Cirrocumulus or Altocumulus

     Those are my guesses for the name of these cloud formations.  This photo was taken with my phone.  The effect in real life was much more impressive. 

     

I'm new at cloud identification.  Northwest Ohio is flat, so it's helpful to have an appreciation for the sky. I used my National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Clouds and Storms.  It's the first time I've really looked at it and I'm surprised at how few types of clouds there are.  I wouldn't be surprised, though, if the topic was over simplified to keep novices like me from being discouraged.

Who Lives Here?

     Someone who eats a lot of acorns and is messy, that's who!  Probably a Red Squirrel.  We saw this on our recent walk at Oak Openings Metropark.  
     I've been told that Red Squirrels did not live in the area until a former Park Board member trapped a few from the area of his cabin in Michigan and released them into the park.  They are adorable, but can be a nuisance if they get into your attic.  They can also be aggressive, although the other resident squirrels (Fox and Flying) seem to be flourishing.  There must be enough acorns for everyone.

Liverworts 2

     Took another walk through Oak Openings yesterday with my friend Ruta.  The landscape is still wintry and quiet, brightened only by Mosses, Lichens and the odd Liverwort (seen here growing by itself, without the support of moss, as in the recent post).  

     We finished by returning to the wetlands area where we had seen Skunk cabbage peeking through the mud.  Alas, there are no leaves yet, only spikes, although more than before.

     The cardinals and Titmice continue to sing.  I even heard a Robin singing the other day.  It took me a moment to recognize it.

Interior Decorating

Our friends Robin and Denise are doing a little re-decorating - refinishing a few tables, painting a few walls.  The pups and the pillow are staying as they are.

Liverworts

     Mosses, liverworts and hornworts are the simplest plants, having no vascular structures and reproducing with spores.  Here the flat liverworts are in amongst moss on a log in a wet area of Oak Openings (where the skunk cabbage was coming up).  

     These plants do not seem to pay attention to the seasons and provide bright color even in the winter.  

Signs of Spring

Skunk cabbage is one of the first native plants to show up in the spring (the non-native snow drops have been blooming down the road from me for a week or so).  I found this little guy poking up through the ground in a wet area of Oak Openings Metropark yesterday.  

The Common Mergansers are back.

The Tufted Titmice are singing. 

Somewhere the Great Horned Owls are feeding their babies. The Bald Eagles are working on their nests.

Even though it's been a mild winter, these signs of spring make me happy!