Jim and I walked the trail at Dry Run Creek last Friday. It was a gorgeous day. The forest floor was covered in lesser celandine, and we also saw spring beauties, violets, and bloodroot.

There were some nice large areas where cut-leaf toothwort was plentiful.

We heard the usual birds-- fish crows, red-bellied woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, a possible pileated, and, happily, we saw a turkey. Jim was disappointed in how little native understory and shrub layer there was and how much autumn olive, garlic mustard and multiflora rose exists on the property.

As we were walking, we met a couple whose property backs onto the trail. They were very appreciative of the Greenway for preserving this land and thought that the work on the trail has been spectacular. Since they walk the property regularly (with their dog on a leash!), they said they’d be happy to report anything they see that they think we might be interested in. They told us they’d seen a fox on the property and that the Mercer County Wildlife Center released 3 baby screech owls on the property. They asked us to keep an eye out for them or their id tags, should that be all that remains of them.