Common Wood Sorrel

I found this delicate beauty in the Middle Grove State Forest.  It is called Common Wood Sorrel and is found in mature forests.  The plants I saw were just a few steps away from a lovely stream that meanders through the forest.
More information can be found here.  

A new year, new start

I seriously neglected this blog last year, so I'm hoping to start over! Spring has finally sprung here in Upstate NY.  A nature walk at Coldbrook Preserve in Saratoga County was an opportunity to see what is starting to grow.  

Skunk cabbage has made it's appearance.  The flower can be seen at the base of the plant.  It is enclosed inside the structure known as a spathe.  Bears will eat the young shoots of skunk cabbage when they emerge from hibernation.

Trillium 

 Trillium plants are now emerging.  Purple is the most common color to be found, however there are a few other species native to our state.  

Cinnamon ferns are starting to poke their heads up.  These are a very common fern.  These are not the fiddlehead ferns that are considered a delicacy.  

This is the emergence of a Cutleaf Toothwort.  I have never noticed these before and look forward to coming back to photograph the flowers.

It always amazes me how nature finds it's way despite obstacles in it's path.  The roots of this tree have grown up and around the roots of the fallen tree beneath it.  

Cole brook meandered it's way through the woods in a rather haphazard fashion.  The area near it is home to the rare Blanding's Turtle.  I did not see any, but clicking the blue word above will lead to a page with information.

At home, I have been enjoying a wide variety of birds including a small flock of Fox sparrows earlier in April and a stop over by a Pine Warbler.  Purple finches have recently arrived as well.

 

Spring flowers

The rush of early spring flowering is just about over.  I managed to capture some of the beauty, but missed out on a lot also.  My latest visit was again to Lester Park, just down the road.
I also made a surprising discovery right in my own yard.  First, my yard.

 Thyme leaved speedwell

Violet

Thyme-leaved sandwort

Now on to Lester Park:

Eastern Red columbine

Downy yellow violet

unknown shrub

Dryad's saddle

Wild strawberry

Canadian violet

False Solomon's seal

Blue Cohosh

Unknown

Red baneberry

Jack in the pulpit

Lester park wildflowers

This little roadside park is not only home to fossils, it has an embankment leading down to a stream.  Using a tip from other wildflower enthusiasts, I explored this area yesterday.  I found a few nice wildflowers growing, as well as a plentiful stand of Blue Cohosh.

Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria Fumitory family (Fumariaceae)

Red Trillium (Trillium Erectum)

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum giganteum)

Sharp Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis acuta)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis)

Scarlet cup fungi (Sarcoscypha coccinea)

Stromolite fossils

Spring has sprung, finally!

A visit to two local preserves have shown the beginning of spring wildflowers coming up.  This rare Snow trillium is in the Orra Phelps Nature Preserve in Wilton, NY.

The skunk cabbage is also flowering with the leaves just starting to poke up.  

Round lobed Hepatica is starting to bloom at the Rowland Hollow preserve in Saratoga Springs, NY.  

Coltsfoot is also blooming

A tale of two Gentians

I encountered two different species of Gentian this year, thanks to being in the right place at the right time, and tips from local photographers!

The first Gentian I encountered was the Narrow Leaved Gentian (Gentiana linearis ).  I found this plant on the edges of Archer's Vly, north of Lake Desolation just south of the border of the Adirondack Park.  This gentian is considered a threatened species in this state.  It is found primarily in moist soil around wetlands.    Pollination can only be accomplished by larger bees such as the bumblebee.  The bee needs to be able to push into the flower in order to collect pollen and distribute it.  

Here is one of my pictures of Narrow Leaved Gentians and another one that is more professional.  

Photo courtesy ofhttp://www.newhampshirewildflowers.com/narrow-leaved-gentian.php
The second Gentian encountered was the Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita)

This is an endangered species in New York.  I encountered this plant in the Orra Phelps Nature Preserve in Saratoga County, NY.  The flower remains closed on cloudy days or in low light but opens up in the sun.  I was able to photograph it in both conditions.

Painted Lady butterfly

The Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) is a common butterfly in the Eastern U.S.  It is occasionally a migratory species if there is a there are large numbers and weather conditions a right.

The Painted Lady lays it's eggs on host plants such as thistle, hollyhock and mallow.  The caterpillars use these plants to eat and grow.  Painted lady butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Egg - Mint green, barrel-shaped eggs are laid singly on the leaves of host plants, and hatch in 3-5 days.
Larva - The caterpillar has five instars over 12-18 days.
Pupa - The chrysalis stage lasts about 10 days.
Adult - Butterflies live for just two weeks.  They feed on plants such as asters, thistle, joe-pye weed and milkweed.


Information found from https://www.thoughtco.com/painted-lady-vanessa-cardui-1968205  
Photo by Linda M Wheeler