"The 331-acre natural area includes frontage on both the Grand River and Crockery Creek. About two miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails meander along the creek, mature wooded ridges, floodplain forest, open hardwoods, wet meadows and buttonbush swamps. These diverse communities provide habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna including bald eagles, sandhill cranes, red-headed woodpeckers and river otters."
June 3 It was time for a Family Walk at Black Lake Park in Norton Shores. There were 10 of us and this is what we saw.
June 4 - I went on adventure by myself to see if I could find Pitcher Plants. And I did!
I went back to this place June 13, and the Pitcher Plants were harder to see because the ferns have grown taller. They were still a nice find.
That same day I also saw Orange Hawkweed. And more...
June 5 Connor Bayou with Mike
It was the year for Maple-Leaved Viburnum, large patches of the woods were blooming with this shrub.
The Bladdernut had changed, from having clusters of bell-shaped flowers...
The first two photo are from May 22, 2018 at Connor Bayou.
On June 5 they looked like this, the clusters of bell-shaped flowers had transformed into large papery seed capsules! What a change.
June 6 Marie and I took a trip to Ludington State Park.
Lake Michigan from Ludington State Park
June 7 Connor Bayou with Mike. We walk at this park a few times a week, it is close to home and has a loop trail that is about 1.4 miles. It works out good for an evening walk.
June 11 I took a walk at Hofma Park to see the Indian Cucumber-root and I easily found some of these plants.
In a stand of Red Pines I found Cow Wheat for the first time this year!
June 13 Betsy and I went to two parks, first Rycenga Park then Black Lake Park!
Next Black Lake Park
Later that same day, Mike and I walked the loop through the woods at Connor Bayou.
And we found lots of Partridgeberry Blooming. I checked in our woods when we got home and sure enough there was Partridgeberry blooming there too.
We also saw Hare Figwort blooming!
And for the first time at this park I found Sicklepod (Arabis Canadensis).
And some more things we saw at Connor Bayou last night.
I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the things I have been seeing in nature!
5 comments:
That was beautiful! You have so many flowers there that I've never seen, and many of the ones I have seen are blooming earlier than they are here.
And your fungi is earlier too. I think I've seen maybe 3 or 4.
Beautiful photos, as always!
Thank you Allen. So many times you post something that I saw the same day! Marie and I have mentioned that several times. Or we will see something and we know what it is because we just saw it on your blog.
I checked the Partridgeberry just three days ago and didn't see anything close to blooming, now they are all blooming.
The Orange Fruited Horse-Gentian was just along the trail, a trail I have been on many times over many years. I wonder was this the first time it grew there? Did I just miss it other times? I have seen that plant at three other locations.
The Pitcher Plant is not too far very my house and easy to get to. Any other Pitcher Plant I have found are in different counties than mine. I will go to that place again to see if any orchids bloom there. We often find orchids and Pitcher Plants growing together.
I'm not sure how you keep up with your blog? You give so much great information and you are reliable on the identifications. I'm slow posting, and usually just dump the photos on.
I've seen several different fungi this spring that I haven't seen before. I make no attempt to identify fungi, unless it is something familiar. We are pretty convinced you have a team of researchers working for you!
Chris :)
It isn't easy keeping up with the blog. I usually work on each post for at least a couple of hours each night and then maybe half a day on Saturday and Sunday after I take all the photos.
I live alone so there's no one to tell me what a slouch I'm being.
I wish I did have a team of researchers! I really spend far too much time on plants!
Allen, I don't think any one would call you a slouch! Plants are just fun, and many hold special memories, as you have shared in your blog.
Blogging is usually last on my list of things to do. There are many other fun things to do first, including grandkids, kids, husband, and the list goes on.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a team of researchers? Marie takes notes of our adventures, and I take photos. Sometimes it takes both of us to remember a plant, but we usually figure it out.
Chris, you have outdone yourself with these photos! I know I say that a lot but I read a lot of blogs about plants. Their photos are not as good as yours, except maybe Allen's. Everything is so green. The Red Clover is lit up from within. The Running Strawberry Bush - which isn't a bush or a strawberry, nor does it run! Your Pitcher Plant photos are the best I've seen, such contrasting colors. When I see the next wildflower photo, I say, That's the best yet! Until the next one. Thanks for posting! M:)
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