Happy Boots and Purple Fringed Orchids in Allegan County!

On Monday July 17 2017, Marie and I took a trip to one of our favorite sites, Happy Boots!  A wet, muddy, jungle of a forest in the Allegan State Game Area.  It never disappoints! 
We saw 12 Purple Fringed Orchids blooming, I'm sure there were more than 12 but they are not always easy to find in this green tangle of a maze.  But they are so fun to find.
First here is a look at the place.

 Happy Boots

The plants you see here are Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus).  The Purple Fringed Orchid enjoys hiding among these Lizard tails.

 

And below are the Purple Fringed Orchids.

 Here are some other things I found interesting on this trip.

 

 Moth - Haploa clymene

 Wild Leek blooming, the leaves of this plant come up very early in spring but the leaves die away and now it blooms!  Just a stem coming right out of the dirt with the flower.

 Here at Sand Creek, there was a small bridge but it was replaced recently with this culvert. 

 Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis helleborine) a non-native but still quite pretty.

 There were many of these guys flying around.  Very friendly.

 This is one of Marie's and my favorite wildflowers, Heal All (Prunella vulgaris).  From above the plant, then straight on.  I think the flowers look like tiny orchids.

 

 And then we found Monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens)  Figwort family,  blooming.  It use to bloom near the bridge but that area was destroyed when the culvert was put in, luckily the plant found a new home.

 

 Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)  This is a wildflower, not a mushroom or fungus.

 Spotted Touch-Me-Not, also called Jewelweed, (Impatiens capensis)

 

Another Purple Fringed Orchid, just hanging out in the woods.

 I spotted these little fungus on this tree, taking a closer look they are tiny mushrooms of some sort.

 
We saw a few butterflies, moths, and dragonflies - this one below just stopped fluttering for a second on this leaf.

 

 

 This was just another of our fun outings in the woods.  I have so many more great trips to tell you about, soon I hope.

Bass River Recreation Area

Monday is our regular adventure day, mostly, although we sometimes add a Thursday in there. July 12 we checked out Bass River Rec Area owned by the State of Michigan.

This area is over one thousand acres of land and water, some say 1665 acres, I didn't actually measure it. We have been here many times before and have stumbled across orchids, gentians, and many other cool wildflowers.

We both have knee high boots so we can get into those mucky places better, that's where I always think the rare orchids will be. Since this was a gravel pit we don't go far into the water because it quickly gets very deep.

With so many acres it is easy to get turned around here, but with big Bass Lake, the Grand River, and well traveled two tracks you don't get lost. We did walk over 3 1/2 miles trying to find the hidden place where we first found Ladies' Tresses, even though we knew it was too early for them to be blooming.
Again it was a great day, even with the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes. We also made a quick stop at Connor Bayou which is an Ottawa County Park.

Whorled Milkweed











Field of Everlasting Pea! (I call these Everlasting Gobstoppers)

Scouring Rush (Horsetail or Take-Aparts)

American Germander

 




Clymene Moth




Chicory




Hidden pond at Bass River Rec Area