Dancing Along The Trails

September 7, 2026

When I see these beautiful little sunflowers, they make me think they’re dancing along the trails where they live. Joyful flowers, Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus).

A Perplexing Bumblebee (Bombus perplexus) taking in some of the autumnal nectar of a Woodland Sunflower.

They’re native to southeastern Canada, and the north-central and eastern United States. Growing to 7 feet tall, its flowers are 2 to 4 inches across. Their underground system is roots and rhizomes, enabling them to create colonies. Bees, butterflies and other insects are attracted to their flowers, particularly as autumn marches on. Birds and small mammals enjoy the seeds.

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Closer Look At An American Painted Lady

September 6, 2026

Like many butterflies, the closer one looks the more details are revealed. This is the same species of butterfly that I posted yesterday, an American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), in a dorsal, or wings open, or upper side view.

This a ventral, or wings up, or under side view. Quite a change from the dorsal view. This view provides eye spots to startle predators.

And here again the dorsal view, with sunlight shining through. Sunlight can change the look of everything when looking at a butterfly.

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Two American Painted Lady Butterflies (Vanessa virginiensis)

September 5, 2026

Two American Painted Lady butterflies (Vanessa virginiensis) enjoying the nectar of Goldenrod (Solidago), which provides them with a rich source of high-energy food. Goldenrod blooms in late summer and into autumn when the vast selection of spring and summer flowers are gone.

These butterflies migrate, spending the winter in the southern United States, Mexico and Central America before returning north in the spring.

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Monarch On Morning Glory

September 4, 2026

Last year about this time I wrote about Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), and not seeing many at all. Same this year, though I did see a Monarch caterpillar on some of the Common Milkweed just a few days ago. That one delightful find, and I’ve seen just a few other adults.

The Monarch in this picture is getting nectar from Purple Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea) which is considered a non-native, naturalized, invasive plant here in Virginia.

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First Obedient Plant Blooms Of The Season

September 3, 2026

First blooms of Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), playing an important role in the lives of bumblebees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and many other beneficial pollinators who are out hunting for sources of nectar this late in the season.

Obedient Plant is native to eastern and central North America, including Quebec to Florida, and west to Texas and Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, and including northern Mexico.

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Today’s Favorite Flower

September 2, 2026

Volunteers of native Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) are growing in the gardens of my yard. That brings me great pleasure as I walk about, here on the mountain. Many cool flowers attracting many pollinators. Among many things that I love about this plant is that deer are not really interested in eating it, though we know that they’ll eat anything if they’re hungry.

Wingstem is a host plant of Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis).

Pure charm in a brilliant shade of yellow.

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Yellow-collared Scape Moth

August 31, 2026

Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis), on Goldenrod (Solidago). An attractive moth that is 3/4 inch long, with a wingspan of 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Adults are active from April until autumn begins to get really cold, and are found in Canada, south to the states of Texas and Florida.

Adults are diurnal for the most part, though larvae are nocturnal. Adults drink nectar, often of plants in the aster family, such goldenrods, asters and milkweeds. The larvae eat the leaves of low growing grasses and sedges. They also eat lichens which have toxicity which is transferred to adults, which makes them unpalatable.

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Katydid

August 30, 2026

There are 255 species of Katydids in North America. This one is the Greater Angle-wing Katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium) found in the eastern, central and southwestern United States, and also Mexico and Central America.

They are green with a leaflike pattern on their wing covers, Their length is 2 to 2.5 inches. These Katydids spend their days in the forest canopy, coming out at night to feed on the leaves of trees, and to find mates. Eggs are laid late summer and autumn. Those eggs remain in the trees through the winter and hatch in spring.

From egg to adult, the total lifespan of this Katydid is about a year.

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Oh MY! So Tiny!

August 29, 2026

Yesterday I was out looking for Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus), not knowing if I would actually find any. But sure enough I found one in a patch of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). A Monarch caterpillar much smaller than I have ever seen in the past. The caterpillar in this picture is just 1/4 inch long, and this one is not newly hatched. They measure just 1/10 of an inch at that point and have no stripes.

There is a key connection between Monarchs and Milkweed plants. Female Monarchs seek out Milkweed plants on which to lay their eggs. Once hatched, the caterpillars only eat the leaves of the Milkweed which holds a milky, toxin filled sap, that is harmful to many animals, but is tolerated and stored not only in the caterpillars but also in the adult Monarch. This toxin creates a bad taste and can cause sickness in predators with backbones (vertebrates), protecting the Monarchs from being eaten.

Nature is amazing.

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