In western New York State in the northern part of the Genesee River valley lies the town of Rush, NY. A small and relatively placid location, especially compared to the to activity and bustle of Rochester, NY lying further north along the river in Monroe County.
In this town lies ~60 acres of land that I get the opportunity to visit 4-5 times a year. Most of it is leased out to be farmed, and thus it is regularly plowed and growing corn or soybeans. Other parts, such as a old woodlot, are relatively undisturbed by humans beyond a few hunters and visits from my brother (the owner) and myself.
Also included in the terrain are the fields borders consisting of brush, trees, and stones removed from the fields; irregular meadows of goldenrod and other local plants; secondary growth trees; plus honeysuckle and multiflora rose forming nearly impenetrable thickets.
There is nothing outstanding here that makes it stand out from nearby areas; the same trees, brush, animals, and sandy soil and rocks indicating glaciation in the past. Let’s take a look anyways.
Between the road and the lower field (usually growing corn) is a ditch and the eastern US equivalent of a low hedgerow. Trees, bushes, grasses, etc. that are not mowed and are generally left alone if the farm equipment can get past them. Further along the road where there thickets beyond the ditch rather than a corn field there are more trees, including apple and oak, plus obvious deer paths that cross the ditch and road.
The slope towards the upper field is fairly easy. The border between the two fields consists of a pseudo-rock wall from field clearing, older and larger trees (including one with a tree stand in it*), and additional obstacles consisting of brambles (raspberry usually) and large quantities of poison ivy. My brother says there is a fox den at one point down in the rocks, but I have not seen it.
The edge of the field itself has errant corn plants, wild onion, and various other sun-loving plants growing on it.
The upper field stretches out over the top of the rise. Beyond it is the old farm path and then the wood lot. To the east running down towards another road is an irregular shaped field not currently in cultivation — this is the area full of goldenrod and low meadow colonizing trees. To the west the field runs down to the property line and eventually the Genesee River.
* — The one hunter does not like using it due to the fact that a local raccoon likes using it as a latrine.
Crossing the field involves walking between rows of corn during the growing seasons.
The soil is more sandy in some places more than others, has lots of small rocks mixed in, and occasionally a fragment of chipped flint can be found since the high ground in this area was lived on for thousands of years.
The far side of the field is another place to get past rocks, poison ivy, and brambles in order to transition into the more mature forest of the former woodlot. This transition area is also where a lot of wildlife is seen; hawks (sorry, no pictures yet), amphibians (see below and the leopard frog of the title), white tail deer, squirrels, chipmunks, the usual birds, and a lot of insects as well.
In the woods there is sufficient shade to reduce the amount of undergrowth and make walking around a little easier.
This area gets visited on most trips here. Mushrooms (chanterelles), wild garlic, wild leeks, and other edibles can be found here in the various seasons.
Lower ground to the southeast collects water in the spring and it eventually flows out via the stream. The area is navigable in the autumn and winter, but becomes quite swampy the rest of the year. Home to lots of mosquitoes, skunk cabbage, and other plants.
I will see about making follow-up diaries and more pictures from later visits to this area. Possibly to the point of assembling views across the different seasons of some of the same features. And also try to get some better wildlife pictures, especially the hawks.