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Soon
From blossoms in April, To green berries in May, To oodles in June, That become all sorts of play. Gets the attention of Towhees, And attracts Cedar Waxwings. They’ll fill up the freezer, And keep us fed all winter. While making our yard busy with nature. What could be better. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like…
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Poison Ivy In Bloom
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Every year, as spring turns to summer and I see the blooms of this plant that makes me itch, just looking at it, I think back to a time when I had no idea that it bloomed. But now I do know, and despite my extreme sensitivity to the urushiol in…
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Butterfly Called Snout
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta). Snouts have what looks like an extremely prominent nose formed by elongated mouthparts. Certainly an offbeat sort of look for a butterfly. Native to North and South America. A species of butterfly that overwinters as an adult. The host plant for Snouts are Hackberry trees (Celtis). Adults are attracted to fermenting fruit,…
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A Milkweed Plant
Blooming now along the trails up here in the woods. Fourleaf Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia). Host plant to the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). This Milkweed is native to the eastern United States and Canada. In this picture you can see how it has gotten a couple of its common names. The Fourleaf Milkweed, with its four leaves…
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Coral Honeysuckle
A perennial vine, native to the eastern United States. Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) with flowers that provide nectar to hungry Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the blooms as well. The Coral Honeysuckle is the host plant for Spring Azure Butterflies and Snowberry Clearwing Moths. The berries of this Honeysuckle are eaten by…
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Amazing Mom Spider
Hoping you’re not freaked out by this photo. I had to share this with you, a mother Wolf Spider (Lycosidae). AND those yellow-green dots on her back are her babies. If you look carefully at the image, you can actually see their legs. The Wolf Spider is a different sort of mom, particularly in the…
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Smooth Solomon’s Seal
Smooth Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), in bloom up here in the woods. It is an herbaceous perennial, native to eastern and central North America. Often found in rocky woods, happy in either dry or moist soil. Like the Yucca, it’s another plant in the asparagus (Asparagaceae) family. Smooth Solomon Seal can very slowly form colonies…
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Happiness At The Birdbath
An Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), kindly posed for me at one of my birdbaths. They’re in the area year round, though not necessarily here in my yard. I try to tempt them with dried mealworms which they sometimes like. Without the mealworms they wouldn’t be feeder birds, preferring to eat insects, and small fruits and…
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Hide And Seek
It was a game of hide and seek. The female Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) and I. The game ended in a draw. Though I was able to get photographs, they left me still wanting more and better images. And she seemed to leave with a very quiet chuckle. I seldom see Hooded Warblers. They eat…
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Rattlesnake Weed
Rattlesnake Weed (Hieracium venosum). Native to south-central Canada, through the eastern United States. It has the common name of Rattlesnake Weed, since it is thought to be found in areas where rattlesnakes frequent. That common name too, is an excellent example why one should depend on the scientific name rather than the common name. There…