Studies of Plants and Wildlife: February 2013

February 25, 2013

Hikage to Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama, Takao (February 23rd)

Chrysosplenium album var. stamineum (Hana Nekonome).

The buds were still tiny.

ちっちゃい蕾、見つけました。

We went to Hikage and Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama. When we got to the entrance of the trail to Hikage, there was more snow than we had thought. It seems it will be for a while till spring comes, but we found some signs of early spring here and there. We also found an interesting trail from Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama down to Hikage. The trail will be more interesting in spring, too.

久しぶりに日影から小仏城山に登ってきました。日影には、思いのほか、雪が残っています。
写真には撮れませんでしたが、ルリビタキにも出会いました。
城山に近くなると、タチツボスミレがぽつぽつ咲いていました。なめこ汁とおにぎりでお昼にした後、いつもなら高尾山方面に進むところなのですが、かなり泥でぬかるんでいたので、日影にまた下ることにしました。山頂からほどなくして山の方にそれる道を今回、初めて試してみました。
なかなか、面白い道でした。どこにたどり着くのか全く分からない状態で歩くのも、たまにはわくわくして楽しかったです。

There was more snow than we had expected by the Hikage creek.

Cedar trees have lots of flowers this year.

Prunella rubida (Kayakuguri, Japanese accentor).

地面をちょこちょこ歩いて餌をついばんでいました。

Garrulax canorus (Gabi-chou).

Viola grypoceras (Tachitsubo Sumire).

Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama.

The view from the top of Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama.

We took a different trail down from Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama.

It was actually an interesting trail with some hardwood patches.

Cymbidium goeringii (Shun-ran).

This plant has already had a few buds.

シュンランも蕾がついているものが見つかりました。

February 8, 2013

Nogawa Park (February 9th)

Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou).

Finally, I went out to see some Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou) flowers in Nogawa Park in our neighborhood. I have been busy for a while, so I couldn't go out anywhere and have left this blog alone.
In the park we found some early spring flowers including Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou), which bloom around the day of Setsubun, the day before the beginning of spring. Each flowers are pretty little, but the contrast of the colors, blue and yellow, is amazing.