4 1/2 hours on 133rd Ave and More!

2011 05 16 Yes I know I'm behind on the blog and I might just stop it because there is so much going on outside! 


Marie wanted to see what was blooming along 133rd Avenue in Allegan County.  Remember we have been here many times and there is a railroad bridge that you drive under (built in 1908).


As soon as we went under the railroad bridge we could hear the Amtrak train coming! We have wanted to see the train travel over this bridge for years, and today we saw it!

Marie and I spent 4 1/2 hours on an 8/10 of a mile stretch of 133rd Avenue.  We found many wildflowers just off the road on State property. 

                               Golden Ragwort

                                      Wild Geranium                  

                                       Marsh Marigolds

                                     Wild Columbine

        Horsetail, Scouring Rush, Take apart Plant

One-flowered Cancer Root (One-flowered Broomrape) Latin name Orobanche uniflora.
Wow I have only seen this plant one other time at Jubb's Bayou, these were growing right along the graded gravel road!

Cancer root is parasitic on other plants, so it has no need for green leaves.

Off we went to the place we now call Happy Boots,  M-40 and M-89.  Very wet woods where lots of wildflowers like to grow.  Again, remember we were here earlier this spring and I circled the Skunk Cabbage plants on one of my pictures? 

April 25 2011 Skunk Cabbage

Well this is that same area with the Skunk Cabbage done blooming but growing huge green leaves.

                                 Spring Beauty still hanging on.

 Purple Dead Nettle filling the fields, well this is just one.

   As we were on our way along some dirt road we came across these  lovely Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis ).  We also saw blooming Large-flowered Trillium, Dwarf Ginseng, Prickly Gooseberry, Aniseroot, Solomon's Seal, Cow Parsnip, violets, Miterwort.

Oh we also saw a Bittacomorpha clavipes!  See picture below.

      Common name is phantom crane fly

I hope you enjoy this post, it was fun thinking back to that day.

Road Trip to Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary

2011 05 09  Dowagiac Woods, Cass County Michigan.
It takes ~1 hour 40 minutes from my house to drive to Dowagiac Woods, this is a Michigan Nature Association Sanctuary. 
Link  http://www.michigannature.org/home/sancts/dowagiac/dowagiac.shtml


This is a sort of magical place, maybe because it's too far from home to visit often making it more special?  Any way it was another beautiful day to be in the woods.

This sign was near the entrance a few years ago, now it's gone.

Here are more pictures from Dowagiac Woods.

Long-spurred Violet

Buttercup, I didn't ID what kind, buttercups have shining petals.

Blue-eyed Mary

Wild Ginger

Bridge at Dowagiac Woods

Miterwort

Close-up of the Miterwort

Ohio Buckeye (Tree Flower)

          A very good day. 

Crockery Creek Natural Area

Sunday Mother's Day May 8 2011
It was a lovely day for a walk in a park, the best way to spend Mother's Day or any other day.  Favorite husband, favorite daughter, favorite dog were with for the Crockery Creek adventure.
Crockery Creek is an Ottawa County park.  Follow this link to see more info on this park, http://www.co.ottawa.mi.us/ParksVI/Parks/crockery.htm .

 Trail at Crockery Creek Natural Area 
         Ottawa County Michigan

              Spring Beauty

          Large-flowered Trillium

               Wood Anemone

      That's Tilly going for a swim.

            Jack-in-the-pulpit

 Violets, maybe Common Blue Violet?
        Now look close at the picture below.

Can you see the Sandhill Crane and the nest with an egg in it?
Another beautiful day in Michigan!

Large-Flowered Trillium Blooms at Aman Park Ottawa County Michigan

May 3 2011  Aman park is covered with Large-Flowered Trillium, a native perennial wildflower of Michigan, a member of the Lily family.  This park (331 acres) is along M-45 just east of the Grand River in Ottawa County about 6 miles west of the city of Grand Rapids.

                                    Large-Flowered Trillium

Also ready to bloom are hundreds of  Virginia Bluebell also a native perennial plant, this one is part of the Borage family.

     The Virginia Bluebell were just starting to open.

               Blue Cohosh through Marie's hand lens

Even though it was quite cold (42 degrees) my sister Marie and I spent 4 1/2 hours among the wildflowers at Aman Park.  Wildflowers were blooming! 

Some of the wildflowers we saw blooming, Bloodroot, Yellow Trout Lily, Large-Flowered Trillium, Virginia Bluebells, Spring Beauty, Round-Lobed Hepatica, Wild Ginger, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Dutchman's Breeches, Squirrel Corn, Cut-leaved Toothwort, Toothwort, Blue Cohosh, Early Meadow Rue, False Rue Anemone, various violets, Wild Blue Phlox, Large-flowered Bellwort, Purple Cress, and Buttercups.  Wow that's a few.  I probably missed some.

Wild Ginger

The Shad (Serviceberry) are blooming, so is Spicebush. 

We found some young Paw Paw trees at the north end of the park with new growth on the stems, flower buds I think.

                                                Paw Paw

Back at the car we enjoyed a cup of coffee and piece of cake then went to see wildflowers at Riverside Park in Robinson Township.  Riverside Park was flooded. 

                                                   Riverside Park Ottawa County