The diversity of Shawnee and the Edge of Appalachia is amazing. Lists will soon be posted on the Flora-Quest website, but an early compilation shows the following results: we checked off 432 species of plants- 15 of those were not even on our list! And birds, Shawnee in the spring is amazing and with some of Ohio's best birders in house, amassing 107 species was not a surprise. We didn't even get a Blue Heron on that list!

Butterflies, you have to love them. Shawnee/Edge of Appalachia's Flora-quest checklist = 19 species. Unfortunately, we did not locate a Falcate Orange-tip, one species I was especially keen to photograph. Only seen in those southern counties, I have no hope of finding one here in Richland County. So, I must wait until next spring for another chance to get that neon-tipped beauty.

We did luck onto another possible rarity, the Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail. Unrecorded (officially) in Ohio, Jim McCormac thought they could be a possibility in Shawnee. John Howard came to Flora-quest with an informative print-off showing the detailed differences between our Eastern Tiger- and the previously unknown Appalachian Tiger.

Easily over looked on botanical outings, perhaps this little native needs a publicist. The star-like qualities of this chickweed has always appealed to my imagination.

Star Chickweed, Stellaria pubera is one of many chickweeds found in Ohio. It, like the fire pink featured yesterday, is a member of the Caryophyllaceae or pinks family. Listed as endangered in both Illinois and New Jersey, it is found in about 22 counties in Ohio, mostly the southern and north-east plant communities. It appears to be in the Mohican region as well, so maybe we should round up some of Steve McKee's plant detectives and see if we can search it out.

Not the showiest of plants, I grant you, but it is the showiest of all the chickweeds. :)Its white flowers have deeply clefted petals- and the species name- pubera should be a clue to look for hair. Indeed, it does have 2 lines of hair on the stem.

I have only seen this plant in Shawnee, so it holds a very special place in my botanical galaxy.

Sorry posts have been a bit infrequent of late, and I hoped to post more Skippers, as John Howard sent some great ones. But since I am pressed for time- let's go right for the eye candy, shall we?

As colorful as a warbler, and almost as charming- one of Shawnee Forest's best-known offering is the ornithologist's delight: Birdfoot Violet. Bold colors, bright patterns and fabulous "birdfoot" shaped foliage add up to make this member of the Violaceae family a favorite at Shawnee. This year they are coming up in good number and the size was enormous- for a birdfoot violet, that is. They are putting on a show that could make those store bought pansies blush.

Found only in 7 of Ohio's counties, and know also from the Oak Openings, these charismatic Viola pedata, Birdfoot Violets are sure to be a crowd pleaser at Flora-Quest this week end. Hope to see many of you there, along with some unbelievable botany and birds. I won't know whether to look up or down!

These little brown jobs can be confusing! The Ohio Lepidopterist have a program completely dedicated to sorting out the various skippers, and yes, I am a skipper school surviver.

The best way to go about sorting these dime sized divas: start with the flight period. Right now three types of skippers are flying in Shawnee Forest. Juvenal's Dusky Wing, Dreamy Dusky Wing and Sleepy Dusky Wing.

With a close-up photo of a Juvenal's Dusky Wing, you can start to appreciate their subtle beauty. The key to unlocking the early spring Dusky Wing dilema is the creamy-white dots on the fore wings. Juvenal's is the only one flying now that has those dots.

Remember, most of these skippers look like a little brown moth when they first fly by, but under closer inspection, they are really quite lovely. Hopefully, this photo can convince you to slow down and sort the skippers. They are worth the time it takes to investigate their differences.