June 10, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

Letchworth State Park

Google said it would take 1 hour and 55 minutes to drive to Letchworth from my house. I knew we’d need a stretch break, so I figured 2 hours and 15 minutes, tops. Google didn’t know about the detour on Route 39 causing our trip to be 2 hours and 40 minutes. It all worked out, since friends we intended to meet were running a tad late. And I can say with all sincerity, it was worth the drive. I can’t believe I’ve never spent time in this park!

The description at www.letchworthpark.com says this:

Letchworth State Park, with some of the most magnificent scenery in the United States, comprises 14,350 acres along the Genesee River. Within the park, the river roars over three major waterfalls, one of which is 107 feet high. The cliffs, created by the river’s path over thousands of years, approach 600 feet.

It was a gray, misty day. Some might call it “dreary.” Not I. It was a good day. Just warm-cool enough that a rain jacket over a teeshirt was comfortable while hiking. And honestly, gray days often make for better photos. (And I took over 200. Yikes!)

The park was one the property of William Pryor Letchworth who lived in the very lovely “Glen Iris” estate house – now an inn and restaurant.

Mr. Letchworth began the work of restoring the area around his estate from the ravages of civilization (timbering mostly). Upon his death, the property was given to the people of New York State. Over the years it has grown into a park of over 14,000 acres that draws over a million visitors a year.

There is plenty of evidence of the work of the Civilian Conservation Corp throughout the park: rock walls and staircases.

I took plenty of shots of the falls themselves, but surprise surprise, I found plenty of “stuff” that caught my eye.

The Tuliptrees were in bloom… and many were dropping their blossoms.

As we looked over the rock walls toward the falls we saw all kinds of interesting flowers. Above left is the native Columbine. On the right is a flower I can’t remember ever seeing before. I don’t know what it is! Do you?

I took several photos of the plants on the edges of the cliffs with the waterfalls as a backdrop:

Oxeye Daises and Grass

Fleabane

Bindweed

Tucked into the rock walls or popping out of the layers of slate that make up the cliff were plants that were new to me:

I don’t know the species names of either of these. Do you?

I would also love to go back to learn what blossom will emerge from this lovely foliage:

I could go on and on. Instead, enjoy this slideshow of my Flickr Letchworth set:

May 20, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

Attack of the Gypsy Moths

Late last summer, I hiked the Beehunter trail with friends. It was weird and creepy. When we stopped, it sounded like it was raining. The trail was littered with bits of leaves – like the schnitzels of paper after children have been practicing with scissors. Normally, when you look up into a tree, you can see distinctive leaf shapes and recognize which trees are maples or oaks. Not on this day. The leaf shapes had been altered.

What sounded like rain was frass – caterpillar poop – falling on the leaves. And it was these very same caterpillars responsible for the misshapen leaves and leaf fragments on the ground.

During subsequent hikes, I also noticed a high density of egg masses on the trees – far more than normal. Normal. Ha. Before 1869 normal would be zero.

Brought here by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot from Europe to Massachusettes with the intent of breeding a more robust silk worm, the Gypsy moth caterpillar escaped the laboratory and became a part of the northeast landscape. Over the years, it has managed to spread as far west as Wisconsin, north into Canada, and south to Virginia or North Carolina.

Gypsy Moths overwinter as egg masses. In spring – late April and into May, the caterpillars emerge and begin eating. By late June or early July, they will reach their final instar and pupate. About two weeks after pupation, the adults emerge.

Left: Female laying eggs by Jeff Tome. Right: Male by Jenn Orth

Females are flightless. Males will find the females by “smelling” pheromones with their large, feathery antennae. After mating, the female lays approximately 500 eggs. Because the female is flightless, the egg masses are found on trunks along with empty cocoons.

Gypsy Moth caterpillars will dine on over 500 species of tree leaves, both deciduous and evergreen. A serious infestation can defoliate a forest affecting the trees’ mortality. The New York State Park system defines an infestation as serious enough to treat when there are 1,000 or more egg masses per acre. Last fall, teams surveyed the trees in high use areas of the park and found an AVERAGE of 5,700 per acre with some areas having in excess of 14,000 masses per acre. Concern in these high use areas is for visitor experience in the park. Camping and hiking is unpleasant when frass falls into your food, or you slip on caterpillars as you walk. Yes, they are that plentiful in some places!

Egg masses and empty cocoons – by John B.

Of bigger concern to me is impact on the ecosystems, in particular the old growth areas of the park. Survey teams in the these areas found densities of egg masses ranging from 1,990 to 16,430 per acre. It would be such a shame to see the huge old hemlocks affected by these voracious caterpillars, which will devour hemlock needles in their later instars.

To combat the infestation, the park is spraying Gypchek – a virus that targets the gypsy moth species, but is reportedly harmless to humans, pets, and other species of wildlife. One dose was applied last week. Another will be applied sometime this week.

I haven’t been to the park yet this spring. I’m a little nervous about it. Guess I’ll know soon enough when I attend the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage!

I found these files on the internet:

May 17, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch

The Ted Grisez Arboretum at Jamestown Audubon has a Pawpaw Patch! I’ve written about it before – the year I learned what a Pawpaw is and actually tasted one. Yesterday I took a stroll through the arboretum and found it blooming. I was surprised by the flower whose petals remind me of Red Trillium.

It was late September when Sarah and I found the fruit…

…which we ate.

It is absolutely delicious with a smooth texture and flavors that make you think of banana and kiwi and mango. It is described in some articles as the only “temperate tropical fruit” – a native to North America.

Range Map:

We are at the northern-most part of its range. It seems to be doing well in the arboretum. It spreads by underground roots which is how a tree becomes a patch!

May 5, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

Mayapples

I haven’t seen any blooming yet around here, but the leaves are out and the “old guys” have buds. And isn’t it timely that Marcia Bonta’s most recent blog post is all about Mayapples? Click here!

I took both of these photos in 2008. The flower at right was at Bergman Park in Jamestown, New York. The leaf below was along the Beehunter Trail in Allegany State Park.

Isn’t it weird that I can remember where I took my photos. They bring back a whole set of memories from the day.

May 4, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

College Park Flowers

Emily and I checked out College Park on May 3, 2013, in preparation for a walk I will lead there on May 11. Here’s what we found:

Blooming:

American Fly Honeysuckle

Toothwort
Cut-leaved Toothwort
Vinca
Trout Lily
Goldthread
Marsh Marigold
Dwarf Ginseng
American Fly Honeysuckle
Spicebush
Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica)
Carolina Spring Beauties (C. caroliniana)
Wild Oats (aka Sessile Bellwort)
Common Violets
Horsetails
Dandelions
Common Speedwell
Colt’s Foot
Red Trillium
Blue Cohosh
Red Trillium
White Trillium
Northern White Violet
Yellow Violet

Leaves (Buds):

Celandine
Mayapple (buds)
Mayflower (buds)
Starflower
Partridge Berry
Skunk Cabbage (already bloomed)
Jewelweed
Round-leaved Violet (already bloomed)
Foamflower (buds)
Swamp Buttercup (buds)
Fairy Bells (aka Yellow Mandarin)
Painted Trillium
Solomon’s Seal (buds)
Forget-me-Not
Common Buttercup
Star Chickweed
Garlic Mustard (buds)
Yellow Clintonia
Wild Geranium
Bristly Black Currant (buds)
False Hellebore
Virginia Waterleaf
Running Strawberry (buds)
Rosy Bells (aka Rose Twisted Stalk, Rose Mandarin)

That 23 species in bloom; 24 not yet blooming or already bloomed. And there were plenty of others that I didn’t list or that I have seen in other years, but didn’t see today. Whew!

April 15, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

American Hazelnut

I’m just so fascinated by American Hazelnut (or filbert). They are in bloom now in our region. I found several at Allegany State Park. They are in bloom at Audubon, where I work, too.

Here’s a large one I found at Allegany State Park

This is a wind-pollinated flower with both female and male parts on the same shrub.

The male parts, called catkins, produce pollen.

The female parts are pink! They will receive pollen, delivered by the wind.

I don’t find a whole lot of them, but once in a while, you do see nuts on the shrubs:

They are in bloom now! Keep your eyes open for them!

April 11, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

ASP – Day Two

On my second day at the Park I decided to try a more challenging chunk of trail. After all my troubles with my back and knees this winter, I was a little worried, but I managed OK! I started at ASP 3 and hiked north along the North Country / Finger Lakes Trail. This section of trail is very rocky at the beginning and very steep. My heart was pumping hard! Toward the crest the snow became deeper and covered the trail making my footing a bit unstable, so I turned back. Still, I was on the trail for three and a half hours, taking loads of pictures – many of which I’m not ready to show… yet!

If hikes have themes, this hike was all about macros, scat, and butterflies.

Honey Mushroom rhizomorphs (Armillaria mellea)

A fallen log, covered with sapsucker holes that were beginning to be covered with moss.

I’m pretty sure this was fox scat.

And this is probably from a coyote.

I have no idea what this is, but there were at least a couple of piles of it and Lolli felt obliged to roll in it. Very odoriferous!

There was also plenty of deer and turkey scat, which I didn’t photograph…

As the sun warmed up the air, the Mourning Cloaks began their bouncy flight all around me. Most of them teased and would not allow a photo. This poor tattered thing rested long enough for me to close.

April 10, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

ASP- Day One

After visiting Rick’s Sugar House, I headed up to Fredonia where I got to spend some quality time with my friend Sue. We visited the SUNY Fredonia studios and gallery. Then Sue and I had dinner and drank (too much?) wine in front of the fire and talked and talked and talked. Next day, after watching CBS Sunday Morning with my mom (as I do, weekly!) I headed out to Allegany State Park to spend a couple of days shooting some photos and working on other projects.

Lolli and I went for a hike along portions of the North Country Trail / Finger Lakes Trail. It was this kind of day:

No long johns.
No jacket.
No hat.
No gloves.
No rain.
No clouds. (Well, a few.)
No snow. (Well, quickly melting.)

No schedule.
No cell phone.
No internet.
No voices. (Except those in my head.)

Oh my god. It is so beautiful.
Let the vacation begin. (Oops, I mean, continue.)

We went to the spring to fill our water bottles.

It was actually almost too warm. Lolli thought so. She lay down in the muck and moss.

January 27, 2013 by Jennifer Schlick

Mini-Vacation!

Susquehannock Lodge

The girls were little the first time I was invited to join a group who makes an annual trek to the Susquehannock Lodge. Over the years, I’ve tried to make the pilgrimage most years. Sometimes work or the health of a family member would get in my way. Sometimes the thought of the packing and driving will instill a bit of dread. Ultimately though, I’m always glad to have made the effort.

There are always familiar faces and new faces. We all struggle to remember each other’s names, a difficult task when we gather only once a year.

Friday night the guests arrive from far and wide, some early enough to enjoy dinner together in the lodge. Saturday morning, the dining room is filled and plans are made for the day. My favorite years are when the temperatures are high teens and low twenties and there is a lot of fresh powder. Then I like to ski from the Ranger Station at the top of the hill down the gentle slopes back to the lodge.

This year, we had the right temperatures, though the powder was a mere dusting in many places. And, due to a misalignment, my chiropractor advised against skiing. After hearing from those who skied, I can’t say I’m too disappointed. Blow-downs from recent storms have not been cleared and the going was rough. We noticed this even on the short hike we took near the lodge.

Lots more pictures here: Photo Set

In the afternoon, we headed in to nearby Coudersport, Pennsylvania, to visit Olga’s Yarn Shop (and bistro/gallery/café). I had heard about this shop from my knitting friends who insisted it is a must-see. Wow. What an explosion of color, texture, and creativity. I was blown away.

The Susquehannock is only a couple of hours away by car. Still, we felt like we were a million miles from everything. It was a very refreshing and rejuvenating weekend. I really should do this more often.

December 16, 2012 by Jennifer Schlick

12/12/12 at 12:12

It was a beautiful day on 12/12 – and so, spontaneously, we (at Audubon) decided to take a hike in celebration of all the twelves. We put out a call to the Spontaneous on Facebook, which was answered by Bob and Emily… and then off we went on an Audubon Walk-About.

We took the 2.2 mile “Yellow” trail loop that goes all the way around Big Pond.

Emily stopped to read about the deer exclosure.

I’m not sure any of my photos did justice to the intense blue reflected in the ponds.

In this picture, Katie is taking MORE photos of the Bald Eagles we saw.

Katie Finch took this photo from the Big Pond embankment.

And I photographed Katie as she took this photo of one of the eagles eating. I love the muskrat lodge behind, too.

Colors were sometimes subtle and sometimes intense. See the Red Osier Dogwood here? And why is the Duckweed still floating in the ponds in December? Weird weather!

Just SO blue!

What were you doing at 12:12 on 12/12/12?

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