August 2014 Adventures in Ottawa County, Michigan

August 2014 was a time for wildflowering, hiking, kayaking, dune rides, and more concerts in the park.  Also a visit from our oldest son, and Mike's three sisters.
Later in the month we got to see this beauty, Virginia Meadow Beauty!  But first the month started with a day trip to Ludington State Park.

We picked up Marie to go for a hike at Ludington State Park in Mason County, Michigan.  We usually walk the Island trail and the Lost Lake trail, and that is what we did this time, with a few side trips.
Ludington State Park is situated between Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake.  The trail runs through some islands along Hamlin Lake.

The red line shows where we walked, an easy 2 mile walk.  Of course we saw many amazing plants.

Kayaking another day, starting at East Grand River Park in Grand Haven.  We paddled west under the U.S. 31 highway, under the railroad bridge, under 3rd Street bridge.  Continuing west along Linear Park, around the power plant, then east under the railroad bridge, under the U.S. 31 drawbridge, and back to the park.

That's Benjamin, my grandson, looking up at the cars crossing the drawbridge.  

And Benjamin on an island! 
This year for Benjamin's birthday I got him a fishing pole and tackle box, we have gone fishing several times.  

Then up to the Silver Lake Dunes for an afternoon of "flying" over the dunes in a jeep, such fun.  Just kidding - sorry but I didn't think it was fun.
Vivienne didn't enjoy the jeep ride much either so we spent time finding lots of treasures in the woods.

 
I don't spend much time at the beach and pier in Grand Haven, but with out-of-towners that's the thing to do.  So a walk on the pier and sunset on Lake Michigan.

One August day my daughter, Betsy and I decided to take the kayaks out on our own.  We loaded up the boats in the trailer and towed them to East Grand River Park.  I really enjoyed this paddle, very relaxing.  We paddled about 7 miles round trip!  We even went under the Gidley Bridge, somewhat creepy. 

 This is a shot of going under Gidley Bridge.

After paddling that day Mike and I took a hike, not a walk, at Connor Bayou, an Ottawa County Park on the Grand River.  I say a hike because we walked all the trails, way out on the loop along the river and all the way back thorough the woods to the entrance where we parked.

 At Connor Bayou there is a log house that is available to rent.

 Sun setting along the Grand River.

 Below is a map of Connor Bayou Park.  Looking at the map I guess we walked about 2 1/2 miles but it was getting dark and I had paddled for hours in the afternoon so maybe that is why it seemed like a hike?

Later in August, Marie and I went to a place in Ottawa County and saw some amazing plants.  This place is especially fun because it has many small ponds.  Some of the ponds were dug out for sand, some are from high ground water levels.  We had so much fun here we came back the next week to explore a few more ponds.

 We named the ponds, this one is Peninsula Pond.  We came to see Virginia Meadow Beauty and we saw hundreds of these plants.

                    Virginia Meadow Beauty Rhexia virginica 

The plants were at all stages of flowering, hundreds had perfect blossoms.  Below is a shot of a large group of Meadow Beauty.

Virginia Meadow Beauty has a distinctive urn shaped fruit that Thoreau once compared to a tiny cream pitcher.
We also found a plant in the Gentian Family that we had never seen before called Bartonia. 

 One common name Yellow Screwstem, Bartonia virginica.
There is also a Bartonia paniculata but that is not as common in our area as the first Bartonia.  

    Nodding Ladies' Tresses were blooming, this is an orchid.

At one point we were walking along the trail and Marie was leading.  She saw a snake, a Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxi), on the trail near her feet.  The Blue Racer took off to our right and climbed out on a branch of a pine tree about 5 feet off the ground!  It was a big snake probably 4 to 5 feet long.  Here are a few shots of it in the tree.

 Blue Racer  It's head is to the right and its tail goes off to the left.

 Blue Racer  Now the head is on the left and tail looped through the branches.

 We also saw this thing!  I researched it online and came up with Oak Hedgehog Gall, what colors.

                         
 In late August at Bass River Recreation Area, we saw a field of Cardinal Flower.

I guess that was most of August 2014.  I'm sure I forgot something but who will know, right?  I'm trying to get current with the blog because that is more interesting I think than old news.  I mostly do this blog to keep track of my adventures and I use my camera to record these fun times.  So sorry if I missed something, now onto September.

Adventures from the Second Half of June 2014

This is the second half of June, here are some places we went "wildflowering".
On June 16, 2014 my sister Marie and I visited places in Oceana County, Michigan.  Gale's Pond and also that same day - Doolittle Memorial Park, Genevieve Casey MNA Nature Sanctuary, Park Road (End) beach.

First Gale's Pond.

 

Next stop Doolittle Memorial Park 

Doolittle Memorial Park is a small wooded area belonging to Oceana County. The trail and park area was developed by Boy Scout Steven Miller as an Eagle Project.  There is a trail of about 3/8 mile- a simple loop with a cutoff across the middle.

Then off to Genevieve Casey Nature Sanctuary.

 We ended up stopping by Park Road end where you can access Lake Michigan, a nice little beach for swimming.

June 23, 2014 Marie and I went to Bass River Recreation Area in Ottawa County, Michigan.  We have several places here to hunt wildflowers and there are varied habitats from swampy areas to forested areas.  We checked a site where we have found Loesel's Twayblade growing and there it was - right where we left it last year.
It isn't easy to spot in all the green.  The orchid is in the center of the photo below.

 Loesel's Twayblade - Orchid Family

 Loesel's Twayblade - Orchid Family

Nearby we found another orchid, also green-yellow in color and not easy to spot.  We examined it carefully.  It was small and close to the muddy ground.  We determined it to be Platanthera aquilonis, with the help of  the guide "Orchids of the North Woods" by Kim & Cindy Risen.  As it mentions in this guide, "This trio (Plantanthera aquilonis-huronensis-dilitata) is a bottomless pit of confusion to most folks, even the experts". So all I can say for sure is that we found these orchids at Bass River RA growing on their own, they really are not the prettiest flowers, but they are special.

Northern Green (Bog) Orchid  Platanthera aquilonis

One of the super secret ponds, filled with so much water it was too deep to cross with our knee-high boots.  Neat place!

               We also saw Moneywort Lysimachia nummularia Primrose family.

                         Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Milkweed family

June 30, 2014    We went southeast to Barry County Michigan.

 Here we saw a very showy orchid, beautiful and amazing,  growing in a wet area, a land of larch.  

Tuberous Grass Pink Calopogon tuberosus Some of the Grass Pink were a very blazing pink, some pale pink.  Most plants were over a foot tall, so easier to photograph than the orchids at Bass. 

 We saw some Showy Ladyslipper Cypripedium reginae Orchid Family.  These were already fading a little with brown on their petals, but still quite a sight.

We found Swamp Candles Lysimachia terrestris Primrose family growing deep in the tall grass.  Pretty flower. 

And below we have Death (White) Camas Zigadenus elegans
"All parts of this wildflower contain toxic chemicals (alkaloids) said to be more potent than strychnine."  I assume this is if you eat it but I leave most plants right where I find them because you just don't know what form of protection they might be using.

 

 Far across the water we saw a Great Blue Heron...

And here are a few other things we came across.

 

That was June 2014 a very beautiful month.  I also received a new camera from my very considerate husband!  The camera is a Canon EOS Rebel T3 1100D.  He really shouldn't have.  My brain is still working out how to use the last camera he bought me.  It is a whole kit with three different lens to attach and a carrying case.  I'm really more of a stick the camera in my back pocket type of person.  Well there is no sticking this camera in your back pocket, let me tell you. Okay now I say thanks, so much, Mike for the new camera, it was very thoughtful of you!