying to catch them. Queen and Ebony captured a toad, helping to ensure that we weren't lying about their presence here at Goosepond. Laurel showed it to children and parents alike. You could clearly see that Acadia was looking at it and wondering why anyone would ever want to kiss a toad, even if it meant you would marry a prince!

As we all walked back to our cars, one mother (and first-time participant in a Nature Strollers outing) glanced back and the tiny shrinking pond we visited first, wondering out loud, "Who would ever have thought there would have been so many things to find in there?"

Waterfalls and Wildflowers

2009-04-17T13:09:00.005-04:00

Happy Hepatica!

This little wildflower is so lovely it should have its own holiday! The Nature Strollers sure were delighted by the color and texture of this plant. Hepaticas open their flowers only on sunny days when pollinating insects are active. They protect themselves from cold April temperatures with fuzzy stems. Their seeds also sport an interesting adaptation. The tip contains a tasty packet of nutrition, beloved by ants, who carry it to their nests, eat the tip and discard the rest of the seed in their trash heap, where the seed happily germinates. In fact, ants are excellent dispersers of many of our spring wildflower seeds.

As you can see hepatica also come in white, and I think they come in pink too. You can really see the fuzzy stems on this one.

Hepaticas sport unusually shaped leaves, said to resemble the shape of the human liver. Other wildflowers we encountered on this trip were trout-lily and bloodroot.

Of course there's also the waterfall.

From the tiny to the tall, nature on the Appalachian Trail takes many gracious forms. These falls are a ten to fifteen minute walk (you will have to complete a number of stream crossings to get there) from the parking area. I'd estimate they are twenty-five feet tall. This is a fabulous place to take older children. The sound and excitement of falling water as well as the stony streambed make for hours of entertainment.

The Streambottom Boys

Walking over slippery rocks. Tossing pebbles. Turning over stones. Launching sticks. All in a days work for these boys. Among the interesting finds: mayfly larva and netspinning caddisfly larva clinging to the bottom of rocks in the streambed, a rock chock-full of mollusk fossils, a quartz crystal; and stones with holes all over that look like moonrocks. Rest assured, everyone went home soaked from head to toe.

Fine Spring Jaunt

2009-04-16T12:41:00.001-04:00

Twenty Nature Strollers head out on the Old Road Trail (also known as Lazy Hill Trail, for good reason) at Goose Pond Mountain State Park. Perfect temperatures and good spirits kept everyone trotting along as we enjoyed good company on this glorious spring day.

Peek-a-Boo at the Pooh Bear Tree

How many kids can you fit into a hollow tree? Actually more than three, but Acadia, Maya and friend stayed in longer than most. The pooh bear tree is still alive and leafing out, even though its center rotted away, the living tissues in the outer portion that remains provide the water and nutrient transport it needs.

Mystery Creature?

Clearly this mystery creature is of the spineless variety as evidenced by its contortions and squishy body. I've been seeing a lot of these under stone and log lately. Perhaps a worm species of some kind. Just a reminder that just when you think you know what's in the woods, a new creature shows its face (does this thing have a face?) to put you back in your place.

UPDATE: The identity of our mystery creature has been provided by Jay Westerveld. It is an invasive terrestrial planaria!

Farewell Forest Friends!

These three girls are all friends of the forest after their many, many Nature Stroller hikes, and it looks like they've become friends with each other as well. That's my favorite part making new animal, plant and human pals on every hike we take.

Whooo Cooks for You?

2009-04-01T12:13:00.003-04:00

Nature Strollers Introduced to Local Owls

Giselle Smenko, a wildlife rehabilitator from the Avian Wildlife Center in New Jersey visited the Orange County Audubon Society with several of her feathered friends. Here she holds a barred owl, perhaps familiar to you by its haunting call "Who cooks for you? Whoo cooks for you, all?" While it looks large, Giselle mentioned that barred owls like this one weigh around a single pound. She demonstrated that this guy's size is mostly feathers by showing us how deep her finger could penetrate before she touched his neck and by showing us an owl's skull, which is narrow and shaped nothing like the dish-shaped arrangement of feathers on their faces.

A Shy Fellow
This saw-whet owl is smaller than he looks in the photo. This pint-sized predator is easily camouflaged in fir trees and often perches quite close to the ground, but is seldom seen. Saw-whets have an unusual beeping call that sounds nothing like the stereotypical hoot. Though this one did not leave his enclosure, he was my kids personal favorite.

Does this look like a dangerous owl to you?

This screech owl may not look like a tiny terror, but he was hand-raised by people not trained in the art of wildlife rehabilitation. This means he can be a bit unpredictable in his behavior and more likely to act agressively than the other owls in Giselle's care. Screech owls have two calls, one like a horse's whinny and another low beep-hoot. These owls are often found in suburban areas. The clumps of feathers atop their heads are not ears, but do help the owl in its effort to resemble a dead branch when it is resting.

The Wood Frog Eggs Hatch!

2009-03-30T20:55:00.003-04:00

Twenty Nature Strollers gathered to say Happy Birthday to the newly hatched wood frog tadpoles at the vernal pool near Glenmere Lake.

Amongst the egg masses were several that were hatching,

some with developing tadpoles inside, and some that looked fairly recently laid.

The vernal pool is shallow and small this year--probably quite warm too. Wood frog eggs hatch sooner and the tadpoles develop faster at higher temperatures. When first emerging, the wood frog tadpoles lie still, but not for long! They will hang out on the egg mass grazing on the green algae.

This group of tadpoles better watch out! A green frog has got his eye on the area, looking for some easy pickings. Turtles, raccoons and snakes will travel to vernal pools like this one at Glenmere Lake for nutrient-rich amphibian eggs. Other tadpole feeders include: dragonfly,
damselfly, predaceous diving beetle, and fishfly nymphs. Salamander
nymphs are carnivores too.

The Nature Strollers were also (mostly) happy to see this
large, rust-colored spider,

and a select few of the faster hikers
got a good long look at an eastern comma butterfly.

The Ponds Burst with Life

2009-03-27T20:21:00.005-04:00

The dip nets are coming up full as spring progresses.
Our pond life survey turns up more than seven crayfish of various sizes.
Willow determines that this active crustacean is female.

A water boatman makes its first appearance in our net since 2008.

Its legs do remind us of oars.

Lorin demonstrates Zen pond-stalking technique.

Maia and Olivia take their turn, but Zen is not their style.
Foot stomping, full-body immersion would be their preference if not restrained by a loving adult.

Sybil and Olivia come up with yet another crayfish!

Scarlett and Maia are mesmerized by the wiggling bullfrog tadpoles.

Father and daughter discuss the catch.

A damselfly nymph, one of the many aquatic insects that stalks the pond bottom.

First and second year bullfrog tadpoles.

Whoops! Better give these two eastern red spotted newts some privacy!

Even the mosses sense the urgency of spring.
Bright red stalks hold up lime green spore capsules.

Woods Walkers on Lazy Hill Road, Goosepond Mountain, 22 March 2009

2009-03-22T22:57:00.001-04:00

Come join the Woods Walkers on Sunday mornings... lose a few pounds, drop a level or two in anxiety, and pick up a Blue-spotted Salamander or gain insight into the characteristics of Coyote scat! How can you think you'd want anything else???

Peeper Party!

2009-03-22T16:51:00.003-04:00

Seventeen Nature Strollers held a party in honor of the spring peepers that have been making the auditory landscape so beautiful lately. The diminutive frogs' chorus rose and fell around us as we searched the ponds of Goose Pond Mountain State Park for signs of awakening. One of the best things about revisting the same place throughout the seasons is learning about the seasonal round, the orderly appearance of species according to their own seasonal calendars. At Goose Pond Mountain, the skunk cabbage are followed by the spring peeper and red-winged blackbird. Wood frogs soon awaken and move to the buttonbush swamp, water spiders, aquatic beetles and backswimmers become active.

A sharp-eyed Nature Stroller distinguished these extremely tiny wooley alder aphids

from the white spots on the bark of the speckled alder. This is our earliest sighting

these fascinating creatures.

Uh oh, the praying mantis egg case we have been keeping tabs on has been visited

by a downy woodpecker or chickadee. If you look carefully you can see that a

portion close to the branch has been pecked away.

What's in that pink bucket?

Another sign of spring! Eastern red-spotted newts on the prowl.

There he is! There he is!
A calling woodfrog is pointed out. Man! These guys are hard to see
against the leaf-litter strewn bottom of Buttonbush Swamp.

And the result of all this calling? Glistening masses of wood frog
eggs that hold the promise of a new generation.

Peeper Party Provisions

2009-03-21T11:08:00.001-04:00

I forgot to get pictures of some of the Peeper Party provisions we had at Goosepond Mountain... but take a look at Lily and Penelope enjoying leftovers the next day. There's nothing like Green Frog vanilla pudding or Wood Frog chocolate pudding (both complete with vanilla wafer froggy eyes) to help celebrate the return of the frogs! We also had blue Jell-O with raisins inside... it definitely looked too much like egg masses for most of the adults to eat, but it was a big hit with the kids!

The Wood Frogs are Back!

2009-03-17T21:56:00.012-04:00

Eighteen of our most stalwart and loyal walkers arrived on the trail at Goosepond Mountain State Park at eleven in the morning and discovered that the spring peeper chorus was in full swing. Everyone’s mood became joyous with the combination of warm sunshine and the amphibian heralds of even better weather ahead.

We made our usual stop at the toad pond, this time looking for caddisfly larva but none were evident. We did find several water spiders crossing the surface. Kat brought a snail up from the shallows to show the children.

Olivia (2) shows her mother some moss.

Wood Frogs in Amplexus

As we headed into the homestretch, accompanied by peeper song, we were caught by surprise. Kat’s sensitive ears picked up a competing serenade. The buttonbush swamp had erupted in frog song. Like the peepers (who were ten days early), these wood frogs were singing at least seven days earlier than last year.

Male Wood Frog Calling

Difficult to hear over the din of the spring peepers, the wood frogs’ call sounds like a bunch of ducks quarreling. They have twin sacs behind their front legs that inflate with air as they sound off (see photo above). The kids were thrilled to see the brown, masked wood frogs floating in the water with their hind legs splayed. Wood frogs are communal nesters, so the eggs will probably be found together around the submerged stems of a buttonbush. Since it is early in their breeding season, their masses of jelly-like eggs are probably still low in the water, but they should rise and dimple the surface.

A Honeybee Visits a Skunk Cabbage Flower

Before we left we watched as a blue heron flew directly overhead. Then we were off to the small red maple swamp. Amonette, Acadia, Sybil, Olivia, Lorin, Scarlett and I checked out the skunk cabbage flowers and were delighted to see honey bees nectaring at the blooms. Perhaps they are from the wild honeybee nest in the hollow shagbark hickory. Some of my reading indicates that in colder years, the honeybees use the spathes as warming huts as well as nectar sources.

Sebastian, Nathan, and Anderson spent hours adding to their shelter and playing in the woods.
Willow dropped by to inspect the construction.

Goosepond Mountain Created Wetlands, 17 March 2009

2009-03-17T21:33:00.006-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Ginny posted an invitation to meet her at the wetlands at Goosepond Mountain at 11am today to see if we could find any leprechauns. It was a gorgeous day... sunny and almost 50 degrees. How could anyone not want to go outside today???

We've heard the Spring Peepers for almost a week now, signaling the promise of warm weather and more opportunities for outdoor adventures. Six families headed along the path to the first pond, children cupping hands to ears to take in the chorus of frogs singing about spring. Oddly, as we reached the water's edge, the world became silent... those frogs must have thought we had our nets with us today. We did not, and in a few minutes a couple of brave peepers took the chance and chirped again... and the chorus resumed.

We looked for the Caddisfly larvae that Lorin spotted at this time last year, but we didn't see anything in the water except for a few snails. Jacob and Adam spotted several Water Spiders, zipping on the surface of the pond as if it was still frozen.

While Penelope lounged in the dirt, Sybil and Olivia spotted something new. Sybil held what looked like a seed pod or an egg case. It was a long, thin, partly hollow cylindrical tube she picked up at the top of the little hill between the two boardwalks. We inspected it, feeling it and looking around the area where it was found. We spotted another piece of this thing poking out of the last bit of the dead stem of the big Pokeweed bush. Peeling back the outer covering of the stem revealed more of this odd-looking cylinder.

We hung around the spot between the boardwalks for a while, talking about preschools and gardening and digital cameras, and digging in the dirt. The rumblings of some little tummies and curiosity about "the big kids" prompted us to continue along the path. Nathan and Sebastian had been active in the woods alongside the Buttonbush swamp, busy with a project of seemingly great importance. As I walked up to Lily waiting patiently near the Buttonbush placquard (she needed me for our ritual "lift-me-up-so-I-can-see-the-picture" activity), I heard it, and shouted, "LISTEN!" The pause in traffic along 17M allowed everyone else to pick up the odd "quack-quack-quack" of the Wood Frog! Eyeballs bulging and cameras out, we moved to the edge of the swamp... and there they were, almost two weeks early. Ripples in the water as they called gave away the usually camouflaged location of the floating frogs. They float on their bellies, legs spread behind them. Squinting helped combat the reflection of the sky in the water. We got several pictures and movies of the quacking calls. Two Eastern Bluebirds landed on the branches above us as we listened to the Wood Frogs. We walked over to see the structure that Nathan and Sebastian built, pausing for more pictures of the proud architects posing with their construction. We continued walking towards our cars, pausing only to watch the bees visit the flowers of the skunk cabbage. We are convinced spring is here. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Farewell to February

2009-02-28T18:29:00.009-05:00

The parents and kids took to the trail at Goose Pond Mountain State Park with abandon. Cooped up too long by winter's winds and ice, fourteen Nature Strollers hit the trail on a sunny 40 degree Saturday. Ginny, catching up with the strollers, proclaims "This is my favorite group. No one cares if I am late. We don't have to bring snacks for everybody, and no one expects us to do anything but have fun."

Good friends and new friends meet up on the trail. There are expressions of joy at being able to get outside again. The three and four-year-olds lined up at the pond's edge with their "fishing poles." It was there we spotted some bullfrog tadpoles active in the cold water, and we heard three-year-old Sawyer's latest question for his mommy "Why is nature so mysterious?"

Was it only a year ago, that Sylvana went on her very first nature walk?

Just like this time last year, the kids were were able to touch and smell the first wildflowers of spring, the skunk cabbage. Not exactly as sweet as a rose, but perhaps more welcome.

On a sad note we found a handful of black feathers made us worry that one of the red-winged blackbirds that just returned from the South this week had met an untimely end, then again, maybe all the fox or coyote got was feathers for lunch. The kids enjoyed sifting through the dirt, pretending to plant a garden, and drawing with sticks. Sawyer, realizing how dirty they all were getting, invited the child next to him over for a bubble bath.

In the parking lot on the way out, Acadia declared Jacob King of the Rock, and herself Queen. Another successful winter walk with plenty of make believe thrown in.

Off the Beaten Path

2009-02-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

We bushwacked through the barberry and raspberry canes and around bottle and can dumps to Seely Brook which is an outlet stream of Walton Pond. Seely runs quiet and full this time of year, the rain and snowmelt filling it close to its banks. Acadia and Olivia grabbed some sticks and immediately set to "fishing." Later Olivia toddled in and required a change of clothes, effectively ending our off-trail adventure.

Before our premature return to the car, Anderson and Sebastian discovered a tree with a large canker or injury. They could not wrap their arms around the huge boll at the base of the trunk.

The boys explored the shoreline, throwing in a few obligatory rocks and dropping in sticks and chasing them as they drifted downstream.

On our return we found the jawbone and spinal column of a rabbit or woodchuck.

The kids are begging to return to Seely Brook in the summer when they can get in the water. But the best we can do is another winter or early spring trip, because the banks of this lovely stream grow profusely with poison ivy! But that's okay, because there are other places to streamwalk without the risk of rash.

2009-02-08T20:56:00.001-05:00

Goose Pond Mountain State Park February 8, 2009

Fourteen hearty Nature Strollers step out onto the snow for our first walk of the year, celebrating the sunshine and forty-five degree temperatures. However this mild weather has turned the footing treacherous on our typically easy trail. The kids slip and splash their way to the toad pond for some snowball throwing. “Splash” is not usually a sound associated with this winter activity, but with several inches of meltwater on the pond, snowball throwing fun increases exponentially for Lily, Penelope, Jayden, Acadia, Owen and Kira. Sebastian forgoes the contest and glides across the submerged ice. As we cross the boardwalk, a red-tailed hawk soars quite near, enabling us to see the sun glint off the iconic red tail feathers that give the bird its name.

Otherwise there is precious little wildlife activity, so we turn our attention to the plants. The dried seed heads of the ironweed, Joe-pye, and vervain are conspicuous against the snow.

Seedbox, with its miniature box-like seed capsules, is prevalent.

Some of the cattails are at full fluff.

Owen’s mom spots a quiet praying mantis egg case, where the insects wait for spring. A few wooly alder aphids remain, apparently lifeless on the alder branches.

We see the clever little trails voles leave in the snow.

An inspection of the branches of a young tree in the parking lot reveal

the shiny, dark egg cases of the tent caterpillar.

Our very first indication of spring is still absent, but in a couple of weeks we expect to see and smell the emerging flowers and leaves of the skunk cabbage poking through the ice in the red maple swamp. Hopefully the weather will hold, and we’ll be there as the new year begins to unfold.

Goosepond Mountain Created Wetlands, 10 January 2009

2009-01-10T12:34:00.002-05:00

The wetlands are a lot of fun... even in the dead of winter!

Though the path was pretty icy, we walked slowly and carefully along. The girls had fun sweeping the snow off the boardwalk railings and walking onto the frozen ponds. We got great views of a Muskrat house that is usually invisible to our little ones, and we ended our walk with more snow sweeping. It felt great to get out.

Chester, 18 November 2008

2008-11-18T12:47:00.000-05:00

First snow playtime!! Even though our first snow of the season was just before Halloween, I would consider this our first real snow. It was too much fun!

Mt. Peter Hawk Watch and the Bellvale Creamery, 22 October 2009

2008-10-22T12:59:00.000-04:00

What could be better than some homemade pumpkin ice cream at the Bellvale Creamery and a hike up Mt. Peter to the Hawk Watch? Not much, I say! After our ice cream snack we followed the blue blaze trail up to the Hawk Watch platform, where we spoke with some of the volunteers about their sightings. We then continued along the blue blaze trail down the mountain a bit. The boys were experts at locating the trail markers!

Goosepond Mountain Created Wetlands, 18 October 2008

2008-10-18T13:22:00.000-04:00

We thought we'd find some Praying Mantis and some Monarch Butterfly caterpillars... but alas, there wasn't much out there today in terms of living creatures. Signs of their presence were everywhere, though. As the kids ran up and down the hill at the second pond they had to jump over a pile of Coyote scat... recognizable by the significant amount of hair inside. The kids had a blast releasing the seeds of the Milkweed plants into the breeze. Anderson proudly showed us more seeds and seed pods poking through the boardwalk railings. There were some lingering Wooly Alder Aphids on the branches of the alder near the path, but we didn't see any of the Harvester caterpillars. We eventually did see a Grasshopper (it landed right on Maya's sleeve).

Rockland Nature Strollers, Children's Park, 14 October 2008

2008-10-14T13:09:00.000-04:00

We joined the Rockland Nature Strollers on one of their first outings at Children's Park in Chestnut Ridge... and we had a wonderful time! The variety of tree species at this park was astounding, and seeing them in the fall is the best experience. Olivia is extremely knowledgeable about plants and we named them with her as we walked along the paved path to the playground. We wound around a pond and along the Pascack Brook, pausing to see if we could find anything under the dead logs along the path. When we reached the newly upgraded playground we sat and watched leaves fall as the kids explored the new slides, stairs, and "mountains." The Autumn is a beautiful time, no matter which county you visit. We can't wait to return.

Goosepond Mountain Created Wetlands, 01 October 2008

2008-10-01T17:04:00.002-04:00

WOW!!!! It's fall, and sometimes we think that everything good in terms of being outside is over... after all, winter is coming. BUT, today, we had two of our most exciting finds. We've seen the Woolly Alder Aphids before... white cottony puffs congregating on the branches of the alder near the last pond. We paused on our way to check on them... puffing some ready puffballs and doing some "Jewelweed pops." Today, though, as we checked out the aphids, we noticed what looked like a much larger and bald aphid... and realized it was the larvae of the Harvester Butterfly! These butterflies lay their eggs in the midst of woolly aphids. Their larvae hatch and eat the aphids. This caterpillar is the only carnivorous caterpillar in North America. We could clearly see two larvae feasting on the aphids. The butterflies, with their short proboscis, pierce the bodies of aphids and drink their juices. How amazing to be in the right place at the right time to see these caterpillars!

As we marveled at this find, I happened to look down and see a bunch of bright stripes on the branch of what looked like a white Ironweed plant. As my eyes focused I noticed it was a caterpillar... and a marvelous one at that! Yellow, black, white, and orange were the colors of this caterpillar, which was about the same size as our girls' largest finger. We took turns photographing it, and then the girls (who were waiting patientl) took turns gently "petting" it. Laurel looked it up at home. This caterpillar becomes the Brown Hooded Owlet Moth. We hope this individual can beat the frost... it's coming sooner than we think.

Appalachian Trail, Vernon Boardwalk Section, 24 September 2008

2008-09-24T16:10:00.002-04:00

This beautiful section of the Appalacian Trail in Vernon, NJ, was the setting for our outing today. The trail here is through a grassy wetlands, elevated on a well-maintained boardwalk. There is also a true suspension bridge. You can bounce and sway on the span looking down at the fast-moving stream below it. This bridge was our goal.

Unlike our walks at Goosepond, we weren't wanting for our Orb Weaver spiders. Within 20 feet of our walk we spotted several of these insects and their own unique signatures. Many of these spiders had gotten lucky; they were feasting on their web-covered prey.

As we walked along to the first little bridge to look for turtles, we spotted pairs of mating dragonflies laying their eggs in the still water. These particular fire-red dragonflies stayed as pairs, the male holding onto the female as she repeatedly dipped her abdomen, dropping an egg into the water each time.

When we reached the suspension bridge Suzanne pointed out the white rectangluar blazes of the Appalachian Trail, the largest volunteer project in America. We took a few minutes to ponder the thought of walking from Georgia to Maine along this trail.

On our way back to our cars we paused at the Jewelweed bush, finding and squeezing the explosive pods to release the seeds of this annual. "Jewelweed pops," as the kids call them, are fun and functional... the flowers are the favorite source of nectar for the hummingbird. We encouraged our children to spread the seeds, looking forward to seeing more next year.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 10 September 2008

2008-09-10T18:34:00.000-04:00

Laurel reflects on today's outing...

Well it must be our lucky day, because Kat found a four-leaf clover! It has been a long time since I’ve seen one, though I’ve probably not taken the time to look since childhood. Maybe it was the clover that brought us such lovely fall weather. First we paused in the parking lot to check out the hollow shagbark hickory where Honeybees have a hive. Luckily, the park rangers noticed it in time, because the tree was slated for removal. A few bees flew in and out, nothing like the swarm we noticed near the entry last week.

Suzanne and her twin boys joined Kat and I and our daughters for two hours of discovery. The kids took turns puffing a ripe puffball. They were fascinated by each small brown spore cloud they made.

The small pond had some water in it from the recent leftover hurricane rains. The main action in the water was the mosquito wigglers, hundreds by the look of it. A Twelve-spotted Skimmer prowled the sky above the pond, buzzing by the boys' heads as they splashed in the shallows near the shore. Beyond the pond, the wet meadow is covered with blossoming Goldenrod. A good number of Honeybees were visible gathering pollen and nectar for their hive.

Looking down from the boardwalk, we were happy to finally see a Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar feeding on a Milkweed leaf. Unlike past years, we found very few Tussock Moth caterpillars or Monarch caterpillars, even though we turned over hundreds of leaves.

A Jewelweed had grown up onto the boardwalk, and to the delight of the children, Kat demonstrated the explosive properties of their seed capsules. The kids took turns spreading the seeds of this annual, a hummingbird favorite.

Also on the boardwalk, a large, still Grasshopper drew our attention. It seemed like a sculpture made of metal, it sat so still.

At the second pond, the boys and girls took turns tossing stones to see them splash. Nathan and Jonathan then bushwacked through the cattails to explore the pond’s edge. A large, orange dragonfly we’d never seen before kept doing fly-bys of our group, until it tangled with a Twelve-spotted Skimmer in a couple of aerial dogfights.

Behind the bench where we chose to rest, a Silver Spotted Skipper drank nectar from the clover. A Great Spangled Fritillary rested for a good long while on the path, hypnotizing everyone as it opened and closed its wings.

A few yards away we all watched, fascinated, as a large orange Tachnid fly (Trichpoda pennipes) cleaned itself on a patch of Goldenrod. Also on the Goldenrod was an unidentified insect. I looked through a few field guides and still cannot say for sure if it is a fly, wasp, or sawfly.

As we returned to the parking lot and checked our watches, we couldn’t believe how time will fly on a beautiful fall day when you are strolling through the marshes watching your children play and learn.

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 07 September 2008

2008-09-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned for Laurel's commentary...

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 29 August 2008

2008-08-29T22:52:00.001-04:00

We went looking for the Orb Weavers we saw last year, but we had no luck. We saw a different and equally as beautiful spider this time, also with a tiny little signature in its web. We did catch a glimpse of our Northern Watersnake as it slithered to safety from our curious toddlers, and we watched the frogs as they hopped into the surprisingly full pond.

Farmer's Market Fridays, 29 August 2008

2008-08-29T22:48:00.001-04:00

Riding to Farmer's Market Fridays... FUN!!!

Kenridge Farm, 26 August 2008

2008-08-26T22:25:00.000-04:00

It was certainly a hot day, but that didn't stop our 16 families (and about 35 people total) from joining us on our outing at Kenridge Farm. We spotted Tree Swallows and dragonflies up-close, and got great looks at a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar. Children and parents alike enjoyed searching for Milkweed Bugs on the leaves, and we had a couple of new "leaders" showing us the sights!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 06 August 2008

2008-08-06T16:02:00.010-04:00

Kat talks about the wetlands today...

The crazy summer weather (rain one minute, sun the next) has forced us to cancel and reschedule quite a number of our outings, but we have been lucky enough to be able to get out at least once a week. Today we checked out the wetlands to see if the ponds have dried up and to see the Cicada Killer and Golden Digger activity. You have to check this out for yourself, even though seeing these insects in person can be intimidating. We actually got on video a Cicada Killer struggling to get its Cicada into its burrow. Usually the wasp can carry the Cicada right into the burrow in two seconds flat, but this particular wasp took a couple of minutes to get the Cicada in... allowing us to get it on tape. We also filmed a tumbling mass of Cicada Killers, perhaps trying to pair up so as to mate (we saw mating pairs as we walked further down the path). The rangers have repaired the part of the boardwalk that had been struck by lightning and Lily and Penelope took a little rest on it toe-to-toe, looking like mirror images, playing indentical twins for the day. Laurel and I checked out the wildflowers (New York Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed, Black Eyed Susan, etc), trying to capture the depth and beauty on film (which is virtually impossible), while the kids threw rocks into the water. It was pretty windy and we watched two sets of Monarchs and two sets of Tiger Swallowtails try to cling to the Joe Pye Weed (some of which were about 10 feet tall). Since we've had so much rain we saw plenty of fungus: Puffballs, some bright orange fungus growing on the boardwalk, Bird's Nest fungus, and Earth Star fungus. Check it out!

High Point State Park, 17, 25, & 30 July and 01 August 2008

2008-08-01T15:33:00.004-04:00

This place is great! High Point State Park in Sussex has a pristine lifeguard-protected lake beach, with sandy and grassy areas, sunny and shady areas, a playground, a clubhouse with concession area, small crowds, plenty of accessible up-close wildlife, and just lots and lots of FUN! We've been trying to go each week. Today we celebrated baby Samantha's first birthday, too. It was a blast! Please consider joining us or taking your family on your own to High Point for a wonderful day.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 14 July 2008

2008-07-14T01:10:00.001-04:00

Kat talks a bit about today...

It had been a rainy morning and we weren't sure if there was going to be more rain or some sunshine today, so we didn't want to send out an email about an outing in the event we might have to cancel it. I had been in Warwick all morning (dropping off the second domestic rabbit that had been abandoned at the state park; I finally caught it!) and playing at Pennings Farm Market with Ian and the girls. Laurel called to say that she and Sybil would be bringing their kids to the wetlands because it seemed to have cleared up. We did a lunch-on-the-go and met them there about 20 minutes after they arrived. The kids had a blast playing with sticks and stones and mud, and we talked about camera equipment for a while... Laurel envying my camera as I was envying Sybil's. We met up with Roberta (we hoped she wasn't after birds because we were a loud group today), and we set out to look at our favorite Milkweed by the boardwalk. We passed the place on the boardwalk that had been hit by lightning; it still smelled like charred wood! Olivia stole the show today as she located a Monarch Butterfly, pointing it out as it flitted around her. She also gently caressed a Longhorn Milkweed Beetle in Sybil's hand, leaning over to give it a kiss before Sybil placed it back on the Pokeweed plant. Under the leaves of the Milkweed the Tussock Moth caterpillars had hatched, and were voraciously devouring the leaves on which they were residing. Nathan and Anderson caught another toadlet, and it was funny to hear them giggle as it hopped and tickled Nathan's arm trying to escape from Anderson's grasp. Just before we hit our cars Laurel spotted a beautiful crab spider on the leaf of a tree. It was bright green, like the leaf, but it had a gorgeous red and orange decoration on its back that resembled a face or a skull. She held the branch and the leaf steady so I could get a shot and it almost crawled right onto her hand.

I had mentioned to Laurel and Sybil that I had been at my friend Teresa's and Mike's earlier (picking up the rabbit they had so graciously held for me overnight), and while I was there Teresa had pointed out a very interesting type of caterpillar. Two of them had taken up residence in her garden. They were eating some of the flowers in her garden and had cut off pieces of these flowers and glued them onto their backs, deliberately camouflaging themselves and virtually disappearing into the flower. I took a few photographs as I had never seen this type of caterpillar before. I showed my photographs to Laurel and Sybil and we marveled over the stroke of genius these creatures had demonstrated. Later that afternoon, Laurel called me with the identification: Teresa's caterpillar was a Camouflage Looper, soon-to-be the Wavy-leaf Emerald Moth (Synclora aerata). After the girls went down for a nap, I took Laurel over to Teresa's flower garden so she could see and photograph these caterpillars for herself.

Glenmere Lake, 08 July 2008

2008-07-08T01:10:00.004-04:00

Today, on an afternoon impromptu jaunt, Sybil and Laurel spotted some Indian Pipes at Glenmere Lake, so they called a "get here quick" outing at the Florida Recreation Area. Indian Pipes are plants, but they look like fungi. They are unique plants in that they do not contain chlorophyll. They are parasitic plants (specifically myco-heterotrophic), getting their energy from another living organism. I call them piggyback parasites; they get their energy from another parasite that gets its energy from the host. Fascinating! Indian Pipe hosts are certain fungi that are symbiotic (specifically mycorrhizal) with trees. Mycorrhizal describes the specific give-and-take relationship of a fungus and the roots of plants. The fungus gets specific carbohydrate foods from the plant, and in return provides the plant a broader surface area from which to absorb water and nutrients. These ghostly plants are beautiful, and usually come in white and a pale pink. We spotted a bluish-purple variety and took tons of photographs. On our way back to the picnic tables we picked a few lowbush blueberries and saw a golden-yellow fungus peeking out of the dirt. We then sat at the edge of the lake and enjoyed our snack.

Kenridge Farm, 01 July 2008

2008-07-01T23:40:00.000-04:00

Hot but happy, we walked along to see if the Milkweed was in bloom. Acadia assumed a leadership role as she took Penelope under her wing, pointing out the many butterflies and dragonflies zipping from flower-to-flower. On our way back up the hill Lily made sure we were on the right path, double-checking each trail marker we passed.

Black Meadow Road, 30 June 2008

2008-06-30T18:35:00.002-04:00

In addition to the field guides we bring along on our outings, we'll occasionally bring audio and video of some of the harder-to-see creatures we might encounter. One evening late at night we were called to Black Meadow Road to record footage of Fowler's Toads and Gray Treefrogs calling. This is footage we will be able to show our Nature Strollers families, answering the "What is making that noise?" questions that their field guides cannot. The clip above shows a Gray Treefrog calling, and in the background you can hear the hysterical-sounding Fowler's Toads screaming for females. Our Nature Strollers children (and parents) love to see these creatures making the noises they hear at night!

Fowler's Toad

Goose Pond Mountain Old Road, 25 June 2008

2008-06-25T18:07:00.003-04:00

With all of the crazy storms we've been having we'd expected some debris on the trail... but not this much! Several LARGE tree branches and actual whole trees were lying across the path, almost blocking our way. With a little extra manuevering we were able to get around the obstacles and continue on our way. Turning over logs yielded nothing too exciting today, so we just enjoyed each other's company on our first official summer walk.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 19 June 2008

2008-06-19T21:28:00.006-04:00

Kat reflects on an impromptu outing at the boardwalk...

It's been raining on-and-off for almost a week now, prohibiting us from planning any outings. Today seemed promising but it was too last-minute to send out an announcement for a walk. I decided to go on an outing on my own with the kids, and packed them up just after 11am. When we arrived another mother I did not know and her 4-year-old son and 3-month-old daughter were just setting out on the trail. As I unloaded my own children and we started out on the trail, a Monarch Butterfly flitted ahead of me... and I was able to capture it in my net. I had just purchased a small net bug house and had it with me, and I carefully transferred the butterfly to the bug house. It made viewing the butterfly much easier for my toddlers. The girls took turns carrying the butterfly in its temporary home as we caught up to the other family by the second pond. Amber introduced herself, Dylan, and Mia to us and we started talking about getting out with our children as the children admired the butterfly up close. She mentioned that she enjoyed getting out with her son very much but since her daughter's birth it wasn't as easy. I told her a little bit about our group and the Orange County Audubon Society. After a few minutes the children helped me open the bug house and let the butterfly go free. It even gave Lily a kiss as it went, and then it even paused to nectar on some clover so I could get a picture! We continued our walk together, and I pointed out the Milkweed (which was now in bloom) and the Northern Watersnake sunning itself at the edge of the boardwalk. Dylan couldn't get enough of that! Walking around the path back to the cars, I pointed out all the toadlets hopping out of our way. They blended into the path, resembling the pebbles Penelope was so fond of scooping up and letting slip through her fingers. Amber said that she never would have noticed them had I not pointed them out, and she then proceeded to point them out to her son. I asked Lily and Penelope what these little creatures were and I was delighted when they, in unison, answered, "American Toads!" When we got back to our cars I provided Amber and her family with our postcard and magnets. I hope she and her children will accompany us on a future outing.

Farmer's Market Fridays are BACK!!

2008-06-13T20:41:00.003-04:00

Come meet us at the Goshen Farmer's Market every Friday (weather permitting)! We usually meet at the monument on the Village Green at around 11am, and then we all do our shopping (for local fruits, veggies, cheese, meats, baked goods, wines, and more). Adina Bialas (of Bialas Farms) is one of our Nature Strollers families, and she always has something neat to share with us that day. Janet (of Janet's Quality Baked Goods) loves to give the kids her special "Janet's cookies," and her stand is the best place to get your bread for a picnic. After stocking up on our things for the week (and getting Penelope her "pickle-on-a-stick"), we reconvene and head over to the shade of the trees on the big lawn. Kat brings the radio and we all just relax, noshing on our purchases and packed lunches.

Heritage Trail, 07 June 2008

2008-06-07T20:06:00.005-04:00

Kat reflects on todays outing...

It was HOT, but we were happy to be out. We were out in search of nesting Snapping Turtles. Last year at nesting time we had the fortune of seeing quite a few of these large New York State reptiles as they searched for places to lay their eggs. This time (perhaps because it was just SO hot) we did not see any turtles themselves, but we did see evidence they had been digging in the gravelly dirt along the trail. Of the seven families that joined us today, two of them told us tales of seeing Snapping Turtles rolling, wrestling, and splashing in the water as they mated. I had seen it once too, in the water on the other part of the Heritage Trail we usually take (along our Orange County Audubon Society's 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary). This route is currently closed due to construction on Route 17, but we are hoping it opens again in time for us to see the baby Snapping Turtles emerge on our planned walk in September.

Due to excessive heat and not too much shade, cutting our walk short today seemed like a good idea. Our toddlers weren't complaining at all, but the heat was clearly slowing us all down. We turned back short of the "Turtle Pond" that was our original destination, but we were so glad we did... Aidan spotted a giant moth resting on a leaf, caught in the open by the heat and the rising sun. It was beautiful! Owen (who doesn't go anywhere without the First Golden Guide to Insects we gave him last year, thanks to our New York Audubon grant) and his mom thumbed through his book to identify the moth. It was an Io Moth, one of our largest silk moths, named after a creature in Greek mythology. We clearly saw the black eyespots on the hindwings, and we could surmise by its brown coloration that this was a female. This was a treat because male Io Moths are seen much more often than females. The moth obligingly let us take turns holding it and photographing it. We only wish we were as photogenic as it... the Io wasn't sweating like we were. When we finally got back to the cool of our cars we chatted a little about our find. The 11 children, eight parents, and three grandparents that had the pleasure of seeing that Io Moth today won't forget it any time soon!

I KNOW this stuff!!!

2008-06-06T19:18:00.005-04:00

Kat's latest "WAIT... I know what this is!!!" experience...

As I was doing some maintenance in my raised bed vegetable garden, I became distracted by a pesky fly. I kept brushing it away from my forehead, but it persisted in buzzing around my head as I bent over yanking out the weeds from my lettuce patch. I sat back on my heels and slumped over, dejected, and then I noticed it... a Wood Frog (light colored, probably female), right at the edge of my garden! I had my camera and my critter tank handy (it had housed an American Toad on yesterday's walk), so I coaxed the Wood Frog inside so I could look at it and take pitures without having to handle it. I thought about keeping it in the tank to show the babies when they woke, but it was so hot... so I snapped a couple of pictures and then let it go in the cool of the forest (where I am sure it was headed). Later that evening as I was watering my vegetables, a butterfly landed in the tree next to my garden. I got great looks and another good snapshot (my camera was still in reach). I identified it as a Viceroy Butterfly, clearly noting the black line along the bottom quarter of the lower wings that distinguishes it from a Monarch Butterfly. The very next day while donning my garden clogs to do more vegetable watering I saw a strange creature wiggling along my sliding glass door. My camera handy yet again I snapped a picture of this insect, most likely a larvae, moving along the glass in its homemade house of sticks. I was reminded of the Caddisfly larvae we saw this year at Goose Pond Mountain, another creature that builds its own home around itself.

This time I knew exactly what kind of frog I saw... because we had seen them with the Nature Strollers just last month. I also knew that I was looking at a Viceroy and not a Monarch Butterfly, because we had just had the discussion about the difference between the two at a Nature Strollers outing at Kenridge Farm. I am still puzzling over the insect I saw on my window, but I know where to start looking... because we had seen the Caddisfly larvae and read about their construction abilities. I know this stuff... and even my terrible case of "momnesia" could not suppress this information!

Goose Pond Mountain Fire Hydrant Road, 05 June 2008

2008-06-05T12:08:00.010-04:00

Kat reflects on our outing...

We had originally planned to meet at the Old Road, but perhaps the presence of the relentless mosquitoes on our last outing there deterred everyone. After waiting a bit and deciding no one else was going to show up, Laurel and I moved our cars over to the spot where another old road led into the state park. The road was partially paved though in terrible shape. A bright red hydrant was still there, looking oddly out-of-place in the green and brown of the forest. I had tried to follow this road once myself one evening, wondering if it would lead us to the stream that feeds the wetlands (but is out-of-reach from the boardwalk location); it got too dark before I could really explore it.

We had just started walking in today when we heard someone calling; Terri was here! She, Camille, and Elisa unloaded and caught up to us in no time. We weren't sure about this location as we really hadn't been here before, but we had seen tons of Bloodroot and Dutchman's Breeches blooming in early spring, so we had wanted to check it out. It was great to have Terri and her girls joined us on our test run.

Within seconds we were glad we had come. Ebony Jewelwing dragonflies, a black-winged dragonfly with a bright irridescent blue body, flitted around us in the Jewelweed. As we got to the hill near the hydrant Laurel captured a young American Toad. This could have been one of the toads we saw emerging as toadlet last spring. I put it into my little carrier and the kids took turns holding it as we walked.

We continued our walk into the park along the shady trail, noting that the sun didn't reach through the tree canopy very much. This could have been the reason why we started spotting fascinating fungus after fungus, Dryad's Saddle growing out of a fallen log and witch's butter erupting from a twig.

We saw a number of clumps of the parasitic plant, squaw root, rising from the buried roots of an old oak tree.

The leaves of another tree yielded both a Ladybug and some kind of beetle larvae.

Just before we got back to our cars we saw a millipede as thick as Elisa's finger and an empty but perfectly built bird's nest.

Perhaps the bright blue Robin's egg we saw on the path used to be in the nest. We were happy we came today and will be sure to return.

Salesian Park, 04 June 2008

2008-06-04T11:39:00.003-04:00

Kat reflects on an impromptu jaunt to Salesian Park in Goshen...

As a last-minute outing after Musical Munchkins Laurel and I decided to head over to the pond in Salesian Park in Goshen. I had been there alone with the girls on Monday and the place was swarming with many different species of dragonflies and damselflies. The Pumpkinseed Sunfish had been guarding their circular "nests," chasing each other and splashing around enough so that the girls stood quietly watching them for a few minutes. We also saw the Muskrat swimming around in the water. I wanted to show this to Laurel; I thought this would make a great destination for a Nature Strollers outing.

Today it wasn't as hot, and so there wasn't as much happening... but we did see and hear a lot. The dragonflies were there but most of them were resting on the sedges and Phragmites leaves. A few of them bumbled into my net and we were able to get close-up views. While searching for more we saw some egg masses of various colors on the undersides of the leaves. Laurel's detective work later identified them as either Horse Fly or Deer Fly eggmasses, which are cream-colored when first laid and darken over time.

Laurel scooped up a Green Frog that was peering at us under the cover of the pond muck and Penelope laughed hysterically as it tried repeatedly to leap out of her net.

The Green Frogs and Bullfrogs were making tons of noise, and we also heard this strange clicking or popping sound. We stood for minutes on end trying to figure out what was making the noise. I had been hoping Laurel would know what it was, as I had been obssessed with figuring it out since my trip here on Monday. I had theorized it was the sound of the thousands of insects I saw that day, crashing into the pond grasses as they flew. This didn't hold up as there were far fewer bugs flying around but the noise was still there. As we stared at the surface of the water and saw movement we thought perhaps what were were hearing was the sound of air bubbles popping as they pushed through the algae on the surface. Maybe it was the sound of the fish poking through as they tried to catch insects.

Laurel noted a small cluster of Milkweed plants near an abandonded structure and when I went over to look I noticed hundreds of aphids eating a different plant. The presence of the aphids had drawn a Ladybug and several large ants, picking the aphids off and eating their secretions. On our walk back to the car Penelope caught a tiny grasshopper on her shirt. We had figured we'd stay for only about 20 minutes or so to scope out the place, but our impromptu walk to check out the pond at Salesian Park in Goshen lasted over an hour!

Kenridge Farm, 03 June 2008

2008-06-03T22:36:00.001-04:00

Kat reflects on an outing at Kenridge Farm...

Six new families joined "the usual suspects" to total ten families on the trails at Kenridge Farm. With each week and with each walk we seem to add new families and new faces to our group. Today was the kind of outing that leaves our families wanting more. On our way down to the big ponds we were treated to a splashy show by one of the resident Muskrats, causing our toddlers to giggle at it before it disappeared into one of its conduits under the water. Acadia held vigil on a boulder for a while, hoping to spot it surface again, until something Macrae found piqued her interest and caused her to abandon her post. Macrae and her mom Debbie had spotted a turtle in the grass, and they called everyone over to come take a look. Macrae, squealing with each step the Box Turtle took, proudly pointed it out to everyone and encouraged parents to pick it up to show their stroller-bound children. Debbie and her daughter have an infectious enthusiasm, and come the fall they will be taking the reins and leading some outings in the Cornwall area. After sending the turtle on its way again we checked on the Wood Frog tadpoles in the square pond, noting again how much larger they are than the ones we have been seeing at Glenmere. As we crossed the boardwalk to get back on the trail we spotted a beautiful Eastern Milk Snake, a first in the wild for almost everyone on our outing today. It disappeared into the tall grass before we could get a picture, and Penelope was kind enough to point out the way home for our reptilian friend.

Goose Pond Mountain Old Road, 30 May 2008

2008-05-30T11:21:00.004-04:00

It has started to get hot so we decided to go out on one of our shaded routes. The Old Road trail in Goose Pond Mountain State Park has always been a favorite of ours, though it can sometimes be quite buggy.

Underneath the first log Laurel overturned we saw a fiery-orange Red Eft and even our littlest participants got great looks.

We also saw a Flat-backed Millipede crawling in the debris, moving fast enough to catch their attention but not fast enough to elude the infants' gaze.

Josh also spotted an American Toad on the bank of the path, and we wondered if it was one of the toads we had seen four weeks ago mating in the wetlands.

Walking back at a toddler's pace allowed moms to chat about their children and about life in general. It doesn' get better than bonding in the backwoods of Orange County!

Heritage Trail, 28 May 2008

2008-05-28T11:14:00.003-04:00

We wanted to scout out the situation at the Heritage Trail in Goshen. We usually follow the trail alongside the 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary to look for Snapping Turtles and birds, but due to construction on the Route 17 overpass that section of the trail is closed. We decided to go the other way on the trail today.

Where the wildflowers have not been mowed down we have seen hundreds of dragonflies and damselflies, and we've also seen Snapping turtles nesting in the gravelly dirt on the sides of the trail. Today we had no luck with turtles, but the wildflowers were still there. Tracy laughed as she rubbed the fuzz of a mullein leaf that resembles Rabbit's Ear (commenting how it feels just like Chase's new buzzcut), and the kids certainly had fun trying to catch all of the insects we saw!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 23 May 2008

2008-05-23T09:01:00.007-04:00

The Nature Strollers hit the boardwalk at Goose Pond Mountain State Park on a sunny, spring day. With at least one at this location every week, we enjoy the seasonal changes and look forward to seeing the familiar wildlife of the season: blue herons overhead, toad tadpoles in the small pond, bullfrog tadpoles in the large ponds, preying mantis egg cases, and the songs of the gray tree frogs overhead.

Even small toddlers like Olivia are excited about the prospect of seeing

a northern water snake basking in the sun.

Meanwhile, the boys grab sticks and pretend they are lightsabers, acting out Jedi epics.

Sybil and Olivia look closely at a predaceous diving beetle larva we scooped up in our net. The whitish stripe down its back was conspicuous in the aquatic vegetation.

The edges of the two large ponds are bright with blue flag iris, as beautiful in bud as in flower. I mention to the moms that this one is native. Several families have asked for advice about planting native wildflowers in their yards, I'm thrilled to see they are appreciating the beauty of our local flora.

We spotted a ladybug eating some wooly alder aphids. The kids helped bend back the branches of the alders. Soon we discovered thirty "patches" of the tiny sap suckers. I mentioned that when they fly, they are said to look like white pom-poms on the wing. This garnered a chuckle.

One of the parents noticed that two species of pine were flowering next to each other, a nice contrast between the yellow-green “candles” and the pink “pine cones.”

Acadia (3) was all over the pink ones.

Acadia and I found an unidentified caterpillar or larva on a rush. We called the gang over to see.

We took all the kids up to the pines to see the robins in their nest, everyone was startled when one flies off. That’s one big baby!

The hickory hairstreak caterpillars are active, using their silk to “tie” up the leaves

and make a shelter.

Pinkish-orange galls on a hickory leaf, one of Sebastian’s discoveries, are a bit of a mystery. My guess is a gall-making wasp, but there are other possibilities.

Sybil is very proud of her net wielding that results in a close-up view of a bullfrog tadpole.

Acadia stomps it up in the mud, a popular activity with the toddler-in-rainboots set.

Finally, along the path we see that the earthstar mushrooms have curled up in the dry air, disappointing Sebastian and Nathan who were at school when we first discovered them. The earthstars depend on pelting raindrops to help distribute their spores. I include a picture of them open, which is much cooler.

Orange County Arboretum, 06 May 2008

2008-05-06T12:46:00.000-04:00

We came just in time to see the tulips!

Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 19 April 2008

2008-04-19T09:26:00.006-04:00

The intrepid president of Orange County Audubon proves she is not squeamish as she shows a family the dried remains of a garter snake.

You know spring has sprung when the woodland wildflowers start to bloom. Check out the display at Goose Pond Mountain State Park. Bloodroot carpets the roadside before you get to the boardwalk parking lot.

Dutchman’s breeches by the thousands (I am not kidding) inhabit the entire mountainside off Rte. 17M. This sight is a magical one for children, and getting rarer each passing year, as woodland is developed, non-native shrubs like barberry shade out the native flowers, and deer munch the remainder to the ground. So get out there!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 15 April 2008

2008-04-15T16:46:00.003-04:00

While we couldn't imagine swimming around in the cold water of the ponds in April, the Pickerel Frogs and Red-spotted Newts we caught today seemed not to mind at all. Lorin and Scarlett, some of our regulars, joined us again today as it just keeps getting warmer and warmer... and they can't bear to be inside! We all wanted to check on the status of the American Toad tadpoles because we heard them singing again after a couple of days' hiatus. Sure enough there were more eggs in the first pond, and we could clearly see the difference in development of the first set as opposed to the second set. The first set looked like small paisleys and the second set was still perfectly round, probably having just been laid the day before. We let the girls take over wielding the nets (making sure they dipped in tadpole-free zones) and stood back to watch them show off their catches.

Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, and warm feelings and smiles seemed to warm the air as well. By the time we got to our log at the Buttonbush Swamp we had shed a layer and put away our hats, and we were content to just relax and sift dry leaves through our fingers and look up into the trees to se if we could anticipate when we'd have the "leaf-out." As we stared into a Hickory tree we saw movement, and back-and-forth in the pines we identified two Ruby-crowned Kinglets, life birds for Lorin and Kat. We watched them as they boldly foraged above our toddlers, very happy that we had come out.

Kenridge Farm, 13 April 2008

2008-04-13T09:30:00.003-04:00

It’s a drizzly day at Kenridge Farm. Several families join us on the Stowell Trail to spend a Sunday afternoon together in the woods. We come across aggregations of springtails on the rocks. As Sebastian leans over one group, they leap off the rock, falling like iron filings to a magnet.

Turtle rock is a favorite stopping point on this trail.

boys climb the shell for a better view of their surroundings.

Sebastian calls out with surprise when he brushes up against a chilly green darner dragonfly on a trail marker.

Because of its immobility, everyone is able to get a close look. Did you know that dragonflies, like other insects, have antenna? This is the first time we’ve seen them.

The kids loved walking on the wooden planks set in the mud along the maple sugaring trail. It was a challenging balancing beam act for the smaller ones. The group ended up at a cluster of ponds and observed the wood frog and spotted salamander eggs and watched fifteen red spotted newts moving across the pond bottom. Then we headed past the pussy willows and up the hill to the parking lot, the kids having spent two hours in the company of their parents in a springtime landscape of field, pond and forest where there is so much to see, if you just know how to look.

Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 12 April, 2008

2008-04-12T08:28:00.009-04:00

The toads surprise us as usual, singing a week earlier than last year. After tumbling out of the car and organizing strollers, slings, and sneakers, we are not far along the trail before elusive snatches of the toad’s trilling is brought to us on the breeze. Then it’s a race to their semi-permanent pond, to greet the males and females that have hopped from wood and field for a chance to lay eggs. The activity quiets at our approach, but we soon pick out some toads sitting on the vegetation and others floating in the water. We all wait anxiously for them to become used to our presence, after all, we are a rather large group. Then the display begins.

Play these videos to hear the American toads singing!

The males closest to shore are identified and pointed out to adult and child alike. We await the moments when they inflate the skin under their chin and produce their song. The kids can’t believe the “balloon” these little guys are blowing. We net one male for a closer look at his bumpy skin and golden eyes. At the second pond there is more amphibian activity. The kids net a bullfrog tadpole, and proudly show it off. Mother and child share a moment. While grandparents on our Saturday hike cocked an ear to the trilling, kids spotted the necklaces of toad eggs tangled along the bottom of the pond.

The American toads are always a big hit with our crowd. A passer-by drawn in by our antics commented that the toad’s egg laying was just like Animal Planet. Think of that; the stuff on documentary TV might actually be occurring out there somewhere and if you’re glued to the tube, you’ll miss it.

Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 09 April 2008

2008-04-09T14:13:00.000-04:00

The toads are trilling! The Nature Strollers were treated to their cascading song several days earlier than last year, catching us by surprise. As we walked toward the first pond today we heard them. The male toads inflate their throats as they produce their love songs.

Females are larger and follow the song to join their mates in the pond and lay eggs. These eggs are laid in beautiful spiraling strands, like necklaces. The eggs themselves are counter-shaded; they are black on top and white on the bottom, helping to camouflage them from predators from above and below.

Glenmere Lake, 05 April 2008

2008-04-05T13:02:00.006-04:00

More of Laurel’s lone ramblings...

To the right of the entrance at Glenmere Lake is a large vernal pool. It is a magical place. The bottom is carpeted with last year's oak and maple leaves, the trees trunks and branches are reflected in the water. Around the base of each tree is a mossy coronet, green even in winter. It is a quiet place, most of the time, but for several weeks in the spring it can hardly contain the voices of woodfrogs. On this day, there is a different visitor. Not fifteen feet in front of me, at the base of a mossy oak is a pileated woodpecker. The largest species in our region. It has a dark gray back and a red Mohawk. A second pileated was on a nearby tree. When I opened my car window to see them, they flew a short distance with their characteristic dips, showing the white underside of their wings. They settled on trees on the opposite side of the pool. I watched them for five minutes before they flew out of sight, regretting that I could not get a picture without startling them.

The pileated woodpeckers were an unexpected surprise, I was drawn to the pool expecting to see eggs and I found them, even though they were pretty well hidden. The dimpling of the pool’s otherwise smooth surface gave them away. Wood frogs lay their eggs near submerged shrubs and sticks. Females tend to lay them in the same area, so you may see huge rafts of them floating just under the surface. These eggs look just about ready to hatch. Wood frogs dependence on vernal pools to keep their eggs away from fish, has meant that their tadpoles must be rapid developers, leaving the pool before it dries up, as vernal pools are apt to do as the season gets warmer and drier.

Without children in tow, I was able to venture farther along the trail. In some water-filled ruts I noticed large aggregations of black insects. Upon closer inspection I recognized them as springtails, sometimes called snow fleas. These primitive insects really seem to have springs as they can catapult themselves many times their length using their forked tails to launch them. These tails are held under a little latch when not in use. Springtails' role in nature is in the construction of rich soil.

I took a detour onto a little used trail, this one is covered in moss and winds its way through the junipers. It is a magical little place, of owls (well, I got a photo of an owl pellet) and lichens (reindeer moss).

Glenmere Lake, 05 April 2008

2008-04-05T09:32:00.000-04:00

We made a quick trip to the roadside vernal pool at Glenmere Lake to check on the progress of the wood frog eggs. On last visit, the egg masses were clear, now you can see that they are slightly tinged with green, having been colonized by algae. Looking much less like black dots, you can clearly see the development the larva has made. Because the rate of development is somewhat temperature dependant, the wood frogs in this shady pond mature at a slower rate than the ones in the sunny pond at Kenridge Farm, but in a few weeks they’ll look like this. Because this vernal pool lies mere steps from Mayor Harter Road, we encourage you to bring your family every week to check on the wood frog’s progress. It makes a lovely after dinner jaunt.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 02 April 2008

2008-04-02T15:52:00.001-04:00

We've started hearing the Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs, so we decided we had to bring our families to listen; little did we know that we'd also be seeing the frogs today! Eight famillies (and roughly 13 pairs of mittens) joined us on this sunny but chilly day. At the first pond we netted a mating pair of Spring Peepers, still in amplexus. Most of the people on today's outing had never seen a Spring Peeper, much less a mating pair! After brief looks and a few photographs of these usually elusive amphibians we let them go and headed along the boardwalk to the other two ponds. One of our pond net masters scooped up two Bullfrog tadpoles. The kids crowded around to peek at them in the little container we bring along for better viewing of our catches. Parents talked about the size of tadpoles of different species and the length of time they take to metamorphose into their adult form. While the children might not have provided their full attention to this discussion, they were no doubt absorbing it passively. As we continued our walk around the circle we paused at the Buttonbush swamp, listening to the duck-like quacking of the Wood Frogs. We were watching several splash around in the water of the swamp when another pond net master behind us yelled for our attention. He had spotted a Wood Frog in the leaf litter and scopped it up, bringing it over to us so we could all get a look. Again, almost none of our companions had ever seen a Wood Frog. We talked about the "superhero" mask of the frog, pointing it out to our children and giggling as we made up stories about masked Wood Frogs hopping around and fighting evil. We placed the frog back in the leaf littler and headed back to our cars, listening to the frog cacophany of spring.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 26 March 2008

2008-03-26T09:45:00.004-04:00

Kat reflects on a walk at the boardwalk...

Frogs, frogs, everywere!

Our neighbor needed us to walk her dog for her today, so the girls and I took "Pebbles Honey" (as they fondly call her) over to the boardwalk at Goose Pond for some exercise. We wanted to tire out the little five-pound Yorkie so Jaime, our 5-months-pregnant neighbor, wouldn't have to come home exhausted so late at night to a pouncing puppy still full of energy. As we made our usual circle we were delighted to hear not only the sound of the Spring Peepers but the quacking of the Wood Frogs. They were so bold as to allow me, two toddlers, and a dog to get right up close to their mating spot in the Buttonbush Swamp. We laughed as we listened to their "song," sounding much more like a flock of ducks than a group of frogs. Lily giggled as she listened to them and watched them swim.

We also spotted some old Coyote scat, promping me to keep Pebbles on a much shorter leash than usual.

Every day at Goose Pond yeilds something wonderful.

Kenridge Farm, 25 March 2008

2008-03-25T15:03:00.007-04:00

The rolling hills of Kenridge Farm in Cornwall were inviting exploration, and a group of eleven nature strollers took up the invitation. Tree swallows dipped and red tails soared above as we pushed the strollers toward the pond. Our net brought up backswimmers, a dragonfly nymph and a small fish, probably a pumpkinseed. Several members of the group saw a muskrat enter its tunnels along the bank of the pond. Others strolled ahead and heard the call and watched the flight of the belted kingfisher. A bench along the banks of one of the larger ponds provided a nice rest stop for a toddler snack break.

On the return hike the two groups met up at a newly dug pond that was hosting a contingent of wood frogs, these masked amphibians were quacking it up, calling for mates with their characteristicly duck-like babble.

Goose Pond Mountain Boardwalk, 17 March 2008

2008-03-17T20:33:00.003-04:00

Serenaded by spring peepers, three Nature Stroller families hiked the familiar trails of Goose Pond Mountain looking for even more signs of spring. Aquatic beetles dove for cover in the first pond as we drew near. Sebastain and Willow built a hideout from sticks and winter-bleached grasses as the moms searched the water.

Kat happened upon a praying mantis egg case of the old-fashioned kind on the pond's edge. This one was made by one of our native mantids, its shape is different than that of the Asian praying mantis that is very common at Goose Pond.

Lorin netted some small, transparent crayfish. Willow was able to determine which ones were male and which ones were female by looking at their swimmerettes, a skill she had recently learned in school.

Heavy-bodied blue herons passed overhead and the peepers song rose and sank in intensity, occasionally detouring into a staccatto as one male peeper defended his territory from an interloper. We left happy to have heard the first amphibian serenede of spring.

Goose Pond Mountain Boardwalk, 03 March 2008

2008-03-03T20:11:00.007-05:00

Give us a sunny, fifty degree day in March and we'll celebrate the end of cabin fever. Fifteen nature strollers hit the still snow-covered trail. Three week old Sylvana was with us on the very first nature walk of her life, and a new Nature Stroller family joined us for the first time as well, Blessing and Rylee. Considering the cold weather we'd had, I didn't expect much in terms of wildlife, but Lorin's patient eyes spotted movement on the bottom of the first pond. Reed stems seemed to have sprouted legs! Inside tubes of their own making, caddisfly larvae cruised the pond bottom looking for food.

In the second pond, it was Blessing whose careful examination of the unfrozen edge turned up two red spotted newts. One swam off, but the other was sluggish and easily lifted from the water. We examined its bright yellow belly, warning predators of its unpleasant taste, and its stout midsection before placing it back in the water.

Lorin's sharp eyes spotted a small shrub on the edge of the pond. This was seedbox, one of my favorite plants of winter. As per its name, seedbox forms exquisite little salt and pepper shaker boxes for its seeds. Lorin, an artist and potter, suggested that they would make lovely pots.

Kat pointed out the mottled yellow, red and green skunk cabbage flowers growing below the boardwalk, and we got up close and personal with some of these stinkers in the last wetland on the trail. We discussed their heat-production, a trait that helps their kin in the tropics disperse their carrion or dung like smell in order to attract flies, up north in the temperate zone, the heat production gives them a head start on flowering, a bit of a jump on the springtime season.

Goose Pond Mountain Old Road

2007-11-25T21:43:00.001-05:00

Not far along the Old Road at Goosepond Mountain State Park, Willow and Dakota's Dad stops us in our tracks. Crossing the old pavement is an amphibian in mortal danger of being flattened by our footsteps. Well camouflaged against the gray tarmac, a six inch long blue spotted salamander is on a mourning jaunt. Dakota wets his hands to protect the salamander's skin and we get our first up close look at this reclusive salamander.

Note the beautiful enamelware-like spots on the sides of this blue spotted salamander.

We leave the Old Road and wade through an old field to visit the Grandmother Tree, an impressive oak standing alone in the center of a clearing. Dakota, Nathan, Anderson and Sebastian ascend from a massive limb that sweeps right down to the ground. Willow chooses the swing that some kind soul has installed for passing children.

About twenty more feet up the hill is a fairyland of lichen, pixie cups of all sizes encrust the ground. I think these are among the most beautiful of all lichen.

On the way back home, we check out a dried, vine milkweed that is entangled with the grass. None of us had seen a vine milkweed before, now I see it everywhere, even hanging from a shrub I'd passed by tens of times before. Just had to create a search image to see it!

Goose Pond Mountain Boardwalk

2007-10-21T21:38:00.002-04:00

A meadowhawk lands on Sebastian's white cap.

Even this late in the season, life presses on, the Nature Strollers spent some time watching red meadowhawk dragonflies mating at the pond.

As kids race ahead and I amble along with the parents, two startlingly white blobs against the gray bark of an alder growing near the third pond attract my attention. Close inspection reveals a number of wooly alder aphids. These insects look like little white fuzzballs. They manufacture waxy white secretions that covers their bodies in order to protect themselves from predators. We notice that several ants and yellow jackets attend the aphids. Turns out, they are looking for the honeydew secretions that aphids produce at the ends of their abdomens. This sweet product of the tree sap they consume is worth so much to the ants that they will often guard aphids from predators in return for the tasty liquid.

Goose Pond Mountain Boardwalk

2007-10-04T21:27:00.001-04:00

Accompanied by the sound of a couple of spring peepers, confused by the spring-like weather, and the lone call of a gray tree frog, the Nature Strollers were disheartened to see that the toad pond is still dried up, and the second pond is within days of the same fate. The third pond is down by half.

Dakota ventured out on the muck and found a puddle full of wiggling fish and tadpoles, one of the strollers, with a particularly good arm from softball practice, tossed him a net and he rescued a great number of the stranded vertebrates. These he dropped into the third pond, where they stand a better chance, provided some rain comes eventually. Many of the invertebrates we typically find in the ponds are probably dormant, under the mud and waiting for the rain.
We caught a clouded sulphur butterfly on the far side of the third pond, and found an adult praying mantis in the pine trees.

The stinkhorn mushrooms are still visible in the parking lot and it is necessary to step carefully when trying to reach the car.

Goose Pond Mountain Old Road, 01 October 2007

2007-10-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

Why haven't we hiked here before??? Perhaps the somewhat steep hill was a deterrent, but Kat was easily able to conquer it pushing two toddlers in a jogger... she barely broke a sweat! Within about five feet of walking along the paved Old Road trail, turning over the first log we saw, Laurel spotted a Red Eft and an American Toad that had bedded down for the upcoming winter. Overturning more logs yielded a Red-backed Salamander, tons of centipedes and millipedes (including a Flat-backed millipede), and various other curious unidentified insects. We also spotted a Spring Peeper and a Wood Frog. Ginny had been telling us about this place for months... now we know why! We will be frequenting this spot before the winter slows us down!

Clark Road, Goshen

2007-09-22T21:22:00.001-04:00

Okay, another shot from my lone ramblings. At dusk I noticed a large concentration of monarchs coming in from the surrounding fields and inspecting the trees along Clark Road. They were looking for good places to roost for the night. I counted thirty seven on this branch. At sunrise the following day, I drove up and stood on the roof of my car to get this shot before the butterflies warmed up enough to fly away. --Laurel

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 22 September 2007

2007-09-22T00:04:00.001-04:00

Kat reflects on our outing at Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands...

We had such a large turnout today that we didn't have enough butterfly nets to go around! Sixteen families joined us on our outing today, some with three generations of nature enthusiasts. Children ran through tall grasses chasing butterlies with their parents and grandparents in tow. The Cabbage White butterfiles cooperated, and the air was peppered with the excited squeals of children netting butterfly after butterfly. As I stood back taking pictures I noticed the memories these families were making together, and the wonder they were experiencing as a family enjoying a beautiful day outside. The pride our children felt as they showed off the insects they caught to their families and to each other was evident on their faces.

Kenridge Farm, 17 September 2007

2007-09-17T16:18:00.000-04:00

The end of summer can often fool people into thinking that their outdoor excursions are over, and that there is nothing really to see outdoors anymore anyway. This was absolutely not the case for the 13 families (and six sets of twins) that joined us on our our outing today. As we walked around the grounds of the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum's Outdoor Discovery Center we were treated to up-close looks at Monarch Butterfly caterpillars and Tussock Moth caterpillars on their milkweed leaves. We had such a large group, so some of our regulars took over pointing out these creatures to our participants today. Lorin and Scarlett held the Monarch Butterfly caterpillar on display as stroller after stroller rolled by. The fuzzy and bright tufts of the Tussock Moth caterpillar delighted Lily and Penelope, who wanted nothing more than to touch it. After our walk today many families had a different view of the end of summer. Though many might feel a sense of sadness looking at a flower pot of geraniums gone by, upon closer observation we can delight in being able to clearly see a Praying Mantis among the flower debris.

Goose Pond Mountain Boardwalk

2007-09-13T21:25:00.000-04:00

Can't resist posting this photo of a common buckeye I took while walking Goose Pond with my kids. It just goes to show that the more you walk, the more you see. --Laurel

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 5 September 2007

2007-09-05T13:20:00.000-04:00

We're back with a bang! Bright colors and dirty birdies seemed to be the theme of our latest outing at the Goose Pond Mountain State Park Created Wetlands boardwalk in Chester. Five families joined us for our after school "Start of the School Year" celebration. Big kids enjoyed frolicking after spending their day at their desks, everyone set out to find creatures to examine as they cling to the last few days before the hard frosts of autumn.

Due to the fact that there has been hardly any rain, we were able to walk right up to seeding cattails on the dry bed of the first pond. Sebastian and Josh worked as stewards of Goose Pond and released cattail seeds into the rays of the late afternoon summer sun.

As we walked along the boardwalk to the other two ponds, someone spotted a large grasshopper munching on leaves. It was so large that even our toddlers could see it. Ginny had no trouble pointing it out to Sawyer, who happily climbed the boardwalk for a better look.

As we continued walking we spotted a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar on the underside of a milkweed leaf. This one was somewhat large, but we theorized that it wasn't large enough to begin the creation of its chrysalis. We feared that it might not have enough time before the frost.

The first highlight of our outing awaited us as we left the caterpillar to its leaf. We had seen an Orb Weaver spider suspended on its web on a previous outing, and we hoped it was still there. As we neared the spot we saw it: the giant silver dollar sized Orb Weaver was still present! This large spider had a number of meals already in its web; most were pollinators it snagged from its prime spot amongst the Goldenrods. The bright yellow and dark black of its body were mesmerising, as was its size. Though this coloration might seem to draw attention to it in other venues, it blended with the Goldenrods quite well. The zig-zag signature on its web was clearly visible; it is speculated that each spider's signature is unique. Most of us didn't linger too long near this creature, but Scarlett, Acadia, Lily and Lorin couldn't seem to break away! Later, upon inspection of the photographs of the spider taken on both days, Kat noticed that the color patterns of the spiders were not the same. Could the spider seen today be a second Orb Weaver, or is it possible that Orb Weavers have the ability to change their appearance? We will have to investigate this.

Quite close to the orb weaver, Lorin spotted a gorgeous brightly colored leafhopper. This beautiful bug wore stripes of bright red and blue. Laurel had seen this before and identified it as the Scarlet and Green Leafhopper, but it was a first for many of the other Nature Strollers.

As we reached the gravelly spot between the boardwalks and the two far ponds, we noticed a rather large hole in the dirt. We speculated that this could be the site of a turtle nest that had been raided. We had seen evidence of this before at Goose Pond. Penelope decided she would check to see if there were any more eggs left in the nest, much to Kat's chagrin. She quickly became covered in dust. Josh seemed to like Penelope's idea and, as we were counting the 30 + frogs (which we thought could be newly-emerged Bullfrogs), he created his own set of "mud mittens." Stacy thought she had finally gotten the stains from the Osage Orange off his hands; now she had to try to figure out how to get those hands clean again!

Walking across the last boardwalk to the far side of the third pond, Lorin, Ginny and Sybil noticed a flock of birds flying erratically in the sky. Kat, the resident "bird nerd," looked up to see several (roughly seven in all) larger birds she had never seen before. They were a darker bluish/black with a white strip or dot on the underside of the wing (which was all we could see, as they were quite high). By the time she was able to put Lily down and snap a shot and a movie, they had flown off. Later that week, thanks to an email from a fellow birder (thanks, Kelly!!), she was able to determine that they were Common Nighthawks... out in broad daylight! Nighthawks are usually seen at dusk and mistaken for bats as they forage for insects. This was a first for everyone, and quite an exciting find!

As we neared our cars (with the pack of "big kids" leading the way), we talked about our children and our experiences outdoors. We watched Sebastian, Nathan, and Willow holding hands as they walked along the path, and held our babies as we held onto the last few days of summer. Though we look forward to the fall, we we will surely miss the freedom of summer.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 29 August 2007

2007-08-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

Kat, Ian and the girls hadn't visited Goose Pond in almost a month. From their vacation spot in North Carolina they had listened to Laurel and Sybil relay tales of Cicada Killers dragging their prey down into their burrows as they watched. Longing to see this for themselves, they headed to meet everyone at Goose Pond as soon as they arrived home.

Though they only saw a handful of Cicada Killers entering their burrows (none with Cicadas), they did see quite a few things. As they began walking on the path to the first pond, Kat noticed a tiny pebble that seemed to jump out from under her feet. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a gorgeous gray, pink, white, and black Jumping Spider. It was the largest Jumping Spider Kat had ever seen, and when Sybil arrived she said the same. The spider, while being examined and photographed, would tilt its head in the direction of the observer, following it with it's large black eyes. They watched it as it scooted along the gravelly path, perfectly camouflaged and visible only while moving.

Soon Laurel, Ben, Sebastian and Acadia arrived and met everyone on the boardwalk. Laurel pointed out that the tops of many of the Goldenrod had been invaded by a midge, restricting growth of the stem and causing the continuously growing leaves it produced to bunch up. This bunch gall was different from the galls we were used to seeing on Goldenrod stems.

Around the bend, while searching for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars, we spotted a Tussock Moth caterpillar. The tufts of Halloween-colored hair make this a fun and easy caterpillar for young children to observe.

Soon enough the summer sun reminded us of its power, and it became quite hot. The adults were eager to make it back to their cars, but the lure of the gravelly path proved to be too much for Lily, Penelope, and Acadia. They gathered to scoop dirt and pebbles into their hands and let it slip through their fingers.

It was only after everyone made it back to their cars and back home that Kat noticed the best surprise of the day. Walking on her wall right next to her kitchen clock was the exact same species of Jumping Spider they had seen at Goose Pond! She quickly grabbed her camera and got a great shot of it peering back at her, wondering why this woman was following it!

Montgomery Town Park (Benedict Farm), 25 July 2007

2007-07-25T15:08:00.000-04:00

This place is GREAT! You absolutely must come with us on our next trip here. The104 acre park has forests, fields, streams, ponds and Wallkill River frontage. There are more birds, butterflies, dragonflies and wildflowers than you can imagine!!!!

Walking up the path along the Wallkill River.

Nathan carrying sticks... two in each hand, one in his mouth!

A brilliant red dragonfly, not yet identified.

Mating Gypsy Moths.

A bobolink... Kat's sought-after bird!

Female Eastern Bluebird...

... feeding her young.

Ebony Jewelwing dragonflies playing in the stream.

Goshen Farmer's Market, 20 July 2007

2007-07-20T14:02:00.000-04:00

Come join us every Friday for our weekly Heritage Trail walk and Farmer's Market picnic! Every Friday morning at 9:30am we meet at the start of the Heritage Trail in Goshen on St. James Place between South Church Street and Green Street in the town of Goshen. Parking is on the west side of St. James Place (though you can also park on that main road near the Goshen Presbyterian Church and walk over the start of the trail). We will be taking a 45 minute nature walk along the trail, and then we'll head over to the Goshen Farmer's Market to do our shopping and to relax on the lawn. Kat brings her radio so we can have a sing-a-long and sign-a-long, too (she is fluent in American Sign Language). It's great fun. We hope to see you there!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 12 July 2007

2007-07-12T14:01:00.000-04:00

Though only a month had elapsed since our last trip to Goose Pond, the landscape was quite different. The first pond (the toads' favorite) had completely dried up. Free from the confines of their strollers, our toddlers walked over what used to be the clear and cool breeding ground of the American Toad. The hot summer sun had caused it to turn into a cracked and dry mud flat. There were tracks of many different animals baked into the mud, making this spot just as exciting for us as if the toads were still here.
As we walked to the second and third ponds, we saw that the milkweed had grown quite tall. Rumor has it that this spot has the largest local population of Purple Milkweed (in addition to Common and Swamp Milkweed). This must be why the Monarch Butterflies love Goose Pond as mush as we do!
The sun was quite strong, and the moms and dads basked in it as the children ran up and down their favorite little "hill." We counted two Garter and three Northern Watersnakes enjoying the sun with us. Most of the butterflies and dragonflies were hidden, but we understood... it was HOT! We headed back to the cars to drink plenty of water and head home for dinner.

Goose Pond Created Wetlands, 14 June 2007

2007-06-14T14:55:00.000-04:00

Three days in a row at Goose Pond! Yesterday we came in search of insects. Today, it was "snake central" near the second and third ponds. Everywhere we stepped we could see Garter Snakes and Northern Watersnakes. They regarded us wuith suspicion, but allowed us to get great looks.

A larger Garter Snake - a beneficial creature if you have one in your garden

A beautifully banded and quite large Northern Watersnake

Goose Pond Created Wetlands, 13 June 2007

2007-06-13T14:43:00.000-04:00

We had to come back to look for the bugs! There were insects galore as the girls frolicked among the wildflowers. Can you tell the difference between a Milkweed Bug and a Milkweed Beetle?

Lily, Penelope and Acadia on "the hill."

Milkweed Beetles mating.

Milkweed Bug.

Dragonfly modeling for the camera.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 12 June 2007

2007-06-12T21:19:00.001-04:00

Kat reflects on a full day at Goose Pond...

I visit the boardwalk at Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands often, as there is always so much to see. It's close to my home, my toddlers can easily and safely navigate the paths, and the creatures we see are easily seen by the youngest of children too, which makes it that much more appealing to me. I had the opportunity to go there twice today, once this morning and then again later in the afternoon. Laurel met me for the morning walk and together (with the help of her dragonfly guide) we tried to identify some of the dragonflies we'd been seeing as our girls ran around enjoying each other's company. So far we have identified the Ebony Jewelwing, Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Calico Pennant, Halloween Pennant, Eastern Pondhawk, Widow Skimmer, Spangled Skimmer, and Common Whitetail. We have some pictures of some of them as well. Though I cut it pretty close today (and the girls let me know it), I was able to get a few good photographs before my 11am naptime deadline. I snapped pictures of a Red-winged Blackbird with a dragonfly in it's mouth and a male Spangled Skimmer (also eating it's lunch). Laurel spotted a dragonfly emerging from it's hardened nymph shell, but I was unable to get close to get a good photograph because the girls were restless. She grabbed my camera and got a great shot as I held one cranky toddler in my arms and another by the hand.
Later, I returned with Ian and the girls, because it seemed that the predicted thunderstorms were not going to hit us at all. At the second pond, as the girls chased each other up and down their hill, I finally spotted the bullfrog I had been seeking all year. In fact, it was literally right under my nose. I didn't notice it until I was practically on top of it, at which point it leapt into the water and swam off. Ian saw it, too, jumping almost as high as the frog itself... it was THAT big! We both couldn't believe it's size... it was roughly the diameter of a McDonald's pancake! I spotted it again a few minutes later but by the time I had my camera ready it had ducked under the water again and I lost it in the murk. I decided to take a quick look for the praying mantis that Laurel had seen on the raspberry bush earlier in the day, but I had no luck. I did find an interesting and quite aggressive spider, though. It stared me down as I photographed it, flicking it's fangs at me each time I moved. I spotted the juvenile Northern Water Snake again, and got a picture of it with it's tongue out as it boldly swam by me. It hung around for a few minutes, and Ian was able to see it's beautiful markings. I was also able to photograph two more dragonflies and one damselfly (eating another insect), but I will have to wait for Laurel and her guide book before I can identify them.

Male Spangle Skimmer eating an insect

Acadia "fishing"

Toadlet

Laurel showing Lily and Penelope the toadlet

Red-winged Blackbird with dragonfly breakfast for it's young

Dragonfly emerging

Crazy spider

Unknown damselfly eating dinner

Northern Water Snake sticking it's tongue out

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

Uknown dragonfly

Female Common Whitetail

Nature Strollers in the news!

2007-06-10T07:51:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to nature journalist Wayne Hall and photographer Jeff Goulding, who accompanied us on one of our outings at Kenridge Farm. Wayne has featured the Nature Strollers in his twice monthly "Wayne's World" column in the Times Herald Record today. Click on the screen shot image of the article below to read it on the newspaper's web site!

Nature Strollers First Annual Picnic, Glenmere Lake, 09 June 2007

2007-06-09T17:10:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who joined us today. We can't wait until next year's picnic!

Enjoy the pictures!

Our special flower-shaped Nature Strollers cake... yummy!

MMMMM... fruit salad!

Star-shaped brownies!

Enjoying lunch.

Taylor and Morgan ready to go on the hike into the woods.

Walking into the woods.

Kristin and Liam all the way up from North Carolina!

Walking in the woods.

Micah, Akiko and Sho on the trail.

On the shore of Glenmere Lake.

Laurel found a dead catfish... thank goodness we had already eaten lunch!

Throwing rocks into Glenmere Lake.

Look! A water snake (middle-left of picture) came RIGHT up to us!

Ian, Lily and Penelope enjoying the lake.

Akiko and Queen looking at the green grasshopper Queen caught.

It's a big one!

Ebony and Queen releasing the grasshopper.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 30 May 2007

2007-05-30T06:57:00.001-04:00

Laurel reflects on our outing at Goose Pond...

Mom, Lorin and kids Dakota, Willow and baby Scarlett joined us on an afternoon jaunt around Goose Pond. Lorin admitted that the walk was really for her and had urged the kids to come along. It was no dull task for them however. Along with its familiar cast of creatures, the first pond held a surprise. Dakota discovered that many of the tadpoles had metamorphosed into froglets. Hundreds of these minute beings hopped like crickets all around the pond’s edge. We had to tiptoe to approach them and still we feared we’d steped on a few.
These early froglets were probably spring peepers as they retained some of their tadpole tail, though there is a probability that they were joined by some early transforming toadlets as well. Four gossamer wings lay on the banks where the froglets hopped. Bejeweled with dew, the dragonfly’s wings were all that was left of somebody’s dinner. Along the boardwalk, those who were not chasing runaway toddlers watched the common yellowthroat warblers as they flew back and forth from their nest.
On the other side of the preserve we looked for northern water snakes. While Sebastian introduced Willow to the praying mantis egg cases in the pine trees, Dakota stalked and captured a green frog. The adults were especially taken with its metallic golden eyes and because of the angle of the light we were able to see through its tympanum (eardrum) and notice what appeared to be a hollow chamber beneath.

The girls enjoying "their hill."

Common Yellowthroat.

Toadlets emerging! Can you find one? It's no bigger than the letter "C" in the Canon logo.

The male Northern Oriole keeping watch over his nest.

Dakota caught a Green Frog, and we had great looks.

Dakota's Green Frog. Look at the beautiful golden color underneath.

Sybil and her children arrive... they HAD to come see the toadlets!

Peeking in at little Scarlett.

Moonbeams Preserve, 25 May 2007

2007-05-25T06:39:00.000-04:00

Six families joined us on our outing today. Unfortunately, the grass at Moonbeams was not mowed, and it was a very hot day. It was virtually impossible to allow toddlers to walk by themselves, and it was very difficult to get even our joggers moving. The fields, though, were full of wildflowers, and there were too many Eyed Brown butterflies to count. Laurel caught quite a few to show the children. We didn't see the Indigo Buntings, but we saw a pair of hawks circling the preserve, and they were calling loudly to each other. We could hear them quite clearly. As we walked toward the promising cool of the forest, we lost a couple families to the heat and tall grass (don’t worry, they just turned back to find the comfort of their cars). We gained one when we made it to the woods; the Samse’s caught up with us after we found the cool shade of the forest. At least ten degrees cooler with a clear path to the river, Moonbeams woods is a joy. They are a haven for owls, and you can regularly find owl pellets if you know where to look. The soft green of new ferns clothed entire glades. New York fern, Christmas fern, and others grew near their cousins the clubmosses. Kat pointed out two evergreen species that grow in runners across the forest floor. The upright, unbranched clubmoss was called stiff clubmoss and the branched clubmoss that look like little trees are ground cedar or ground running pine. Clubmosses are cousins to nonflowering plants that lived millions of years ago. Today they are disappearing as forests are cut down and people pull them up and sell them for use as Christmas greenery.
We made our way down to the river, past some large downed trees. It’s high banks did not afford the children a close up experience, but the sparkle on water enchanted them all the same. On the way back, we saw the remains of a predator’s dinner, feathers and bones, and wondered who’d had a robin for lunch? Though it will be difficult to be able to return to Moonbeams unless it is mowed, we enjoyed our time here nonetheless.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 24 May 2007

2007-05-24T07:33:00.000-04:00

Laurel and Kat hosted an outing for the Goshen Moms Club. Two families, each with a toddler and a newborn, joined us on this super hot day. The toddlers enojyed walking right up to the pond to try to cach tadpoles. Dragonflies buzzed by them as they fished. We spotted numerous Cabbage White and Sulphur butterflies; we also spotted (and tried to catch) a Tiger Swallowtail. The newborns kept our group moving; they were lulled by the gentle movement of our walk along the path. As we passed the Baltimore Oriole nest, the female flew off, but the male stood his ground, watching us from the top branch of his tree. Hoping to see more Praying Mantises emerge from their egg cases, we examined them closely. We did see more evidence of their departure but we did not see any insects emerging that day. The American Robin was not on her nest, but we saw her nearby. The families that join us today lived nearby but had never been to this park before, and they were excitedly planning to return on their own in the near future.

Moonbeams Preserve Test Run, 21 May 2007

2007-05-21T22:45:00.000-04:00

Laurel and Kat went on a test run at Moonbeams Preserve in preparation for the outing on Friday... and saw this GORGEOUS deep blue Indigo Bunting! We also saw a Phoebe (which got quite close to us in the parking lot), and several tiger swallowtail butterflies. We hope to see more when we go back on Friday!

Goose Pond Mountain with 4-H, 20 May 2007

2007-05-20T22:09:00.000-04:00

The 4-H group certainly in the right place at the right time today! They were able to observe quite a few creatures and their habitats here in Goose Pond Mountain State Park (including the Created Wetlands boardwalk). Lynn and Kelly took the group onto the trail leading into the woods and up the mountain, where they saw and heard numerous birds, and various insects. They also saw the largest black rat snake either of them had ever seen! As the 4-H group moved over to the boardwalk area, the Orange County Audubon Society's Nature Strollers group provided the 4-H'ers with nets, with which they caught tadpoles, frogs, and waterbugs (including a large male waterbug carrying eggs on it's back). Not only did they spot a juvenile Northern Water Snake, but they spotted one enjoying it's lunch... a large bullfrog tadpole (which seemed almost too big for it to consume)! They were able to observe the egg cases of the praying mantis, and they even saw the baby insects emerging! They also spotted an American Robin's nest... with the bird sitting quietly on her eggs! They learned many things about forested wetlands and the creatures that inhabit this area firsthand... by observing them in the wild. Though we didn't spot any Eastern Bluebirds, the 4-H group participants each built their own bluebird nest boxes to bring home. It was a wonderfully productive day at Goose Pond Mountain State Park.

Special thanks to Kelly and Lynn (President of the Orange County Audubon Society) for leading the 4-H group today.
Stay tuned for Laurel's field notes. Until then, enjoy some of Kat's pictures from the day!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 20 May 2007

2007-05-20T21:58:00.000-04:00

Though the weather looked quite ominous at times, seven families participated in today's outing at Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands. Today, we caught tadpoles and water bugs, and we spotted praying mantis egg cases, a melanistic (or black) squirrel, and the hanging basket nest of the Batlimore Oriole (which we also saw flitting around... Thanks, Mark!). We also got close looks at the Hiclory Hairstreak caterpillar and a Box Turtle, which Josh and his family had rescued from the street in Goshen. Stay tuned for Laurel's field notes; in the meantime, enjoy these photographs!

Back-to-Back Outings at Goose Pond Mountain

2007-05-20T12:34:00.000-04:00

Laurel reflects on our two outings at Goose Pond... Continue reading entries for this day to view Kat's pictures...

Back-to-back Audubon hikes, one for the Nature Stroller tykes and the second for the kids of the Middletown chapter 4-H, led to a day of discovery. As soon as I got out of my car my eye was drawn to something new. One of the long oval leaves of the Shagbark Hickory tree near the parking lot was rolled up. Upon closer inspection I could see white caterpillar silk holding the sides together and a green caterpillar nearby. A number of caterpillars roll up leaves to make shelters and at the time I did not know what kind of caterpillar it was. Later I was able to identify it by looking at a list of caterpillars that commonly feed on Shagbark Hickory. A green one that makes rolled leaf shelters is the caterpillar of the Hickory Hairstreak butterfly. We’ll be looking for that one flying around Goose Pond later this summer. Right next door to the Hickory Hairstreak caterpillar’s home was a shrub whose leaves had been decimated by an infestation of tent caterpillars; the empty, white silk tent still remained between several branches, and a large tent caterpillar made its way along the ground underneath the trees. I couldn’t wait for the Nature Strollers and 4-H kids to arrive to see these examples from the world of butterflies and moths.

We brought the Nature Strollers attention to the Northern Oriole’s woven nest, suspended from a tree branch, and watched the orange and black male as he attended to his duties. Later we also got a close up view of a female robin on her nest in the center of a pine tree. As we crossed the boardwalk, last years goldenrod galls were obvious on every stem of goldenrod we saw. These are formed when the tiny solidago fly lays its eggs on the plant’s stem. The eggs hatch and the larvae burrow inside. A ball shaped gall forms around them. The larvae chew an escape hatch in the winter, and emerge from it as adult solidago flies in the spring. On the far side of the park, the Nature Strollers were at the right place at the right time and were treated to the sight of a quick moving swallowtail butterfly as it nectared along the edge of the woods. It was hard to identify on the wing, but with large iridescent blue patched on the hindwings and dark black elsewhere, it was probably a Spicebush Swallowtail.

When Lynn and Kelly, also of the Orange County Audubon Society, joined us with tons of 4-Hers in tow, they brought with them a black and yellow, Flat-backed Millipede they had uncovered under a log. It was a wonderful find to share as none of us had ever seen this species before. While both the Nature Strollers and the 4-H peeked between the needles of the young pine trees to find eight preying mantis egg cases, the 4-Hers alone were treated to the sight of baby mantids emerging from the tan, Styrofoam-like case.

As usual this time of year the ponds were full to bursting with black toad tadpoles, huge Bullfrog tadpoles, dragonfly larvae, Backswimmers, Waterboatmen, and Waterstriders. The kids with nets went to work scooping out critters for observation. The 4-H kids were especially lucky that day because Kat spotted (right near shore) a young, brightly patterned, northern watersnake eating a Bullfrog tadpole, and I caught a male giant water bug who was covered with eggs that the female laid on his back. Golden Alexanders were flowering along the pondside and the skunk cabbage leaves were huge. A Great Blue Heron and a Belted Kingfisher flew overhead. Kids and parents dashed every which way, soaking up the sights and sounds of nature.

Kenridge Farm, 15 May 2007

2007-05-15T14:47:00.000-04:00

Laurel reflects on today's outing...

Greeted by tree swallows, the Nature Strollers rolled down the path at Kenridge Farm, part of the Museum of the Hudson Highlands. With a strong, warm breeze at our backs, nine families descend to the chain of ponds that highlight this exquisite site. Our group included a couple of recent transplants who had never visited the site and one six-year local resident who said the same thing. So from the get-go we had success in introducing several young families to a safe, accessible nature trail in their area. Places like Kenridge Farm are invaluable. They allow suburban families access to the natural world and enable them to introduce their children to the world of nature in a way not possible in a manicured backyard.
Today’s trail held some surprises and some old friends. Our avian companions, the red winged blackbirds and tree swallows, remain as active as ever, while newcomers like the yellow warblers, Eastern bluebirds and Baltimore (northern) oriole added some local color! The oriole’s hanging nest is woven from plant fibers that might include (no one climbed the thirty foot tree to make sure) milkweed and grapevine bark. The nest was active and we observed the orange and black female oriole enter and exit several times. Nesting bluebirds were in and out of bluebird boxes. We only got a glimpse of the yellow warbler as it swooped across the water, a bright flash disappearing into the foliage of an island bound tree on the furthest pond. Later, another was spotted low on a branch as we walked back toward our cars. Mockingbirds at the stone labyrinth, barn swallows, a house finch near the feeder, and the flutelike song of the wood thrush in the woods rounded out our birding experience.
A frequent Stroller, Akiko, mentioned the lack of American toads. We had seen and heard so many on our trip in April, but today not a single toad was seen. The toads congregate at ponds to mate only one week a year. She had little to be disappointed about, however, as the products of their efforts were everywhere to see. The black toad tadpoles had hatched in abundance. Hundreds could be seen in the shallows of the pond at the lowest elevation and thousands at the pond in the woods near the sugar shack. Toad tadpoles congregate, unlike most other frog species, and are easily identified by their black color and relatively large body-to-tail ratio. As we watched the wriggling mass of tadpoles, the geese of the woodland pond brought their goslings close to shore for the children to see. The sedges, violets, and grasses at water’s edge held a number of damselflies, their wings transparent as glass. The tan exoskeleton (a shed “shell”) of a dragonfly nymph was affixed to a floating section of cattail. The kids got a close up view of this “water monster” and could see the hole where the adult dragonfly exited its larval shell and the small wing buds that had housed what would become the large, magnificent wings of the adult. Also among the algae and pondweed were substantial male bullfrogs with eardrums larger than their eyes, and a shiny green frog known for its twangy call. These frogs and a number of birds and butterflies were spotted by sharp-eyed moms who were searching the fields, waters and skies for wildlife. The white of bone caught the eye of one mother along the trail, a portion of a deer’s backbone. A still swallow on a limb right above our heads attracted the attention of another. Another success, families practicing nature study on their own!

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 14 May 2007

2007-05-14T14:02:00.000-04:00

Kat posts about the impromptu Goose Pond Mountain trip...

It was too nice to stay at home, so in the window of time after school and before dinner we decided to get out to our local haunt. Sybil, Nathan, Anderson, and Olivia were waiting in their van as I pulled into the Goose Pond Mountain parking lot. They hopped out to climb on the big rocks while I got ready, and as I was buckling the girls into their stroller, Laurel, Sebastian and Acadia arrived. After stowing some equipment in various places in the stroller, the big kids, armed with nets, headed off to the tadpole pond at great speed, leaving behind a cloud of dust. The stroller group followed slowly in their footsteps.

It was a slightly cool late afternoon. Laurel and Sybil searched the pond for the American Toad tadpoles, curious to see where they would be that day. At each visit, the tadpoles had been found in different spots in the pond, though curiously all still together in one gigantic wriggling mass. They make their rounds along the perimeter of the pond, swimming in one enormous stream of wiggly black dots. This behavior is very interesting, and Laurel noted she had never observed this in tadpoles before. Perhaps, because we were almost daily visitors to Goose Pond, we were now privy to more of the secrets of the world around us.

As I waited with the kids and the strollers, Laurel and Sybil went to see if there was indeed water flowing just past the tree line to the west of the pond. I had seen glimpses of it when the vegetation was low, but I wasn't sure if it was another vernal pool or if it was indeed a steady stream. As I waited, Acadia and Penelope took turns playing with the buckles on the stroller. Lily pointed out butterflies as they fluttered by. Sybil came back first, toting Olivia in her front carrier. Laurel had gone a bit farther, and when she returned she reported that there was indeed a stream flowing through that area. She described it as a slightly deep and somewhat fast-flowing brook roughly 7 or 8 feet wide. Climbing over downed trees and matted vegetation, she had spotted a turtle basking on a log. It plopped into the water as she tried to get a closer look. The discovery of the stream was an exciting prospect; this meant there was another area of Goose Pond to explore.

Anderson, who had recently become a big brother, took an interest in Lily and Penelope as they were released from the confines of their stroller and were allowed to walk with the older children along the boardwalk. He was attentive and gentle, guiding the girls over to the second and third ponds. Penelope babbled incessantly to him, perhaps telling him about the snake she had seen there the week before. He listened with interest. As we paused at the bench between the two ponds, I snapped a picture of all of the children (minus Olivia, who was still snuggled against Sybil's chest) playing with each other on this gorgeous afternoon. Because the children were otherwise occupied, Sybil was able to grab a free pond net and scooped up an enormous bullfrog tadpole, observing that it was so large it could be marinated and grilled for dinner! Lily and Penelope decided they also wanted to try out the nets to see what they could catch, though they still need a bit of practice. Perhaps thinking of the tadpole and dinner, the families headed back to their cars to go home.

Glenmere Lake, 08 May 2007

2007-05-08T13:49:00.000-04:00

Laurel and Kat scouted out the Glenmere Lake recreation area in Florida to see if we could use it for a Nature Strollers outing, and realized it would be a great place to go. The pavilion and area next to the lake has picnic benches and park benches, and is suitable for strollers and walking toddlers. The trail into the woods was a bit rougher, but could accomodate a jogging or all-terrain stroller. Though they didn't see as many wildflowers as they expected to see, the trail provided a variety of flora to identify. It also allowed their toddlers to get close-up looks at the cabbage white butterflies they are so fond of pointing out. Along the trail they found the homes of various animals, and look forward to coming back with the group.

Goose Pond Mountain Created Wetlands, 07 May 2007

2007-05-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

Jonathan and Nathan showing off their new jogger!

Queen takes Penelope's hand and leads her along the boardwalk