Jack pine pollen, grandiflorum, erectum, cernuum,  Columbine, American Redstart, Chestnut-sided, American Painted Lady,  Cedar Waxwing, Toothwort, Marsh Marigold, Naiscoot River.

We had a nice day for a drive to Twin Rivers Bridge along Hwy 529.  We saw a large bear in front of the car ahead of us, but it had scrambled well into the bush by the time we arrived.    Here is a Jack Pine branch tip complete with pollen pouches at the base of the new shoot or “candle”.  In a few days a female cone will emerge from the end of the shoot to be pollinated by the great volume of pollen floating around.  Stand up wind and tap a cluster to see the amount!  Full story of the two-year process is here:  http://ohioplants.org/conifers/

Here are the three common trilliums common around here, in order of appearance:  T erectum, T  grandiflorum, and finally T  cernuum:

 

 

Canada Columbine in all of its glory…

American Redstart establishing a residence on Boucher Pit Road…

 

Unkown birdie …

Well known “mustard and ketchup warbler” … the Chestnut-sided Warbler… gleaning on a sugar maple…

Gleaning on a choke or black cherry shrub about to bloom…

American Painted Lady … flitting with short periods of standing …

Cedar Waxwing, possibly a local nester??

Apparently a good tart dip can be made from the roots of this Dentaria diphylla

Leaves are appearing after the blossoms of this wild plum …

Same clump of Marsh Marigold, again enjoying its reflection in some sunshine.

Looking upstream at the Naiscoot River Bridge…  The significant re-appearance of leaves spell the end of photographing those little warblers feeding on insects emerging from winter dormancy ….

…. and as the spring ephemerals become shaded by the forest canopies, their photos will be replaced by summer blossoms in this blog … along with a few  “summertime” photos, hopefully including some from “out on the Bay”!