Category: Spring

Boom, Spring Is Here

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The image above is a closeup of the very bottom of a Dutchman’s Breeches flower, which I was able to capture using a Nikon 200mm Macro lens.

It never ceases to impress me how quickly the switch flips once nature decides the time has arrived to begin the spring bloom. It may take a while to arrive in NW Indiana, but when it does it is always pretty awesome. The Heron Rookery trail in the IDNP always puts on a great display of wildflowers at this time of year. The trail itself is unremarkable as it simply runs in a straight line alongside the Little Calumet River for about a mile and half. But it is situated in a floodplain with nutrient rich soil that the wild flowers love. In addition to the river the surrounding area holds a lot of standing water, which the mosquitos really love. They have not come out in force yet, but soon this trail will be swarming with the little buggers.

Here are just a few of the photographs which I collected while out on the trail.
As always, just click on any image to see it full size.

White is a dominant color early in the spring bloom. Most of the wild flowers on this particular day were white. Dutchman’s Breeches, False Rue Anemone, Blood Root and Trillium galore. My understanding is white and yellow flowers predominate in the early spring because the early pollenators are flies, which color blind and so they identify flowers by contrast and brightness. Bees and other pollenenators use color to find flowers.
White wild flowers in direct sun are very difficult to photograph without blowing out the highlights. I find that letting the camera set the exposure typically leads to a lack of detail in the bright white areas. This is one example where switching to manual exposure and intentionally under exposing the image allows me to preserve detail in the pedals of the flowers.
Of course not all of the wild flowers are white. There are more than enough blues, yellows and reds to spice up the landscape.

Miller Woods 041324

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Spent some time out on the Miller Woods trail in the Indiana Dunes National Park this weekend. It was the first 70 degree weekend here, clear skies and no wind. As the above image attests, it is looking like it will be a good year for Lupine in the park. This trail, along with West Beach and Tolleston Dunes, are going to be filled with it in a couple weeks.

This small hillside will soon be almost as blue as the sky behind it.
Birdsfoot Violet is starting to pop up. One of my favorite Violets because it always looks like it is sticking its tongue out at you.
Wood Betony is starting to show as well. Along with the Lupine this is one of the early spring treats at the park.
Every year the park service does a controlled burn in this area. I always enjoy watching the fresh green shoots poking out of the ashes.
These small interdunal wetlands known as Pannes are where you find an incredible array of wildflowers, insects, mosses, fungi, etc. Water levels are high throughout the park, which bodes well for a vibrant spring. Unfortunately it also portends a nasty mosquito season coming soon.
Kinda looks like a popcorn plant to me.
Closer to the lake, by the lagoons you see the grasses and reeds beginning to arise. I always stop to take come photographs of these early shoots. They kinda remind me of the leaning tower of piza.
Earth Star mushrooms are just look creepy.
Natures version of barbed wire. This particular little flesh ripper is encroaching on a very narrow part of the trail which passes along side one of the lagoons.
There was no shortage of turtles out sunning themselves on this day.