Empty Nest & Indian Pipe

Good news! This morning I left some mealworms in the Bluebirds' cup, and when Daddy came by, he stuffed 3 in his tiny beak and headed off to the forest - NOT the nest! So I went to check the box and, sure enough, all 5 babies were gone from the nest. Hopefully they're all doing well out there, and they'll grow up into strong and healthy Bluebirds.

On another note, I finally got to photograph some Indian Pipe wildflowers at Ashland Nature Center. Aren't they cool?



Indian Pipe is a plant (not a fungus) that contains no chlorophyll, so it's ghostly white instead of green. It gets its energy from decaying plant matter by way of help from a fungus. It's always found in shady, damp areas and usually near rotting logs. It's also called "corpse plant," which is sort of creepy because the first time I discovered it, it was growing just outside the cemetary by my house.

Have a happy Saturday!