Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve - 4.15.12 - Post 5

Alrighty then.  Last post for this new place.

Dandelion (039 - 2012)

So I talked the other day about being more conscious of shooting the common birds.  There are also a few common plants I need to think about too.

One of the more ubiquitous wildflowers out here is the dandelion.  In fact, it's so ubiquitous, it's considered a weed.  But let's face it, all a weed is is a wild plant that's growing somewhere you don't want it.  I love that these are growing inside an old tree stump.

Celandine Poppy (040 - 2012)

I'm getting better with the flowers.  This is a Celandine Poppy.  I find it interesting because I'm not used to seeing flowers with only four petals.  It's the same reasons I find the Trilliums interesting.  They have three.

Nobody new here, just another Blue Jay.  Still working at a *good* Blue Jay shot.  But the reason I'm including this guy is that as I was walking I heard this incredibly loud screech.  I was sure there had to be hawk or an owl or other large predator bird doing it.  I had seen something that looked vaguely hawkish off in the distance over the river.  But when I finally got close, I realized it was this guy.  I could not believe a body this small could make a noise that loud!

He actually moved from tree to tree quite a bit as another photographer and I tracked him, but he stayed pretty well in view despite all that moving.

Bellwort (041 - 2012)

For some reason I got it in my head that I'd already blogged these at some point, but if I did, I can't find it now.  So I'm guessing I didn't.

These are bellwort.  An interesting little yellow flower that hangs upside down.

No actual species here, I'm not even sure what the tree is, but I love the evidence of beavers here.  I'm also slightly amazed that the tree hasn't fallen yet.







So that's Fullersburg!  I want to go back out there in May when migration is more thoroughly underway.  It was a nice park with a lot to see and not an insane amount of people to compete with.


Total Identified Species Sited for the Year: 41
Total Unidentified Species Sited for the Year: 1
Total New Species: 23

Dandelion*
Celandine Poppy*
Bellwort