Under the boardwalk

Look! It is a Great Boardwalk over a Great Pond in a Great Swamp.

Sorrels

These pink things all over the woods (and swamps) are wood sorrels! I think they’re common wood sorrels, but there are some slight differences (petal shape, stamen color) that could just be due to different varieties, or different growing conditions, or different species. I don’t know.

Regardless, they’re in the oxalis family, so they’re related to shamrocks.

T is for Trail

This is a swamp boardwalk in the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center. I think it’s the Red Trail. The whole park is a good area for introducing your kids to the Great Outdoors. In fact, most of the people I see on these trails are under the age of six. (Or they’re parents of said young people.)

…FYI, my internet is functioning at the pace of a snail stuck in molasses. It’s spotty, it’s about on par with dial-up, and 21st century websites keep telling me I’m not even online. If I miss upcoming posts, it’s because I can’t connect.

Jack, in his pulpit.

I was so excited to find this guy on one of my hikes! He’s a Jack-in-the-pulpit!

He was also unfortunately in a most awkward position to photograph (in a swamp, about two feet from the boardwalk, and under that great big shady leaf), so this picture won’t win any awards. But I offer this as proof that there are indeed Jack-in-the-pulpits in New Jersey’s Great Swamp.

Bluebird singin’ a song; nothin’ but blue skies all day long

I’m tempted to start serenading ya’ll with the lyrics to “Blue Skies,” but I’ll refrain.

(I will, however, encourage you to find the Muppet version of the song.)

These are electrical towers on the edge of the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center. (You’ve seen them before.)

Gas lines!

Pipes on the border of the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, operated by Transco: the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation.

I thought these were interesting ‘cos

1. I’d never seen this sort of thing before, and
2. they’re right on the edge of a nature preserve.

Transcontinental, though! Neat.

Bucolic

Man. This just looks like a painting to me.

This is the periphery of the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center. There are apparently power towers right through the middle of most the Great Swamp areas.

Idyllism

An idyllic view of the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center.

Birdhouses

Birdhouses at the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, by the power lines.

I guess these are for wrens?

And I’m really not sure what the metal sleeves around the posts are about. Any birding fans familiar with this?

Edit: Careful reader Gerald suggests they’re supposed to discourage animals from climbing up the posts. Makes sense.

Toitles!

I do not have the patience for wildlife photography. But when a critter doesn’t move when I run up to it, and continues to hold still while I turn my camera on and set the exposure… of course I’ll photograph it!

..or photograph THEM, in the case of these painted turtles!

I know they’re painted turtles ‘cos a nearby sign had an identifying picture of the reptiles. Also according to the sign, they’re often seen basking in the sun on one of the wildlife rafts. (just as we can see here.)