BLACK KNOT FUNGUS

Appearance:  Looks like a cat's dropping attached to a twig.
Found: On cherry and plum trees.
Note: While this fungus isn't good for the tree, many live fine with it.

photo: Sasata/Wikimedia CC

COMMON GREENSHIELD LICHEN

Appearance:  Looks like a leaf of lettuce glued to a tree. It's pale yellow-green with wrinkly, wavy lobes.
Found: On the trunk of broad leafed trees such as maples, oaks, etc. and shrubs.
Fun Fact: Some people use it to dye wool.

photo: Björn S.../WikimediaCC

CHICKEN OF THE WOODS

Appearance: Orange with yellow edge, shelf-like layers.
Found: On decaying stumps and logs or an injured tree in late summer or fall.
CAUTION: Never eat any mushroom unless knowledgeable.

photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT/WikimediaCC

NORTHERN CARDINAL

Male: Bold red with crest on head.
Female/Immature Male: Brownish-red.
Found: In open woodlands and common visitor to bird-feeders.
Listen for: Loud, sweet whistle songs.

photo: Jack Bulmer /Pixabay

BLUE JAY

Appearance: Bold blue and white with crest on its head.
Found: In the forest.
Listen for: Loud shrieks.
Fun Fact: They are considered one of the most intelligent birds and have tight family bonds.

photo: Jongsun Lee / WikiMedia CC

KILLDEER

Appearance: Long legs, black necklace and red eye.
Found: Flying close to the ground amid dry, gravel fields.
Listen for: Shrill call that sounds like "kill-jer".
Fun Fact: Sometimes pretend to have a broken wing to lure invaders away from its nest.

photo: Rodney Campbell/FlickrCC

AMERICAN TOAD

Color: Brown, olive green, or reddish.

Found: Near water or moist areas.

Toads are amphibians that start life as tadpoles then emerge onto dry land as tiny toadlets about the length of a fingernail.

photo: National Park Service

PAINTED TURTLE

Color: Red-orange bottom shell (appears painted on) and black-olive upper shell. Yellow stripes on neck.
Found: On logs in lakes.

These rather adorable reptiles are docile and have no teeth.

photo: Steven Katovich / Bugwood.org CC

SKINK

Size: 5-8 inches.
Color: Shiny black, brown, or green with stripes.
Found: Along stream banks or grasslands and rocky areas.
MN has 3 species of skink, that look similar

photo: Pixahive

COLUMBINE

Blooms: May - July
Found: On cliffs and forest edges.
Petals: Red/pink with club-like petals.
Fun Fact: Hummingbirds drink nectar from this flower.

photo: Jelieta Walinski/P&TC photo contest

SWAMP MILKWEED

Blooms: June - September
Found: In sunny wet fields or swamps along the shore.
Petals: Cluster of pink flowers on tall stalk.

photos: Linda Flickinger / P&TC photo contest

JEWELWEED

Blooms: July - September
Found: In thickets along shorelines or wetlands.
Petals: Orange or yellow horn-like shape.
Try: Gently pinch the base of petals and tiny seeds may explode outward!

photo: Blue Ridge Kitties / FlickrCC

BAT

A mammal that flies! Look for them in the sky at dusk as they swoop and dart to snatch up insects. MN is home to 7 bat species. Some hibernate in caves in winter while others migrate south.

[photo: Richard Hurd/FlickrCC]

CHIPMUNK

They are very active and inquisitive and find a home in hollow logs, tree cavities, or underground dens where they store piles of food.

photo: AndiW / WikiMedia CC

WHITETAIL DEER

One of the largest mammals in MN yet camouflaged and stealthy. Sleeps in different spot each night. Only males grow antlers.

photos: Justin Pruden / P&TC photo contest

RED PINE

Needles: 4-6" long and bound into clusters of two with sharp tips.
Bark: Red and cracked into plates.

photo: MnDNR

JACK PINE

Needles: pretty short, about 1-2" long and grow in clusters of two.
Bark: Dull red-brown; irregularly divided into small scales.
Pinecones: Small cones are serotinous, meaning they rely on fire to open and release their seeds.

photos: MnDNR

BALSAM FIR

Needles: Lay flat on twig and each needle is flat, soft and blunt-tipped.
Bark: Smoothish gray with horizontal ridges.
Smell: When needles are broken they give off a smell that reminds many people of Christmas.

photos: MnDNR

CATERPILLARS

There are many types of caterpillars roaming around in Minnesota parks. They may be fuzzy, stripy, or plain, and each will transform into a moth or butterfly. The ones here are the Tussock Moth (top left), the Woolybear (bottom left), and the Monarch, which can be found on milkweed plants.

photo: Lisa Filter/P&TC; 1sock / FlickrCC; Maria L. Evans / Wikimedia CC

CICADA

Appearance: One of the largest insects in MN with lacy wings.
Molted Shells: As they grow they leave behind hollow shells attached to tree trunks.
Fun Fact: Their humming can be louder than a lawn mower and is mostly heard in the afternoon. They do not bite and are gentle bugs.

photo: piqsels.com & Ryan Hodnett/WikiMedia CC

DRAGONFLIES / DAMSELFLIES

Appearance: 140 species in MN come in a rainbow of colors.
Dragonfly: Bigger and keep wings spread out when resting.
Damselfly: Smaller and close their wings when resting.
Fun Fact: They can fly upside down, backward, and turn 360° on a dime.

photos: John Wright / Flickr CC; Jim Johnson / iNaturalist CC; Wayne Fidler / iNaturalist CC

WHAT OTHER INTERESTING THINGS DID YOU FIND?