Fowler Pond

Fowler Pond is along Fowler Drive, on the Cary Institute's property, adjacent to the vegetable garden. It is a very small, and shallow pool of water, lined with aquatic vegetation, it's murky waters are filled with little fish, and the an occasional snapping turtle. I have resisted the temptation to jump in it on hot humid days, although some people do go swimming in it, I think it is a bit too mucky and full of algae and duckweed to offer much refreshment. But it is a beautiful spot to explore as well as to sit and read.

A couple of weeks ago I spotted this great egret hunting along the shore.

rabbits everywhere!

One of the first things I noticed after arriving at the Cary Institute and throughout the Hudson Valley area, are all the cottontail rabbits running around at the edges of fields and yards. Depending on the time of day, morning or dusk, they are easily a more common sight than squirrels. A few weeks ago I took a little time to get a few photos of some of them in the lowlands on the Cary Institute property. It is possible some of the rabbits I have seen are New England cottontails, although they are much less common, and are actually considered endangered in New Hampshire, with possibly fewer than 100 remaining in the state (link).

american robin

A project assistant here, working on various research projects caught this beautiful robin outside our house. These common little birds are often seen as harbingers of spring, even though they are usually year-round residents, they are less-visible roosting in the winter woods.

Around the Cary Institute and up the creek!

Two friends and I spent part of Saturday walking along Wappinger Creek and around the Cary Institute grounds. We found green frogs, painted turtles, some newts and enjoyed the beautiful weather, before the heat and humidity came back today. Thanks for a fun time and the hand modeling for the photos Jay and Katie!













This young painted turtle could really tuck tight into his shell!

Duckweed is the smallest flowering plant in the world! Jay's hand shows how thick the pond was with duck weed, it provided great cover for the frogs and turtles.

Exploring Bash Bish Falls (100th post!)

I recently explored Bash Bish falls again. I crossed the creek at the falls and went up the steep blue trail passing by a couple of picturesque pools (see below).

The best place to find some peace and quiet away from hordes of people is to go up beyond the falls, where a few people can be found exploring, but it is generally deserted. The creek at this point is very calm and is great spot to sit and read a book, which is exactly what I did for a few hours.


The water strider shadows looked like faces dancing across the rocks below.