More Spring Things

Different places, different things....

           Spring Beauty

         Riverside Park - Ottawa County Michigan

     Wild Geranium

                                               Running Strawberry Bush


 Box Turtle
Hofma Perserve  -  Grand Haven Township Park

     Creek somewhere

               Marsh Marigold

 Cedar Apple Rust

 Cedar Apple Rust after a warm rain

Trillium - Nodding Or maybe Drooping?

 Wild Blue Phlox at Riverside Park, Ottawa County

 Flooding at Connor Bayou Park along the Grand River

 Connor Bayou

 There is a trail under all that water.  Connor Bayou Park

 Connor Bayou Park

      Columbine

   Starflower

                               Mayapple

         Lupine

       Squaw Root just coming up.

            Herb Robert


  First blooming Orchid for me this year at Stearns Creek Park, Pink Lady's Slipper


           Wood Sorrel

                        Royal Fern

 

 This beaver spied Mike and I from about 400 feet across the water.  It came fast towards us, then swam back and forth in front of us.  Every so often it would slap its tail and dive under the water.  We watched it for a few minutes, I took some video with my phone, then we left the area. 

 

Today it is 93 degrees!  We went from a nice cool spring, to hot summer days!  Spring  always seems to go fast, it was a good spring.

Take Care!



Fred Russ Forest and Dowagiac Woods in April 2014

April 17, 2014 

An adventure to Fred Russ Forest in Cass County was the start for our day.  Here is some info on this park, "Nestled along the Volinia Creek, Fred Russ Forest and Newton's Woods County Park, is a nature lovers paradise with its old growth forests, acres of wildflowers and abundant plant life. Located on Marcellus Highway, one-half mile east of Decatur Road near Volinia, Russ Forest offers two picnic shelters with electricity, potable water, equestrian and hiking trails, fishing (designated trout stream), horseshoe pits, and much more. In cooperation with Michigan State Univeristy, Russ Forest is also considered a national landmark with 737 acres of virgin black walnut and white oak. It is also home to one of the largest standing Tulip Popular trees east of the Mississippi River. Beautiful landscapes and peaceful natural settings are the rule rather than the exception at this very popular county park."

We saw a few more wildflowers blooming this week.

          Trout Lily

              Dutchman's Breeches 



                 Marsh Marigold

                 Harbinger-of-Spring

               Thyme-leaf Speedwell

            Spring Beauty



This was an interesting plant that we found, Golden Saxifrage!

 I should have put the quarter in this shot - the flower on the Golden Saxifrage is only 1/4 inch in size, petals absent, anthers orange to red-orange.

         Face Tree

                  Tulip Tree

We walked about 2 1/2 hours in the park.  It was a perfect day to be in the forest.  Then we drove eight miles west to Dowagiac Woods!  We were here 6 days ago and we could see the difference in the plant growth.  The plants hadn't gone crazy, they might have with a bit of rain. 
We saw Marsh Marigold, Spring Beauty, Hepatica, Trout Lily, False Rue Anemone and

Bloodroot, all blooming.   We saw more Large-flowered Trillium, and Dwarf Ginseng but both were just in bud.
We did see many beautiful Sharp-Lobed Hepatica blooming, they are my favorite.

A maple tree had fallen down, some branches had flowers on them yet.

And we saw this Eastern Box Turtle.

 So that was our day, a very nice day.