Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Spring Things - Mysteries of the Vestal Rail Trail

A walk this Sunday brought a number of natural mysteries - I hope some of my readers can help me.

For example, this purple plant - there don't seem to be any others in plain view on the trail.  It was perhaps a couple of feet high.  Any guesses?

Next, is a very tall tree.  The green leaves towards the bottom of the photo are from a different tree.


Rather, the mystery is what looks like pick blooms from a really tall tree in back of it.  I took this with a 10x zoom, and this is the best I can show you- sorry, but this was too tall for me to get a good picture.  Some women were looking at this tree when we arrived.  None of us could figure out what this other tree is.


I wish I had smell-o-blog for this next one.  I tried to get a closeup and it didn't work that well.  These are elongated, narrow clusters of small white flowers with yellow stamens.  They smelled very sweet.  Maybe someone can ID these from the shiny leaves in the center of the photo. One of the flowers is just to the right of center.



And finally, butterflies (?) were flittering around a Russian Olive tree.  A few minutes later I found one of the same variety, lying on the ground of the trail. Dying of natural old age?  Or injured and dying?  I don't know.  Does anyone?

Can anyone identify any of these mysteries for me?

4 comments:

  1. I miss the spring in upstate New York! I grew up there but relocated to Houston in the early 80's. Thanks for "taking" me back!

    Jennifer - (a new blogathon participant this year)

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    1. My pleasure, Jennifer. Good luck in the Blogathon!

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  2. The butterfly is a Red Admiral.

    I didn't know it off hand, instead I asked a entomologist friend. Before he could answer another friend that studied butterflies one summer told me. We are all from upstate NY as well. (Although, I'm in New Orleans now, and the entomologist is in St. Louis.)

    I'm still waiting to hear if they know anything about the flowers.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for researching my mystery butterfly and taking the time to try to ID the flowers also. I really appreciate it.

      Delete

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