After observing the birds for forty-five minutes, the birds moved on. So we did too.
Following the wide ravine, a cat track in the soft dirt.
A beautifully constructed nest of grasses and horse hair!
The mossed and lichens cling on the edge.
The Turban Lichens (Cladonia peziziformis) are commonly found on these edges.
Two species of fruticose lichens. First, the Palmetto Lichen (Ramalina celastri). In this photo, it is the larger one with the apothecia (round white disks) attached all along the thallus. In this case the thallus looks a bit like a leaf. The other fruticose lichen, Sinewed Ramalina (Ramalina americana), had its apothecia at the tips of the thallus. A third fruticose lichen is also visible which is the orange-green Goldeneye Lichen (Teloschistes) below the Ramalinas. Additionally, there are several crustose lichens on the branch.
Nodules in the ravine.
Jeanne smashed one to confirm that it was a calcareous rock and not something else.
Changing soils!
A group of Purple Cliff-brake ferns!
The backside. The place where the spores are stored are called sori.
In a hole in the bank, a spider found a safe haven for its egg sacs!
The last pond of the day!
In the green stem of a rush, you can just make out the darker color of the segments inside.
An old rush shows its inside dividing segments.
The pond’s ripples were clear and shone in the now partly cloudy sky! Time to head home.
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
7 Comments
I’m always learning things from your posts Mary. I have many of those lichens but can’t put names to them. And I did not know that rushes had cross segments in the stems. The dead stalk really shows it well.
I’m always learning things from your posts Mary. I have many of those lichens but can’t put names to them. And I did not know that rushes had cross segments in the stems. The dead stalk really shows it well.
Thanks Kathy!
What a beautiful day!
Cool collection of interesting stuff. Steve will love the splattering ketchup article.
😎
I always wonder if nodules arent petrified poop.😄. Love the article on jays.
I wish I knew a geologist. but I found this , https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/ndnotes/concretions/concretions.asp. Maybe I should have called them concretions??