"Out & About" Photo Blog: 2nd Marsh -- June 24th, 2011

When I started this blog I didn't think it would be dominated with wildflowers the way it has been. I chose the "Out & About" title expecting to post a variety of things that I shoot. I always hope to see more deer, beaver, etc. at the marsh & elsewhere but nature doesn't always cooperate so I end up shooting a lot of wildflowers, which I do love, but... it's all timing & luck. I must make a point of shooting more non-nature. But I love nature with a passion! What can you do?

In fact I've made myself a project of sorts to document changes in the marsh over a one year period. I've thought of recording changes over a one-year period in one area for years but never got around to it. I always thought it would be interesting to see images of the same area through the different seasons. So I'm finally doing it for the marsh. I've done about 3 months so far. Will I hang in there for another 9? I hope so. This blog is making it easier for me.

So..... late today I went to the computer store and used that as an excuse to take my camera along and went down to the marsh while I was out. I remembered the insect spray this time but never thought to (try to) spray my back so I left more blood with the friendly mosquitoes that were there to greet me.

More of the Cow Parsnip patch is in bloom.

I've never seen leaves with so much Leaf Miner activity. They seem to love Cow Parsnip.

At this point the boardwalk was covered in Ash Tree keys/"paddles".

The Mayapples now have their "apples".

A 12-Spotted Skimmer Dragonfly... Thanks John

I've always liked the look of Ostrich Fern .

A Red/Purple-Flowering Raspberry. I was tempted to push the lazy petal back before I took the shot. I should have.

I did see a good-sized patch of Blue Flag Iris today by the Beaver Pond but I needed waders to get a decent shot of them. So another shot of the Yellow instead.

I hadn't walked the berm down to the lake for awhile so I went part way today. Pink Bindweed (aka Hedge Bindweed... Thanks John) with its "trumpet" flower was plentiful. It looks a lot like Morning Glory.

Cow Vetch & Bumble Bee on the berm. In fact the rest of the images are from along the berm.

Birdsfoot Trefoil brightens up any area it's in.

I finally saw Daisies in the marsh.

Whatever this is there's lots of it along the berm. It has a very strong stalk. It's Wild Parsnip-- Thanks guys. Doug said to be careful with this one so I googled it and found this... Yikes!

Unlike other better known toxic plants, like poison ivy, which depend on our immune response to cause their discomfort, this plant is just plain corrosive! When the tissues of this plant are broken open, it releases a family of substances known as “psoralens” which are initially harmless, but quickly react with UV light to take on their corrosive character, causing skin burns and discoloration which can last from weeks to months on human skin.