CHAPTER 16. SEPTEMBER: INTO-THE-FALL BLOOMERS

This is the season for the asters. The Aster family seems to have specialized in capturing the niche of late season bloomers. These include the White Wood Aster and the Blue-stemmed Goldenrod in the forest, and myriad number of goldenrod species in the meadow. Asters are composite flowers, the flower heads being composed of many separate flowers. Many of the asters have flower heads with two types of flowers, wherein the ray flowers radiate from the central disk flowers. The disk flowers are often yellow or dark yellow. What many people think are the petals of the flower are actually ray flowers. If a single "petal" is examined, one sees the reproductive structures at the base of what is actually the ray flower. The asters comprise such a large family that the different species are divided into tribes. These tribes can be classified into three groups.

The first group contains daisy-like flowers that consist mostly of flower heads composed of both disc and ray flowers. This group contains the sunflowers (often with opposite leaves), the mayweeds (often with alternate divided leaves), as well as asters and ragworts (with alternate entire or toothed leaves).

The second group of aster family plants contain many button- like flowers that are mostly disc flowers only. Here are the various species of Eupatorium such as Joe-Pye Weed and White Snakeroot, which usually have opposite leaves. Other flowers include the pussy toes (some with basal leaves), thistles (some with alternate divided leaves), and ironweed (with alternate toothed leaves).

And lastly, there are the dandelion-like flowers with ray flowers only. This group contains only one tribe, that of the chicory tribe. This tribe includes the dandelions, hawkweeds, lettuces, chicory, and many other aster plants.

September 2, 1992 Wednesday

In the shade it is a little chilly today. There is not a lot of flower activity at this time of year around Cranberry Lake, except for the numerous White Wood Asters. At lake dock I do not find much in bloom except Beggarticks.

There are not many mushrooms compared to last year at this time. I find a dead shrew on the trail. Shrews and moles belong to the order Insectivora, consisting of small mammals with long pointed noses and tiny beadlike eyes. They have five toes on each foot. (Mice have four toes on their front feet.) Shrews look like mice and are even mouse-sized, but with ears either concealed or nearly concealed by soft fur. We are more familiar with moles than shrews, because moles are the mammals that push up low ridges or mounds as they look for food just under the surface of lawns. Given their habit of digging constantly, the feet of moles are broad, with their palms usually facing outward. Moles are larger, usually have short stubby tails, and have with no external ears. Some species of mole have their pinhead-sized eyes covered with skin, while the beadlike eyes of shrews are not covered with skin. Moles are harmful, but shrews are beneficial, eating many insects. Moles make large underground stores of paralyzed earthworms.

The particular species on the trail looks like the Shorttail Shrew (Blarina brevicauda, Soricidae), although shrews are hard to tell apart. This species lives in forests and other habitats. It eats insects, worms, snails, other invertebrates, and possibly young mice. Its saliva is poisonous. The shrew uses this poison to immobilize its prey. It nests beneath logs, stumps, rocks, or debris, using dry leaves, grass, and hair to make the nest.

Walking to the quarry field I find lots of Sweet Everlasting in bloom and various goldenrods. Due to drier conditions, I can now get into the reed marsh. Meadowsweet is also still blooming.

Coming down from the quarry, I run into a pack of crows. The crow's distinctive size, color, and voice make it one of the easiest birds to recognize. Crows are very social birds, especially in late fall and winter. At this time of year they gather together to form a huge communal flock at specific roosting sites that may contain up to more than a thousand birds. Crows may use the same roosting site year after year. In the morning, the birds disperse from the roost into small bands to forage for food. In their search they may fly up to forty miles from the roost site. These birds are omnivorous and will eat nearly anything they find. On their return to the roost in the evening, crows fly at high elevations along certain established flight paths, hence the term "as the crow flies". Often crows will stop at pre-roosting sites where flight paths intersect. Here they are very active with loud calling and spectacular chases and dives.

Perhaps because they are so social, crows are very intelligent, having brains that are larger in proportion to their size than any other bird species. It is reported that crows use sticks and spines held in their beaks as tools for probing and as weapons. It is also reported that crows have intentionally dive bombed bird-watchers, showering them with stones dropped from the sky.

Although many human activities have been to the detriment of most plants and animals, the crow has benefited from the presence of humans. These birds prosper around suburbs and farms. With open fields that are good for foraging, mixed with nicely spaced trees and woodlots, the crows' habitat has increased.

I find the observation tower broken with half of it down. Along South Lake boardwalk, I find the rose hip fruits of the Swamp Rose. The rose hip is the swollen receptacle containing the seeds. Rose hips can be used to make rose hip tea or soup, which are good for the bladder and kidneys and in preventing colds. These fruits contain ten to one hundred times more vitamin C than any other food. Just as there are nectar robbers, the bees being the most prominent, there are also seed robbers or cheaters. The seeds of roses are packed with nutrients to help the germinating plant. Birds such as the green finches can open the rose hip and crack the seeds to get at the stored food inside. This destroys the seeds rather than scattering them.

There are now green burs on the arrowhead. I saw them last time, but did not write it down. For the purpose of dispersal, the rough fruits are adapted to attach to the fur of mammals or to the plumage of waterbirds. Water Willow is still blooming. I also see two Green Herons.

There is still lots of activity from chipmunks and squirrels. On the orange trail, I find Bracken Fern wilting with some of it already brown. I had noticed some Yellow Witches' Butter on the last visit and now it is already gone. To the average person jelly fungi is any of the gelatinous mushrooms. Jelly-like fungi, however, can be in the orders Tremellales, Auriculariales, or Dacrymycetales. To determine the correct order a jelly fungus belongs to, one has to use a microscope. I am not that into mushrooms to start using a microscope, but more power to those that have the desire.

At the wet meadow of the Bronx River Parkway on September 3, 1993 I found small white and heath asters, Pilewort, and Wild Cucumber, along with a few older blooms of Eastern Joe-Pye Weed, and Jewelweed. The area actually looks unattractive because the Purple Loosestrife is almost completely gone (5 percent left). The next time I went, on September 9, 1993 there was not much change, but more small white asters. I did find Swamp Beggar Ticks (Bidens connata, Asteraceae) in bloom. This plant can grow to four feet high. Its lance-shaped leaves are coarsely toothed.

While not that much is blooming in the forest or wet meadows, there is quite a bit of activity on September 3, 1993 in the dry meadow of Silver Lake. Blooming are Eastern Joe-Pye Weed, Self- heal, and Canada, Grass-leaved, Sharp-leaved, Rough-stemmed, and Early Goldenrods. Also blooming are Panicled Tick-trefoil, Black Knapweed, Field Thistle, Small White Aster, Meadowsweet, Silverrod, and Purple Gerardia. Blooming in the wetter areas down by the lake are New York Ironweed, Pale Smartweed, and Swamp Dogwood. Also here is Barnyard Grass.

September 5

Mike Shilman, Sandy Kessler, Rosemary and I travel to Read Sanctuary to participate in a Ken Soltecz walk on hummingbirds and fall warblers. He tells the group that on a single day he found fifty to sixty hummingbirds visiting his massive fields of jewelweed. The hummingbirds come through anywhere between September 3 and September 19. (Hundreds of Monarch butterflies come through the area around September 20.) Many friends of the sanctuary have advised Ken to mow the field to get rid of the Porcelainberry which so dominates the area.

But the jewelweed that seems to accompany the Porcelainberry is valuable as a hummingbird attractant.

There is only one species of hummingbird in this area, indeed there is only one species breeding east of the Mississippi River. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a member of the hummingbird family (Trochilidae). The common name of the group comes from the humming sound the wings make when in flight. These birds are metallic green above and white below. The males have the brilliant red throats. In order to sip the nectar, they stick their needle-like bill deep into tubular flowers, such as salvia, Trumpet Creeper, Bee Balm, petunia, and thistle.

On the bird hunt we find the Common Yellow Throat and the Black-throated Green Warbler. The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is a wood warbler (Parulidae). It has a bright yellow throat and upper breast. The male is easy to identify because of its black face mask. The Black-throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens) has black throat and breast sides, while the crown and upper parts are olive green. Black-throated Green Warblers like to stay among the highest branches of trees, while Common Yellowthroats are most often found in marshy areas amidst the grass or sedges.

The warblers love the fruits of Hercules Club, but today the catbirds are indulging themselves on the fruits. Hercules Club or Devil's Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa Araliaceae) deserves its common names. There is virtually no place you can touch the trunk of the tree without getting spiked. Spikes are even found on the midribs of some of the leaflets and at the internodes of the leaflets. This species is usually a small tree, but here in the field, where there is little competition from other trees, they are rather tall. The roots and fruit are aromatic and spicy. Early settlers used these to treat the pain of toothaches.

Unfortunately, we do not find any hummingbirds. Going down to the beach we see many birds including the Herring, Greater Black Back, and Ring-billed Gulls. We also see Double-crested Cormorants, the Semi-palmated Plover, and an Osprey.

After the walk, our group walks around the other trails. And wouldn't you know it! We find a hummingbird visiting the flowers of New York Ironweed. We also engaged in some blackberry eating.

September 6 Sunday

Zig-zag Goldenrod with an angled stem will soon bloom. Northern Tooth Mushroom is back on the stump. There are quite a few white mushrooms around ephemeral pond. On Goat trail I find White Snakeroot still in bloom.

Down by lake dock, the Green Heron flies across the lake to land on a Chestnut Oak. There goes another one as I walk onto the dock. It is chilly, overcast, and threatening rain. I have on a wind breaker. By the dock, the leaves of Swamp Dogwood and Highbush Blueberry are turning colors. Walking around the lake, I notice it continues to rain beechnuts under the beech trees.

I see the Great Blue Heron at South Lake. The Water Willow is turning colors slightly. There is quite a lot of Dodder on the Water Willow. Some of the arrowheads are still in bloom. On the ground I find the orange berries of the Asiatic Bittersweet vine. Three or four Blue Jays scream above me. They have not quite a caw, but produce a sound almost as raucous. I also see a grackle. The berries of Red Chokeberry are ripe. By crooked bridge I see Sweet Pepperbush and Meadowsweet. A Crow chases a Red-tailed Hawk. Three Gold Finches sit high in a tree by the lake. Two Black-capped Chickadees flit around lake dock.

The previous year on September 8 there were also quite a few mushrooms. One of the most noteworthy was the Blusher (Amanita rubescens, Amanitaceae), which is found on the ground in oak woods, under White Pine, and in wooded urban parks. It has a reddish-brown cap with pinkish patches along with a ring on a clublike stalk. It bruises reddish. When well cooked, this species is tasty, but great care must be taken not to confuse it with any of the similar-looking poisonous or suspected species.

The brick-red capped Boletus sensibilis (Boletaceae) is a look alike for Two-colored Bolete (Boletus bicolor). B. sensibilis is reportedly poisonous and stains blue instantly when bruised.

Thin-maze Flat Polypore (Daedaleopsis confragosa Polyporaceae) has a tough, grayish to brown, zoned or furrowed, stalkless cap with mazelike tubes and white to pale brown pores. It is found on dead wood or wounds in living trees, preferring willow, birch, and some other deciduous trees, but not oak.

White Cheese Polypore (Tyromyces chioneus Polyporaceae) is the most common mushroom of a number of closely related whitish, watery polypores. It has a soft, white, hairy to smooth, stalkless cap with whitish pores and is found on dead deciduous wood and conifers.

September 9

I see a Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) of the true frog family (Ranidae). This usually nocturnal frog has parallel rows of dark squarish blotches on its back. Its skin provides some protection from predation because it secretes an irritating substance that proves very unappetizing. (In fact, these skin secretions can kill other frogs kept together in confinement.) It will soon go into hibernation for they sleep from October until April. The trails are wet and muddy after the rains. The big patch of Sweet Pepperbush is almost all in fruit now. There are only a few flowers left. In the quarry area the reed marsh is all wet again. Nodding Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes cernua, Orchidaceae) are blooming with horizontal or nodding white flowers on an erect spike.

Down on the west side of South Lake I find a large group of grape-colored coral fungi. I see some new Indian pipe coming up. I thought it was finished for the year. Indeed, I find two more groupings of Indian pipe. Blooming is Silverrod (Solidago bicolor, Asteraceae), which has white flower heads on an elongated spike. Silverrod is the only goldenrod with white ray flowers.

At Silver lake on September 9, 1993 there were still lots of goldenrods along with Smooth Aster and lots of small white asters. Also here were Purple Top Grass and lots of Bayberry berries. The Sassafras leaves are turning colors. Ironweed is definitely past its prime.

September 10 Thursday

I have a class at the New York Botanical Gardens with Lauren Brown on grasses. She helps me identify some flower and grass samples. On the grounds the class finds twenty-three species of grasses.

September 11 Friday

I went back to Bear Mountain to look at their geology exhibit again. I wanted to make sure of my rock identification, as well as learn more about the other rocks in the Hudson River Valley.

September 13 Sunday

It is another cool morning today. There are lots of dark grape colored, berry-like drupes of the Maple-leaf Viburnum ready for viewing. My snake buddy is here by lake dock again. The color red appears in the Red Maple, Highbush Blueberry, and Marsh St. Johnswort. The berries of the Swamp Dogwood are absolutely gorgeous.

In the quarry field I find Little Bluestem Grass fluffing out with its seeds. This is a grass of the great American prairies. During one of the warm periods amidst the ice age, this grass came into the area by traveling east along the Mohawk River Valley and then south down the Hudson River Valley. Also here in the field is an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina, Emydidae). Its shell is mostly blackish but with many yellow lines. I move him into the sun for a better picture (but the picture did not turn out). These turtles are usually seen early in the day or after a rain. They can eat mushrooms poisonous to humans, and this has led to human fatalities as some humans eat the flesh of this turtle species. Native Americans of New York state used these turtles extensively. Besides eating them, they made ceremonial rattles out of their shells, and even buried turtles with their dead. Some box turtles have been known to live their entire lives in an area only slightly larger than a football field in varied habitats, including moist forests, wet meadows, pastures, and floodplains.

I see a bumble bee queen busy at work. She stays real quiet for me while I take her picture. But then she flies away to hide on a nearby Gray Birch.

I find Tall White Lettuce or Rattlesnake Root (Prenanthes altissima Asteraceae) by the trail near the waterfall stream. The white flower heads are one-half inch long with prominent, cream- colored stamens. Silverrod blooms on the nearby gravel path.

I find Three-way Sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum, Cyperaceae) on South Lake boardwalk. This perennial sedge has short leaves in three distinct rows on a hollow stem. The flowers appear in flat clusters. Also here are Ruby meadowflies. Mayapple is completely gone. There is no trace of it now. Self-heal and White Wood Aster are still out, along with Jumpseed.

Sitting down on the orange trail, I key out Calico Aster (Aster lateriflorus Asteraceae). Some of the flowers heads are yellow, while others have turned purplish-red, hence the common name. The bracts under the flower heads have a greenish midrib.

By crooked bridge, with my backpack on, a small child asks his mother, "What's the mailman doing?" I laugh to myself. There are buttons on the Buttonbush. Wild life, especially Mallard Ducks, eat the buttons. The seeds are adapted to float on the water in order to achieve wider dispersal.

At lake dock, I say to myself "This lake is rapidly being taken over by fanwort." Beggar Ticks or Sticktights (Bidens frondosa, Asteraceae) are in bloom. Its leaves are divided into three to five leaflets, which are regularly toothed. Five to nine narrow bracts surround each flower head. On the yellow trail I find Pinesap (Monotropa hypopithys, Pyrolaceae), which grows in pine or oak woods. The plant observer has to be careful not to mix Pinesap with Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), which can be a pinkish color.

September 16 Wednesday

I find a snake skin in the water. The scales of a snake's skin are made of the same material as our fingernails, kerotin. The soft skin between the scales is elastic. To grow, snakes have to shed their skins. Clouded eyes are a good indication that the snake is about to sluff off its skin. Shedding rids the skin of any skin parasites and damaged scales.

Blue-stemmed Aster (Solidago caesia, Asteraceae) is blooming by the waterfall. The frequently arching stem is purplish in color and is covered with a whitish bloom. The yellow flower clusters arise from the leaf axils, accompanied by a large terminal flower cluster.

At South Lake boardwalk I find Swamp Beggartick (Bidens connata Asteraceae). The lance-shaped leaves are coarsely toothed. I find what looks like Twig-rush (Cladium mariscoides), but these rushes are almost impossible for a non-expert to identify.

There are blue berries on the Sapphireberry. The berry-like drupes of the species has a single hard seed inside. There are scales on the leaf midvein and the leaves are coarse to the touch. The leaves are so toothed that they are prickly looking.

I still hear a cicada or two trilling. I find Clearweed and Silverrod blooming. I take a picture of Dog Stink-horn on the yellow trail.

September 18 Friday

On September 20 of the previous year I noticed the Beechdrops blooming. Plants of this family lack green pigment and have scale-like leaves, but, seen through a hand lens, the purple flowers are very interesting. I noted that the yellow leaves on the ground belong to the grape vine, Tuliptree, and Black Birch. The Witch-hazel was not blooming yet. There were a few scattered White Wood Asters, but the Sweet Pepperbush blooms were gone.

There were lots of acorns of the Chestnut Oak that year. This variance in the number of nuts is not surprising because oak trees have boom and bust years, in order to keep the number of squirrels in check.

In the quarry field at Cranberry Lake the following year, September 19, 1993, I find Pineweed (Hypericum gentianoides, Hypericaceae) soon to bloom. This species is an indicator plant, used to identify sterile, bare sites. The plant is a clump of wiry branches coming from the top of the stem. It looks like a small whisk broom with its handle inserted in the ground. Sweet Goldenrod is still here blooming.

At Silver Lake on September 19, 1993 in bloom were Chicory, Field Thistle, goldenrods, white asters, Butter-and-eggs, Red Clover, Self-heal, and Queen Anne's Lace. In fruit are Silverrod, Purple Gerardia, Smooth Aster, and Jewelweed. On the female Winterberry are red berries, a real attractant for birds. The butterflies are Cabbage White and the Monarch.