Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Bluebirds at Springdale Cemetery

This morning Scott and I took a walk at Springdale. The Bluebirds were busy building their nest in the nest boxes.

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Monday, May 04, 2009

Jubilee College State Park

Scott and I have been out to Jubilee looking for Morel mushrooms. We haven't found many yet (strange year for mushrooms so far!) but we did find some other interesting things, such as two Fox kits playing right in front of Scott. He managed to get my attention so I could get a few shots of one of the little foxes.

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We also found a snake curled up at the base of a tree. We think it is a Fox Snake or an Eastern Hognose.

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Woodland wildflowers are blooming, including Jack-in-the-Pulpits, Violets, May Apples, Trilliums, and a rare Quadrillium! Finding a four petaled Trillium is kind of like finding a Four-leaf Clover.

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A Hermit Thrush was hanging out near where I was searching the ground for mushrooms. Chipping Sparrows were chipping from several directions, and White-throated Sparrows seemed to cover the forest floor.

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Northern Cardinals were singing. A male stopped over my head to eat some Elm seeds. A female flew to a tree not far from me and began to sing.

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Although we didn't find Morels, we did find other inedible mushrooms, including the huge false morel, Gyromitra esculenta.

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We also found many ferns, including the lovely Maidenhair Fern.

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