May 2014 in Michigan

Some places I visited in May 2014.

 
2014 05 04 Riverside Park Ottawa County 

 

    Grand River

    Bloodroot   
For more of Riverside in May see 
 http://plantsamazeme.blogspot.com/2014/05/riverside-park-and-aman-park-in-ottawa.html

2014 05 05 Warren Woods, Kesling Nature Preserve - Berrien County see
 http://plantsamazeme.blogspot.com/2014/05/warren-woods-kesling-nature-preserve.html

2014 05 08 Long Lake - Kent County, Patterson Park - Muskegon County see
 http://plantsamazeme.blogspot.com/2014/05/kent-county-michigan-park.html

2014 05 12 Dowagiac Woods - Cass County, Mud Lake Bog and  Trillium Ravine - Berrien County

 

                     Blue-Eyed Mary Collinsia verna Figwort family 

 

 Bent Trillium Trillium flexipes

   Mud Lake

Trillium Ravine

 Many trillium at Trillium Ravine!

 Spider with worm giving a high five.
 
2014 05 19 Barry County Places, including Maher Audubon Sanctuary

2014 05 20 Aman Park Ottawa County

 Virginia Bluebells

 Redbud

 Sand Creek at Aman Park

2014 05 27 Bass River Rec. Area, Ottawa County

 

 Johnny Jump-Up Viola tricolor Violet family

 Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis Buttercup family 

                     Yellow Iris  Iris pseudacorus  Iris family

 Super secret pond at Bass River Rec. Area, there are several super secret ponds here. 

 Around home we had a bumper crop of Squawroot Conopholis americana Broomrape Family - An underground plant without leaves or chlorophyll!  

 

 That was as much as I remember about May.  I did take a kayak trip down the Pigeon River but didn't have my camera with so no photos.  Since June is almost over, maybe I will compile the month of June into a post.  
Marie and I found two wild orchids at Bass River Rec. Area this week but I guess you will just have to wait until next month to hear all about it!  Now you are all on the edge of your seats. Right?

Dolan Trail, Maher Sanctuary, Barry County Fen

2013 05 13 Last week we drove about 60 miles from Grand Haven to the Dolan Trail in southeast Kent County.  Dolan Trail,  a 1.1 mile loop trail, property of Trout Unlimited, is along the Coldwater River.  We have been here before and, as last time, we were careful not to go too far on the North Country Trail, which is also here along the Coldwater River.

 Coldwater River in Kent County, Michigan

     Dolan Trail

This is the back side of a Wild Geranium...

There were signs of severe flooding, we did see wildflowers and the weather was cool (32 degrees) and sunny.

We enjoyed the Dolan Trail but I got in a bit of a hurry to move on.  Usually our day out together seems to go by fast.  We do try to savor the moment.  The weather was very nice and we walked more than a mile but then we moved on down the road into Barry County to Maher Audubon Sanctuary.

We saw trillium,

 

Two-leaved Miterwort ( Mitella diphylla),

   Cain Creek,

Marsh Marigold.

 

 After Maher we went west to a small fen.  Along the way we saw beautiful spring green trees and grasses.

Since it was a cold day we saved the fen for last, but still didn't find much blooming...

We did see that someone had cut down bunches of shrubs along the path and throughout the fen, including Nine Bark, which they left in piles everywhere.

 

                Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) Carrot Family

                Swamp Valerian  (Valeriana uliginosa) Just buds...

 

Still some Marsh Marigold...

 



A beautiful day at the fen.