Week 26 - Green-Wood Cemetery

We are now at the halfway mark through 2024. Over the past week we saw most of the cemetery's breeding bird's offspring finally fledge. There are, however, still a few species with either chicks on the nest or still incubating eggs. Some trees have begun to fruit and wildflowers are proliferating with a simultaneous increase in pollinating insects.

I finally got a peek at two nestling Red-bellied Woodpeckers. They are developed enough that I expect them to be leaving their nest very shortly. The Eastern Kingbirds are now feeding hatchlings, but the Cedar Waxwings and American Goldfinches appear to still be incubating eggs. Fledgling Barn Swallows are diving and swooping around Sylvan Water and the Hill of Graves with their parents. I still haven't found their nests, but am certain they are either within the cemetery or close by, just outside the fences.

Nestling Red-bellied Woodpeckers

Eastern Kingbird chicks

Cedar Waxwing on nest

Juvenile Barn Swallows

The wild garlic is ripe for the picking but most of the wildflowers are in their prime pollen producing stage.

Wild Garlic

Woodland Pinkroot

Astilbe

Milkweed and Bumblebees

Narrowleaf Mountain Mint is attracting a diversity of pollinating species. I haven't seen many skippers or other butterflies yet, but lots of bumblebees, honey bees, droneflies, wasps, etc.

Narrowleaf Mountain Mint

Great Golden Digger Wasp

Margined Soldier Beetle

Boxelder bug

Here are a few more recent blooms that I've been keeping an eye on:

Butterfly Weed and Sweat Bee

St. John's Wort and Bumblebee

Yucca

Globe Thistle

The invasive vine Meadow Bindweed is, unfortunately suddenly spreading quickly within the long grass of the Hill of Graves. I'm sure it exists in other locations, but seems to be pretty ferocious in this one spot right now.

Meadow Bindweed

Dragonflies are now inhabiting nearly every corner of the cemetery. While the ponds and lake seem to have the greatest abundance, some species are patrolling the grassy habitats of Green-Wood. Some have already laid eggs and I observed one Common Green Darner nymph already emerging from the Crescent Water. An incredible swift, effective hunter they are a challenging prey for swallows, swifts, flycatchers and herons.

Blue Dasher

Great Blue Skimmer

Eastern Amberwing

Common Green Darner nymph

Some of the trees are slowly beginning to fruit. The most noticeable are the linden trees. The roads and pathways are now littered with millions of dried yellow flowers.

Little-leaf Linden

Black Tupelo

Kentucky Coffee tree

Finally, Common Snapping Turtles are approaching egg laying season. If you see one of these huge reptiles out of the water, I recommend giving them some space and definitely do not attempt to return them to the water!

Common Snapping Turtle