flowers
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Harriman State Park
(Or, Catskills Day 2, Part II) On the way back we stopped off at Silvermine Lake in Harriman State Park. The mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, was in bloom. Barn swallows were swooshing all around, and nesting on one of the park structures.We walked along a trail on the south side of the lake. A snake…
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The Catskills ~ Day 2
We started the morning in the thickest fog any of us had ever seen. It lifted as we descended down towards Hunter, NY.We couldn’t resist stopping in this former drive-in on Route 296 south of Windham, now claimed by a meadow. The gate proudly claims “we will be back,” but that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, this…
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In Prospect Park
A walk in Prospect Park never fails to turn up something exciting in the animal/vegetable/mineral kingdoms, even if I’m paying more attention to the conversation. When the conversation is with NYC Wildflower Week’s Mariellé Anzelone, there’s plenty to learn. For instance, I think I can now actually name the two flowers pictured here. That’s one…
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In the woods
Maundsley State Park, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, is a former private estate. Many of its trees, therefore, escaped the usual rounds of woodland clear-cutting that characterized most of the northeast. The towering white pines, in particular, are a marvel to look at. There were plenty of mast-worthy trees there; I mean those straight, thick-boled beasts that…
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Wildflower Week Continues
NYC Wildflower Week continues: I took part in the fantastic tour of the Native Flora Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden yesterday. Curator Uli Lorimer, here showing us the whole mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum, was an extraordinary guide to his own domain. Grab any chance you get to have this expert show you around the place,…
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Wildflower Week
I’m looking down for a change. We’re in the thick of New York City Wildflower Week, with tours, lectures, and walks happening throughout the city until Sunday. It’s all free and it’s mostly outdoors. What are you waiting for? (I’ll be doing a walk at Four Sparrow Marsh on Sunday.) Dodecatheon jeffreyi, Jeffrey’s shooting star.Zizia…
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Tentative IDs
Wildness forensics continues: we found this skull in a kettle pond on the top of Highland Park. I think it’s raccoon: note those molars and check out this PDF to see what you think. On Cypress Ave, we found another mammal, this time definitely a raccoon, that was road kill. In nearby Machpelah Cemetery, where…
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Look Down
One of the speedwells. I think it’s Persian speedwell, Veronica persica. One of the chickweeds. As with the speedwells, there are numerous species. Found both of these in Green-Wood last week.
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Natural Object: Poppy
Sweet dreams are made of this — well, they might be if this was that kind — a poppy seed capsule/pod that managed to survive the winter in the garden of friends in Windsor Terrace. Meanwhile, let’s go walking with Thomas De Quincey: Some of these rambles led me to great distances; for an opium-eater…
Backyard and Beyond 