We needed a scenic drive and a long hike today. Our destination was Great Wass Island. The Nature Conservancy has this wonderful preserve on the island in the Atlantic Ocean.
It is a 5 mile loop that wanders through jack pine, spruce, and fir forest carpeted in thick moss. After about a mile, you come to the preserve's best bog areas where the Pitcher Plants are thriving.
The Pitcher Plant is carnivorous. At the base of the flower stalk is the "pitcher" and its job is to capture insects that fall in. We were greeted by a familiar sound "right in here, right in here". A male Common Yellowthroat (no picture). I collected a few leaves from the Labrador Tea plant and am now enjoying a nice cup of tea.
Our first Lady Slipper of the season. 
And then......THE ROCKS!! Part of the trail follows the shoreline where you traverse over the ROCKS and high ledges.
This is a Sunburst Lichen. These lichens appear where the birds leave droppings. More on lichens later. There are many and they are interesting to study. 
My prize for the day...a lobster trap float.
This is an Ostrich Fern. Before the bract matures, you can harvest them to eat. They are called fiddleheads because they are shaped like the end of a fiddle. We like the taste, much like asparagus.
I hope you enjoyed the adventure as much as we did. did.
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