Dateline: 11-12 June 2022
Don’t worry, just the BirdingPI.com weekend update featuring birds and a bee or two. Weather Saturday: humid, moderate/warm, clouds changing to sun by the afternoon. Sunday, rain in the morning, windy and mostly clear in the afternoon; humid and moderate (highs in the 70’s deg F). Beautiful weather Sunday afternoon for getting the crew out to Gull Point – nice enough it felt like being in Hawaii on a not-so-warm day. Very few folks out at Budny Beach; no one out along the Gull Point Trail.
First, birds! Several Eastern Bluebird (drab adult/female) spotted both Saturday and Sunday, by Pine Tree Beach and out at Gull Point:
Vegetation-wise, the honeysuckle and Black Locust are done blooming. Multiflora Rose is in full bloom = quite fragrant.
In trail news, the Marsh Trail is finally dry enough for easy passage without special gear. Though still quite muddy in spots. B-Trail remains too muddy for casual passage. Other trails locally muddy but generally in good shape.
Now, onto the bees! Flowering plant featured here = Desert False Indigo. (Thanks to the nice folks at the Natural History Museum at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center for help with this plant ID.) A lot of it currently in bloom along the Gull Point outer old trail, and on the point itself. This specimen near the NOAA weather station in the dunes at Pine Tree Meadows.
Certainly the bees were enjoying it. (Presumably Common Eastern Bumble Bee – Bombus impatiens.)
Coming up later this week, bird noises! Also, heron on the beach! And turtles! Wow.