I Am Not Hamlet

Spring ephemerals began their yearly appearance during Holy Week. The lock-down had afforded me the opportunity to reacquaint myself with some species that I hadn't seen in several years. I allowed my time for wildflower viewing to be restricted to the weekends for far too many years. Time is gift so easily squandered, isn't it? The following photos were captured at Maybury State Park in Wayne County and Oakland County, MI (which incidentally contains the highest point in the Rouge River watershed). Pre-blooming trillium (probably Trillium grandiflorum ) Early stage of May-apple ( Podophyllum peltatum ) Blooming bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis ) Cutleaf toothwort ( Cardamine concatenata )   More bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis ) Hard to tell, but I think this is a wood frog. I haven't ID'd this one yet. Bueller?...Bueller? Anyone? Mourning cloak ( Nymphalis antiopa )

The following photos were taken on 10 April 2020 at Crosswinds Marsh in Wayne County, MI. That day was the first warm day this spring as evidenced by the insect and reptile activity. I had been to the marsh before, but I had only explored some of it by water as my son was earning his canoeing merit badge with his BSA troop there. I was impressed with the size of the property, though work is needed to rid it of massive amounts of phragmites and to a lesser extent, common buckthorn and autumn olive. The marsh only exists because when Detroit Metropolitan Airport expanded they drained some wetlands that were located on the proposed expansion. So, in a wise program of replacement, Crosswinds Marsh was created about 10 miles SE of the airport. Given that it was the Friday before Palm Sunday, and not expecting to have any palms for the celebration, I found many salixes growing around and cut about two dozen branches for their pussy willows in solidarity with the Eastern European tradi

This moss and the deer fur images were taken in Grand Ledge, MI This prickly cucumber husk and the images that follow were taken at Crosswinds Marsh in Wayne County, Michigan.

We're still on lock-down, and while I don't want to downplay the economic devastation this is wreaking, some people like to throw around totalitarian state metaphors. Please, talk to someone who lived under the Soviet regime or other dictatorial states and then tell us how this is like that. Anyway, we are free to enjoy the outdoors. Given that this is spring, much emerges: plant life, insects and amphibians, and the call of reproduction. Frogs and toads call (when the weather isn't too cold) and birds defend territories and put on displays of virility. This group of photos is from 3 April 2020 at Sterling State Park, which is Michigan's only state park on Lake Erie. Get outside before you miss the sounds, the smells of spring. And the ephemerals...don't miss their show. Sterling State Park is part of a delta for Lake Erie so there are plenty of waterfowl, like the scaups above. Last year's investment The American robin is so common I d

Greetings during the Plague Spring. Most of you probably have Stay-At-Home orders of some kind, but allowances are given to go outside and enjoy the emerging life. Here are some photos from the first phase of this lock-down. The first set are from a visit to Kensington MetroPark in Milford, MI. People may have to slow down and refrain from normal economic activity, but nature does not. This photo and the next two are from the Bishop Lake unit of Brighton State Recreation Area in Brighton, MI, very near the edge of SE Michigan. The Huron River How often have you gone out? What are you noticing that you have never noticed before because you were working? I'll be posting more as I process my photos.