Got a few opportunities to check out the local flora and fauna during a recent fieldwork trip to WNY. A very wet spring translates to a very green landscape.
Oxbow lake south of the river near Allegany, NY.
Snapple (Chelydra serpentina) in his new home.
Azure bluets (Houstonia caerulea) cluster about the clearings...
...along with speedwell (Veronica sp.)...
...and woodland strawberries (Fragaria vesca).
A few naturalized intruders that join the native plants include forget-me-nots (Myosotis scorpiodes)...
...and the tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris).
Also introduced, the common apple (Malus sylvestris) brightens up the springtime hills with its dazzling blooms.
The native choke cherry (Prunus virginiana) can also produce some eye-catching blooms.
Silver maples (Acer saccharinum) arch over a rain-swollen Allegheny.
The soggy Allegheny Valley had more than enough rain in Spring '11.
The ponds at Breezy Point near Bolivar, NY were full as well.
The benefit is the foliage, lush and green...
Painting the hillsides emerald, with hints of white, yellow and pink.
...and of course, the toads (Bufo americanus) love it.
