I keep expecting to see signs of spring in the woods, even though I know it's not quite time for that yet. Just to remind me that winter's still here, the paths at Naugatuck State Forest where I went for a walk this afternoon showed a thin layer of packed snow, left over from the few inches we got last Thursday:
Maybe because my mind is already in spring mode, though, I honed in on the color green during my walk today. There wasn't much in the way of new things growing, but it was nice to notice some of our plants that keep their leaves all winter. As it turns out, there's quite a bit of living green out there among the brown!
The shiny purple-green leaves of Round-leaved Pyrola, for example, dotted the side of this bank:
And this Spotted Wintergreen contributed a lovely blue-green hue to the mix -- one of these plants is still holding on to the dried remains of last year's flower:
Partridgeberry stretched chains of its tiny dark-green leaves across the ground:
My favorite discovery of the day was this lone Downy Rattlesnake Plantain, one of our native orchids, growing in a different part of the forest from where I found it blooming last summer. Its intricately patterned leaves practically glowed from its setting on the brown forest floor:
Isn't this just the prettiest little plant? I'll keep an eye on it to see whether it blooms this year.
The Hemlock trees looked especially green today, making a roof above the path:
And I love the extensive patches of sea-green lichen on this tree -- I've often noticed it, but neglected to photograph it until now:
And of course, what list of green things in the winter woods would be complete without some moss? There are so many different types of moss out there, and maybe one day I'll try to learn to identify them -- for now, I'll just marvel at some of the interesting textures and vibrant colors that presented themselves today:
The only real sign of spring I've seen so far remains the Skunk Cabbage, and those plants are getting stronger by the day, with little mottled maroon-and-yellow balloons popping up all over the swampy areas of the forest:
And what's this? A hint of new-green Skunk Cabbage leaf unrolling as well?
Maybe spring really is on its way after all. :D
After that ridiculous heat wave we just had, I was happy to get back out to the Naugatuck State Forest this morning. Not all the creatures there were happy to see me, though!
At one point, I must have accidentally gotten too close to a nest, because a pair of Ovenbirds started flipping out, flashing from bush to bush, raising their bright orange mohawks and yelling at me. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of them while they were so close (even if they weren't sitting still), but I soon left them in peace again and went on my way:
This creature wasn't exactly thrilled at my presence, either:
I happened upon this Painted Turtle right next to the path, in the process of digging a hole (or covering one up) with her back legs. I say "her" because I'm almost certain this must be a female in some stage of the egg-laying process. (I have to wonder, though, is the area next to a path really the best place to bury eggs?) She kept her head neatly tucked into her shell, and I made good use of my zoom lens before leaving her to her business. Such a pretty lady:
Everything else I saw today seemed more or less ambivalent toward me. This male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (perhaps the mate of the female I saw in this area a few weeks ago?) was singing calmly from his perch in a tree:
This weird-wacky bug (some sort of fishfly, Chauliodes sp.) was just sitting on a leaf -- it was something like two inches long, what a monster!
And of course the dragonflies were everywhere, doing their own thing. I actually managed to identify another one of these creatures today -- this is a Calico Pennant:
I just love the stained-glass-window effect of its wings in this next picture:
I can't close a post without mentioning some new flowers as well. The pretty little Partridgeberry blooms are just starting to open, creeping along the forest floor:
And the summer full-sun flowers have a new companion, this Daisy Fleabane:
I saw a lot of fun things today, and I'm glad that the weather decided to cool down. Here's hoping we get a nice long break before the heat gets too intense again!
