We had completed the Blue Trail and Pond Loop and had no other plans for the sanctuary that day, but it was too early to head to our targeted brewpub. The map showed a bird blind that overlooked a pond not far from the parking area so we headed in that direction.
The blind was like a sauna on this day in the nineties so that was a short stay. But from the blind we had noted a striking Buttonbush shrub on the shore of a wetland, as noted in the title photo, and opted to cruise down to study it. A wetland is exactly where you expect to find the native Bottonbush, and if you have a “wet spot” in your garden this would be an excellent addition. The literature describes them as “relatively long blooming”, ranging from June through September. Unfortunately, I don’t have that low, damp area.
As we got closer we were amazed at the variety of pollinators that were visiting the unique, one inch flowers.
After the brief visit to the edge of the pond we elected to tour a small meadow that was on a nearby ridge. As we walked up to the meadow I was struck by the sea of green, gently waving in the slight breeze.
We didn’t see any signage, but the mowed border pulled us counter-clockwise around the meadow, and past a former tobacco barn. It is the green trail on the previous map.
The meadow flowers were just coming on but we did capture a couple:
Blue Salvia – displaying that rarest of color in nature, pastel blue. It is an occasional find in grasslands and is an important pollinator plant.
Butterfly Weed – it is somewhat unusual for us to find it without pollinators visiting.
Musk Thistle – is a non-native. Some consider it invasive but I have not seen it dominate a landscape as so many invasives do. It is also a pollinator favorite.
But then our attention was stolen by a grouping of Common Milkweed.
When you come upon Milkweed I would encourage you to stop and study the specimens because there is frequently a lot more going on than meets the eye.
After the comings and goings of Bumblebees and Honey Bees, we noted this more stationary Monarch Caterpillar. He was about 2 inches in length and probably approaching the time to pupate.
On a nearby Milkweed we also saw this guy, much smaller, probably measuring 3/4ths of an inch.
We have mentioned in previous essays that Butterfly Weed is a member of the Milkweed family. At first glance you wouldn’t think so, but if you look at the flower anatomy you note the similarity – five upright flower petals with five sepals arching away from the flower proper. Different colors, but very similar structure. Plants are classified largely on their flower structure.
Shortly after the Milkweed we noted Rattlesnake Master tucked in amongst the grasses. It got its name by the historic misconception that Native Americans used it to treat Rattlesnake bites. It is as rigid as it looks.
As we were completing our orbit around the meadow Caroline’s Merlin Bird ID App was taunting her with a tantalizing list of songbirds. Most were high up in the nearby tree edge, but she did find this Blue Grosbeak perched in the meadow.
As she was capturing those photos, I was off chasing my passion. I had noted a striking tree specimen nearby. In the open, trees tend to have a round crown as we see here.
The leaves were generic and the bark struck me as not a familiar one.
I had to go full tree nerd and pulled out my tree key – an algorithm, that allows me to identify trees not easily recognizable, by answering a series of questions. Leaves simple, alternate – Leaves not lobed – Leaves without teeth on the margin – Leaves without silver scales or yellow resin dots – Leaf veins pinnate – Plant unarmed (no thorns) – Not evergreen (deciduous) – Stipule scars do not encircle branch – Buds scaly – All leaves typically unlobed – Leaves not aromatic – Leaves lack a bristle at tip – Pith chambered – Bud scales more than two – the result – Nyssa syvatica – Tupelo tree. Kentucky is in its native range and it is typically found in wetlands. One subspecies however, Black Tupelo, will grow on dry uplands. It has beautiful red color in the fall.
In summary, this was an informal hike after our morning trail outing – a “random wandering” across a natural landscape, as noted in the title. There is a lot to be said for the informality of this type of nature observation – unhurried, peaceful, and surprisingly, always within eyesight of our vehicle. It is amazing what nature can pack into a relatively small acreage if we slow down long enough to observe it. Well done Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary. We will be back to continue our rambles across your campus.
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Photo credits to Caroline Burns Grizzle.
Overview:
Location – 1305 Germany Rd, Frankfort, KY. It is 99 miles south of downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – large gravel lot. There is an $8 per car fee payable at the parking lot.
Facilities – at the parking area.
Trail Conditions – mowed grass in meadow areas. Rolling terrain that would be considered an easy walk.
Print Map Link – https://bggreensource.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1_Full_Sanctuary_All_Trails_50_foot_Contours.pdf-compressed_1.pdf
Benches – none noted on this section of the campus other than in the bird blind.
Picnic Tables – several noted under a shelter near the parking lot.
Kids – kids 4 and over should do well.
Dogs – allowed on a leash.
Suggested Paired Hikes – there are many other trails at Buckley totaling 6 miles in length.
Links:
Thanks for an informative tour. We have never been very good at keyed identification guide, so now we rely on the iSeek app which seems pretty reliable.