2021-5-18, Weir Farm, Wilton and Ridgefield, CT

 I visited the various preserves in the vicinity Weir Farm on 2021-5-7, 2021-5-13, and 2021-5-18.  Here's a link to an interactive map I made which has location numbers that I'll refer to: https://arcg.is/1qLeqC .  Here's a static screenshot of the southern part of the interactive map.


Here's a static screenshot of the northern part of the interactive map.


1.  A somewhat overgrown green-blazed trail met Nod Hill Road in Wilton.  There didn't seem to be any good parking opportunities here.


2.  A green frog (Lithobates clamitans) on the green trail.  You can tell this is a green frog and not a bull frog by the ridge going straight back from the frog's eye.


Near 2.  The newly emerged leaves of a sweet pepperbush shrub (Clethra alnifolia) were bronze.


Near 2.  Parts of the green trail were wet, but there were lots of conveniently located stones.



3. A dwarf ginseng, (Panax trifolius) plant on a blue-blazed trail.



Near 3 on the blue trail, a tunnel through mountain laurel.



4.  The blue trail met Turtle Back Road, which is a quiet, but narrow, road.  You could probably park there.

5.  A scene near Location 5.






Near 5.




Near 5, an orange-blazed trail went southerly along the western side of  East Branch Comstock Brook.  The trail was very overgrown on 2021-5-7.  I did not follow the blazes to the southern end of the trail.


Near 6. 


Near 6.


Near 6.


7. This blaze, "white with a vertical blue line down the middle," signifies that this trail is part of the "Norwalk River Valley Trail System."  There were also yellow blazes on this section of trail.


8.  I parked here on 2021-5-7.  There was off-road parking for three cars.

9.  These posts with protruding horseshoes appeared in several places in Weir Farm.



Near 10.  On 2021-5-18, there was lots of  European Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis, in bloom near the buildings.


Near 10.


Near 10.


Near 10.   A sunken garden.


11.  This is the main visitors' parking for Weir Farm.  Maybe twenty cars could park here.

12.  A stone picnic table.



Near 12.  Many of these flowers were growing in the mown grass.  The identification I came up with from www.inaturalist.org was common star-of-Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum.


13.  The painter Julian Alden Weir had this pond built.




14.  I found this common watersnake, Nerodia sipedon, at the western end of the dam that created Weir Pond.


15.  Near the northern end of the set of preserves that I am calling "Weir Farm," I found this lone grave.


15.  A close up.



15.  The setting for the lone grave.


16.  On an orange-blazed trail. Note that this section of trail is also part of the Norwalk River Valley Trail System.


Near 16.






David Reik


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