Central Ohio NatureSpring Wildflowers Along The Darby
Posted on April 29, 2018
Even for Ohio it’s been an unusually fitful spring, with a warm sunny day followed by one that is cool cloudy and blustery with maybe a little rain or light snow thrown in for good measure. On a recent sunny day we decided to check out the wildflowers along a “new to us” trail that is accessed off Gardner Rd. in Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. We were not disappointed as we walked through a wonderful arboretum of nature’s spring.
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Phlox, Big Darby Creek Metro Park.
The subtle beauty of Large Flowered Bellwort. Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Toadshade Trillium as a buttercup competes for our interest, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
A Spring Beauty gets pollenated, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Jacobs Ladder, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Flowering tree, (Donna).
Large-flower Trillium, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Large-flowered Bellwort, Big Darby Creek Metro Park.
White Trout Lilies, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
A beautiful example of a Toadshade Trillium, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
A shaft of light illuminates the beauty of a White Trout Lily, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
A Spring Azure visits flowering Phlox, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Flowering cherry, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Very blue Spring Beauties, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Virginia Bluebells were very common, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Hispid Buttercup, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Purple Cress, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Large Flowered Trillium, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
With an open forest canopy this trout lily celebrates the warm spring sun, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
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Even with wildflowers to enchant it’s difficult not to notice other things.
In the midst of their nest building activities Blue Jays are hard to ignore, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
A Chipping Sparrow with it’s beautiful rufus crown catches our eye, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Feathers sparkling in the sun a Starling investigates a nesting cavity, Griggs Reservoir Park.
This time of year along roadside ditches, rivers, and lakes Red-winged Blackbirds are everywhere, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Less noticeable than their male counterpart the female Red-winged Blackbirds have arrived in central Ohio, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
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They seemed to be getting along just fine . . .
Tree Swallows, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
and then . . .
Just what they were communicating remains a mystery, (Donna).
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The Yellow-rumped warblers continue to be a common site at Griggs Reservoir Park.
Female Yellow-rumped Warbler, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Kingbird, our first sighting of the year at Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
A Palm Warbler along the shore of Griggs Reservoir.
Another look.
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For nature lovers in central Ohio that have never visited Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, do so, this quietist of the Columbus metro area metro parks is one of our favorites. In just a few days we’ve seen a noticeable increase in the green of the forest canopy so the days of spring wildflowers are fleeting. In the last few days there have been reports of an increase of warbler migrants moving though the area so in the near term we will not run out of things to enchant.
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Thanks for stopped by.
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Emergent Buckeye leaves.
The Earliest Wildflowers
Posted on March 28, 2018
Some folks may be wondering what happened to “Central Ohio Nature” during the past two months so we thought we better post something to let everyone know we’re alive and well. Actually a little over a week ago, after a winter escape to Florida where we traveled to various state parks and explored numerous natural areas, we found ourselves back in Ohio. Two days of warm weather followed us home before the snow and cold returned on what just happened to be the first official day of spring.
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With camera, canoe, and hiking boots, and a small travel trailer in tow, we feel very blessed to have been able to spend time in warmer climes for a portion of the winter. For the nature lover the beauty, romance, and magic of Florida’s wild areas continually beckons one to explore.
Sunset, Myakka River State Park
Trail, Kissimmee Prairie State Park.
Bobcat tracks, Kissimmee Prairie State Park.
Great Blue Heron, Kissimmee Prairie State Park.
Gator, Kissimmee Prairie State Park.
Tiger Creek, Lake Kissimmee State Park.
Lily Pads on pond, Apalachee Wildlife Management Area.
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But I digress, this post is about central Ohio’s earliest wildflowers even though mid-March nature in Ohio doesn’t always beckon. One has to journey out with intention and look closely for the magic. The landscape is often rather drab as the below pictures of some of the more interesting features of the early spring woods will attest.
At Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park a vernal pool creates a point of interest in the otherwise still drab landscape. “Vernal pools (often the product of snow melt and early spring rain) are nurseries for a host of species. Big black and yellow spotted salamanders crawl silently along the pool floor to find a suitable place for egg-laying. Caddisflies, dragonflies, mosquitoes and other invertebrates abound in these small, still waters. All of these species evolved larvae that develop relatively quickly before the pool dries out”. Ref: Adirondack Almanack.
Unlike the clear water in the previous picture this pool, a remnant of recent high water along Big Darby Creek, is supporting green algae no doubt fortified but agricultural runoff, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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On the last warm day before the snow, armed with my wife’s encouragement, off we went to look for Snow Trillium a favorite early spring wildflower. This small flower, perhaps an inch across, is not as common as it was in the past no doubt the result of habitat destruction. While we are aware of locations where it usually blooms, it’s never certain from one year to the next that it will be seen. An additional challenge is that the flowers don’t hang around long. Once located, we walk carefully and take pictures sparingly as the flower’s small size makes it difficult to see and easy to step on. In addition the soil on the ravine slope where it was blooming was easily disturbed.
Snow Trillium, Franklin County.
Snow Trillium take 2, Franklin County, (Donna).
Snow Trillium take 3, Franklin County, (Donna).
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Now more excited about our prospects, we set off to look for another favorite early spring wildflower, Harbinger of Spring, a few days later. This very small bloom, pollinated by commensurately small bees and flies, is much more common than the trillium. However, due to it’s very small size and the fact that it’s flowers are fleeting and fade away soon after they bloom, it is often missed.
Harbinger of Spring, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
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As we continued to look for additional examples of Snow Trillium and Harbinger of Spring in the woods of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, other just starting to emerge wildflowers revealed their presence.
Emerging Virginia Bluebell, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Hepatica, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Hepatica take 2, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Hepatica take 3, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Hepatica take 4, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Emerging Purple Cress, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Bloodroot, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Bloodroot take 2. Still not open two hours after we first saw it, this flower will almost certainly loose at least one petal shortly after blooming making it a challeng to photograph.
Emerging Toadshade Trillium, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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Thinking it would be good to include a few critter pics in this post we couldn’t help but notice that we were being watched as we looked for signs of new life in the forest floor leaf litter.
Fox Squirrel, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
White-breasted Nuthatch, Griggs Reservoir Park.
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That about wraps it up for this post. It’s good to be back and we look forward to sharing more experiences as spring unfolds in central Ohio. Also, we will undoubtedly share some of the special things seen during our recent stay in Florida. Thanks for stopping by.
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PS: Right within the city limits along the Scioto River near downtown Columbus, and a short 5 mile bike ride from our house, a new eagle’s nest has appeared. This is truly exciting for those of us who, given the ravages of DDT, would have had to travel a considerable distance to see such a thing in our youth.
Bald Eagle on nest, Columbus, Ohio.
High Banks Spring Walk; Concretions Seen, Warblers Heard
Posted on April 27, 2017
It was a beautiful day for a hike at Highbanks Metro Park with friends. Warblers were our main objective but no doubt there would be other things to fascinate if the warblers decided not to cooperate.
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One of those things turned out to be concretions. We’ve hiked and explored High Banks for years but one thing we’ve never noticed are the concretions that exist along creek bottoms in the park. This partly due to the fact that they are not visible from the main trail and generally we avoid going off trail so as to not damage the landscape which, as is the case with most metro parks, is easily overrun. In this particular case we wondered why there was a worn path leading off the main trail so we decided to follow it for awhile.
According Wikipedia, “A concretion is a hard, compact mass of matter formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles, and is found in sedimentary rock or soil. Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur. Concretions form within layers of sedimentary strata that have already been deposited. They usually form early in the burial history of the sediment, before the rest of the sediment is hardened into rock. This concretionary cement often makes the concretion harder and more resistant to weathering than the host stratum.”
Typical of the area in High Banks Metro Park where concretions might be found.
Sometimes one might see the rock formations as just random.
But other times things seem just a little different.
The origin of some shapes are difficult to figure out.
Others not so much.
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After the fascination of the concretions we decided to wander down the trail and see what warblers we might find.
Early morning sun filters through the trees at High Banks.
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While not warblers, we hadn’t gone far when several Ruby-crowned Kinglets appeared in low lying bushes and weren’t shy about displaying their ruby crowns. They weren’t as good about sitting still of a picture. Along the Olentangy River Yellow-throated Warblers could be heard but not seen high in the Sycamores.
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Other birds were more cooperative.
Tufted Titmouse
White-throated Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Female Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Pheobe
Okay, I know I’m not a bird but would you take my picture?
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As is often the case in the spring if one thing eludes there are always other things to enjoy. On this particular day it was trilliums many of which had turned pink as well as the many other wildflowers.
Large-flowered Trillium
There were a number of beautiful specimens.
There were also nice groupings . . .
Standing at attention, almost.
and phlox trillium bouquets.
Phlox and Large-flowered Trillium.
Other types of trilliums were also seen.
Red Nodding Trillium, (Donna).
Nodding Trillium, (Donna)
Another view of a Nodding Trillium, (Donna).
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May Apples were starting to bloom.
May Apples
Hiding under the leaves the flower is not always easy to see, (Donna).
A closer look.
View along the trail, High Banks Metro Park.
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Other flowers, some not real common on central Ohio, were also seen.
Wild Geranium, (Donna).
Soloman’s Seal, (Donna).
Philadelphia Fleabane, (Donna).
Dame’s Rocket, (Donna).
Corn Salad, not real common, (Donna).
Purple Cress, (Donna).
Goldenseal, also not a common flower. In herbal medicine, goldenseal is used as a multi-purpose remedy.
Dogwood
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To one that is so inclined, time spent in nature feeds the soul. In spring the uninterrupted songs of the various birds as they go about their day is sublime even when they remain unseen. The air seems especially fragrant and pure. The still deep blue sky frames the translucent green of the immerging overhead leaves. Flowers grace the forest floor with their varied and unique loveliness.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Should you wish, prints from various posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo.
Bees and Blue Jays
Posted on April 12, 2017
It started with report of sightings at other nearby locations so we thought we’d check out Griggs Park to see if we could spot any Yellow-throated Warblers. Sure enough there they were high in the tops of various Sycamore trees too far away for a photograph but visible through our binoculars.
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We waited for a while hoping one would descend from the treetops but no luck so we decided to see what wildflowers were in bloom in the wooded area below the dam as well as other areas in the park.
Dutchman’s Breeches, Griggs Park.
Sometimes they’re pink, (Donna)
Purple Cress, Griggs Park
Emerging Bloodroot, Griggs Park, (Donna).
In full bloom, (Donna).
Toadshade Trillium, (Donna).
Twinleaf, (Donna)
Emerging Butterweed, Griggs Park.
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While the Yellow-throated warblers eluded the camera’s lens other birds were more cooperative. Song sparrows, never far away, entertaining us with a spring rendition of their beautiful song. Chickadees in the middle of nesting activities expressed their disapproval when we got too close. Nuthatches chased each other about. In small shoreline trees and bushes Golden-crowned Kinglets busily looked for insects among the small branches. Meanwhile a pair of blue jays were just starting work on their new nest. The bluebirds seemed content to watch the activity unfold while enjoying the warmth of the spring sun. Further down the trail a robin looked on with disinterest appearing as though lunch had gotten the better of him.
Song Sparrow, Griggs Park.
Chickadee, Griggs Park
White-breasted Nuthatch, Griggs Park.
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Griggs Park.
Blue-jay with nesting material, Griggs Park.
Let see, is this how it goes?
That looks about right.
Bluebird, Griggs Park.
Enjoying the warm spring sun.
Robin, so many worms so little time, Griggs Park.
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When out in nature one thing a careful observer can almost always count on is seeing something new. That was certainly the case a few days ago when my wife observed a large number of bees engaged in some very curious behavior.
Across a fairly large area bees were flying about going in and out of many recently dug holes.
At one point we observed a ball of bees tumbling across the ground seemingly in the process of trying to kill something.
They continued to attack what ever it was. This when on for some time and we never got a good look at what the object was.
Despite what it looks like the bees may have been trying to protect not kill what ever it is they are crowding unto. In this case it may be the queen.
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Spring with all it’s activity is definitely a favorite time of the year. In the days to come the Yellow-throated warblers will undoubtedly be more cooperative as they are joined by other migrants from the south either taking up residence or just pausing for a while as they continue their journey north. Thanks for stopping by.
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XXX
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Should you wish, prints from various posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo.
Spring Wildflowers? Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Posted on April 3, 2017
The whole idea was to look for early spring wildflowers at one of our favorite Columbus metro parks. As you’ve probably remember us mentioning in the past, one of the good or bad things about looking for very small flowers hiding in last years leaf litter or in amongst other much larger plants is that you find other things, usually trash, but sometimes something very special, something you’ve never seen before. Such was the case yesterday on what turned out to be a seven mile ramble around the trails of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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Many folks come to the park to see the bison, once native to Ohio.
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We hadn’t gone far when my wife spotted a very curious object. Arriving back home and checking was our rather limited guide to north American fungi we were able to come up with a fairly educated guess that it was Devil’s Urn, one of the earliest fungi to emerge in the spring.
Devil’s Urn
A little further on another unusual looking fungi was also spotted but this one’s identity remains a mystery.
Some type of polypore?
Turkey Tail, an example of a commonly seen fungi.
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Of coarse the real reason for the hike was the flowers and they didn’t disappoint.
Virginia Bluebells
Purple Cress
Sharp-lobed Hepatica
Pink Rue Anemone
The easily overlooked very small flowers of the Harbinger-of-spring, (Donna).
Spring Beauty, (Donna).
Toadshade Trillium, (Donna).
Yellow Corydalis, (Donna).
As pretty as any flower, Virginia Waterleaf.
Due to it’s fragile and fleeting nature the flower of the Bloodroot is one of the more difficult to capture.
Immerging Bloodroot
Bloodroot
Take 2, (Donna).
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It’s hard to simultaneously look for wildflowers and birds but a few were hard to ignore, either because of their number or their song.
An Eastern Towhee in full song is hard to ignore.
At one point a large group of Golden-crowned Kinglets flittered about overhead.
Take two.
Several White-breasted Nuthatches provided a welcome diversion as they chased each other around the tree, (Donna).
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Anytime we discover something that we’ve never seen before it makes for a very special day. Thanks for stopping by.
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XXX
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Should you wish, prints from various posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo.
Early Spring at O’Shaughnessy Nature Preserve
Posted on March 31, 2017
March 30th, perhaps it was time to check out O’Shaughnessy Nature Preserve and see what early spring wildflowers might be making their presence known. After all we don’t want to miss anything. Having said that, this time always leaves us feeling a bit impatient as spring always seems to progress so slowly and often heads in the wrong direction.
A Beech Tree adds color to the early spring landscape, (Donna).
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Upon closer inspection we find other color in what is still mostly brown.
Spring Beauties
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Standing out in the stark landscape, a fallen trees creates a shape that fascinates when not looking for small flowers.
Fallen tree.
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Some flowers seen are unfortunately escapees from someone’s yard.
Ground Ivy, (Donna).
With Twin Lakes in the distance, the foreground flower make for a beautiful scene, that is until you realize it’s invasive Lesser Celandine.
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In a vernal pool the frogs were strangely quiet considering the time of year.
Vernal pool.
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We did discover a few native wildflowers. Looking at the still leafless canopy it’s a race against time for early spring ground plants that call the woods home.
Purple Cress.
Violet
Sharp-lobed Hepatica, (Donna).
The small blossoms on a Spice Bush.
Rue Anemone.
Spring Beauty, (Donna).
Hispid Buttercup, (Donna).
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We will continue to mark the season with visits to wooded areas near our home. The Trout Lilies, both yellow and white, should be blooming any day now.
Spring Beauties stand guard over the creek below, waiting for the Trout Lilies.
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Until next time, thanks for stopping by.
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XXX
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Should you wish, prints from various posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo.
