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!

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.

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!