I’ve looked back at other spring times, and realized that I always run into the same problem – there are too many beautiful days to walk and take pictures, and not enough rainy ones to write blog entries. So, in an effort to catch up, this entry is mostly photos.

Wild Plum blooming

Wild Plum blossoms (Prunus americana)

Apple blossoms (Malus pumila)

Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium campestre)

Blue Eyed Grass and Hoary Puccoon

Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)

Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)

Jacob’s Ladder

Nodding Trillium (Trillium flexipes)

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus)

Dwarf Red Raspberry (Rubus pubescens) – another new species for the farm and a county record.

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) with a Crab spider (probably Misumenops sp.)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea)

Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) almost in bloom

Bedstraw (Galium aparine)

Even the dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) look beautiful right now, and they provide lots of nectar for early butterflies.

It’s been a cold spring for butterflies, but they’re starting to appear on warm days.

Gorgone Checkerspot

Gorgone Checkerspot

Red Admiral

Juvenale’s Duskywing

Common Roadside Skipper – actually this species is not very common, and this is the first time I’ve found it on our land. It wasn’t on a roadside – three of them were flitting around and lighting on a pile of birch logs.

The Pasqueflowers on Jackie’s hillsides are fading, so I went over to collect seeds.

I almost stepped on this nest in Western Prairie – I think it belongs to a Field Sparrow, but the parent bird flew up almost under my feet, and I didn’t get a good look before it disappeared.

A toad hopped across the path between Mike’s feet while we were on a walk. I knelt down to take its picture

and Mike took a picture of me taking its picture.