SEE PHOTOS OF BONA DEA FEATURES AND PLANTS & WILDLIFE AT LINKS BELOW.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Bona Dea plants Update







The past few days have been rainy days. Pretty hot and humid. The rain causes the park to shine and the vegetation flourish. I fed the fish today at the spillway. There is another flathead catfish added to the group. Also many more Blue Gil Brim which are getting bigger each year as I have been feeding them up fat. Also the small Musk Turtles came around more and more. This usually happens as the days get warmer. Saw a flock of Crows come over Waldon Pond and some Great Blue Herons. Haven't seen those in a while. The Green Herons come around some. On Swinging Bridge Trail, since it has been wet and soft, the turtles seem to be digging their nest all over the place. No snakes seen in a while. Last Friday I did see some new and interesting plants. I saw a Burnt Sugar Mushroom. And that is what it looked like. There was a big one that someone had broken to pieces but these photos shows 2 smaller ones. They look good enough to eat but are poisonous. So don't eat any that looks like these. Also saw what looked like a Bellflower type of wildflower plant but it was actually a Caroline Horsenettle. These 2 photos shows the small lavender bloom and then one that shows the leaves and stems. The stems have very small and sharp spikes or thorns. I remember as a kid stepping one these barefooted. I wouldn't do that again. Then I saw something I haven't seen before. That is a Wild Sweet Potato vine. These 2 photos shows the bloom closeup that will open up later like a trumpet and the other photo shows the redish stem and pretty leaves. I had to break it off the bigger vine to photo it as it was in tall weeks and a Mimosa Thorn bush and did not want to get snake bit or thorn stuck. That color inside the bloom is a bright deep pink. I used to grow sweet potatoes and the vine and leaves did look familiar to me. It is actually a type of Morning Glory flower. I got rained on the other day with my camera. I got wet trying to protect the camera. Will take some rain gear next time.

4 comments:

shaz said...

mashrooms looks good nice takes...

John said...

Thanks shaz, I have another mushroom I photoed today. Will post later.

Jeremy said...

Cool pics. Hmmm, I miss seeing gator pics. haha. I guess that it has ran off.

John said...

Hello Jeremy, I am like you. I miss the gator. But I think he is no longer there. This is unusual to not see it in a couple of months.