Spotted wintergreen in bloom
The weather continues hot, but not quite as humid, so the woods, since the deer flies are not yet too bad, offer an enticing escape from the heat wave. And since the birds have gone largely silent, my tendency is now to look down at the forest floor, instead of up towards the canopy, where the warblers, tanagers, and vireos are likely to be hiding. The rewards for scanning the ground are myriad: this twin-flowered beauty, a Spotted Wintergreen, is one of them.