Our hopes were high that we would find good stuff up the creek. And of course you know we did. 🙂
We hadn’t gone more than a hundred feet. And the first Cardinal Flower was found!
Looking to the left across the creek, second Cardinal Flower! Yeah, this was a good creek. 🙂
The diminutive Small White Morning-glory (Ipomoea lacunosa)! Wikipedia says that “Lacunosa comes from a Latin word meaning air spaces, correlating with the venation of the leaves”. Additionally is said “Ipomoea lacunosa occurs in a variety of habitat types, including disturbed areas, It grows on prairie, riverbanks, akeshores, and roadsides, and in cultivated and abandoned fields and meadows. Insects associated with the plant include bees such as bumblebees, Melitoma taurea, Peponapis pruinosa, and Cemolobus ipomoea. The larvae of the plume moth Emmelina monodactyla feeds on the foliage, and it is host to several tortoise beetles.” None which we observed that day on this plant.
Pretty grass!
Decision time. Turn around?
Nope, it was shallow enough so we on we went! Here I looked back at the bridge.
The bank cuts give the opportunity to see the layers of the soils and the roots from above.
The light and delicate witchgrass. There are two species in our area. However we only admired the grass. So we found no need to try to ID which witchgrass.
We first saw this Cardinal Flower on the opposite of the creek. So yes we were on the opposite side as we headed back.
The gorgeous Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea odorata)!
Indeed the mud was now clinging to our shoes. But that was OK. We had more creeks to investigate.
This was the first bridge finds. So yes, more creeks/bridges tomorrow.
Wow, cardinal flower is having its moment this year! I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about this many sightings. And those grass flowers are stunning! Thanks for the close-up.
I wonder if is just because no one is looking in the right place? I mean I have never looked especially for them before. I always just went to Shirley’s favorite location for them. 🤷🏻♀️
Happy to see a creek with running water. Lots of flowers. Difficult for me to walk in mud. You found a good creek
Indeed we did!
Wow, cardinal flower is having its moment this year! I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about this many sightings. And those grass flowers are stunning! Thanks for the close-up.
I wonder if is just because no one is looking in the right place? I mean I have never looked especially for them before. I always just went to Shirley’s favorite location for them. 🤷🏻♀️
That may be it. I don’t know how many folks routinely walk creeks and ravines, and those are the best places to look.
The blue tarantula is stunning!