Large yellow lady’s slipper

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large yellow lady’s slipper

Large yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens), also called greater yellow lady’s slipper, is found throughout Minnesota except for the southwest corner of the state. In most of the state it occurs in moderate or deep shade in moderately moist upland forests. In the northwest corner of the state it occurs in full or partial sunlight in wet prairies and sedge meadows. The large showy flowers appear from May 10 to July 10, with peak blooming time June 5 to June 20 in the north and May 20 to June 1 in the south. Do not touch. The hairs on the stems and leaves cause dermatitis in some people.

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/large_yellow_ladys_slipper.html

Thimbleweed

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thimbleberry

Photo by Bill Reynolds

Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) is common in western North America but only isolated populations exist in the Great Lakes region. At one time its range may have been uninterrupted, only to be broken up by repeated glaciations and climate change.

The species name, parviflorus, means small flowered in Latin. That is an obvious misnomer since this plant has one of the largest flowers in the Rubus genus.

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/thimbleberry.html

White Turtlehead

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Photo by Bill Reynolds

Photo by Bill Reynolds

White turtlehead (Chelone glabra) is an uncommon native perennial. It is found throughout the eastern half of Minnesota in wet meadows, open wet woodlands, sedge meadows, and marshes, often at the side of a stream. It is most easily recognized in July to September when it is topped with a spike of a few to many white flowers. The flowers are said to resemble the head of a turtle, giving this plant its common name.

The plant is highly variable and some authorities recognize up to eight subspecies.

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/white_turtlehead.html

Fireweed

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fireweed

Photo by Bill Reynolds

Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) is a native, highly variable, widespread species. It is found throughout the circumboreal region of the globe including 43 states in the U.S. and every province of Canada.

Fireweed is a successional plant occurring in disturbed areas especially after a fire. It spreads aggressively by rhizome-like roots, often forming large colonies and becoming the dominant species.

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/fireweed.html

Don’t Eat the Blue Snow

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Minnesotans “of a certain age” will remember roadside billboards with nothing but the words “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow.” The billboards were a (stealth?) advertising campaign by Rudy Boschwitz’s Plywood Minnesota. It was a long time ago and a Google search does not return any relevant results. But you may want to add blue to the snow colors to avoid eating.

Don't eat the blue snow!

Don’t eat the blue snow!

In the late winter when there is usually very little for deer to eat they begin to browse on common buckthorn, a plant they normally avoid. Common buckthorn contains a chemical that is expelled with the urine. The tainted urine is initially yellow or brown but, after exposure to about ten minutes of sunlight, turns bright blue or sky blue.

Savage Fen Trip Report March 9, 2014

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Savage_Fen_SNA_08The first warm(ish) weather of 2014 called to me and I answered the call. I threw the snowshoes in the back of the Trailblazer and headed to the newly expanded West Unit of Savage Fen SNA.

I parked near the wood SNA sign, put on the snowshoes, and walked the 130 yards to the information kiosk. Just then the sun came out from behind a thin but dense layer of clouds. I realized I did not bring my sunglasses so I went back to the Trailblazer and got them. By the time I got back to photograph the kiosk area the sun was once again hidden behind the clouds. That was the only sun I was to see all day.Savage_Fen_SNA_10

Savage_Fen_SNA_11 The kiosk area has a few well developed eastern redcedar trees. Packed snow and droppings beneath the trees indicate that this area is popular with whitetail deer. As I scanned the area I caught sight of movement near the south edge of the clearing. A deer approached the open area unaware of my presence. I managed to get the camera out without alerting the deer and took a couple of photos. Unfortunately, the only lens I brought was an 18-55mm wide angle zoom lens. This lens is good for landscapes but not for bringing distant objects closer. After a minute the deer saw me and bounded away.

There were several deer trails to choose from leaving the kiosk area. I chose one leading south and then west. Before long I realized that the trail took me off of the SNA and I doubled back. I headed east following many deer trails showing little to moderate – but some – usage. Hard packed snow beneath the more recently fallen snow helps to support the weight of a person on snowshoes. It reduces by close to 50% (my unscientific estimate) the effort required for each and every step.Savage_Fen_SNA_12

In the almost circular calcareous fen near the middle of the SNA I came across something I had never seen before. On the left (north) side of the deer trail the snow was 16″ deep and loose. On the right (south) side of the trail was an irregular shelf of yellowish ice rising 6″ to 8″ above the snow with little snow covering it. I tested the ice with my pole and it was thick and solid. A little farther on I came across another ice shelf, this one 8″ to 12″ above the snow with no snow covering it. A small area, no more than the size of a peanut butter jar lid, had visibly flowing water on top of the ice – a spring! The slow but continuous flow of water explains the irregular surface of the ice shelf.

Calcareous Fen

Calcareous Fen

If a person falls in a ravine while wearing snowshoes and finds their legs and head in the air and their rump in the ravine, they will need to come up with a strategy to get themselves back on their feet. I’m just saying.

Seepage Meadow/Carr

Seepage Meadow/Carr

Along with the one whitetail deer I saw several American Crows, two Wild Turkeys, and a hawk I was unable to identify. I heard Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, a Northern/Yellow-shafted Flicker (don’t get me started), and a Mourning Dove.

Deer's-eye view of a buckthorn thicket

Deer’s-eye view of a buckthorn thicket

Total snowshoeing was 2.7 miles and 3 hours and 45 minutes. The high temperature in Savage today was 46°. By the end of the trek the snow on top was the consistency of wet sugar – heavy but still granular.Savage_Fen_Trip_Report_March_9_2014

Snowshoeing in February

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It was 38° and partly sunny when I arrived at Des Moines River SNA at noon on Tuesday. The warm front the day before brought three inches of fresh snow. Mine were the first tire tracks in the parking area at Christianna Bridge Public Water Access.

Des_Moines_River_SNA_50

I strapped on the snowshoes and headed up the hill to the southwest corner of the SNA. A Red-bellied Woodpecker complained until I was out of site, repeating its rolling, one-second long churr every few seconds. At the SNA boundary marker there were fresh Red Fox tracks on top of yesterday’s snow. A single line of tracks meandered east, following the fence line that forms the SNA boundary. At one point there was a jumble of many tracks around a small, jagged, mostly filled in hole. The fox apparently dug for and possibly found a vole or mouse.

Des_Moines_River_SNA_51

I continued east following the SNA boundary. With each step my snowshoes sank twelve to eighteen inches into the snow. I had to lift my knees high with each step to avoid dragging the toe of the snowshoe through the snow at the lead edge of the shoe print. At this rate I knew that if I would be worn out soon unless something changed. I began searching for sign of a deer path.

Deer path

Deer path

There were no fresh tracks in sight, but I soon found a path buried under the snow. It appeared as a somewhat straight line where a little less grass protruded from the snow. I stepped onto the path and the snow held my weight.

Snowshoe prints on deep path

Snowshoe prints on deer path

For the next two hours I explored the south half of the SNA. I walked on deer paths where they were available but they seldom went where I did. Other sightings this day include four whitetail deer, several Black-capped Chickadees, about thirty LBJs (Little Brown Jobs—unidentified sparrows), and the tracks of a Ring-necked Pheasant.

Deer highway

Deer highway

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Photo by Bill Reynolds

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the smallest breeding bird in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is seldom seen but easily recognized because it is the only hummingbird that breeds in or migrates through Minnesota. It is a migratory bird, arriving in Minnesota in late April and early May. It is a solitary breeder—after mating the male has nothing more to do with the female or its offspring. In the fall, adults migrate across the Gulf of Mexico or along the western coast of Mexico to Central or South America.

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Birds/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird.html

Orange Hawkweed

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Photo by Ed Oliveras
Photo by Ed Oliveras

The tight clusters or orange, dandelion-like flowers at the end of a leafless stem make orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) an easily recognized plant. A native to northern and central Europe, it was introduced as an ornamental to Vermont before 1875. It has escaped cultivation many times and is now naturalized across the northern half of North America. It occurs in a wide variety of habitats and is especially suited to disturbed sites.

Orange hawkweed can form dense mats and crowd out native species. It is one of the six known pollen allelopathic plants. Pollen allelopathy occurs when the pollen of one species is transferred to another species. The transferred pollen then releases toxins which interfere with the growth of pollen tubes, the receptivity of the stigma or style, respiration, germination or growth of the seedling, production of chlorophyll in leaves, or production of seeds.

Though not controlled by the state, orange hawkweed is considered a noxious weed in Carlton, Cass, Itasca, and Koochiching Counties.

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/orange_hawkweed.html

Destinations Now Include Videos

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Many of the Destination pages at MinnesotaSeasons.com now include one or more videos. So far, there are 96 videos of 66 destinations. Most of those were shot at state parks. While a few were professionally made, most were created by visitors.

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http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Destinations/Camden_State_Park.html

Have you made a video of a trip to a park or other natural area in Minnesota? Share it with others on MinnesotaSeasons.com. Simply click on the Upload Video or the Upload Photo or Video button on any destination page, then attach the video, or a link to the video, to the e-mail form that pops up.