Bittern

A bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) hides motionless in the vegetation. In the Celery Bog Park wetland just south of Cumberland Ave.  I noticed this bird while passing by but wasn't sure that it was a bird and not another piece of vegetation until I stopped to get a good look at it. 

 It didn't move a bit for a few seconds, here is a closer picture of it.

Then it moved into this position and froze motionless again. Pictures taken Oct. 28, 2012.

Link to American Bittern:

Leopard frog

Waiting to finish crossing the trail, a Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) at Celery Bog Park,  Photos taken October 14, 2012.

Link to Rana pipiens:


Link to Rana pipiens:

Sassafras fall colors - 2012

Sassafras trees are one of the first kinds of tree to turn color in the fall, The colorful trees in this picture are sassafras, notice the other trees in the scene still bear the green of summer.  This is along the trail just south of Lindberg Road and Celery Bog Park.  Pictures taken October 4, 2012.

Link to a previous post of this same spot in 2009:

Bottle gentian

Gentiana andrewsii (Bottle gentian) at Ross Hills County Park, along the trail that parallels the Wabash River.

Picture taken Sept. 29, 2012.

Link to Gentiana andrewsii:

Link to Gentiana andrewsii:

Link to video of a bumblebee pollinating a bottle gentian:

Coprinopsis picacea

Coprinopsis picacea mushrooms, under a hackberry tree at Ross Hills County Park.  Picture taken Sept. 29, 2012.

Link to Coprinopsis picacea

Link to Coprinopsis picacea:

Link to a previous post on another Coprinopsis mushroom:

Bur Oak on South River Road

This old bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is on South River Road about a mile east of Granville Bridge.  Looks to be 4 to 6 feet thick.  I once found an old tourist map of Tippecanoe County at the library that mentioned this tree along with more well known places like Prophet's Rock and Fort Ouiatenon.  The map claimed the tree was a landmark back in the day River Road was an Indian trail.  Well maybe so, who really knows.

Pictures taken Sept. 29, 2012.

Link to previous post on Quercus macrocarpa:

Wabash River at Lafayette pedestrian bridge

 Wabash River, looking north from the pedestrian bridge at Lafayette, Sept. 22, 2012.

View on Sept. 29, 2012.

Link to Wabash River levels: