Get out and check it out!

It is getting nicer out, and those of us who are sick of being cooped up inside are ready to get out and be active again. The snow is starting to melt, making it easier to walk around at the Clifton Park open spaces. Go walk around at some of the parks, you will be glad you did! I went for a walk this week at Garnsey Park on Route 146, and I had a great walk. The birds are just starting to come back, and I even saw a bluebird, which just shows that all of the bluebird boxes installed in the park and doing their job to bring back bluebirds year after year. Go out to the parks and see what you can find!

Photos from my walk:

Look who's been busy...

Yesterday seemed like a good day to get out of the house and go for a morning walk at the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve.  We parked at the Whipple Bridge and took the trail that runs along the canal toward Vischer Ferry.  

About a quarter mile from the bridge I spotted these tree stumps.  They were freshly cut by a busy beaver.  I would guess they had been chewed up a day or two ago, based on the wood shavings on top of the snow and ice.  

A few yards from the stumps there was a path leading into the canal that looked like a beaver slide.  You can see the part of the grass that is covered with packed snow in the picture below.

Keep your eyes open for more signs of the beaver(s) as it is definitely active right now.  There was also a flock of Canada Geese enjoying the ice and cold water at the Preserve.  

Despite the cold, the wildlife is out there and active.  There are lots of chances to see it if you just bundle up and get out there to look for it.  Stay warm and keep your eyes open!

Looky, but no touchy

A couple of plants are now beginning to bloom and it's important that you learn to recognize each.

Poison Ivy

Wild Parsnip

Once you know how to recognize them, please be aware of each while you are out and about enjoying nature over the next few months.

For more info, please read my recent posting on my blog, Curious By Nature.

Hope this helps.  Happy trails!

An Obscure Find

The trail through the Mooney Carrese Forest at Veterans Memorial Park continues to surprise and delight me with each visit.  This beautiful and serene woodland is a worthy destination for nature observation.  In addition to the variety of deciduous trees accompanying the white pine and eastern hemlock, there is a continuing parade of blooming wildflowers dotting and, at times, carpeting the forest floor.  Several interesting water features also crisscross the woodland trail.  I routinely hear or see wood ducks and mallards during my visits.

I am conducting a wildflower inventory at this property.  During my visit Thursday afternoon, I spied a small gathering of these -

Wild Calla has the scientific name of Calla palustris, which means "obscure, of marshes."  I was very pleased to come across this obscure find!  This beautiful plant is coming into full bloom now.

Happy trails!

2014 Nature & Open Space Photo Contest

The Town of Clifton Park is conducting a 2014 Nature & Open Space Photo Contest open to all now through Saturday, June 14, 2014 at midnight.  Up to four separate entries are allowed per person. The four eligible categories are: Wildlife; Landscape; Plants & Flowers; and People Enjoying Nature & the Outdoors.  Photos must be taken within the Town of Clifton Park at one of the eight following nature preserves and parks (see the location Map of 8 Great Places ):  Ushers Road State Forest; North Woods Nature Preserve; Kinns Road Park; Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve; Veterans Memorial Park & Mooney Carrese Forest; Garnsey Park; Mohawk Landing Nature Preserve; and Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve.

Spur of the Dwaas Kill near the Cooley Kill, Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve, north of Kinns Road, May 29, 2014.

Guided Walks in Nature Preserves on May 17, 2014

Celebrate Open Space & Nature Day!

The Town of Clifton Park and the Open Space, Trails & Riverfront Committee is hosting an inaugural Celebration of Open Space & Nature Day by offering guided, one-hour-long, nature walks at eight locations, at 10 to 11 a.m., and later the same day, from 2 to 3 p.m.  These walks offer a great opportunity to get to know a nearby park or nature preserve that you may not have visited before.

These family-friendly walks will be held at: Ushers Road State Forest, North Woods Nature Preserve, Kinns Road Park, Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve, Veterans Memorial Park & Mooney Carrese Forest, Garnsey Park, Mohawk Landing Nature Preserve and Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve.

A mid-day community celebration and open house will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Historic Grooms Tavern, at the Grooms Road intersection with Sugar Hill Road.  Community groups such as the Friends of Grooms Tavern, Friends of Clifton Park Open Space, Saratoga P.L.A.N. and the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway Coalition will be joining the Town of Clifton Park Open Space, Trails & Riverfront Committee with special displays and exhibits that day.  Light refreshments, hot dogs and hamburgers, and trail mix snacks will be available.

Town officials will make a brief presentation about the Open Space Program at 12:30 p.m., also at Historic Grooms Tavern. 

All are welcome to participate in the day's activities.

Members of the Open Space, Trails & Riverfront Committee and additional volunteers from the community will be helping to lead the walks, and be present at the open house. 

For more information visit the Town website at www.cliftonpark.org or call 518-371-6054.

Spring at Garnsey Park

Spring is really starting to show at Garnsey Park. The birds are loud and the leaves are starting to pop out on some of the trees. I was very happy to see a pair of bluebirds flying around the park. Last year I installed 5 bluebird houses, and I am happy to see that they are getting used.

 Bluebird

 Bluebird houses

 Leaves popping on the trees

 Another bluebird

Salamander

Is it spring yet?

 

Spring is here, but we are all still waiting for the warm weather. The animals and birds are happy with the weather, though. I went for a walk on the Bear Brook a couple weeks ago and it seemed like everything was out playing in the relatively warm weather.

 One of my previous posts had a similar picture, just all the rocks were covered in snow.

 There were tons of chipmunks and squirrels running around.

 I was lucky enough to spot the deer that I see quite often when I go for walks.

These two large holes were pecked into the tree by a pileated woodpecker.

 

Bald Eagles

The magnificent American icon, the bald eagle, has fought its way back from the brink of extinction in the state because of New York's bald eagle recovery programs. Bald eagles can now be seen in many areas throughout the state. If you are in search of bald eagles any time near Clifton Park, it would be smart to go look on Crescent Road which stretches between Route 9 and Cohoes on the Mohawk River. I have seen eagles there many times. I personally love bald eagles and I am glad to be seeing more and more of them as time goes on. Just recently while driving on Route 7 in Latham I saw two bald eagles soaring just above the Albany airport. One flew directly over my car. It was a wonderful thing to see. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles. There are more around than you think. Feel free to share stories of eagles that you saw locally.

Photo from the DEC website: www.dec.ny.gov

Cardinal Flower: 2014 Wildflower of the Year

The New York Flora Association has just announced the 2014 Wildflower of the Year -

Cardinal Flower.

See photos and read more about this beautiful native plant at NYFA's web site.

If you find this beautiful flower in its natural environment, please send locality information to nyflora1@gmail.com.

Warm February Day

I took advantage of the warm weather today to go for a walk on the Bear Brook . The deep snow made walking difficult, but I was able to do it.

 I was able to spot three deer while walking behind my house (which is right next to the Bear Brook). I always seem to be able to find deer when I search long and hard enough for them. Looking for deer was the main reason I went for a walk today.

Access to the Bear Brook can be found at Bear Brook court in the Robinwood development.

Fresh snow + sunny day = Ski touring

A sunny February day is a gift.

Seizing the opportunity, I enjoyed a leisurely ski tour this afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

My route encompassed the perimeter loop through the scrub-shrub meadow area and the loop through Mooney Carrese Forest. 

While skiing this circuit a few times, I spied a barred owl silently gliding through the treetops in a grove of white pines.  I did not have a chance to get a photo during that brief viewing since my camera phone was safely tucked away in a zippered pocket.  So, for a photo (and more), please view the informative pages of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - lots of information regarding how to ID these great birds of prey as well as life history and even listen to their song.

In addition to that highlight, I also saw/heard:  American robins, black-capped chickadees, pileated woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, a red-bellied woodpecker, a tufted titmouse, American crows, European starlings (definitely the lowlight of my outing!), and blue jays.  If you search the Pautuxent site, you can find interesting info about each of these species.

Happy trails!

By the Bird Feeder

I saw David Behm's post and it inspired me to keep an eye on the bird feeder just outside my window. We only use this feeder in the winter with hopes to keep the little birds satisfied. Below are some of the pictures I captured while the temperatures outside were sub-zero.

 This bird is a Junco. They are the most common bird around my feeder.

This is an American Goldfinch. It is darker in color in the winter than it appears in the summer season. 

This is a White-Breasted Nuthatch

 This is a Tufted Titmouse



This is a Chickadee

Keep an Eye on those Bird Feeders

Each of us probably has our own personal "open space" - a backyard, a common area or vacant lot near our home.  Birdfeeders can provide many opportunities to view colorful as well as common songbirds.  With the forecast calling for cold and snow, now is a good time to keep those feeders full and to keep a watchful eye on those that visit.

This morning, I spied this bird on our suet feeder - an American Tree Sparrow, according to the Peterson Field Guide, "Birds of Eastern and Central North America."  Note the dark spot on its breast and the two white wing bars - all identifying characteristics of this species.

While this species spends its winters throughout southern Canada to central U.S., it spends summers in Alaska or northern Canada.

Happy New Year to all!

O' Tannenbaum!

Princess Pine (a club moss) adorned by Canada Mayflower berries, as viewed at Ushers Road State Forest.

Happy Holidays to all.

P.S. - When in bloom (usually beginning the second week of May), Canada Mayflower looks like this -

Winter Tree Identification Quiz

FINAL UPDATE (1/20/2014):

And the answers are…

Thanks to everyone who participated.  Most importantly, I hope each of you had an enjoyable outing in your search for bark samples matching those in the photos.

The trees included in this quiz were the following:

1. Black Cherry
2. White Ash
3. Butternut
4. Cottonwood
5. Norway Spruce
6. Common Buckthorn
7. Black Birch
8. Willow
9. Box Elder
10. Gray Birch

Trick Question = Grape vine, not a tree!

If you have not yet visited the North Woods Nature Preserve, please include that destination in your future outings.  The trails are well marked and a number of tree species are identified along them with very informative interpretive signs.  This is a particularly scenic area to visit each autumn to enjoy fall colors, as evidenced by John Broadhead’s beautiful photos in the October 18, 2013, posting on this blog.

Happy trails!

 
UPDATE:  Given the COLD and snow that we have experienced since I posted this quiz, I will wait until after the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday before posting the answers to give everyone ample opportunity to enjoy a winter woodland walk in more inviting conditions.  Please note:  you can click on any photo below for a closer look at the bark of each.

With the onset of winter, why not take a stroll through a nearby woodland?  If you do, please observe the bark of the trees that you pass.  Consider that stroll your "field research."  Then, please return to this posting and reply with your responses to the following quiz.

Shortly after New Year’s Day, I'll reply with the answers.  Good luck.  Have fun!

#1 – CLUES:  Wood valued for its lumber used in furniture and interior woodwork in homes.  Fruit used in jelly, but especially important as food for wildlife.

#2 - CLUES:  Wood valued as strong, durable timber used in furniture, tool handles, oars, baseball bats, and snowshoes.

#3 – CLUES:  Though not an important timber species, its wood used in furniture and cabinetwork.  Edible nuts are an important food for wildlife.

#4 - CLUES:  Typically grow to be very tall trees.  Fluffy seeds.

#5 - CLUES:  Only one of this particular type of tree with drooping branchlets. 

#6 - CLUES:  Highly invasive.  Each twig ends in sharp spine.  Despite bearing many dark berrylike fruit, wildlife often ignore them for food.

#7 - CLUES:  Wood is heavy and hard, frequently made into furniture.  Oil of wintergreen is obtainable from sap and leaves.  Fermented sap used in a type of beer.

#8 – CLUES:  Typically found along streambanks and in wooded wetlands.  A preferred food of beaver.  Bark contains a medicinal substance called salicin.

Trick question for extra credit – CLUE:  Produces dark berrylike fruit.

# 9 - CLUES:  Soft white wood is used for boxes.  While in the same genus, this is not a maple.

#10 - CLUES:  Often multi-trunked.  Bark does not readily separate into layers.