April Photo Dump

Here are some photos from my outings in the month of April. I may do this at the end of every month, assuming I get some decent photos each month. Some of these photos may have appeared in previous blog post, relate to previous posts or be featured in future posts. Hope you enjoy!

Michigan is home to eight native crayfish species and one invasive one. I have not taken the time to learn the ID on this one, but it was by far the largest Crayfish I have ever seen. Crayfish are important pieces of aquatic ecosystems. This one was pulled out of a small creek that feeds into Fleming Creek.

An almost good photo of a very large Common Snapping Turtle. Seen basking on one of the first truly warm days of the year. While these turtles are common, they can be locally rare, due to humans over harvesting (yes, people unfortunately eat them) and can fall victim to vehicular fatalities when traveling to lay eggs or mate.

A Garter Snake out basking in a woodland. While Garters are easily seen while out for a walk, these snakes are quite variable between individuals. I find them to be really beautiful snakes.

A young Dekay’s Brown Snake flipped under artificial cover. Artificial cover (boards, tin, etc.) are a good way to provide habitat for snakes while also providing a convenient way to see them.

My lifer Common Loon seen at Point Mouillee State Game Area on the shores of Lake Erie. This was the target species of the day. Read about my day looking for it, here.

Can you find the Garter Snake? I had almost stepped right on this big boi. I had stepped off the trail to let another hiker by who walked right by without giving this snake a look.

This is the same Garter from above. It is one of the largest Garters I have ever seen. It was very patient, allowing me to get close ups from all around without moving an inch.

A mating ball of Garter Snakes seen at a nature preserve in Washtenaw County. Females are larger than  males and the males will wrap themselves around her in attempt to mate.

Round lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana). There are two species of Hepatica in Michigan, I would say that this one is far and away the better of the two.

A cache of food. Squirrels often cache food above ground, here is an abundance of what appeared to be Hickories. But that gray object further back appears to be the cocoon of a Cecropia moth, probably a nice change of pace for an otherwise nut filled diet. 

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). My favorite spring ephemeral. I would love to see these more frequently used in people’s yards.

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum). A stunning spring ephemeral. They can be seen carpeting the forest floor in moist woodlands. The mottled leaves are just as powerful as their yellow flowers.

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). A Spring ephemeral that always seems to escape my viewing. This was the dominant spring ephemeral along a creek in SE Michigan. 

While I would rather see an owl in a cavity, a squirrel will suffice. Read my blog post, The Good Tree, to see the importance of dead/dying/decaying trees. 

Yellow-headed Blackbird seen at Howard Marsh in OH. While this bird seems to be common farther west, it’s range here only includes the Southwest corner of Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay in Michigan. Murphy and I made a sunrise drive down there specifically to see this bird. A tip from an Ohio birding Facebook group.

Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) seen in a Michigan native plant garden. This was my first time seeing this plant. Supposedly it smells like a wet dog, but I didn’t take a whiff. It also goes by the name Stinking Benjamin.

The first American Toad for me in 2020. I had been hearing their calls for a couple days prior to this sighting.

A full Garter Snake. Spotted in a fen while looking for Eastern Massasuaga Rattlesnakes. I suspect the snake had recently eaten a crayfish or frog(s).

Great River Mouth. The Eastern Massasuaga Rattlesnake, the only pit viper found in Michigan. Found after two hours of searching by Murphy. I intend to write a post about finding it.

While an up close picture makes the snake stick out quite obviously, their patterning reminds me of a decaying branch, which means I thoroughly look at way too many branches.

A Common Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) with a Giant Blue Cohosh overstory. 

The tiny flowers of the Giant Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum giganteum) . As these plants are unfurling themselves, they look quite black which is a contrast to the otherwise green ephemerals.

Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora). A somewhat unassuming plant, that most likely goes unnoticed amongst the swaths of Common Trillium that usually accompany them.

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) buds beginning to break open. 

The bud of the May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum) flower hiding out below the umbrella like foliage.

The tiny, but beautiful Red-backed Salamander. Sharing a log with another individual that did not want to be photographed. In April, I think I only found four total, but in March we found a plethora.

The Common Trillium. Frequently photographed and for good reason. The masses it can form are quite breathtaking.

Because Common Trillium grows via underground rhizomes and can form large colonies, I wondered if this individual had more plants around it until the tree grew; eventually covering the other clones.

A Tree Swallow on top of a Bluebird Box. These birds have no issues dive bombing you if you get too close to their nests.