Raccoon Creek (Week 2)

One week later, on April 3, we were back at the Raccoon Creek State Park Wildflower Reserve so that I could continue my weekly nature journal. My son and I were able to find another free day when the weather was lovely, so we were rather lucky. We discovered spring beauties, just budding the week before, were beginning to bloom in earnest. Also we discovered two new wildflowers in bloom, harbinger-of-spring and cutleaf toothwort. Both are in the mustard family. Harbinger-of-spring is really tiny and not a flower to catch your eye. But when they are blooming everywhere while other wildflowers are still sleeping, they are harder to miss. 

Pennsylvania bittercress.

Pennsylvania bittercress.

Rose hips. 

This log has epic beaver chew! From the vertical slant of the toothmarks, and the height they reach on the tree, I'd say it was chewed on after it fell.

The skunk cabbage blooms are fading, but the leaves are emerging. And they are the most vivid green my eyes have ever beheld!

Spring beauty.

Cutleaf toothwort.

Skunk cabbage.

The bark has fallen off this log, revealing graffiti! These are tunnels carved by burrowing beetles.

Spring beauties.

Cutleaf toothwort. 

Spring beauties.