by Wilton Corkern
On the way to work this morning I saw a single Osprey perched atop a dead tree trunk in the Accokeek Creek wetland. It occurred to me that this may be the last Osprey I’ll see in Piscataway Park this year. They begin heading south around Labor Day and have usually cleared out by the first day of fall.
The realization prompted me to use my walk to enjoy the late summer wildflowers in the “back 40” between Tobacco Road and the Potomac River. The rewards were greater than I expected. Tickseed Sunflowers had exploded into bloom after the recent rains. Taller Yellow Ironweed flourished near the path to the historic boundary stone marking the line between Charles and Prince George’s Counties. On the edges between meadow and forest, native Indian Grass glistened in the morning sun. A spotted fawn watched cautiously as I walked by. And all along the road, Yarrow bent under the weight of its own white blossoms. Wasps, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators binged on the flowers, racing against time.