Bald Eagle perching on Shore Pine

Gerry observed and photographed yet another raptor in the bog:

 We had another successful work party this past Saturday with 15 volunteers in attendance. We collected mosses from the forest and planted a large section to the east of the platform.

    We collected more moss during the week in hopes that the weather will cooperate for another week and we will have time to plant remaining areas.

    While I was in the bog this past Sunday I look up as there was a number of crows making a lot of noise.This is a usual sign an intruder is in their area and sure enough the Bald Eagle  had landed some 50-60 ft. from where I was standing. He then proceeded to move to the dead shore pine. 

    The eastern Blue Jay that all the birders we looking for didn't show up in the bog but our Bald Eagle paid us a visit. Enjoy!

    See you all on Saturday.

    Gerry

Bald Eagle in Pinus contorta

Looks Like Frog Pelt Lichen

Last Saturdays work party of 8 used up all the sphagnum mosses we had collected from the forest. It was used to plant two fairly big areas of the bog that we had been prepping for some time. We planted it just in time as the subsequent rains flooded the area. This Saturday we will have to look for areas dry enough to work. I thought I would share with the group some of the pictures I have taken of plants, other than sphagnum mosses, that also grow in the bog. Attached are pictures of a Lichen called Frog Pelt that is presently growing in the bog. Pojar states that it comes in 3 different colors: olive green, milky blue and dark slate blue. It has brownish, tooth like fruiting bodies (#9578) on raised lobes. The lower surface is whitish with long slender holdfasts called rhizines (# 7325). This lichen is located on a covered stump close to the "sphagnum mosses" sign just in front of the bench on the south side of the bog.  -- Gerry