Central Ohio NatureAutumn Reflection
Posted on October 16, 2018
As I write this the temperature has finally arrived at more normal levels for early October. Until just a few days ago it was much warmer and the season betrayed by the calendar was having a hard time getting started with leaves still reluctant to show their autumn color. That wasn’t all bad as we were treated to sightings of butterflies and other insects not usually seen this late in the year. Given the above average rainfall it continues to be a great time to see fungi which seems to be almost everywhere. Below is a celebration of some things seen over the past couple of weeks. Missing is “the picture” of me paddling the Scioto River, fishing for Smallmouth Bass, as two mature Bald Eagles circled overhead. Oh well, some things would be hard to capture in a photograph and must just be experienced.
Leaf.
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The above experience prompted me to consider things that can be photographed, which in this case happens to be landscapes. Specifically, it has to do with the difference between how a scene is seen and how the camera captures it. Or putting it another way, after we have been enchanted enough to take the picture, and after a preliminary look are happy with the results, does the image convey the desired message as shot? This then will have a lot to do with the kind and amount of post processing used and it’s limits for a particular photograph. Such things are often a matter of opinion or taste, there being no right or wrong. With that said, we’ve all seen the over saturated colors in autumn landscapes which risk devaluing the place and experience as if to say it wasn’t beautiful enough. Things worth considering I believe.
O’Shaughnessy Nature Preserve.
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As already mentioned it’s been a great year for fungi. Apparently chicken Fungi and puffballs are edible but I think we will just enjoy looking at them. At their peak the colors of some fungi are no less spectacular than the loveliest wildflower.
Turkey tail.
Rosy Russula, Emily Traphagen Park.
Puffballs, (Donna).
Unidentified fungi family with lot’s of character, (Donna).
Shaggy Mane, O’Shaughnessy Nature Preserve, (Donna).
Dead Man’s Fingers, (Donna).
Wrinkled Peach Mushroom, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Close up.
An emergent shelf fungi competes with puffballs and fallen leaves for our attention.
A polypore shows off it’s gills.
Chicken Fungi
Bearded Tooth fungi, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Dryad’s Saddle, note the different stages of development in this cluster, (Donna).
Orange Mycena, (Donna).
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A hint of autumn color along the Scioto River, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Tree roots and fallen leaves.
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Despite our recent fungi fascination other things have been hard to ignore. A number if years ago it took a really spectacular insect to make an impression but as I’ve spent more time looking at them my appreciation has increased. With greater knowledge and understanding it has become much harder to consider them a lower life form less noble than ourselves. They have become part of the beautiful tapestry of life where boundaries between self and the natural world disappear.
Bee on Calico Asters, (Donna).
We had to wait until fairly late in the year to start seeing Common Checked Skippers, (Donna).
Common Green Darner, (Donna).
Yellow-collared Scape Moth is very similar to the Virginia Ctenucha but is slightly smaller, (Donna).
A bee enjoying the same flower gives an appreciation of the Eastern Tailed-Blue’s size, (Donna).
Chickweed Geometer, (Donna).
A beautiful but tiny Gray Hairstreak, (Donna).
Orange Sulfur
A not often seen Variegated Fritillary, (Donna).
Giant Swallowtail, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Eastern Comma
Meadow Fritillaries were very common at Griggs reservoir Park this year, (Donna).
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A leaf is framed by reflections In a stream side pool.
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Pausing at water’s edge, rippled reflections dance to the rhythm of wind and light gracing us with a new vision and an invitation to a new place.
Tree branches reflect on the water’s surface, Griggs Reservoir.
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Thanks for stopping by.
August Rain and Mushrooms
Posted on August 29, 2018
Recently, after several wet days, we decided to take a drive to one of our favorite central Ohio hiking destinations, Clear Creek Metro Park. It’s a park that many frequent when they’re getting in shape for more exotic destinations like the Appalachian Tail or Rocky Mountain National Park. The tails are that challenging. In our case it was more about seeing mushrooms that we wouldn’t find in parks closer to home, but a beautiful rugged trial lined with ferns that winds its way through old growth Hemlock and oak with a trailhead sign that says something like, “Caution, unimproved trail, proceed at your own risk”, is always a plus. Being located at the southern edge of the last glacier’s advance, on land that has for the most part never been disturbed by farming, logging, or other human activities, has a lot to do with the parks beauty. To optimize our chance of seeing mushrooms we decided to use the Creekside Meadows Trail to access the Fern/Hemlock trail loop. Certainly not the longest hike in the park but given our propensity to stop a look at things it made for a good day’s outing.
Park Trail Map
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Just a short note about the cameras used during the hike. We consider ourselves nature lovers who enjoy capturing the beauty of what we see. Often our outings involve a canoe or long hikes over relatively rugged terrain. For this reason hauling a lot of equipment may not be possible or may take away from the experience of “being” in nature. Recently I’ve been experimenting with a Canon 80D Tamron 18-400 mm combo while my wife continues to rely on a Panasonic FZ200 superzoom for many of her insect and fungi shots. Overall I’m happy with the performance of the DSLR combo and it’s potential for more creative control. However, in the sunny day darkness of Clear Creek’s deep woods, with auto ISO limited to 3200, handheld shots were chancy at best and mostly disappointing. A tripod would have resolved the problem but toting it around as well as setting it up for most shots would have changed the flavor of the hike. On the other hand the FZ200 with its fast 2.8 lens, and auto ISO limited to 800, much more consistently provided usable pictures without the use of a tripod. Something that is good to know because while there is no right or wrong when it come to how we pursue photography it is important to ask yourself what it is you are trying to get from an experience before investing in equipment.
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Chanterelles:
Yellow-footed Chanterelle
Chanterelle, (Donna).
Chanterelle, (Donna).
White Chanterelle
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White Phlox
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Shelf like mushrooms:
Turkeytail, (Donna).
Another look.
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Fall Phlox
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Boletes:
Shaggy-stalked Bolete, (Donna)
Shaggy-stalked Bolete another example.
Two-colored Bolete, (Donna).
King Bolete
Unidentified bolete.
Unidentified bolete
Russula, (Donna).
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A small, yet to be identified, wildflower.
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Other mushrooms:
Destroying Angel, not a good selection for the dinner table!
Yellow Tuning Fork
Orange Mycena
Very large emerging free gill mushroom
Further along.
. . . still further.
Unidentified small mushrooms.
Clustered Coral
An unidentified veiled mushroom.
Appears to be a more mature example of the above mushroom.
Unidentified veiled mushroom.
Very tiny unidentified mushrooms
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Pinesap, a parasitic plant classified as a wildflower.
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Along the Creekside Meadows Trail near the end of our day a hiking companion spotted this tiny Ring-necked Snake. The first one we’ve ever seen during our outings.
Ring-necked Snake, (Donna).
Another look, (Donna).
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Finally, I must admit that we are on the steep part of the learning curve when it comes to mushrooms. Using the guides we have available a frustrating number remain unidentified. Perhaps that is a good thing in the world of mushrooms because if you wrongly identify a mushroom it could be hazardous to your health!
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Thanks for stopping by.
Looking For The “White-throated Sparrow”
Posted on November 8, 2017
In the back of our mind during outings over the past week has been the thought that we might see the season’s first White-throated Sparrow. For us, along with the arrival of the Dark-eyed Junco, this small bird marks the passing of the season and the certain coming of winter. During breeding, they are found further north in either coniferous or deciduous forests up to tree line in the U.S. and across Canada. During migration and during the winter months central Ohio is just one location they call home.
Autumn reflection.
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Recently, walking along the Scioto River looking for White-throated Sparrows, and perhaps a stray kinglet or two, we stumbled across some slightly larger birds.
Bald Eagles along the Scioto River below Griggs Reservoir Dam are always a real treat to see.
Take 2.
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At river’s edge, almost right below the eagles, a young male White-tail deer relaxed. It was apparently not too concerned about the eagles.
White Tail Deer, (Donna).
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The next day, hoping for additional photos of the eagles that were now nowhere to be found, Golden-crowned Kinglets seemed to be everywhere . . .
Golden-crowned Kinglet, along the Scioto River below the Griggs Reservoir Dam.
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. . . along with a few of their close associates with the exception of “the sparrow”.
Male Downy woodpecker, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Eastern Phoebe, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Male Bluebird, Griggs reservoir Park.
Yellow-rumped warblers continue to stick around enjoying the Poison Ivy Berries, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
“Must you take the picture when my mouths full and besides, I’m not a bird!” Red Squirrel, Griggs reservoir Park.
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A tree’s few remaining leaves seemingly slide a slippery slope to the ground.
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Wanting to check out a location not previously explored, we decided on Shale Hollow Park, one of Delaware County’s preservation parks. Blustery cold conditions made birding less than optimal, so while birds eluded us we did find something quiet different and no less interesting, concretions. Probably some of the best examples we’ve seen in central Ohio. For us it was proof once again that one should always be open to the wonder of the day.
For those that are curious, “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. 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 surrounding strata. Concretions have long been regarded as geological curiosities. Because of the variety of unusual shapes, sizes and compositions, concretions have in the past been interpreted to be dinosaur eggs, animal and plant fossils, extraterrestrial debris or human artifacts.” (Wikipedia)
Concretion, Shale Hallow Park, (Donna).
Two concretions that appear to have seen better days.
A concretion that may have been spherical at on time.
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In addition to concretions, with the coming of wetter weather, there have been other things to appreciate.
Disclaimer: Fungi identifications represent our best effort.
Turkey-tail on log, Shale Hollow Park, (Donna).
Rusty Polypore, (Donna).
Shaggy Mane, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Witches Butter with fruiting lichen, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Split-pore Polypore, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Emerging mushroom, Amanita muscaria var. guessowii, Shale Hollow Park.
Same as above but further along.
Pink polypore with lichen, (Donna).
Red leaf on Turkey Tail, Shale Hollow Park.
Radiating Phlebia on log, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Wood Ear, Griggs Reservoir Park
Another view.
On a fallen branch a, almost too small to see, mushroom pops up through some lichen, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Late autumn sentinels along Griggs Reservoir.
The beautiful patterns of newly emerged Dryad’s Saddle, Griggs Reservoir Park.
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It’s often when least expected, near the end of a long hike, almost back to the car and too tired to care, that what we seek appears. Such was the case with the White-throated Sparrow.
White-throated Sparrow, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Take 2.
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Some may wonder what the big deal is. Why is seeing a sparrow so meaningful? For many who spend time in nature the answer is simple; seeing a white-throated Sparrow brings expression to a sense of connectedness to a world much bigger than ourselves. We usually first hear and then see the sparrow and for the time it sees fit we are in its presence. It in turn acknowledges us in its own unique way. This small, seemingly fragile, creature has travelled perhaps a thousand miles and during this brief fleeting moment we are part of each other’s world. Next summer if we look, we will not find it. It will again be further north engaged in its own dance to the cycle of life. This wonder graces our lives with the appearance of the first spring wildflowers, the larger than life sound of spring peepers, the spring migration of the many too beautiful to imagine warblers, the sight and sound of a distant summer thunderstorm, the call of the loon on a northern lake, the color of leaves as a low autumn sun filters the branches, and the slow quiet descent of winter’s first snowflakes.
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Concretion, Shale Hollow Park.
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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. If you don’t find it on the link drop us a line.
Cause and Effect
Posted on October 16, 2017
Recently, after several weeks of very dry weather, the rain came. One day it amounted to almost three inches. Once clear and lazy, area rivers are now swollen and turbid and flow with more purpose as though their water has somewhere to go. The precipitation came too late to have a major effect on the season’s color but the orange, yellow, and brown of oaks and hickories is now more saturated. The moist earth returns it’s recent gift to the humid early morning air, as suspended leaves, some no longer green, appear to almost come back to life.
Griggs Reservoir
The crotch of a tree provides a resting place, Emily Traphagen Park.
Stump, Emily Traphagen Park.
Fallen tree, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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Two days ago during a walk in an area park a bench provided a place to eat lunch. In the stillness we watched an occasional leaf from some unknown high branch in a nearby tree, like a large early winter snowflake, silently float down and land quietly at our feet. A few descended without a flourish, but most either spiraled, spun, or sashayed side to side on the last and only journey of their lives. They joined those already fallen to complete the cycle of life. One here, another there, slowly, as we sat watching, they never stopped. Today, as I write this, with wind howling past a partially open window, the scene would be much different.
Moss covered roots grace a hillside, Battelle Darby creek Metro Park.
Fall color, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Rotting log, Emily Traphagen Park.
Leaves of the Shagbark Hickory, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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It’s hard not to think of them as friends, the group of birds; robins, nuthatches, blue jays, etc., that are such an important part of our walks in nature near home.
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Pigeons, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Male Downy Woodpecker, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
White-breasted Nuthatch, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Carolina Wren, Emily Traphagen Park, (Donna).
Belted Kingfisher, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Eastern Phoebe, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Blue Jay, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Mallard reflection, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
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Autumn color, Kiwanis Riverway Park.
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Others birds, such as the Bald Eagle, are only seen on occasion but that occasion is a miracle. When I was young, in the days of DDT, a trip to Alaska may have been necessary to see one. Now they can be seen just a mile and a half from our house. Ospreys are seen more frequently, but soon they will embark on their journey south following the already departed community of Black-crowned Night Herons that through early fall call Griggs Reservoir home. With each osprey sighting we wonder if it will be the last until next year.
A Bald Eagle is framed by fall color on the west side of Griggs Reservoir.
Osprey along the Scioto River, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
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A pond forms the backdrop for shoreline grass, Emily Traphagen Park
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The true magic of the rain, after such a long period of dry weather, is the fungi. Many just seem to appear out of nowhere while others, having endured the dryness, regain their color. Identifying what is seen can be a challenge.
Puffballs, Emily Traphagen Park.
Non-inky Coprinus, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Turkey Tail, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Some type of polypore, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Artist’s Bracket, Emily Traphagen Park, (Donna).
Crust fungi, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park,, (Donna).
Common Spilt Gill, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
A jelly fungus on the left and Witches’ Butter, Griggs reservoir Park, (Donna).
Wood Ear, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
An emergent polypore, Griggs reservoir Park, (Donna).
Angel’s Wings, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Wolf’s Milk Slime, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Emerging Dryad’s Saddle, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
A very rare sight near our home, Crown-tipped Coral, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Moss on what appears to be False Turkey-tail causes one to wonder just how long it’s been there. Emily Traphagen Park, (Donna).
Luminescent Panellus, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
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Early morning fog, also the result of the recent rain, greeted us during a walk at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park creating splendor in a spider’s web.
Banded Garden Spider, Battelle Darby Metro Park.
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Still standing, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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Later, as we continued our walk, we noticed a few moths that apparently had gathered on the light gray wood siding of a park building during the night.
Large Maple Span Worm Moth, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Dot-lined White Moth, Battelle Darby Metro Park.
White-marked Tussock Moth, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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As we continued on a number of Eastern Commas where seen, usually right on the trail.
Eastern Comma, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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Along the trail, Battelle Darby creek Metro Park.
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When the rain came, after such a long period of dryness, I stepped out onto our porch, took a deep breath, watched, and listened. The rain fell softly at first, with the sound of a mouse playing as it touched the dry places. After a while, standing there, the rain leaving fleeting patterns in driveway puddles, it’s fragrance in the wet grass, soil, and filling the air, I was taken to a different place and embraced by a feeling of newness and rebirth.
Glacial Erratic, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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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. If you don’t find it on the link drop us a line.
Hiking The North Carolina Mountains
Posted on September 11, 2017
Every couple of years we rendezvous with friends near Asheville, NC for a few days of hiking. Much of what is seen is different than that found in in central Ohio and that’s part of the area’s appeal. However, unlike central Ohio with it relatively flat terrain, the rugged ups and downs make the trails no walk in the woods. Because of this, as well as the length of some of the hikes, the serious cameras were left at home. Even so my wife got some excellent results with her Panasonic FZ200 while I explored the performance limits of the ZS50.
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Our base of operation is the Sourwood Inn which is convenient to Ashville and highly recommended should you find yourself in the area for a hiking vacation or just a quiet getaway. On our recent trip we hiked portions of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST), The Snowball Mountain Trail, Craggy Gardens Trail, and the Craggy Pinnacle Trail which are part of the Craggy Gardens Trails group.
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In past years we’ve seen plenty of fungi, moss, and lichen, and this year was no exception. Usually numerous butterflies are seen while hiking but this year we saw more along the Blue Ridge Parkway as we drove to the various trailheads which was not convenient for pictures.
Along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
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Usually located not far off the trail, fungi, lichen, and moss captured our attention. Except for the low light seeing and photographing it is relatively straight forward. However, once in possession of a photograph trying to identify it can be a humbling experience. Over the years we’ve seen some often enough that identification is straight forward. For most this is not the case so many of the ID’s should be taken as our best guess.
In the family of the boletes, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
Probably in the bolete family, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.,
Honey Mushroom, , Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
A family of mushrooms, unidentified, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
Powder-cap Amanita, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
This mushroom appears to be past it’s prime (note mold) making identification difficult.
Tinder Polypore, Snowball Mountain Trail
Mushrooms and Lung Lichen keep each other company, Snowball Mountain Trail.
Old Man’s Beard lichen and leaves with a hint of autumn, Snowball Mountain Trail.
Turkey Tail, Snowball Mountain Trail.,
This group appear to be some type of chanterelle, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
Another mushroom group along a trail near the inn.
A member of the bolete family, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
Rooted Polypore, along a trail near the inn.
Velvet Foot, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge, (Donna).
White Coral, Snowball Mountain Trail.
Crown-tipped Coral along a trail near the inn.
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One of several overlooks on the Snowball Mountain Trail.
A short but steep descent to Hawkbill Rock with it’s beautiful vista, Snowball Mountain Trail.
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When we weren’t trying to figure out the fungi there were wildflowers to enjoy.
Pinesap, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
To late for Foam Flower so this one remains unidentified, Snowball Mountain Trail.
Beech-drops, a parasitic plant which grows and subsists on the roots of American beech, line portions of the Snowball Mountain Trail.
Indian Cucumber Root, Snowball Mountain Trail.
Downey Rattlesnake Plantain, Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Snakeroot often bordered the trail, Craggy Gardens Trail.
Asters, Craggy Gardens Trail.
This is one of those cases where I was so fascinated with the structure of the flower that I forgot to photograph the leaves making identification almost impossible, Craggy Gardens Trail.
A cool morning made this lethargic bee easy to photograph on some trailside Goldenrod, Craggy Gardens Trail.
Turtlehead, Mountains-to-Sea Trail, (Donna).
Mountain Laurel, Snowball mountain Trail, (Donna).
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Overlook at Craggy Pinnacle.
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And butterflies:
Appalachian Brown, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge, (Donna).
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge, (Donna).
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Even a turtle:
Box Turtle, Mountain to Sea Trail near Rattlesnake Lodge, (Donna).
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But not as many birds as we would have liked:
Dark-eyed Junco, Craggy Pinnacle, (Donna). Seen in central Ohio only in late fall through early spring. However, due to the elevation which creates a climate similar to that occurring much further north, these birds are year round residents.
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A view along Craggy Gardens Trail.
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With it’s high elevation and harsh weather trees have to be tough to survive along the Pinnacle Trail.
Located along the Craggy Pinnacle Trail one wonders how many times this tree has been photographed.
Another view.
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For those in the eastern part of the country looking for a some beautiful mountain hiking, the area near Asheville, NC is highly recommended. The plus is that with a vibrant downtown, good restaurants, fascinating shops, and excellent galleries, Asheville is a great place to explore should you decide your legs need a rest day.
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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. If you don’t find it on the link drop us a line.
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.
A Rare Flower
Posted on March 26, 2016
After several weeks birding, hiking, and paddling in warm and sunny Florida fifteen hundred miles to our south, we’ve returned to early spring in Ohio.
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Fortunately the welcoming committee was out when we decided to get reacquainted with some of our favorite places.
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This year our timing was just right to see a number of rare Snow Trillium along Griggs Reservoir. This made the day because in past years we often waited too long and missed them. This smallest of Ohio’s trilliums typically arrives in middle to late March and doesn’t hang around. That fact coupled with their small numbers makes them a challenge to find.
Snow Trillium
This one’s looking up.
It’s very unusual to see a group like this, (Donna).
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Bloodroot were also out but the previous night’s heavy rain was hard on their fragile petals.
Bloodroot
Some show color before the flower opens.
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Crab apple blossoms in early spring are always a delight.
Crab apple Blossoms
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As though pretended to be flowers, spring leaves emerge.
Leafing out.
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Turkey tail joins in on the competition for the camera’s lens.
Turkey Tail
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Along Griggs Reservoir Cedar Waxwings announce spring’s arrival.
Cedar Waxwing
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On the reservoir, marking the time of year, a lone Ruddy Duck seems to be on it’s way to somewhere further north.
Ruddy Duck
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I apologize for the longer than normal absence of posts. To compensate we hope to have some interesting shots of things seen in Florida in the coming weeks as we continue to celebrate spring in central Ohio.
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Thanks for stopping by.
