Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Forest
Fern of Fancy
This fern, found in the woodlands of northeast Wisconsin, was in the final stages of unfurling. In the spring these ferns sprout from the ground and go through the process of spreading their highly divided leaves.
The delicate curl you see at the ends of the fronds will soon straighten out. These ferns can quickly take over an area of forest floor when they are growing in favorable conditions.
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Thrice As Nice
Every spring I am drawn to the beauty and simplicity of trilliums in bloom. These were photographed on a recent hike through a wooded area of northeast Wisconsin.
If you like the trillium blooms, thank an ant. Ants are the ones who spread the seeds of the trillium plant. Ants gather the seeds and transport them away from the parent plant because they are attracted to the elaiosomes on the seeds. After learning this interesting fact I had to look up “elaiosomes.” Turns out, elaiosomes are fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species.
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Fine Forest Dinnerware
These pheasant back mushrooms were growing out of a fallen tree. They reminded me of a decorative dinnerware setting.
We found these (as well as other fungi) on a recent hike. They grow out of dead trees and stumps. The intricate patterns and coloration are the source of its name. They are supposedly eatable, but I’ve never tried them and wouldn’t know how to prepare them.
The tree these were growing out of was horizontal, lying flat on the ground, so this view is looking straight down. On an upright tree or stump these fungi tend to grow in a horizontal position, resembling a small, round shelf attached to the trunk.
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Fuzzy Stump
This tree stump has hair! What looks like redish hair sprouting from this decaying stump is moss sporangia. The forest is full of these tiny life forms this time of year.
I’m always intrigued by these tiny plant structures, often found while walking through the woods. On a recent hike, hunting mushrooms, I spotted this collection growing from the moss on a stump. A small stream of sunlight was filtering through the trees to illuminate the spot. I also like the cocklebur stuck in the moss near the top of the stump.
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Woodland Floor Decor
This was a delightful find on an autumn walk through the woods in northeast Wisconsin. The tallest of these tiny red mushrooms was about 2 inches.
We stumbled upon these while trekking to some waterfall site in Marinette County, Wisconsin. We found a number of colorful mushrooms on that trip.
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Something Wicked in the Woods
The tangle of roots from a fallen tree seemed like something wicked among the greenery of a Upper Michigan forest.
This seems a bit of an oddity among my usual selection of pretty flowers and glowing sunrises. The curve of the dead, aging wood, in contrast with the new, green life around it caught my eye.
I debated whether to make it a monochrome image but decided the green wasn’t bright enough to hinder the mood. And, again, I liked the contrast.
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Limited Shelf Life
On one of my recent hikes through the autumn woods, I snapped a brightly colored maple leaf that found a resting place on a shelf mushroom.
For those not familiar, shelf mushrooms (or bracket fungi) grow on the side of trees (living and dead). When you find them, they’re usually attached to rough barked trees.
There are dozens of shelf mushroom varieties – different sizes, shapes and colors. They are known by a variety of descriptive names – beefsteak fungus, sulphur shelf, birch bracket, dryad’s saddle, artist’s conk, and turkey tail…and others.
The classification, Polypores, is often used for the type of the hard or leathery fungi (like the one pictured here) that lacks a stem, growing straight out of wood. The polypore’s woody fruiting bodies are called conks.
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Forest Friend
On a recent stroll through the woodlands of rural N.E. Wisconsin, I engaged in a prolonged staring contest with this Eastern Chipmunk. After viewing this photo, I declared myself the winner.
I spotted several of these little fellows who seemed to freeze the moment they saw me. I expect, they were hoping if they remained motionless, I wouldn’t notice them. I wonder how many of them I may have walked past and missed.
When I did see this guy, I stopped and took a photo. Then, as he remained motionless, I moved in a foot closer…and then another foot…and another – until he no longer could endure my intrusion into his personal space. Thankfully, he was more tolerant than I expected.
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Maple Uprising
This tiny maple sapling is rising up from the crowded forest floor, determined to make a place for itself in the world. Springtime renewal is emerging in Northeast Wisconsin.
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Tree Dwellers
It was a banner year for mushrooms in northeast Wisconsin. An abundance of rainfall seemed to keep them sprouting up to, and even beyond, the first frosts.
I thought it was unusual to see so many mushrooms growing on a tree trunk. These healthy specimens were found in the woods of northeast Wisconsin.
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All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.