A Forest Mystery (Part 1 of 8) I recently camped at my Lapeer County site in order to enjoy the nighttime songs of tree crickets (Oecanthinae) and avoid time wasted in transit. At one point I awoke to the sounds of animal activity in my campsite, sounds best described as snarling and whimpering.🌿

J's Tune of the Day 🎧 Here is one from the early days of Nightwish, with Tarja on vocals. Who is that guitarist with the short hair? www.youtube.com/watch?v=4giS...

Four misty views of Great Meadow #Landscape

The View from East Point #Landscape

Michigan holly (Ilex verticillata) copiously fruiting. Sadly, the fruits of this species are not edible. 🌿

Jack O'Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus illudens) is back! This species first appeared under this tree about a month and one-half ago and promptly dried-up. It has reappeared following a little rain. I am happy to say that I finally observed its bioluminescence early one dark morning. 🌿🍄📷 🍄

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

J's Tune of the Day It has been a while since J has posted a tune. Here is another one that I discovered on the Echoes radio program, hosted by the legendary John Diliberto. John has turned me on to so much great music (e. g., Dead Can Dance, Azam Ali, etc.) 🎧 www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaH8...

This white birch (Betula papyrifera) was alive and well when I started work at my Lapeer R&S site in 2011. It lost most of its limbs in a 2013 ice storm and died sometime thereafter. It finally fell to the ground this summer. As coarse woody debris it continues to support and nourish life. 🌿

Before and After I reached my 2025 invasive removal goal last week. The two images show the final 150' or so of my target area on August 21 and September 19. Most of the invasives removed were autumn-olive (Eleagnus umbellata) and multi-floral rose (Rosa multiflora). 🌰🌿

This gray tree frog (Hyla versicolor) attempted to stow away on my vehicle and escape from the preserve on which it currently lives. I managed to persuade it to abort its plan and stay. The grass may appear greener on the other side of the fence, but it is sometimes infested with snakes. 🌿

Southern Michigan Nut Season Part 4 Nuts are still dropping, sometimes endangering nearby forest restorationists and stewards. This one is black walnut (Juglans nigra). 🌿

The View from East Point Note the trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) in the second image. 🌿 #Landscape

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The trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) are back. They range about the entirety of the lake, but make frequent visits to the waters off of the shore of the preserve that I steward. The one to the left has just taken a drink and has tilted its neck so that the water runs downwards. 🌿

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are heavily over-populated in the vicinity of my Lapeer stewardship and restoration site and eat most tree seedlings. I used woody debris to protect this American beech (Fagus grandifolia). 🌰 🌿

The View from East Point The second image brings to mind the words of John Keats from his poem To Autumn: "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness ...". Water-lily leaves (mostly Nymphaea odorata) are turning yellow and dying. It is starting to look a lot like autumn. #Landscape 🌿

Southern Michigan Nut Season Part 3 Here is another one, whose identity will be revealed in the comments. 🌿

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This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

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Water Smartweed (Persicaria amphibia) 🌿

The View from East Point Note the trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) near the center of the second image. 🌿 #Landscape

Southern Michigan Nut Season Part 2 🌿 A day of strong wind brought down a lot more nuts. Here are some not seen in part 1. The identities will be revealed in the comments so that those who wish to quiz themselves may do so:

Yes, the image is a little fuzzy. Think of it instead as an Impressionist painting. Trumpeter swans appeared at the lake for the first time a few years ago and have been back every year since. This pair successfully bred this year, but apparently lost the one cygnet I saw in their company. 🌿

Please ignore the video and turn up the sound. Late summer and early autumn are the seasons for singing Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids). Here is a little audio from the tip of Little North Point featuring some meadow katydids (Conocephalinae) and others. 🌿

The View from East Point #Landscape

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The second of the two Comprehensive Commandments (as I like to call them) requires that we love our neighbors. If we go about our lives in a way that harms our neighbors, we are failing to love them. OpenChristian www.ncronline.org/news/world-c...

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This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

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A bonanza of edible oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus sp.) on a dead American elm (Ulmus americana). I do not know the species, but one more knowledgeable than me thinks that it is one of the invasive species. 🌿 🍄📷 🍄

Nut season has come to southern Michigan. Can you identify the two tree species seen in the two attached images? The answers will be revealed in the comments. 🌿

The View from East Point #Landscape

To be honest, the image I posted last week of virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana) was a pile of crap. Here are some better ones. Again, no virgins were observed in the vicinity. 🌿

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This was reposted to the Ecological Restoration and Stewardship feed (Ecological R and S). To view the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... To post to the feed, see bsky.app/profile/j-fo... 🌰

The View from East Point

Virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana). In spite of the common name, I did not observe any virgins in the vicinity. Perhaps they are waiting until the fruits mature and the styles become plumose, sericeous, and more agreeable to virgins. 🌿