August 7, 2018 An adventure to Genevieve Casey Nature Sanctuary located in Oceana County Michigan.
Mike and I continued our walks at Connor Bayou Park a few times a week. For a few years we have noticed dry dead leaves on several Shad (Serviceberry) trees. I finally looked it up and I think it might be Fireblight. "A destructive, highly infectious and widespread disease caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora".
The trail along the Grand River has been flooded, actually for a couple years, but on this day it was passable for a short ways. We did see different plants here along the water, Pickerelweed, Swamp Milkweed, and Forget-Me-Nots.
August 9th Betsy and I visited Hofma Preserve.
August 11 Mike and I were able to walk at Crockery Creek Natural Area, another one of the parks we visit regularly.
In the fields and along the roads we were seeing some type of Ironweed. For me just knowing it is Ironweed is good enough. It is a beautiful color which really makes it stand out.
August 14 Marie and I ventured out on a very hot, humid day to a section of Allegan State Game Area. We saw many kinds of plants, some blooming. We walked about 2 1/2 miles that day. And never saw another person.
We were in heavily wooded areas and kept getting strong, thick webs caught on our faces, EWW! So I found a nice branchy stick and led the way. The webs were hard to see and there were many of them right across the trail at face level. When we stopped for a break, I noticed I had one of the spiders on my stick. Some kind of spider I haven't seen before. Marie did some research on it later and found that it was most likely Spined Micrathena Spider.
I also saw this caterpillar, but didn't touch it of course.
We also followed a sort of trail to Bear Creek. Finally we get to be near water!
August so far has been hot, humid, and dry for the most part. Some areas near us had rain but we seem to keep missing it. It is still beautiful out there. I hope you enjoy these adventures.
I love that earth star fungus you found. I've been looking for those for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI also love the purple fringed orchid. You seem to have a lot of them there.
I thnk the plant under that last purple orchid photo is a skullcap. Maybe mad dog skullcap.
Nice to see the bladdernut and wild yam. I've never seen either.
That spider is very strange!
Great hikes. You're lucky to have these places!
Thanks, Allen. Yes we do have so many open spaces to go. Although many allow hunting, so soon we will have to avoid some of these places. If you ever come to Michigan I will share all our best places for things you haven't seen in N.H.!
ReplyDeleteThat Purple Fringed Orchid was right next to the boardwalk, it was beautiful. Skullcaps, I tried to figure them out, but they are confusing to me. I remember the first time Marie told me the name, Mad Dog Skullcap, I thought she made it up!
We see many small skullcap, I really like the color of them.
We see tons of bladdernut at parks along the Grand River. They have three leaves, and grow in areas of Poison Ivy so I look but don't touch.
The spider, Marie, identified. The webs were very strong, apparently the spider is harmless to humans, but if I saw one on me, it wouldn't be harmless! And yet it was fascinating.
Marie and I were out again yesterday. Another day in the Allegan Forest, Allegan State Game Area. We even found a new plant, Naked Stem Sunflower! Fun.
:)