Places in Barry County, Michigan

July 15, 2013 We visited some of our favorite places in Barry County and a few new places. 

                            Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

                              Death Camas was still blooming...

This is Wild Yamroot (Dioscorea villosa).  The vine can grow to be 15 feet long during a single season.  Wild Yamroot has small, greenish flowers and three sided pods.

Wild Yamroot Pods

Leaf, flower, and pods of the wild Yamroot 



 

We also saw Lopseed,

Lopseed (Phryma leptostachya) We see Lopseed less often than

 Jumpseed (Polygonum virginianum). 

 

Jumpseed lines the trails of most wet woods in west Michigan, sometimes the flower stalk can be several feet high but are usually knee high.  Jumpseed is also known as Virginia Knotweed.

Back to Barry County...



I found this dragonfly with a drop of dew on its back.

 The sundew was blooming



 Round-leaved Sundew

 There were a few shy Pitcher Plant blooming. 



 

 A plant we have never seen before Sticky False-Asphodel (Tofieldia glutinosa)
Lily Family.  I didn't get a good shot of the leaves.  I have been trying to get the whole plant in the photo, not just macros of the flower.  I'll keep trying.

 Smooth Rose

We saw a skullcap, we didn't identify the type, probably Mad Dog Skullcap or Marsh Skullcap.  I just like the color.

The lake was like a mirror. 



 

We stopped at Bassett Lake access site, and Baker Lake access site, both are beautiful lakes.

Baker Lake in Barry County, Michigan

Pickerel Weed (Pontederia cordata) was blooming.

 

In the Yankee Springs State Recreation Area we visited Hall Lake.  

 

We talked to a guy who was fishing at the lake, he told us there were natural springs down along the trail so off we went part way around Hall Lake.

 

I saw a Great Blue Heron on a log across the lake.

If you look close you will find the heron just up from the center of the picture, slightly to the left.  See him on that big log way out there? 

Now maybe you can find the heron.  I circled him in red.

 

Here is a picture that I zoomed in on the heron with my camera from the same place as the picture above..

Pretty amazing.  No tripod either, just a steady hand.

 

We found many Spotted (Striped) Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)  blooming.  I always call it striped because there is a stripe on the leaf.  This plant blooms in my woods too.

 

 

 

We found the springs the guy told us about. 



I know it doesn't look like much in the photo but it was a natural spring with running water.  One more plant we saw blooming.

Helleborine  (Epipactis helleborine)

It is an orchid and grows just about everywhere around here, in the lawn, along the driveway.  It seems to prefer disturbed areas.

 

 



 Hall Lake 

 

It was a fun day with temperatures in the mid 90's.  We made it through the heat and even managed to walk a few miles! 



Manistee - Day Two

June 28 2011 We were up a 6 a.m., no hurries, no worries.  Coffee and breakfast on the front porch.  We left the cabin around 9, heading for the Manistee River Trail.  We are going to start at the "waterfall" going north on South 1 Road then west on Forest Road 7120.

I had to brake along the road when I saw purple, right away I knew it was Viper's Bugloss.

From the gate we walked to the river then south, looking for some river flats.  There are many small footbridges along this trail. 

 We  identified Shinleaf (Pyrola Family).

On a very steep hillside facing the river we saw Showy Lady's Slipper.  Totally inaccessible.
Soon we got to the flats and I showed Marie the Indian Paintbrush that Mike and I had seen here in mid June.

Then I was right on the edge of the river when I found an orchid.  It was pale green and slender.  Marie used her wisdom and her Newcomb's Wildflower Guide and dubbed it a Tubercled Orchid!

A kingfisher chattered down the river, frogs were jumping, butterflies flitted about.

I think this is a Pearl Crescent, going by my recently acquired

 Butterflies of Michigan by Jaret C. Daniels. 

Here are a few other things we found on the river flats.

A rough looking Showy Lady's Slipper

                                     Black-eyed Susan

                             Webs with dew

            Harebell, getting ready to open.

                              Common St. Johnswort

Our old friend, Prunella vulgaris, commonly known as Selfheal or Heal-all.

What a cool place, so many things to see!

We needed to head for home, about a two hour drive,

back to the real world.