More this and that...

This is another entry where I'm going to show some of the interesting things we have seen I our travels that do't quit fit under my regular entries.  

We took a trip to Brandywine Falls yesterday.  Brandywine Falls is part of the National Parks system. It is one of the most popular spots in the area.  

 On the way down to the viewing platform I saw 3 plants I had never seen before.  

This is a bryophyte.  A bryophyte is a plant that has no vascular system.   I don't really know anything else about them since I just found out about them the other day.  

This fungus, though I don't know what kind it is was on the side of a tree, was very interesting as well.  I haven't been able to identify this yet.

red trillium.  This is the first time I've seen a red one.  I've seen tons of white ones but never a red one.  

And Dutchman's Breeches.  I've been looking for this plant too.  

not a very good picture but it's early meadow rue.  

American Coot.  I love these guys.  I always picture them as needing headphones and roller skates.  they kind of ease on down the canal just like the song. The way their necks go back and forth when they swim  I just love it  they always make me smile when I see them. 

Pied-billed grebe

Common Loon in eclipse plumage.  This was kind of neat to see.  He is actually unable to fly while in this plumage as far as I am able to understand.  He is passing from his breeding plumage to his year-round plumage.

I liked this picture with the reflection.  It's a Great Blue Heron.

Here's a close-up of the same bird.  He was very cooperative that day.

Here's venus on top and jupiter on bottom.  I took this picture for my sister.

Blue Phlox

And I thought I would show you the ending of coltsfoot.  Looks like dandelion but it's not.  notice it does not have the dandelion leaf.

Heron feet in Yellow creek. Haha it rhymes.  

Golden ragwort i think

And I finally found out what happens to the bloom on a skunk cabbage.  It just kid of withers on the side.

miterwort.  also called bishops cap because the flowers look like little bishops hats or miters.

Very cool experience.  A barred owl.  This was taken the night we were out looking for woodcocks and barred owls.  saw woodcocks though I couldn't get a picture but I did get this owl.

We interrupted this guy while he was dining on a rabbit.  I took the picture through my car window and I'm glad I did because as soon as I got out of the car he took off and wouldn't come back.  By the way he is a turkey vulture.

Goose anyone?  This old burner is in a lake by the canal where the waterfowl hang out.  This year a pair of Cananda Geese have made a nest in it.  It strikes my funny bone as it looks looks like they are jumping in the fire for dinner every time they access their nest.  Right after this goose left another one came out.  

Buttonbush/ Sugarbush and LedgesTrail

1.6, 0.6, 1.1 miles completed today
67.75 miles completed total

I didn't really care for the buttonbush or sugarbush trails.  I think had I gotten there earlier I would have liked them  They are supposed to be very good for birding but by the time I got there it was too late  Birds were gone.  The ledges now that was a different story.  I found a few things I had never seen.
Squirrel corn.  This was one of the wildflowers I had on my list to look for this spring.  I have never seen it before and have been looking for it.  It is named squirrel corn because the way the roots look.

It was all over this park.  Everything I have read says that Dutchman's breeches blooms close by but I didn't see any.  That was another plant I have been looking for.  The leaves of both plants are similar so I figured I would check back soon.  I was rewarded later in the day though at a different park.

 The park has some nice rock formations.  Unfortunately,  people have climbed on many of these  and are damaging the moss and lichens.  There is also talk that it has caused the spread of the white nose bat disease. The metro parks are trying to keep the people on the trails but the people aren't used to the new rules and it will take a little time for them to get used to it.

Glacier cave is where the bats are located.  Unfortunately, the cave has been closed because the bats are infected now.  It's really to bad because this disease affects the fat stores of the bats and wakes them early in winter and they die.  Biologists have been called in and hopefully they will be able to do something.

This is the entrance.  You can see the entrance that is blocked.

We listened to the signs and continued on our way.

red fungus

And this.  A six-spotted emerald tiger beetle.  I was very excited to be able to identify this guy.  He is quite a monster.  He grabs ants and caterpillars and such.  Beats them against the ground until they are dead then sucks out their soft parts and munches on their crunchies.  He's a beast.  Beautiful; but a beast.

 And this lone mushroom.  I had to uncover is a little to get a good picture.  I did cover it back a little after I left to protect it. lol  Long live the mushroom.

Liberty Park

Buttonbush Trail	1.6 miles		1	Located in the conservation area, Buttonbush Trail follows an old service road, where vehicles traveled to and from oil wells once located on the prop  ...  MORE
Ledges Trail	1.1 miles		2	Visitors hiking the Ledges Trail pass by a unique system of sandstone ledges, into Glacier Cave and to a wetland before traveling back to the trail  ...  MORE
Sugarbush Trail	0.6 mile		1	Sugarbush Trail loops through the city-run recreation area. For more information, please call the city of Twinsburg's Parks & Recreation Depart  ...  MORE

Trail Ratings

1=Easy

2=Moderate

3=Strenuous

Long before Liberty Park was formed, humans in prehistory camped here, drank the clean, cold springs and hunted game. Upon European settlement, trees were cleared for farming, but maples were spared for their sweet sap. Today, the 1,908-acre Liberty Park is a unique partnership between the City of Twinsburg and the park district. The city manages the park's 100-acre recreation area, including the play fields and playground. Metro Parks manages the remaining acreage, including three trails and the Pond Brook Conservation Area. Both areas are open 6 a.m. to sunset. Large trees exist on rock ledges and in wetlands within the conservation area, where fens and bogs are "protected" by poison sumac and swamp rose. Metro Parks has designated this a Low Impact Area, meaning mowing, trails and other park improvements will be kept to a minimum. This protects the various species that live in the area's wetlands and vernal pools. Liberty Park harbors countless rare and endangered species, including Indiana bats, marsh wrens, ospreys and bald eagles. Other creatures seen here include beavers, long-tailed weasels, dragonflies, butterflies, red-backed salamanders, wood frogs and turtles. In July 2006, Audubon Ohio named Liberty Park an Important Bird Area.

Daffodil Trail

.6 miles completed today

64.45 miles completed total

My parents and Aeris decided to join us on Good Friday for the daffodil trail.  It seemed fitting for such a sad day as Good Friday and a great hike for the anticipation of Easter.  It was a rather easy trail with some pretty flowers and it had a pleasant surprise for me which you will see in a moment.

The rest of the daffodils were only at about 20% so I won't picture them here.  They weren't really spectacular yet.  I did see Squawroot for the first time though.  I thought that was spectacular.  It is a parasitic plant that lives off hardwood root systems.  I was very excited to find it.  Now since I found it at Furnace Run I have seen it everywhere.  Isn't that always the way though.  lol  Well here it is.

It will continue to get taller as the season progresses.  Last years growth is still there but it looks dead and black.
Here is the last picture of the day.  Aeris was done cooperating and I was lucky to get her for this even.

Rock Creek Trail and Old Mill Trail

1.0 miles completed today
1.2 miles completed today
63.85 completed total

Unfortunately, this hike started out with me getting pulled over by the police.  I guess I hadn't pulled off the road far enough when I was taking a picture of Annie by the Metroparks sign and he informed me that that was called illegal stopping and starting.  Where I'm from they don't stop if you're dying so I was surprised that he stopped because he thought I was broken down.  He wasn't a very nice policeman but I guess not every policeman is.  Anyway, he didn't give me a ticket just kept reminding me over and over that he could.  In fact, he reminded me so many times that my rebellious side finally kicked in to where I stupidly asked him if he was going to.  Could have kicked myself, but all ended well and I was on my way to greater adventures and learned a new lesson.
This park had a little meandering stream throughout which of course aeries wanted to walk across.  Annie had to help her.

We saw some new wildflowers on this hike as well.  Such as this one that I have not identified yet.

Rue Anemone

white trillium

and yellow trout lily

The wildflowers were beautiful but we also ran into about 7 deer.

The property used to be owned by the Brush family.  A huge rock is placed in the woods remembering the family.

As we were leaving the woods we were loosing light.  Very beautiful.