Saturday, 10 April 2010 Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, Saugerties Highlights of some incidental observations while working at EBNP today include a first-of-season (FOS) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, several Palm Warblers (all yellow/eastern), and a FOS American Bittern. Several pairs of Wood Ducks continue, including one female incubating a clutch of 13+ eggs.
American Toads and Pickerel Frogs are vocalizing in the cove. Wood Frogs have hatched into hundreds of tadpoles in the vernal pools, and tens-of-thousands of mosquito larvae are present in virtually every area of standing water, with such areas being very widespread given all of the recent rain, mountain snow melt, and Esopus Creek running at flood level. Also of note was the presence of a very healthy and productive colony of the bright white Woolly Alder Aphid on the same clump of Specked Alder that hosted a colony of aphids and predatory Harvester butterflies last year. As some Harvesters overwinter in chrysalis and others as partially fed caterpillars, it will be interesting to monitor the colony for signs of feeding caterpillars over the next week or two. Steve M. Chorvas Saugerties, NY [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
