Moving slowly with little sound a White Tailed Deer enjoys a nice buffet of fresh leaves.
Tag: forest
Along the trail
Dancing gently in the breeze these flowers made a walk along this trail one to remember.
From the forest floor
Todays post is brought to you courtesy of the forest floor. A place to discover wonders both large and small. Like the sculptural beauty of a leaf slowly working its way back to soil.
and a pine cone in all its’ glory.
So much to see in a 8 inch square.
yes, so much to see on the forest floor.
In a dense forest
It is always amazing to us when we find raptors perched up high in the tree tops of a dense forest. This day a Common Black Hawk sits perched looking to the forest floor right above your heads looking for a potential meal. This bird only sat long enough for us to snap a quick photo before nimbly soaring off through the branches and dense foliage. An amazing sight indeed.
A lichen filled forest
Feeling right at home in a lichen filled forest.
Both us and the Canada Jay.
The leaf implies the seed.
Infinite possibilites as Cottonwood leaves swirl in the breeze with Cottonwood seeds. A visual demonstration of the circle of life.
On the forest floor
After a mile or two of a hike that began in tall grassland and meadows we suddenly entered a stretch of trail that wound it’s way through a luxuriant forest filled with treasures of all kind. From beautiful Woodland Pinedrops to what seemed an unending variety of ground covers, the landscape was transformed. From dry to wet, from brown to green, you never know what you’ll find on the forest floor.
Unusual fungi and tiny white bells.
Life took many forms and all play a part in the ecosystem of the forest floor.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend and some time to explore.
Pipsissewa:Chimaphila umbellata
Pipisissewa is a beautiful and distinct wildflower found on the forest floor not to mention a fun name to say. With its long stem and single umbrella shaped flower it is hard to miss while hiking through the woods and native to much of cool temperate forest across the northern hemisphere. A member of the wintergreen family Pipsissewa has green leaves year-round, it receives a significant portion of its nutrition from fungi in the soil.
Pipsissewa, as much fun to observe as it is to say and wonderful companion on any forested walk.
Whispers in green
Yellow whispers in a big old sea of green.
That is what this Yellow Columbine felt like on a recent hike into the forests nearby. A rainier than typical spring and early summer has the forest looking green as green can be and even a large patch of Columbine growing strong could only mustard a whisper in that sea of green yet sometimes a whispers is all you need.
Forest Treasures
Finding wild Orchids growing in the forest always feels like finding a little treasure, a treasure offered by the forest itself. Sometimes the treasure is small and hidden deep in the undergrowth as was the fairy slipper above.
Other times the treasure sits alone in the forest waiting for you to some along as this spring coral root did on recent day.
And every once in awhile the treasure sings out to you saying look at me as the Striped Coralroot has a habit to do.
Any time I find these orchids growing in the forest it does indeed feel like finding a small treasure that brightens the day.
nature has no boss 
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