Venture to
the Baxter/Big Creek Trails
24 April 2008
The weather gods smiled on us this year and we enjoyed clear skies, lots of sun, cool temperatures and great wildflowers, birds and butterflies. The morning was spent at Baxter Creek Trail where the spring ephemerals were amazing. Literally acres of Purple Phacelia, Miterwort, various Trillium, Violets and on and on and on... After our luxurious repast (lunch) we walked up the Big Creek trail which afforded us nice views of the water, Fringed Phacelia, Fire Pink, Wild Geranium, Dwarf Crested Iris and on and on and on... Considering we only drove just under an hour to get to the trailhead, this trip is a must during wildflower season. Most of our birds were heard as the pesky leaves were pretty much out, and when I'm with the group many birds will migrate early to avoid being seen! This was a great day during which we saw a lot of really nice stuff!! We had some good butterflies and birds. Thanks, as always to Gail and Janie Owens for their birding and butterfly expertise. Scott Dean
| Bishop's Cap/Miterwort- Mitella diphylla |
| Mandarin, Yellow/Fairy bells - Disporum lanuginosum. |
| Phacelia, Purple- Phacelia bipinnatifida |
| Foam Flower - Tiarella cordifolia. |
| Stonecrop, Wild- Sedum ternatum |
| Crested Iris-Iris cristata, |
| Doll's Eye/White Baneberry- Actaea pachypoda |
| Crowfoot, Small-flowered/Kidneyleaf – Ranunculus abortivus |
| Water Pimpernel/Brookweed - Samolus parviflorus |
| Violet, Canada- Viola canadensis |
| Violet, Northern White - Viola pallens |
| Ginger, Wild- Asarum canadense |
| Showy Orchis- Galearis spectabilis |
| Squaw Root/Bear Corn- Conopholus americana |
| Parsnip, Meadow- Thaspium trifoliatum |
| Violet, Long-spurred – Viola rostrata |
| Cinquefoil, Common - Potentilla simplex |
| Cinquefoil, Dwarf - Potentilla canadensis |
| Buttercup, Hispid – Ranunculus hispdus |
| Sweetshrub/Carolina Allspice- Calycanthus fertilis, |
| Alumroot- Heuchera americana Foliage only |
| Anemone, Rue - Anemonella thalictroides |
| Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis Foliage only |
| Early Meadow-Rue- Thalictrum dioicum Foliage only |
| Fire Pink - Silene virginica |
| Fleabane, Common - Erigeron philadelphicus |
| Geranium, Wild- Geranium maculatum |
| Jack-in-the-pulpit - Arisaema triphyllum |
| Phacelia, Fringed - Phacelia fimbriata |
| Wakerobin - Trillium erectum We saw the white form |
| Trillium, Sweet White – Trillium simile |
| Trillium, Toadshade- Trillium spp we saw the yellow, T. luteum |
|
Butterflies |
| Pipevine Swallowtail |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
| Spring Azure |
| Eastern Comma |
| West Virginia White |
| Juvenal's Duskywing |
| Horace's Duskywing |
| Satyr sp. |
| Pearl Crescent |
| Red-banded Hairstreak |
|
Birds |
| Louisiana Waterthrush |
| Black-throated Green Warbler |
| Black-and-White Warbler |
| Northern Parula |
| Ovenbird |
| Red-eyed Vireo |
| Blue-headed Vireo |
| Chipping Sparrow |
| Eastern Phoebe |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
| Wood Thrush |
Blue-headed Vireo by Todd Arcos
Chipping Sparrow by Todd Arcos
Wild Geranium