Raccoon Creek

While parks in the west in CA, OR, WA and ID are closing because they are becoming crowded, and therefore a threat to public health, Pennsylvania's parks remain open. I want to encourage everyone to get out and enjoy our parks while you still can! But at the same time, we must all do our part not to ruin it for everyone.

Practice "leave no trace", because our parks are not staffed and don't even have garbage collection. And for goodness sake, if it's crowded, go somewhere else. Local authorities will definitely still know if parks are becoming crowded and they will close. 

It was unseasonably toasty weather yesterday, and it seemed like everyone was outside. Kids were playing in the streets, a site we've never seen, and neighbors were strolling the sidewalks in the sunshine. I headed to Raccoon Creek State Park to the Wildflower Reserve. I was dismayed to find the parking lot almost full, but delighted to find that since it's such a large park, it was still very far from crowded. 

I took the Henrici Trail, then went a short distance on the Jennings Trail, then doubled back to take the Audubon Trail back to the parking area. I saw lots of marvelous things! 

I watched this red velvet mite for a while.

Pennsylvania bittercress.

Spring beauty.

Spring azure butterfly. It caught my eye because of the bright blue color of its wings when spread. Unfortunately it was far too fast for me to photograph in flight!  I have read that they drink flower nectar. I hope the tiny blooms we have now are enough for this tiny butterfly.

Pennsylvania bittercress.

Cut-leaved toothwort.

Harbinger of spring.

I want to know what this strange sprout is!

Skunk cabbage. I was surprised when I looked at the picture and discovered a large insect on the  bottom half of the flower! 

Scarlet elf cup. This is a fungi that "blooms" in early spring.

Raccoon creek was very high.

Scarlet elf cup.

I took this picture last April of a tree whose roots were entangled in the rocks. 

I spent a lot of time admiring this tree.

You guessed it- it's now fallen. This is right where the Henrici Trail meets the Jennings and Beaver Trails. It's definitely possible to get around it. But soon it will require a bit of caution to avoid trampling a huge patch of trout lilies.

From the other side, you can really see how much of the rocks came down with the tree. There are no signs of buds on it, so it may have happened some time ago. 

Skunk cabbage. They were blooming thickly in a flood plain, and must have been well under water at some point. Everything was coated with a thin layer of mud, and this flower was full of muddy gravel.

Hepatica.

Hepatica.

Virginia bluebells.

Virginia bluebells.

Hepatica.

Green stink bug. I believe the fact that it stood out so vividly against the dry leaves is a sign it was meant to emerge much later, when it would have been camouflaged among the plants it eats. I read that green stink bugs don't usually emerge until May, so the warm day may have awakened it prematurely.

Signs of an impressive lightning strike- this tree is split right down the trunk, and the top branches are blackened. 

There is a small garden near the visitor center where many unusual Pennsylvania native wildflowers are planted. They have a big patch of Pennsylvania's native cactus, the eastern prickly pear. You might be wondering how it can survive our historically harsh winters. After all, the pads are made to store water, and other cacti can burst when the water in their cells freezes and expands. Prickly pear contains an antifreeze chemical that protects it, and it can ranges up into Canada.