Bass River with Gentian and a Tree Frog

2011 09 01 September!
This is the time of year to see Closed (Bottle) Gentian at Bass River in Ottawa County Michigan.  Here is what we saw on the first day of September.

 This is where the gentian live.

I'm pretty sure this is a Gray Treefrog.  Check out the book Michigan Frogs, Toads,and Salamanders by James Harding.

                 Nodding Ladies' Tresses

Purple Gerardia (Gerardia purpurea) we saw lots of these, very nice.

Black and Yellow Garden Spider
 (Argiope aurantia)

  Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) or is it a
                     Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)?

Aphids, yellow ones.

I kept noticing a ghostly flying insect, I followed it until it landed on a cattail, it was a Praying Mantis.

Red bugs on a swamp Milkweed pod, Eww enough with the bugs!

Cardinal Flower was still blooming, in the photo below the red is all Cardinal Flower.

Swamp Smartweed

This is, I think, Centaury (Centaruium umbellatum) another flower in the Gentain family.

Another fun day a Bass River Rec. Area!