Saturday, July 18, 2015

Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, June 22nd, 2015 (Part 1)

June 22nd. I started to walk again at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Georgia. One of my favorite walks is from the Group Shelter A to the Old Fort and back.This is a rewarding walk for viewing wildflowers and I’ve been trying to walk it weekly and document the wildflowers I see.




The route, which I described here, here, and here. 

The early spring wildflowers have finished blooming; it’s time to watch the developing fruit. A few late spring/summer wildflowers are blooming now.





It was a short stalk, only about 18 inches tall. There was only one stalk; I almost missed it.



I believe it was a Pale-spiked Lobelia (Lobelia spicata).



The seed capsules were still developing on this Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus). The seed capsules may have swollen slightly. There didn’t seem to be has many as there had been.



Starry Rosinweed (Silphium astericus) were still blooming by the trail just beyond the Strawberry Bush. I didn’t realize that they bloomed for so long.



The Helmetflower (Scutellaria integrifolia) plants had finished blooming and setting seed. All that remained on most plants was the lower persistent ‘dish.’ I did find…



one capsule that had opened to release the nutlet but still retained the upper part attached to the lower dish. 



As I made my way back towards the trail, I found…



American Groundnut (Apios americana) flowers on a vine that had climbed up some blackberry canes. I’m glad I stopped to photographed them; they had finished blooming by the next week.



Unripe blackberries on the canes supporting the American Groundnut vines. 



I was disappointed to find both of the Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) plants I’d been following had disappeared. I think deer must have eaten them.



There were, however, a few more plants that still had berries.



The Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata) seed capsules just past the first bridge, were still health, as were the…



berries on the Deerberry (Vaccinium staminium) bushes, and the…



seed capsule on theEastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) plant 



The Black Chanterelles (Craterellus cornucopioides) mushrooms were just blackened remains but the...



seed capsules on Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) vines were still doing nicely too.



A little distance below the trail, Smooth Yellow False Foxglove (Auriolaria flava) plants were blooming. 



As I walked along the trail, I heard a soft tapping high in a tree nearby. I managed to track the noise and saw a…



male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) pecking on a snag to find insects. A second woodpecker flew over to join the first one but flew off before I could photograph them together.


Nakedflower Ticktrefoil (Desmodium nudiflorum) stalks were still blooming. There were many more than I realized. I’ve counted about 20 blooming above the trail above the cliff.



The seed capsules on the witch hazel bush (Hamamelis sp.) were still doing well, as were those on the...



Mountain Azalea (Rhododendron canescens) bush at the top of the cliff.



I keep forgetting about the second seed capsule on the bush above the cliff because it’s almost hidden below the leaves.



Push the leaves aside and the healthy seed capsule it still doing well.
While I was photographing the Nakedflower Ticktrefoil flowers, I stumbled on some very attractive… 





bracket fungi. 

Then, onto the Fishing Area and the ‘Rock Garden.’ 
(To be continued…) 

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