Today started out warmer that any afternoon this past three weeks at Whitefish Point. One of our “Redbuds” is in full bloom. So we decided to spend the whole morning at Nichols Arboretum and Furstenberg Park.
Migrants were quite common, although most were high in the trees, where songs alerted us to their presence. Lower we found a lot of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and a Veery.
The morning turned into a plant extravaganza. Trillium were abundant in the woods.
Finding Wild ginger is always a treat for me. The whole plant is on the left and a close-up of the flower, barely above the leaf litter is on the right.
Striped maple was in flower.
We found two additional types of trillium – Nodding and Drooping. Putting us at three species for the morning.
Then on our way along the edge of the prairie, in the oak-savannah we found Prairie trillium. Our fourth trillium of the day left us one shy of all the local trillium species.
Tree Swallows at a nest box. Next we headed to Furstenberg Park for a couple of special plants.
One of the plants that can be found there is White trout-lily. I managed to find some Shore equisetum (Equisetum litorale). This is the only site I know of for this rare hybrid. Then Susan alerted me to a Prothonotary Warbler. By the time I get to her the bird had flown a little up river, but we could still hear it singing.
Watching a pair of Wood Ducks across the river was how we ended our morning.
More tomorrow…
Michael's Place 