John Fodi

The View from East Point

Virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana). In spite of the common name, I did not observe any virgins in the vicinity. Perhaps they are waiting until the fruits mature and the styles become plumose, sericeous, and more agreeable to virgins. 🌿

Jack-o-lantern mushroom (Omphalotus illudens). This fungus is so named because of it bright pumpkin-like color and its occasional bioluminescence. I have never actually observed the latter, in spite of several visits to this patch under the cover of darkness. 🌿

Bunny images are always welcome.

Water-willow (Decodon verticillatus). This plant is not really a willow (Salix spp.), hence the hyphen in the common name. Regardless, it is quite popular with bees these days. 🌿

All toads always seem a little grumpy, regardless of the circumstances.

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

Those are some rather festive lichens.

As can be seen in the third image, the first bale has aged considerably, but at least it was able to live out its span in peace, safe from livestock in the forest.

Last year a bale of straw from the neighboring farm made a successful dash for freedom and came to rest just inside the boundary of my Lapeer County RS site. Lightning apparently can strike twice, for it has happened again, the new arrival coming to rest a few feet from the first.

The View from East Point

We have today the usual view plus a view a little to the left.

This is the sort of thing that one expects in Texas.

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

Actually, I meant to the right rather than to the left.

By the way, that is a gray catbird calling in the background.

What are we looking at? This is a flotilla of whirligig beetles (Family Gyrinidae). They spend most of their lives swimming arcs and loops at the surface of ponds and lakes; nice work if you can get it. 🌿

3/3 Just what is a "boma"? The word is Swahili and refers to brushy, often thorny, enclosures used by African pastoralists to protect their livestock from predators. I have adopted the word for debris barriers that I use to keep white-tailed deer away from desired trees seedlings and shrubs.

2/3 I rerouted the trail and surrounded the oak with a "boma" constructed from branches pruned from nearby red maples. The oak is now happily growing upwards, safe from the teeth of a highly over-populated deer herd.

1/3 The trail leading to Little North Point originally passed by this black oak (Quercus velutina) seedling and the latter was kept perpetually stunted by the browsing of passing deer. 🌿🌰

The View from East Point 🌿

The small, tawny trees on Cranberry Island to the left in the midground are red maple (Acer rubrum). I guess that they are a little impatient for the coming of autumn so that they can assume their impressive fall coloration and redeem their usual blandness.

What is that stuff, orange spaghetti? No! That is dodder (Cuscuta sp.), a parasitic flowering plant. I once determined the species, but I cannot remember which one it is. The slightly immature flower buds can be seen in the second image. 🌿