Harbinger-of-Spring blooming in Ottawa County 2015

            April 3rd, 2015      Harbinger-of-Spring at Grand River Park!

We started the day at Minnie Skwarek Nature Preserve in Spring Lake Township, we weren't expecting to see wildflowers yet, except for Skunk Cabbage.  And we did see plenty of Skunk Cabbage, also two snakes, liverwort, waterstriders, robins, and we heard frogs.  There was snow in a few places along the trail.

 We spent about an hour and a half wandering this preserve before moving on to the next park.  I wanted to check the Harbinger-of-Spring at Ottawa County's Grand River Park in Georgetown Township.  It was very muddy at this park but the trails were passable with our boots.  Soon we were in the Paw Paw patch and found Harbinger-of-Spring!  It's a small plant so you need to step carefully and look closely.

Do you see the flowers?  There are four plants near the log.  

This is what the Paw Paw bud looked like.  There were many Pussy Willow in the fields, and the dried grasses looked like a flowing river.

 We walked for a couple of hours then sat and listened to the frogs, and birds.  It was a good day. 

Spring Wildflowers in Michigan

March 18 2012  Our unusual Sunday afternoon walk?  My sister Sugar and niece Amy came with Mike and me for this walk.  Well, Amy is young and has good eyes, she spotted all the wildflowers first. 

 Doesn't look like much as we start out down the trail.

                

   Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) Purslane family

Blood Root

         Blood Root (Sanguinaria canadensis) Poppy Family

   Purple Cress (Cardamine douglasii) Mustard family

   I'm not sure what these are, puff balls?

    Frog, Leopard Frog?

  Bug

   Snake, Garter Snake

Leopard Frog

            Frog

         Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum) Mint family    

  Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica) Figwort Family

As usual my photos aren't as crisp as I would like, but that's what I get for not having the patience to use an advanced camera, just my good old point and shoot.  I just want the flower to look like what I see with my eyes but not have to fuss with different settings.  If I had a better memory I could just look at the flower then remember it.  I guess I don't have to take pictures at all, I have lots of books with pictures of the flowers already.  Hm...

Needless to say I had fun.