Sunday Six: May 10th

                                   Golden Heather

I spent Saturday morning at the Franklin Parker Preserve and had fun using my macro lens to take pictures of the wildflowers growing there. The Preserve is 9400 acres in the heart of the Pinelands National Reserve.


                                    Red Chokeberry with Ants

Look closely and you'll see that the black spots in the flowers are actually ants. I've long been fascinated by ants. It amazes me how such a tiny create can show such a wide range of behaviors including fungus gardening, "milking" of hoppers, and elaborate structure building. At one job I had the people I managed even got me an ant farm for my birthday. I set it up in my office. It freaked out some visitors. 

                                    Dwarf Dandelion

I've never quite understood the distinction between flowers and weeds. This sure looks like a flower to me. But if you believe the TV ads, it is really a scourge to be eliminated at all costs. Curious.


                                    Pine Sap

This stem appeared to have been cut relatively recently but there was no other evidence of cutting or trimming in the area. The stem itself is about the size of a US 25 cent piece.


                                    Mystery Flower

I've no idea what this flower is. Neither do two friends who are pretty good botanists. If you know what it is please let me know in the comments.

Update: We have a tentative ID, Teesdalia nudicaulis (shepherd's cress). And Mike was right, it's a weed.

                                    Old Cranberry Bog

A wide view of the preserve showing an old cranberry bog. You can see a couple of the pump houses in the distance. As I'm sure you've guessed, this one is not a macro shot.