Trip Report Brady’s Creek Outing April 22, 2018

Checking out the partridge berry and wintergreen

About 15 folks attended this walk led by Judy Stark. After snow the previous week we were treated with a sunny and warm day. We walked the road on the forested hill behind the Maple Syrup buildings and back around the lake. We saw about a dozen flowering plants, Bloodroot being the most prolific.  (Photos by: Judy Stark)

Here is the list:
bloodroot
sharp-lobed hepatica
grandiflora trillium
trout lily
Virginia spring beauty
cut-leaved toothwart
two-leaved toothwart
blue cohosh
trailing arbutys
kidney-leaved buttercup
wild ginger
Virginia Bluebells
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partridgeberry
teaberry
striped wintergreen

Kim searches Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide

Bloodroot

Grandiflora Trillium

Sharp lobed hepatica

Virginia Spring Beauty

Trailing Arbutus

Trip Report Raccoon Creek Wildflower Preserve April 27 2018

Eight club members hiked the wildflower preserve on a 55 degree cloudy day led by Dianne Machesney.  Judy, Donna, Tim, Charmie,    Bob, Jessica  and Karen saw 36 flowering species. After lunch we went to Independence Marsh and saw 25 species, including Shooting Star.  Only two butterflies were spotted: E. Comma and Spring Azure.  Click here for the list of plants.

Here are some photos from the hike:   (Photos by: Dianne Machesney)

Yellow Corydalis

Wild Ginger

Wild Blue Phlox

Virginia Bluebells

Trout Lily

Squirrel Corn

Virginia Spring Beauties

Shooting Star

Lyre Leaved Rock Cress

Karen and Dianne

Harbinger of Spring

Grandiflora Trillium

Foam Flower

Early Saxifrage

Dwarf Larkspur

Cut leaf Toothwort

Blue Cohosh

Kidney leaved buttercup Photo by: Tim Prepelka

Jennings Trip Report: 7/29/17

Even though Pittsburgh and south saw 2-3 inches of rain the night before,  Jennings was dry and the sun was shining for our annual walk through the prairie. We found 62 species in flower including a new one for our records, Featherfleece, Stenanthium  gramineum. Click here to see the list of what we found.  After lunch, six of us went to Moraine to see the Spotted Coralroot.

Photos by Dianne Machesney and Tom Moser.

Sandy Lake Butterfly Count Trip Report July 8, 2017

The day started out cloudy with a few scattered showers but quickly turned to increasing sun and mid-70’s.  Kim and Jean, Walt and Dana, joined walk leaders Bob and Dianne at 10AM  for the count.  Mid-day we met up with the 8:30 AM  group consisting of Glenn and Maryalice, Curt, Neil and his children, Samuel, Harvey, Ruth Ann, Rachel and Naomi.  After a picnic-style lunch, we continued to the Polk Wetland to look for the Baltimore Checkerspot, which we found.  28 species of butterflies and 80 species of flowering plants were recorded .  Click here to see the lists.

Vipers Bugloss                                       Sandy Lake Gamelands

Moth Mullein

Chicory

Bouncing Bet

Bee Balm

Angelica

Trip Report: Cedar Creek April 1st

The rains held off and eight of us had a very successful walk in the Cedar Creek Gorge.  We were delighted to meet Holly Peck, whose grandfather Werner Buker was a longtime member of the Botanical Society.
He volunteered at the Carnegie Museum herbarium for 40 years and collected thousands of specimens.  Holly has all his slides, each is identified.  I Hope we can talk her into giving a talk and show!
We saw 20 some blooming flowers, the highlights were Snow Trillium, Harbinger of Spring, Hepatica, Twin Leaf and Blue Bells.  We saw at least 20 not-blooming or non-flowering plants, most notable were Few-flowered Valerian, Blue-eyed Mary, Liverwort, Scarlet Cup and Crowded Parchment mushrooms.  We also saw several Mergansers and Spring Azure butterflies.

Submitted by Judy Stark, Trip leader

Whiskerville Trip Report

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Even though the day started off cloudy and threatening rain in Pittsburgh, by the time we arrived in Butler County the sky cleared and the sun came out.  The temperature was in the mid-70’s perfect for finding dragonflies and butterflies.

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Four club members braved the muddy path to the various ponds and were rewarded with 22 species of dragonflies, 18 species of butterflies and 34 species of wildflowers. Click here to see the list.  Thanks to Dick Nugent for submitting the bird species seen.  Click here to see his list.

whiskerville gamelands

whiskerville gamelands

Painted skimmer

Painted skimmer

12 spotted skimmer

12 spotted skimmer

IMG_3326Large Cranberry

After eating our bag lunches in the gravel parking lot, we headed to Jennings Prairie where we found 48 wildflowers in bloom and two more species of butterflies.

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Common Whitetail

Common Whitetail

Variable Dancer

Variable Dancer

Painted skimmer

Painted skimmer