By Tom Estill

Truncated version due to Tom picking up Lyme disease earlier this summer.

The first day of Summer, 2024, found all of New England in the middle of a week-long heat wave. The soonest I was able to get into the park after a long battle with Lyme Disease was July 20th. By then, blackberries were ripening, button bush was in flower, and gray squirrels were seen feeding on acorns. All these things seemed to be occurring a little earlier than usual, and my notes from previous years seem to support that idea. I’ll be very curious to see what changes will be occurring in the timing of park wildlife activities in the years to come. By this time of year, the forest is becoming increasingly quiet. On July 20th, I saw just a few birds
including cedar waxwing, Eastern wood pewee, tufted titmouse, and American goldfinch. Jumpseed, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s lace, wood aster and tick-trefoil were about the only plants flowering.

While on a hike on August 23rd, I saw white-breasted nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, Eastern wood pewee, blue jay, pileated woodpecker, and American goldfinch, while at Muddy Pond could be seen a single Osprey sitting on its nest, a few mallards
and a few wood ducks. To my surprise, all the beaver lodges on the west side of Muddy Pond were now gone, and the large old lodge on the Eastern side was completely overgrown, indicating it wasn’t being used for awhile. Still, a single beaver could be seen swimming in the
pond, perhaps using the single small lodge at the north end of Muddy. Many green frogs were seen at Muddy Pond and a single Bullfrog could be heard croaking. At Rocky Pond, a black water snake was seen sunning itself on a rock, and a pickerel frog was hopping through the tall
grass.

But the highlight of August 23rd is what I observed that evening. Hundreds of nighthawks were flying south in a huge flock that just never seemed to end. For half an hour I watched the birds, all migrating south. It was a sight I had never seen before, and one I will never forget.

A few days later I was back at the park feeling pretty confident that I wouldn’t be bothered by mosquitoes, as they hadn’t bothered me at all during the last few weeks. Boy was I wrong! They were a terrible nuisance on my 8/26 walk.

Chipmunks were out and about in big numbers, the gorgeous and rich blue colored Bottle Gentian was in color and the forest was very quiet. If
you want to see the Bottle Gentian, look along Crusher Rd. just north of trail marker #12. That’s the only place in the park I’ve seen them, and then, only in August and Early Sept.

The next day, August 27th, was a delightful day for a walk in the forest. A blue-headed vireo was observed, along with the more commonly seen tufted titmouse, northern flicker, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, and raven, and at Muddy Pond was seen a wood duck and an Osprey sitting on its nest. But the best part of the hike is something I had never seen before- PINK colored Indian Pipe. With sunlight low in the sky filtering through the forest leaves, the light falling on the plant made for one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen in nature. And, of course, it was the only day in 12 years I had left my iPhone at home, so I couldn’t take a
picture.

Sept. 1st was the last time I saw an osprey at its nest this season. I know that at least one young osprey was successfully fledged this year. Also seen at Muddy Pond was the rarely seen red-shouldered hawk migrating on its way south, a kingfisher and a painted turtle sunning itself. A red eft was seen crossing the Carriage Trail and goldenrod, touch-me-not, wood aster, common boneset, redshank, Queen Anne’s lace and purple loosestrife were all in flower.

A week later, I was surprised to see a Viceroy butterfly flying through the forest. So similar to the Monarch, but just smaller, and a wing coloring pattern so similar to that of the Monarch that you have to look carefully to distinguish the two. The Viceroy does not feed on milkweed so i
protected by its Mimicry.

On Sept. 10th, I checked my Trail Camera which had been set up near the outlet to Rocky Pond 3 weeks earlier and was delighted to see a picture of a doe and its fawn, a big beaver, and a BLACK BEAR. I wasn’t too surprised about the bear because I had picked up its scent in that
area a few days prior to picking up the camera.. Many chipmunks scurrying about including very young ones, likely the offspring of a second brood, which is not unusual.

In mid-August I hiked up to Muddy Pond hoping to see hundreds of migrating Canada geese, but only saw a few. I was happy to see that the beaver lodge at the north end of the pond was active with lots of recently chewed branches piled on the lodge. Numerous green frogs were seen at both ponds and a gray tree frog was calling near Trail Marker 24. A great blue heron was seen at Rocky Pond.
On a short hike on the last official day of summer, the forest was very quiet, gray squirrels were out and about and a Great Blue Heron was seen at Rocky Pond.

That’s it for this issue. Please stay on the trails and enjoy your time observing the wonderful wildlife of Pine Hill Park.