Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge


Not too much writing, I think the pictures say enough. I am waiting for some ID help with a couple of flowers so please sing out if you recognize something that I do not, or if a name looks wrong. 

Our last trip was in mid spring, and this late summer was beautiful. 

How do you get there? You take the A train. But of course. But in the other direction. Disembark at Broad Channel. Then you walk through a place like movies. Small, modest beach houses, low chainlink fences, clean streets, cemented front yards. Beware of the dog. Garden gnomes presiding over gravel. American flags. You walk some more to Crossbay Boulevard, take a right, walk... 

And then you are here.



Eupatorium dubium - dwarf joe pye weed. All of 3' - 4'.




So cranesbill-ish. Epilobium hirsutum, hairy willow herb (see comments).



Solidago. End-of-summer flower.


Hibiscus moscheutos - swamp rose mallow.



This is New York City.


I mean, you take the subway...



The body armour of one of dozens of washed up horseshoe crabs.


At last, a live one.


A black skimmer.


? [8 July 2020: Pluchea odorata! Saltmarsh fleabane. Searched for two hours for the same plant's ID after a recent visit, and stumbled...on my own blog, and the image above, which I had completely forgotten about, having combed through this botanical list, first. Thought the flowers resembled Ageratina altissima, so in the Asterceae family, now knew it had a strong smell, and...phew.]


Very invasive and pretty loosestrife.




? Very aromatic leaves. Lamiaceae...


Northern bayberry, of course. Time to collect the ripe berries.


And beach plums - Prunus maritima. Big smile. And delicious. Two of the bushes I remembered from last year had been hacked back, but...hacked. Just sawn off. It was horrible. Who did that? Curious. Three others were dripping with ripe fruit, and guarded by a large Canadian goose.

I ain't scared of no goose.

There's a great plant list here and no doubt I'll find what I am looking for when I go through it carefully. Later.

7 comments:

  1. Lovely photos and tour. Next time you ought to do it by bike. The path will take you from Flatbush Ave past the horses at Jamaica Bay Riding Academy, Canarsie Pier and those old landfills near Starrett City, which are on their way to becoming parkland. You'd probably enjoy the scenery.

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  2. NYC? How can it be? I want to see it ALL! Still hoping for that spring trip...

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  3. Hello Marie :o) More great words and stunning pictures - I'm becoming addicted to your blog, I kid you not!! Am a Brit gardener who is not familiar with plants over there in the States but the purple 'cranesbill-ish' plant looks very like a willowherb, maybe lesser?

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  4. I can only say-great pictures! And the atmosphere of late summer is visible!

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  5. Sweetgum T - your hood :-) Yeah, I'm sure we would!

    webb - I know - come!

    Pam, it was. The trip is worth it.

    jelli - thank you, and I think you've nailed it. It seems to be hairy willow herb, Epilobium hirsutum, though I must check the leaves again. And two willow herbs are on the list that I linked to, so easier to confirm!

    Hi Ola - thank you, and we'll go back for some more...

    Belinda, and it's not just the images. You do feel good being out there. What I did not photograph, though, was the jets taking off!

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