Columbine

Native Columbine

Wild Phlox or Sweet William

Wild Phlox, Sweet William, and there are a few other names.

Jacob's Ladder

I was quite suprised to find this beauty in the woods here!

Bloomin Shrub

I'm not sure what under story shrub, or tree, this is, but it has lovely dark coral blossoms.

Fungi

Polyporus squamosus

Morels

A couple of morels surrounded by Virginia Waterleaf and other plants.

Cedar Apple Rust

I took this one this evening, I expect it will have changed even more by tomorrow morning.

Tick Bite

Tick bite going sour on me! It doesn't help that I was scratched by a wild raspberry bush in the same spot either. Since this is on the back of my thigh I can't tell if there's anything in the area other than what you see here - thank God for digital cameras!!! Dog ticks are horrendous here this spring, don't know why but they are thick and they are hungry!

Cedar Rust Apple

I went out this morning and it was surprisingly different than yesterdays slimy stage! Still beautiful and still a nuisance to orchardist everywhere.

Fungi

The gills were a brownish to dark grey color.

Polyporus squamosus

I found the fungus broken off and laying on the ground next to the log.

The underside of the fungus, it was very spongy, not woody at all.

As you can see it's bigger than my hand.

Virginia Bluebells

Buttercup

Racoon Tracks

Dh and found these racoon tracks on the main trail tonight down by the river.

Wild Ginger Blossoms

I felt pretty lucky to find the wild ginger in blossom tonight, dh spotted the plant not even five minutes after I told him I was hoping to get a photo of the blossoms.

Jack in the Pulpit

A group of Jack in the Pulpit

Unfurling Jack in the Pulpit

Jack in the Pulpit

Morel

Found this guy this evening!

Lichens

Several lichens on this log all soft from last nights heavy rains.

Cedar Apple Rust

Cedar Apple Rust Spore Stage

Cedar Apple Rust

Potholes

Here is an example of an old quarry being returned to nature, this place is loaded with artifical potholes but to the untrained eye they look quite natural and normal.

Locust Thorns

Poison Ivy

And this is what makes me itch!

Nest

A very interesting nest, we didn't see much evidence as to whose handiwork this was so I'm thinking it might be a nest from last year. This tree, which has been dead for some time, came down in a recent windstorm as it was up last weekend when we went to the woods to look for morels.

Crows

I took this about two months ago right after a snow storm, there were about 50 or so crows in the neighbors tree most waiting for their turn to scavange on something that had died in the alley.

Squirrel

Our squirrel, she lives in our attic, not by choice on our part mind you, we've named her Trouble.

Redbud Budding Out

Northern Magnolia

Rusticus crapus

Rusticus crapus an all too familiar introduced alien species into our natural woods!

Mayapple

This shot isn't very good but if you look close enough you can see the blossom head beginning to develope under the leaves.

Finally the Mayapple here is opening up and even beginning to put on blossoms! It has been cooler than normal here this year and the Mayapple, and everything else, is about two weeks behind.

Hepatica acutiloba

Here the leaves have the destinct liver mottling.

Foliage - Unknown

Unknown but interesting none the less, the centers of the leaves have a burgandy area to them.