Virginia Bluebells

One of the most recognizable flowers in the woodlands Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are starting to bloom!  Everyone can remember seeing the forest floor carpeted by bluebells for a short time.  By the middle of summer there is no trace because stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) takes over the floor. Notice the tubular pinkish purple buds that open into clusters of beautiful horn-shaped blue flowers.  I have also seen all white bluebells. 

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) male is one of the most impressively stunning birds on Earth.  During the spring and summer the male tanager is an unmistakable scarlet red with black wings and tail.  After the molt the males turn back to a light greenish-yellow with grayish wings an tail and look like the females do all year.  Around the first of May is when the tanager come back to establish breeding territory in eastern deciduous forests.  Scarlet tanagers need large intact forests with mature trees.  They're susceptible to habitat fragmentation when this happens the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) lays one egg in the scarlet tanagers nest at the expense of tanager chicks.  Lets stop forest destruction before the scarlet tanager goes the way of the buffalo!

Red Milk Snake

I would like to give my thanks to Jen and Josh Dieter for this awesome photo!  Its great to have friends who are exploring and learning about the outdoors!  Please if you find cool specimens like this red milk snake take a picture and email it to me I would be thrilled to post it on Way of the Buffalo.

Red milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila) also called candy cane snake is found throughout Iowa except the upper northeastern corner.  It's a small snake that only grows to a length of 21-28 inches with the longest ever found 42 inches.  It looks like it might be poisonous but isn't. Its habitat is forests and forest edges as well as farmland.  Red milk snakes eat mice, lizards, other snakes and reptile eggs.  Their underbelly is boldly checked black and white.

Love Pond

The sounds of mating by the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) were the loudest an weirdest I have ever heard in the wild.  Me and Jenni walked into a full out orgy of frog loving at Ledges State Park last Sunday.  There were hundreds of northern leopard frogs in the act as well as a bunch trying to get into it from the sidelines.  They were so into it I could sneak up close enough to get this picture on the usually panicky anphibians.

One Leaf

The bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) has only one leaf.  It loses its flower really early (sometimes after one day) in the spring and all that is left is this awesome leaf.  This mighty leaf unwraps from around the flower stalk and then unrolls to this multi-lobed beast of a wildflower leaf.  It can be up too one foot across.  So if you miss the flower the leaf with be there until fall!

Arbor Day

Our world needs more trees they're disappearing at a most alarming rate.  Lets all play Johnny Appleseed and spread the love!

This is the view looking up at coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) at Redwoods National Park in the tall tree grove.  If you have never been there it's truly one of the most magical places on earth.  Everybody should visit this place once you will never think of your role on earth the same after!

 "Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how.  To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel.  By virtue of this curious loophole in the rules, any clodhopper may say: Let there be a tree-and there will be one."  - Aldo Leopold

False Rue Anemone

The false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) has pretty white flowers and is closely related to rue anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) one of the differences is false rue anemone leaves are divided in three segments each may be divided into three leaflets, rue anemone has three leaflets that are more pointed.  They also tend to be the earliest blooming of the anemones.  Native Americans considered false rue anemones to be an early sign of abundance to come during the year.  This year they're very numerous and natures bounty is on the way.

Joining Hearts

A trip to the woods can start a fire in the heart! 

Earth Day

Mt. Shasta (Earth's Heart)

"In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks" - John Muir

"Lets all take time to act for Earth to ensure mature trees, clean air and water for our brothers and sisters of the future.  A ripple of responsibility for the planet we all share will start a wave."        Dusty Buffalo

Toothwort

Toothwort (Dentaria laciniata) comes in a couple of types this one has a whorl with three leaves below the flower the other type has has long petiole leaves that develop when its done flowering.  The two types don't have different scientific names and do hybridize very often.

Dutchman's Breeches

Dutchman's breeches  (Dicentra cucullaria) is one of the most abundant wildflowers in Iowa from my observations of the woods.  This might have something to do with the fact its very poisonous and has no use for humans.  Dutchman's breeches has a stalk that towers above its leafs with flowers that resemble "breeches".

Sunrise

Sunrise burned my eyes again this morning at Ada Hayden Park!  Notice the red winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) who had a much better view of the "fireworks" than me.

Ready to Bloom

This spring beauty (claytonia virginica) was just about ready too bloom at Mcfarland Park last Saturday. This weekend is going to be full of wildflowers! 

Lichen

Lichens are the result of beneficial friendship between fungi and algae.  They work together to survive.  People should follow suit and remember helping each other succeed is a benefit to your own peace of mind!

Winter Holds On

Winter wont let go on the north side of trees like this red oak (Quercus borealis).  Ice sickles were falling after Sunday's storm.

Totally Lunar

I'm very excited for the total lunar eclipse tonight!  The total lunar eclipse begins at 2:08 am and ends at 3:23 am.  A lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth's umbra (space talk for shadow).  This can only occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in direct alignment with each other, which is called syzygy.  This can only happen when there is also a Full Moon (Libra Full Moon) . The moon will change color from orange to blood red.

Hepatica

Hepatica (Anemone hepatica) are starting to emerge in central Iowa!  They're beautiful bringers of spring.  Notice their hairy stalks that insulate them so they can get blooming fast in the early spring.

Liverwort

Liverwort (class Hepatopsidea) are closely related to mosses,  which look like dragon scales and have reproductive stocks (good example in the picture).  They feel like slime to the touch. Fires can be very destructive to Liverworts, therefore it's something to think about before your next prescribed forest burn.

Cobra Lily

The California Pitcher, or Cobra Lily (Darlingtonia californica) is one very cool carnivorous plant.  This one we found outside Mt. Shasta where it's endemic (native)!  It grows in bogs and steeps with running water.  

Snow Trillium

Stash House

I was bird watching in one of the too few local forests, when I saw this container.  When I went to pick up the trash, it was heavy so I ripped it partially open and these Black Walnuts fell out.  The "Marlo" of squirrels somewhere must have been mad that I confiscated its stash house!

Plant a Pine

 

"Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how.  To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel.  By virtue of this curious loophole in the rules, any clodhopper may say: Let there be a tree-and there will be one."  - Aldo Leopold

We enjoyed the planted pines this weekend at Stephens State Forest!  Little big man Manny (in photo) is one photogenic canine.

Sporophytes

It's that time of the year for mosses!  The eggs have been fertilized quickly producing spore filled capsules on stalks (Sporophytes).  The spores are released when the cap dries out and falls off the capsule.  Mosses love shady moist environments, like the north sides of dead trees and logs.  Mosses are like sponges, and can soak up to twice their weight in water.

Emergence

The wild leeks (Allium tricoccum) were starting to emerge at Stephen State Forest this weekend! 

Saddle Mountain

This view is looking west toward the Pacific from Saddle Mountain Wilderness Area 30 miles east of the Pacific in northern Oregon.  It's amazing to watch the "cloud ocean" roll over the giant trees of the Pacific Northwest!

Marsh Madness

Today I stopped by the Jim Ketelsen Greenwing Marsh to listen for Chorus Frogs.  I first thought there was no water in this marsh, but on furthur investigation I found some wet spots!  I checked it out and sure enough, I heard the pretty chorus of the frog.  I tried to find it for photo evidence and ended up getting stuck.  However, with some clever twists I managed to get my boots back.  I heard the first Chorus Frog Monday at Mcfarland Pond.

Dabbling

Today was all about the ducks!  At Ada Hayden there were Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata), Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala albeola), Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors).  They're a beautiful bird, whose courtship displays put a smile on my face every time I see them.  The story of the duck is a sad one though.  It seems like they should be friendly and approachable like other birds, but this isn't the case.  Getting close is nearly impossible because of their fear of humans from centuries of getting shot at.  They get tricked and shot at in every state.  When they go on winter vacation, they get shot at the beach where regulations are lax to nonexistent.  It's so sad that such delightful birds that once blacked out the sky for days during migration, now can't even fill a pond during peak migration.

Wild Prairie Rose

Wild Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana) lives in open dry sandy soiled prairies.  It reproduces by a round berry-like fruit called a rose hips, or underground through rhizomes.  It can be many colors from white to dark pink and anywhere in between. It's a beautiful  ground dwelling flower!  It's also Iowa's state flower.  This picture was taken at Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge; a fantastic place to visit!

Storms

"Life is full of stormy days, it doesn't matter if you make it through the cold rain and wind, what matters is how many people you can keep dry." Dusty Buffalo