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Tall Bellflower
Tall Bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum), in the Bellflower family (Campanulaceae). In bloom right now, in many spots up here in the woods. The common name of Tall Bellflower is certainly appropriate since these plants grow to be from 2, all the way to 6 feet tall. Usually each plant is a single stem, although on occasion,…
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Canada Violet
I’ve recently come upon these beautiful snow white Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) on the trail going up Hightop, and also at the yoga studio where I can often be found. As you see here, they often bloom one at a time. Petals of this species are longer and more narrow than other violets. Each of…
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Berry Plume Moth
Quite the surprise to find these moths on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). These are Berry Plume Moths (Geina tenuidactyla), a member of the family Pterophoridae. Moths that look to me as if they are from the Mesozoic Era, and coexisted with dinosaurs. But they’re here today along with Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails. Tiny winged creatures.…
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Pollinators’ Delight
Heading out to yoga this morning, I had to stop to take some pictures. Pollinators on the Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) having a grand time, were calling to me. In the photo, I captured more than I expected. The Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) was what caught my attention, and there to its right a Bumble…
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Dancing Garlic
It’s a first for the vegetable garden. Garlic (Allium sativum). Planted several months ago. It’s been a learning experience to see it coming up, green leaves reaching for the sky. And now flower buds atop their stems, bending in unison, Rockettes style. Who would have thought that garlic dances in the garden?! _______________________________________________________________________ If you…
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Striped Wintergreen
In bloom right now, in my woods. Such a treat to see. Striped Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata). Small, evergreen plants that grow from rhizomes. With the blooms, the Striped Wintergreen is 6 to 10 inches tall. The plant without its flowers is 3 to 5 inches tall. Those beautiful evergreen leaves are thick, waxy-looking, a blue-green…
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Yucca Filamentosa
Yucca filamentosa. They’re in bloom right now. Today was mostly a gray day. I wanted to get some photos, so I waited until the sun was out a bit, to add that extra bit of color to the air. My camera and I stepped out when things looked just right. Having these plants on my…
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Cedar Waxwing Courtship
It’s now the mating season of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), which is from late spring through late summer. These birds perform a beautiful ritual which has the birds dancing-hopping back and forth, and the male presenting his chosen one with a berry, a bit of fruit, a flower petal or an insect. They will take…
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Sharing With The Birds
An picture of a Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), enjoying the berries that are getting ripe around my cabin. But looking at it makes me wonder why this one doesn’t have the characteristic red waxy wing tips that I see so often. Those red wax tips on the Waxwing’s secondary feathers are red thanks to a…
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Common Whitetail
An interesting insect that perches on vegetation along the edges of ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers. Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia). Perching on vegetation, watching, waiting, to swoop out to capture mosquitos and other small flying insects in mid-air. A good insect to have around _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts…