The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Rain, sun, wind...insects, birds, flowers...meteorites, rocks...seasonal changes...all are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
May 5, 2015
maritime Pacific Northwest
Wandering through the woods recently searching for nesting birds (no luck, in spite of songs and calls luring me on) I found many native flowering plants in the shady understory of the firs and cedars. Interestingly, most of the them were flowering in shades of white.
These woods were on a rocky headland. In spite of the very thin layer of soil over bedrock, the ground gets very wet in winter and spring with rain soaking the moss and duff.
The tallest flowering shrub right now, here reaching into a patch of sunlight, is Serviceberry (Amelianchier alnifolia) aka Saskatoon.
All the other shrubs, vines and herbs were content to flower in the soft damp shade.
(All photos by me. In Lightbox...click to enlarge)
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflrorus) aka toilet-paper plant:
Dewberry aka trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus):
Salal (Gaultheria shallon):
Western Starflower (Trientalus latifoloa):
Cleavers (Galium aparine) aka Bedstraw:
Siberian Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia sibirica) aka Spring Beauty or Candyflower:
Mountain Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana):
Coast Black Gooseberry (Ribes divaricatum):
This tiny white flower I wasn't able to identify. What flower you ask? The one the Banana Slug is sidling up to. Maybe another day.
Soon enough this forest understory will dry up in our usual summer drought. The moss will get crispy, the shrubs crunchy and scratchy. May is a sweet time for wandering in the woods.
The bucket is now open for nature observations from your part of the world. Spring flowers?
"Spotlight on Green News & Views" is posted every Saturday at 1:00 pm Pacific Time and Wednesday at 3:30 on the Daily Kos front page. It's a great way to catch up on diaries you might have missed. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.