Bass River with Gentian and a Tree Frog

2011 09 01 September!
This is the time of year to see Closed (Bottle) Gentian at Bass River in Ottawa County Michigan.  Here is what we saw on the first day of September.

 This is where the gentian live.

I'm pretty sure this is a Gray Treefrog.  Check out the book Michigan Frogs, Toads,and Salamanders by James Harding.

                 Nodding Ladies' Tresses

Purple Gerardia (Gerardia purpurea) we saw lots of these, very nice.

Black and Yellow Garden Spider
 (Argiope aurantia)

  Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) or is it a
                     Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)?

Aphids, yellow ones.

I kept noticing a ghostly flying insect, I followed it until it landed on a cattail, it was a Praying Mantis.

Red bugs on a swamp Milkweed pod, Eww enough with the bugs!

Cardinal Flower was still blooming, in the photo below the red is all Cardinal Flower.

Swamp Smartweed

This is, I think, Centaury (Centaruium umbellatum) another flower in the Gentain family.

Another fun day a Bass River Rec. Area!

Natural Areas in Ottawa County

       Upper Macatawa Natural Area Ottawa County Michigan
2011 08 22 Adams Street Landing, Hawthorn Pond Natural Area, West Upper Macatawa Natural Area, Upper Macatawa Natural Area (84th Ave entrance).

First stop - Adams Street Landing 

                 Moth Mullein

 Adams Street Landing, I guess you could put a kayak in here.

Bike path leads back under Adams Street so you don't have to cross the very busy road.

 Under Adams Street

Bindweed

Chicory

Next stop Hawthorn Pond but they were working here so we didn't get to see the pond.

 We did see Heal All (Prunella vulgaris).

On to West Upper Macatawa Natural Area, this place is more for hunting, it was wet, overgrown, and lots of mosquitoes.  We didn't go far here.

Across the street, now we are on the east side of 84th Avenue, to Upper Macatawa Natural Area.

Rough-fruited Cinquefoil

We walked a long way here and it was hot, but had neatly mowed paths. 

A hot day but nice.

Hudsonville Nature Center and Ottawa County's Bend Area

2011 August 15  Hudsonville Nature Center is always a fun place to visit, it has a rare combination of vegetation and landforms.  The Nature Center features three miles of woodchip trails, picnic areas, boardwalks, overlook decks, and scenic vistas, and more.  
Marie and haven't been here since last November!  Now why didn't we come here in the spring?  Well we were here on this beautiful morning, a comfortable 62 degrees.  
We roamed the Prairies...

We were deep in dark Ravines...

We also visited Bend Area of Ottawa County.

Flowering Spurge

Smartweed

Cicada shell

                A Nice Day!