Spring Ephemerals (short life cycles), handsome early wildflowers, Niquette Bay State Park; UVM Friday Field Walk. Hosted by Cathy Paris and Liz Thompson.
Note: If you view in slide show mode, you will not see the captions and text nor the spring poem at the end.
Attendees: Linda, Pam, Ellen, Marilyn, Chuck, Gabe, Shirley, Chip, Joe, Alisa, Shelby, Emma, Jesse, Rebecca, Katheryn, Jamie, Hanna, Anya, Peter, Sonya, Julia, Lira, Michael, Barb, Chris, Cathy, Liz, Bernie.
According to my rough notes, we viewed and discussed, Sharp-lobed Hepatica, Trout Lily, Blood Root, Dutchman's Breeches, Miterwort, Walking Fern, Sedge, Blue Cohosh, White Trillium, Red Trillium, Marginal Wood Fern, Leatherwood bush, False Soloman, Early Meadow Rue, Wild Ginger, and Bulblet bladder fern.
I also viewed a heart rock, heart-shaped lichen, caves, face in a tree, kissing trees, potential vernal pools, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Oh, and a frog, except I told it I would not tell anyone.
On our right was Sandplain, on the area we focused on is Dunham Dolemite ( calcium, magnesium-rich soil) and Monkton Quartzite (Rust-colored like you see on the side of the interstate on the way from BTV to the Park along interstate 89.)
UVM Web page: VT Geology and Landscapes
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| Sharp Lobed Hepatica. One of the earliest blooming species of ephemeral. |
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| Time Portal |
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| Trout Lily Ants disperse the seeds of many of the spring ephemerals. The vegetation of the Trout Lily spreads for years before flowering. Some have yellow stamens, some red. |
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| Blood Root Poppy Family. The roots (rhizomes) yield red juice. Can self-pollinate? |
Of note, many early ephemerals depend on early native pollinator bees such as the mining bee, sweat bee, bumblebee, and the solitary bees.
Dutchman's Breeches
Found in enriched sites. Queen bee can open the spur. However, the worker bee cannot. The worker bee drills a hole into the flower to get at the nectar.
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| Miterwort |
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| Sedge |
Blue Cohosh
In the Barberry family. The seed looks like a berry. Compound leaf made of leaflets, with sub leaflets, with ultimate segments (or sub leaflets).
Red Trillium, also known as Stinking Benjamin, and Nose Bleed. One of the broadest distribution of Trilliums in Vermont.
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| Marginal Wood Fern. An Evergreen Species. |
Leatherwood Bush. Twigs don't snap, but instead are pliable.
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| False Solomon Seal |
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| Elephant Head |
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| Whale's Eye |
Wild Ginger. Lens-shaped cells. Heart-shaped leaves. Carrion insects pollinate.
We considered doing some Spelunking (Caving).
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| JAWS |
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| Trillium City |
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| Heart Stone |
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| Elephant Trunk |
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| Condos |
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| Nature's Monet |
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| Kissing Trees |
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| TREE BABY DELIVERY |
Simply Beautiful
Today’s Tears
Bernie
Wipe away the tears
of which north winds promote,
for the promise of warmth
which our eyes tell us the sun carries
soon will deliver
spring
to summer.
From shivering winds
to refreshing breezes,
for such are the seasons
first delivered in anticipation
swallowed in earnest
rendered old and forlorn
replaced and nearly forgotten
only to come again
refreshed and refreshing
like dewdrops on a summer morning
frost on a pumpkin
snowflakes in (god help us not May) January.
Today's tears bring rise to tomorrow's flowers.
View more local nature photos by selecting any of the following:
BI-Monthly walks. (Also see schedule for upcoming SBFiN walks.)
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