Second post of June 12, 2021 trip to WPR.
Cross River, Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
New York fern (Parathelypteris noveboracensis), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Mosquito Bulrush (Scirpus hattorianus), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Knapweeds (Centaurea), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Meadow Hawkweed (Pilosella caespitosa), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Linnaean NY field trip participants, Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Linnaean NY field trip participants, Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021 
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) nest, Ward Pound Ridge 6/12/2021
I so enjoyed this gallery of flora at Ward Pound Ridge, Sherry. You did a wonderful job of sharing the overview and the details of this marvelous place. I loved seeing the ferns, so vibrant, and the photo of the knapweeds was delightful. I also liked seeing the blue-gray gnatcatcher nest, so unique. They breed in our woods in summer but I have never seen the nest. What a lovely day you had.
Thank you Jet. 🙂 The tiny nest of the gnatcatcher is so well camouflaged it is only possible to find it when the bird flies in.
My first bit of amusement for the day came when I spent a few minutes trying to find the Blue-grey gnatcatcher on that branch. Then I got a cup of coffee, came back, and discovered that explanatory word: nest! What amazing construction. Do they enter from below?
We have a non-native hawkweed here that looks quite similar. Is yours native? I was interested to see how closely your knapweed resembles our American basketflower. The basketflower has been moved to a new genus, but it used to be in Centaurea. I’ll be posting basketflowers soon.
The nest has a tiny hole on top for the tiny bird. It sits inside that little mossy dome.
I somehow doubt that the hawkweed is native. There are so many invasives. I look forward to your next post.