What
Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Perhaps an old woodpeckers nest. Seen in a dead tree with many holes in it, twigs and grass sticking out of one of the holes.
What
Mushrooms, Bracket Fungi, Puffballs, and Allies (Class Agaricomycetes)Observer
drwlyonsDate
Missing DateWhat
Candy Flower (Claytonia sibirica)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A plant that was growing in bunches, this small plant had two leaves branching out at 180 degrees of each other, and from where those two leaves met two stems branched upward with one leaf and then multiple small white flowers sticking out on opposite sides of the stem. Many of the flowers had not started to flower yet and were just buds.
What
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
This shrub lined the trails at Discovery Park, and it stood probably about eight feet tall. The leaves were very broad, and they were just flowering with their white flowers with four petals. There were no berries to be seen at this time.
What
Artist's Brackets, Reishi, and Allies (Genus Ganoderma)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A large fungus at the bottom of a red alder, it resembled a shelf, and it was very hard. It had a white lining on its perimeter, and underneath the plants were very rust colored from the spores form the fungus.
What
Osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Tall shrub standing about 15 feet tall, it had a base with about 7 trunks that dispersed up and out. The branches had cones almost identical to alder cones, as well as the catkins that are also common in alders. However, the leaves were not identical to the leaves of the Sitka Alder, so I do not know what it is.
What
Fringe Cups (Tellima grandiflora)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
It looks like it may be part of the carrot family, this plant stood about eight inches tall, with very hairy stalk that is purplish at the base, and fades into a green color. The leaves were sort of orbicular shaped, but with serrated edges and five small distinguishable points that the veins of the leaf led to.
What
Oregon Beaked Moss (Kindbergia oregana)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A moss that is sort of shape like a fern, its leaves branch out oppositely on a relatively flat plane, tapering into a fine point at the end of the moss. It exhibited a sort of yellow green color.
What
Red Alder (Alnus rubra)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Seen in abundance, this tree had a grayish bark with some white splotches, and catkins and very small cones hanging from the branches. The cones were also seen all over the ground.
What
Wolf's Milk (Lycogala epidendrum)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A strange looking fungus that was an orange color and resembled little balls on a dead log on the side of the path. They were in a little group, and look like slime molds, but I do not know what they are specifically.
What
Meadow Spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Seen on almost every stinging nettle plant, these spots of spittle seen are indicative of the spittlebug.
What
Great Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
By far the most dominant species in Discovery Park, stinging nettles were everywhere, some of them even getting to be almost as tall as me. I got stung by a couple of them on my feet, which helped support my identification. Most of them also had sort of flower like structures hanging down as well.
What
Catchweed Bedstraw (Galium aparine)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A light green plant with seven small, thin leaves that came out in a circular fashion around the stem. The undersides of the leaves were very sticky, and the plant was very prolific, spreading everywhere and growing all over the other plants. They had single very small white flowers.
What
Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Either a large shrub or a small tree, it was flowering and observed multiple times on the waterfront trail by the Montlake Cut. The flowers were white or pink, small, had five petals, and were in bunches on top of groups of leaves. The leaves showed opposite branching of these rounded ends that were observed in pairs of 2-4 per leaf, with there being many stemming off of the branches.
What
Broadleaf Cattail (Typha latifolia)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Many cattails lining the water's edge by Lake Washington. They were about the same height as me, with the distinctive sort of tuft that was a couple inches long on the top of a tall stalk.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Seen swimming in one of the ponds in Union Bay Natural Area, there were two "ducks" floating in the water with a very distinctive almost complete red body color They were also slightly smaller than mallards typically. I'm not sure there is any other bird that can be seen in the Union Bay Natural Area that has that same distinctive red/cinnamon color to it.
Photos / Sounds
What
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Seen by the bay near the boathouse, I initially mistook this bird for a heron, until I saw it in the binoculars. The long neck threw me off, but it had short legs, as well as was all black with a beak that was hooked at the end. It was just standing on a small island out in the middle of the bay, but unlike typically is the case for cormorants, it did not have its wings spread to dry.
What
Rose Campion (Silene coronaria)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A plant standing about a foot off of the ground. It had leaves in pairs of two that came off of opposite sides of the main stalk. The entire plant was fuzzy, and felt like to the touch. Somewhat resembled deer-tongue. No flowers to be seen.
What
Water Parsley (Oenanthe sarmentosa)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A low growing green plant with no flowers. Multiple stalks coming out of the same ground base with almost a fern pattern, but with leaves instead of fronds. Each branch off of the main stalk was opposite another, with the leaves coming off in pairs, tapering down until three at the very tip. Typically from seven to five to three. The leaves had serrated edges, and were mostly oval shaped.
What
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A large shrub lining the paths of Ravenna park, this plant showed visible thorns, and was beginning to fruit, with no flowers present. The fruits resembled raspberries in shape, but most of them were whitish yellow, with a couple light orange ones. The leaves were compound leaflets in threes stemming from where the berries came off of the branches.
What
Western Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
Very large, broad, green, oval shaped leaves extending from the same base area right next to a stream. No flowers present, but the yellow central structure was visible in some of the plants, although it was somewhat hidden and in multiple it was broken and on the ground lying right next to the plant.
What
Western Lily of the Valley (Maianthemum dilatatum)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
An oval leaf with an indent where the leaf attaches to the stem, this was very prevalent on the ground near the stream. Some had a flower structure emerging from the stalk above the leaf, but it was very small buds on a stalk that extended maybe three inches above.
What
Solomon's Plume (Maianthemum racemosum)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A plant that grew upwards and sideways and stayed relatively low to the ground, it had large oval leaves with three very well defined grooves going vertically down the leaves. The leaves were alternately branched, ending in a flower structure that was budding, with white flowers starting to emerge.
What
Artist's Bracket (Ganoderma applanatum)Observer
drwlyonsDescription
A large fungi on the side of a tree. The top of it was a dusty brown, and it appeared to have layers, or sort of folds as it slanted down to form an overhang, with the under side of it being completely white.