A Barred Owl looks at the photographer from atop a broken-off tree. I spotted the owl as it flew through the forest with a squirrel, then plunged into this snag. After a few minutes it popped up, sans squirrel. I'm sure there are a few hungry chicks in there that just got a meaty treat. Shortly thereafter, I saw two young Black Bears high in a tree, but alas, no images. Once they saw that I made them, they scrambled down with surprising speed. Thanks to Paul Speyser for a brief tour of this amazing park. Watoga State Park, Pocahontas County, West Virginia, today.
The remarkable flowers of Fringed Milkwort (
Polygala paucifolia) resemble elfin orchids. Dry roadbanks in the forests of Watoga State Park were peppered with the magenta beauties. Companions included Pink Lady's-slipper (
Cypripedium acaule), Trailing Arbutus (
Epigaea repens), and Dwarf Iris (
Iris verna).
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