budding Leafless Wintergreen (Pyrola aphylla) Ericaceae. In his guidebook, Michael Graf says “Its parallel development to the non-photosynthesizing monotrops illustrates the evolutionary tendency of plants in shady environments to dispense with photosynthesis as a source of energy, given the more reliable association with mycorhizal fungi.”
I helped Park botanists weed-whack this invasive Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) patch the next day (along with the native Whisker Brush (Lianthus ciliatus, Polemonium) growing here), and then weed-whacked it again a couple weeks later, and followed up with hand weeding, weekly for the couple few key months, and after a few years, was finding no more than a couple dozen Cheatgrass plants a season, with the Whisker Brush having largely taken over. The success of such invasive weed management, with early detection of simple annuals like Cheatgrass on this scale, at the margins, mostly hinges on diligent, well-timed follow-up.
A mama Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) paddling the double overhead surf with a half dozen ducklings on her back and another half dozen trailing behind her, barely visible at left. Mergansers seem to have some sort of socialized shared child care cooperative thing going, though no sign of male involvement.