This First Wednesday outing was a bit unusual because we ended up going two and half miles!
We were moving pretty fast for a First Wed, but this tiny mushroom stopped me in my tracks. Then I checked for any animals that might be occupying it. Nope, none at home. Onwards.
My first goal reached…the Great Plains Ladies-tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum)! Diane took a photo of it which just looks like a white smudge in this photo.
Now we were really picking up the pace. Reese (Forest Service) said she knew of an interesting place. So everyone was game and we headed off.
Reese told us that she believe this area was mined for foundation stone. Now a dry pond, Michael pointed out the water line on the Cottonwood.
Here’s a closeup of the water line and where the lichens started above.
If you noticed two photos above (with Michael in it) was a group of thin leafless trees. They were a mott of Common Persimmons! And they were loaded and ripe. So we ate and gathered some of the fruit. Then an American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) flew and start enjoying the fruit too. None of us had ever witnessed a bumble bee on a persimmon fruit before. Very cool!
While gathering the fruit, Michael found these insect eggs. The Large Necklace Moth (Hypsoropha monilis) uses the Common Persimmon as a larval host. Of course I can not say whether or not these eggs were that. 🙂
My last goal was this pond.
Buffalo Bur (Solanum rostratum) was the colorful plant at the edge of the pond!
Reese found a dead frog. So that made it easy to get a close up of their beautiful eye. LOL.
The final find was this Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea) cat!
By this time we were all getting a bit hungry. Well, in fact I was more than a bit hungry. And off we headed to lunch at the Greenwood store!
A wonderful cool crisp morning helped all of our spirits. Nature does that. 🙂
Tonight’s sunset! We got another 0.50″ today. Yahoo! 🙂
I’m glad you were all able to take comfort in nature together!
Me too! Wished you could have too. ❤️
Since a child I’ve thought frogs eyes were the prettiest of all. Still do. Looks like a great time was had.
Eyes are so special to see (pun intended) up close.