At Pine Hill Park Summer, 2025
The first day of summer, 2025 was rather typical with spring born wood frogs hopping about the forest floor, chipmunks scurrying about, and various birds including red-eyed vireo, American redstart, blue-headed vireo, northern cardinal, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroat, ovenbird, raven, yellow-rumped warbler, Eastern towhee, and robin filling the forest with the sounds of their territory and courtship calls.
A few days later a large heat dome covering a good part of the United States, moved into New England bringing park temperatures into the 90s. Combine those temperatures with swarms of black flies and mosquitoes and you ended with with miserable hiking conditions. Luckily such conditions were offset by the sight of colorful birds such as the American goldfinch,yellow-throated vireo, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, northern flicker, and one of my favorites, the Scarlet Tanager. You also had the delightful songs of the pileated woodpecker, veery, Eastern towhee, and various warblers to help take your mind off the bugs.
The last week of June, I planted 13 Button Bush seedlings along the South and East sides of Rocky Pond. They produce seeds which waterfowl feed on, and hopefully, more waterfowl will be attracted to that pond. Button Bush grows wild in isolated spots along the shore of Rocky Pond.
During the last week of June, bedstraw, bittersweet nightshade, wild basil, yellow hop clover, blue vetch, yellow woodsorrel, yarrow, Indian pipe, white avens, cinquefoil, fleabane, yellow loosestrife and poke milkweed were all flowering. And in the morning it was not unusual to find northern water snakes sunning themselves on logs, and schools of black bullhead fry swimming in schools at Rocky Pond. On June 29th, I saw my first rose-breasted grosbeak in the park.
On July 2nd, I went on an evening walk and was surprised to hear how quiet it was compared to earlier in the day. And of course, I was enchanted by the flutelike and melodic sound of our Vermont State Bird, the Hermit Thrush.
On my way back to the trailhead, I came upon a broad-winged hawk perched on a branch, focused on a movement in the ground leaf litter below. It dropped to the ground and captured a small rodent.
In mid-July, a sign was posted at the trailhead warning visitors that a sow and 2 cubs had been spotted in the forest, and to keep your dogs leashed. Didn’t see the bears throughout the summer, but did see plenty of signs of their presence. Also, the deer I saw during this time were all looking very healthy.
On July 22nd, I took a long and beautiful hike along the outer trails of the park. Queen Anne’s lace, wintergreen and goldenthread were all flowering. 2 Osprey were flying over Muddy Pond, and many birds were observed including, red-eyed vireo, pileated and hairy woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, great-crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, Eastern wood pewee, black-capped chickadee, cardinal, gray catbird, Eastern towhee, robin, and American goldfinch.
By the first week of August, blackberries were ripening, and on August 2nd I saw a Baltimore Oriole at Rocky Pond, the only place I ever see them in the park. Bull and Green frogs were both calling, and Muddy Pond was almost completely covered in water plants, mostly yellow pond lily.
On August 11th, two young osprey were seen sitting in their nest on Muddy Pond, with one adult flying overhead. So glad to see the Osprey nest has been doing so well at Muddy Pond over the years. This was also the day I saw my first Spangled Fritillary of the season in the park. The park has such a wonderful variety of butterfly species.
The next day, I came upon a very large pile of black bear scat. And it was a BIG pile of scat. Just past the bridge near the trailhead on Middle Giorgetti. Wondered what brought it so close to the trailhead. Cottontail, gray squirrels, chipmunks were all seen. And acorns were starting to fall upon the forest floor. It will turn out to be a good MAST year. The wildlife should have plenty to eat this season. Also, saw a red-shouldered hawk at Muddy Pond, in the same area I heard it a few months earlier. I wondered and hoped if such a bird was nesting in the area. Only time will tell.
If there is one word to describe the condition of Pine Hill Park in the summer of 2025, that word would be DROUGHT. In the 20 years I lived and hiked in New Hampshire, and the 13 years here in Vermont, I have never seen the forest so dry for so long. My biggest concern was someone inadvertently starting a fire in the forest.
In mid-August, I saw white admiral and cabbage white butterflies flying about, spring born pickerel frogs hopping about, the forest was dangerously dry, and a few Canada geese and wood ducks were seen on every walk to Muddy Pond.
The first week of September continued to be bone dry. A great blue heron was seen at the north end of Muddy Pond, flying in the direction of a heron nest located in the wetland area which feeds into Muddy Pond.
In mid-September, Rocky Pond had heated up enough to provide ideal conditions for the growth of algae, and the pond was starting to take on a green tint. More birds were starting to show up at Muddy Pond as migrant waterfowl were starting to stop over there. Forest birds were beginning to migrate through the forest in increasing numbers also.
On September 15th, while walking along the trail near the Ledges, a small flock of chickadees flew right up to me, some perching just a few feet away from me. All giving alarm calls. Were they looking to me for protection against a nearby predator I couldn’t see? Never happened to me before during this time of the year. Such behavior I have seen many times in the winter.
The next day I had a beautiful red fox run across Crusher Rd. a few feet in front of me.
On Sept. 19th, I felt the first cool north wind upon my face, a sign that has always let me know that winter is not far away. New England aster and blue-stemmed goldenrod were in flower and a gorgeous dagger moth caterpillar was seen crawling in front of me on the trail. No osprey seen on the nest, no doubt gone until next spring.
On last thing I would like to tell you about before I end this issue. This summer I was given one American Chestnut seedling to plant in Pine HIll Park. It is a very special seedling. It is called a Best X(by) Best cross seedling have genetic characteristics which suggest this seedling may exhibit blight resistance. A seedling which has been under study for decades. I’ll be giving you updates on the condition of that tree as the seasons and years go by. The hope is that it will someday pollinate and be pollinated by other American Chestnut trees already growing in the same area it was planted.
That’s it for this issue. Please stay on the trails and enjoy your time observing the wonderful wildlife of Pine Hill Park.
