Favoritos de gillydilly

We are fortunate to have several very large colonies of the plant in our mixed species hardwood forest. Two of the colonies have a few few in bloom. The remainder have not yet begun to even form flower buds.

• perforated apothecia
• lower surface black with brown margin
• upper surface white when desiccated
• upper surface light green when hydrated
• the long narrow raised/flailing lobes seem characteristic in my experience

Note that in the oldest/largest apothecium, the rim is becoming lobulate. In this species, the old apothecia can sport extensive new vegetative growth, thus giving the rosette a bizarre appearance - see: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/143511605

Michigan isn't the only place with black squirrels. These have been in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky for many years, though not when I was little. My grandparents lived a couple of blocks from here, and they weren't there until maybe the late '70s or into the early '80s.

Taken through our nest cam. She is not staying on the nest all day. We have not been able to see an egg. Based on her behavior we think there may be one or two eggs in the nest and she is waiting for all to be laid before she begins sitting on the nest 24/7.

I was quite surprised to flush a Woodcock from the drainage ditch behind my house this morning (5 August 2009, this observation is pulled from old Flickr photos). It flew up into a woodland clearing and remained in the open for a while, preening. I was able to get close enough to get a recognizable photo--just for fun.
Some years ago, I heard one calling during the late winter breeding period from the small woodlot behind my house, so perhaps this is a resident bird, though it could be an early migrant. (They breed in this area, but are probably more abundant in winter, with an influx of migrants from the North.)

Update: saw the same bird (presumably) in my yard on 10 August, so it seems to be hanging around. (Perhaps an early migrant or disperser from better habitat in the area.)
Location: Durham NC (USA)
Years ago (1990's) I could find these birds displaying at an abandoned farm about two miles distant, but that site has been developed. There are other marshy wetland habitats suitable nearby, but as of early 2023 this is the only sighting I've had from my yard.

For the Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata), cf. inaturalist.org/observations/145233787; and for the Eastern Whitelip (Neohelix albolabris) snail, cf. inaturalist.org/observations/145235116

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain - Goodyera pubescens
Seed pods from summer. I've seen it bloom a few times, usually in June. (I gave the flowering date as June 2022 for the orchids group--this is just showing seed heads in winter, obviously, but the foliage is present as well.)