A beautiful morning at the pond…

We got up early this morning to take a long leisurely walk around a pond we love to visit…

it didn’t take long for the half grown ducklings to come for a visit. We have never fed them but obviously someone has…

love this shot of this little guy still wet from his or her foraging but keeping an eye out for any fresh handouts….

The path around this pond is quite lovely and meanders through upland as well as pond side beach areas. The early morning sunlight is so pretty coming through the trees and the heat of the day hasn’t settled in quite yet. All is still cool and lush. The ovenbirds, catbirds, great crested flycatchers and blue jays were all taking turns making a lot of noise. Towhees were out and about with their young, watching us from a safe distance as all the juniors scratched around in the leaves for bugs.

Scenes like this were plentiful, the ferns still young and springy, offering shade to the plants below and perhaps even a toad or two as well….

Princess Pine

If you are out walking in local woodlands you might be lucky enough to come across what looks like an area of tiny pine trees. Called Princess pine by most locals this little plant isn’t really a pine at all but a club moss. It is found in clumps, sometimes very large clumps, because it grows by spreading rhyzomes, rootlike structures, under the ground.Lycopodium obscurum is the scientific name of this little plant that goes back in time to when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Like many things of that time it was much larger then. Today it is not as common on the Cape as it once was and even though it looks like it might be fun to grow in your own yard it does not like to be moved or transplanted.This plant is showing the cones that are put out each fall. They look like little yellow candles. The best place to find Princess pine is around a good fresh water source like a pond or a lake. These were photographed in East Sandwich but many conservation areas in Barnstable, Bourne, Falmouth and other towns are also good places to find this lovely plant. Like the pines it is named for it is ever green and can be found throughout the year.