Have you seen those beautiful photos of the mountains and lakes out west? On Tuesday, we had a beautiful pond right here in our own neck of the woods! Beauty is everywhere and there is no shortage here.
The reflection in the pond was awesome!
The water was as smooth as glass. The black thing in the middle fooled me for a moment in thinking it was a weird dragonfly or something. Then I realized it was stick and its reflection in the water. The other light brown reflection to the left did not fool me after I figured out what the black one was LOL.
The bark on the tree twists and turns as it goes up!
Mushrooms were plentiful!
I believe this is what is commonly called Dead Man’s Fingers. It will eventually turn black. The genus Xylaria is apparently hard to separate especially at this stage in its development.
Here was another similarly shaped but whiter. If it is a species of Dead’s Man Fingers, it was shedding conidia which are asexual spores I believe.
Dog vomit slime mold (Fuligo septica) was a beautiful bright yellow. Some call it scrambled egg slime as well.
Along the creek, we saw Ebony Jewelwings and an American Rubyspot!
The tree on the bank looked like it had a drainage pipe. The green is crustose lichen called Leprapia neglecta.
This tiny mushroom was nestled with the moss at the base of a tree.
Antlion larva was out in the moss!
A puffball in the sun!
A white puffball. It might be the Peeling Puffball (Lycoperdon marginatum) See the little spider?
The monarch caterpillar was doing a job on the Green Milkweed.
It fall off the milkweed when I touched it, but it still kept its mouth full of the milkweed!
Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) was seen on the way back to the vehicles!
I think it was just weeping. On the other side at the base of the tree there was more water that was puddled there. The tree might not have been solid in the center anymore. But not certain.
Whats the black on that tree trunk?
I think it was just weeping. On the other side at the base of the tree there was more water that was puddled there. The tree might not have been solid in the center anymore. But not certain.
What a great day, so many beautiful pictures!! Can’t pick a favorite this time, they’re all so good.
Thanks!