Flower Time

The trees and bushes are in flower and I went out with a new (to me) camera to try it out.

Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)

In Flower

• Redbud
• Pin Cherry
• Trilliums
• Creeping charlie
• Violets
• Daffodils
• Lilac
• Honeysuckle
• Dandelions
• Forget-me-not
• Elderberry
• Common speedwell
• Yellow archangel
• Self-heal
• Crabapple
• Apple

The trilliums that were planted back in 2009 haven't expanded very much, this year there were 10 blooms.

A Curious Jumping Spider

This little Jumping Spider was initially quite camera shy. It hid from the camera; at first it backed away from the camera keeping the elderberry stem between it and the camera; then it backed up into the whorl of small leaves at the top of the stem. I continued to take pictures of it and after a while it decided to come out and investigate what this strange animal with the very large eye was.

Perhaps I'm anthropomorphizing the little spider too much, but I can't shake the impression that the little guy was curious about the camera and came out to take a better look. With those two big eyes it is so much easier to empathize with Jumping Spiders than it is with other spiders and bugs.

Predators and a visit to Ben Franklin Wood

Yesterday while inspecting the West Side planting area I saw a couple of rabbits scuttle into the thicket. They must have heard something besides myself because I had been standing still at the time. Moments later another rabbit bounded past at a full gallop through the trees into the thicket. Hot on his tail there was a crash and a crack and a big red dog jumped out of the forest. He was suprised to see me as he had evidently been focused on rabbits. His master called and he bounded back into the wood having evidently forgotten about the rabbits. The dog got me thinking about the predators on the berm. Obviously the dog was a predator although he might not be too successful with rabbits. What other predators were there?

In the insect world there were loads of unidentified spiders crawling through the grass. I had also seen many 12 spotted lady bugs and one spiny soldier bug but what potential large wild predators were there? I have seen scat of a medium sized carnivores but haven't actually seen anything. It would be very exciting to see a coyote, fox, weasel, or shrew as there is evidently a plentiful supply of meadow voles around. I have no doubt that there are red tailed hawks that visit the area but I haven't actually seen them.

After inspecting how the trees are doing (everything is leafing out quickly now) I continued on to Ben Franklin park to see if the Trilliums and Dog Tooth Violets were out yet(they were). Along the way I noticed the evidence that some predator had caught a bird. By the amount of feathers and the size of feathers it was quite a large bird, perhaps a sea gull or a pidgeon. Further on, as I entered the woods I found some more evidence of a successful predator. A squirrel tail was lying on the path, either someone has a full stomach or there is a very sorry looking squirrel running around in Ben Franklin Wood.

In bloom:
dandelion
common speedwell
shepherd's purse (under oak)
yellow rocket
violet
garlic mustard
forget me not
elderberry (north corner 1995 planting)
cherry ( escapee by north corner)
crabapples (just about to start)
daffodil (escapee by north fence)