Yellow Warbler Nest

Some notes and sketch of a yellow warbler nest at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, the sketch appeared in The Ohio Cardinal a publication of the Ohio Ornithological Society.

Vol. 32, No. 1  Fall 2008

Northern Catalpa

Northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)

American Beech

American beech (Fagus grandifolia) - unmistakable cigar-shaped terminal bud!

Witch-hazel

Twig of witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) illustrated in mid-December

Winter Twigs

Top to Bottom: red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), pawpaw (Asimina triloba), musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana), Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and American basswood (Tilia americana)

Twig Variety

More winter twigs... Left to Right - black oak (Quercus velutina), bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra).

Black sandshell or Spike?

For the past 7 or so years I have enjoyed surveying for and learning about freshwater mussels, one of the most interesting and at-risk groups of native organisms. I would highly recommend checking out the Unio Gallery for some great video on the amazing reproduction techniques of freshwater mussels. Anyway the field notes above are from a day spent in the Grand River of northeastern Ohio, both of these very similar looking mussels are present in the Grand.

Oak Twigs

Here is a trio of winter oak twigs white (Q. alba), black (Q. velutina) and bur (Q. macrocarpa)

Walnut

A common sight on the forest floor in the fall months, black walnut (Juglans nigra) nut pieces.

Zanthozylem

Zanthozylem americanum or prickley-ash is a native midwestern shrub.