Some non work-related things I observed during my trip to Tennessee...
The tree we were parked under during the storm. Cherrybark Oak? Southern Red Oak?
Either an American Toad or a Fowler's Toad, or a hybrid of the two...
Another view...
Another one on another day...
Mulberry tree!
Unknown long-legged fly (Dolichopodidae) on a leaf.
A good-sized snapping turtle cruising a flooded ditch. I couldn't get close enough to grab him for a closer look.
Some sort of large, dessicated salamander. A mud-puppy?
Any ideas Teal?
A defensive crawfish.
Do crayfish bask? I observed hundreds of them floating on their sides, clinging to emergent vegetation. After a while, they'd roll over to the other side. Many of them were quite soft, so maybe they were molting. This is the day after all the flooding.
Another basking/molting crawfish...
Barberpole Sedge?
Some sort of amphibian eggs.
A little help Teal?
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Onwards to Kentucky and beyond!
Some quality Tennessee roadside snacks...
May Apple in Ford's yard.
A spring peeper in Kentucky. Exactly like the ones we have in Vermont.
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And here's some more things from the yard back in Vermont...
Our tulips finally bloomed. And so did all the weeds.
False Solomon's Seal (
Smilacina racemosa).
Solomon's seal (
Polygonatum biflorum).
I think...
Wood frog (
Rana sylvatica) tadpoles. Thousands of them...
Some sort of fern-like plant that wasn't in my fern guide. Any idea mom?
Canada Violet (
Viola canadensis).
Blue Violet (
Viola papilionaceai).
Ferns unfurling. Ostrich Fern?
A bunch of them...
Unidentified. Edit: Blue Cohosh (
Caulophyllum thalictroides). This will eventually have bright blue berries.
Spider!
View from the upper part of the back yard. Mt. Mansfield in the background.
Another fern I haven't identified yet.
Apple blossoms.
Blossoms on another tree.
Marsh marigold (
Caltha palustris).
Some sort of wild onion/garlic growing next to the house.
Really busy with work lately and for the next month or two. Too many new (to me) plants and critters to have time to identify/learn them all. I guess they'll be back next year too! Can't wait for the insects to get through their nymph stages and start seeing more of them around too.
Off to New Jersey next week, and elsewhere after that. Nothing far away for a while, which is a bit of a relief. We hope to get some seeds in the ground soon. We had a frost last night, so I don't want to jump the gun...
8 comments:
cherry bark oaks tend to get twig galls (one of the few things I remember from dendrology class)
http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_qupa5.pdf
southern red oak
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUFA
Just looking at the photo of the southern red makes me think it was a cherry bark
but my forestry degrees are pretty rusty, probably should get an opinion from someone who actually knows something about forestry
Your skills must still be sharp Keith, that tree was FULL of galls. Cherrybark Oak it is!
I'm pretty sure the string of amphibian eggs are from some sort of toad.
Whoo whee. your seeing more than my biological diversity starved eyes are seeing in the clearcuts and tree farms of wetern washington this month.
The eggs you have picture are 100% for sure toads, they are the only ones that I know lay in strings or pearls like that, i think that the mystery amphibian is some kind of "siren". have never seen one and don't know anything about them, but I remember them from books. and the mystery fern with the pretty black stipes is called five-fingered maiden hair fern over on the west coast (Adiantum pedatum).
thanks for all the great photos and stories.
Teal
sorry bout the double posting. the ostrich fern might be what we call ladies fern (Athyrium filix-feminia), or might be something totally different. Did you get might note about the Toad? Its a fowler's. Crainial ridges touching perotinoid glands
Teal, I think you're totally right about the "siren". I had noticed this thing didn't seem to have any hind limbs, and the gills weren't frilly like a mud puppy (thought they'd been nibbled off or something). The forelimbs were tiny as were the eyes. Thanks for the ID help.
Will,
The fern you asked me about is a maiden hair fern. I don't remember the botanic name. The oniony thingy with pink blooms is a common chive in bloom. The leaves and the blossoms are edible. Also the blooms make nice cut flowers if you put them with something that has a still stronger smell!
You must live in one of the most beautiful, most interesting places in the country. And then it may be just that you are very observant and a good photographer. Whatever it is, it makes it fun to keep checking your blog.
Mom
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