Bees And Butterflies On Thyme

A lovely patch of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) that has been blooming for three or four weeks now. Bees and butterflies have been enjoying the flowers. The patch is quite abuzz.

Quite the small butterfly, an Eastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas), enjoying the nectar of the flowers.

Another butterfly, a bit larger than the Eastern Tailed Blue. A Cabbage White (Pieris rapae), is also dining on the nectar of the Thyme flowers.

Both nectar and pollen, is consumed by the Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens).

And another to seek out pollen and nectar both, as it works away, the Confusing Bumblebee (Bombus perplexus).

All these pollinators, busy, busy at the Thyme, making the little patch of flowers buzz with busyness.

_______________________________________________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

A Couple Fritillaries

A Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) enjoying the nectar of a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

And another Fritillary, a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) on another Purple Coneflower.

The common name, Fritillary, comes from the Latin, fritillus: chessboard or dice box.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

And Another Summer Visitor

This, a female Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) taking care of her feathers. Hooded Warblers are summer residents here. Not a lot of them but enough to see and enjoy from time to time.

These Warblers eat insects and other arthropods, so they have no interest in my feeders. That’s okay, I get to see them on special occasions.

I’ve been seeing them for many years. Even before the cabin was built they’d delight me with their presence, up here on my mountain.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Downy Leather-wing

If you find any of these in your garden, you are in luck. You’ve got help controlling pests. This is a Downy Leather-wing (Podabrus pruinosus), a species of Soldier Beetle in the family Cantharidae.

Specifically how are they going to help you in the garden? They eat Aphids and Spider Mites. Good ones to have around.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

A Moment Of Romance

I had read of such romantic events. Some call it courtship feeding. I was fortunate to witness this just a few days ago for the first time.

Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). The male is on the left, the female on the right. During courtship the male, in expressing affection, feeds the female.

The male is also telling his mate that he can find and share food with her while she incubates the eggs.

A sweet moment.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

 

Back Again Today

Yesterday I was surprised and pleased to see a male Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) and I shared a couple pictures that I took, with you in last night’s post.

Now today, again, a male Restart showed up to amaze me several times this afternoon. Here, just two of the images I was able to get.

What I wanted to show you today, before I was distracted by the second visit of a male Redstart, are pictures of a female Redstart.

Quite similar but as is often the case, the female and the immature male Redstarts are very understated in color. Rather than the bold black and orange, they are soft shades of gray and yellow.

Redstarts are incredibly fidgety birds, seeming to never be still, even for a brief moment. Truly a challenging subject to capture in pixels.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Early Evening Visitor

A total surprise early this evening as I was washing dishes. A male American Restart (Setophaga ruticilla) taking care of his feathers at the birdbath.

Redstarts are not the most frequent birds I see. They seek out insects from the forest floor to the tree tops and for the most part only come by for their feather care at the birdbath.

Their size, being a small warbler, just adds to the fascination when I see one. Cute little critters. When one seems to show off for me and my camera that is just icing on the cake. A bonus for the day.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Black-eyed Susan

A confusing common name with so many species of flowers using that same one, including Maryland’s state flower. This particular one is Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) which I am working on committing “Rudbeckia fulgida” to memory to avoid confusing myself.

One of the other Black-eyed Susans, (Rudbeckia hirta). Soon soon soon there will be Maryland’s state flower growing up here, this Rudbeckia hirta.

That’s a Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) sitting atop the Rudbeckia fulgida in that first picture. It’s a small butterfly that enjoys visiting flowers that are the same colors that it sports on its wings.

And those seeds that last into the winter? That is why I don’t clean up my gardens in the autumn. The birds thoroughly enjoy the seeds.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Baorangia Bicolor

Baorangia Bicolor (Boletus bicolor). One very cool mushroom, in a world filled with astounding mushrooms. This one red and yellow. Color is something that I adore and this fungus doesn’t disappoint.

The pores bruise with a dark indigo blue stain and the stem also changes color in a matter of a few minutes with little pressure.

This mushroom is found in China and Nepal, and in eastern North American, for the most part east of the Rocky Mountains. It grows under Oaks, or other broad-leafed trees.

There’s always something out there, just waiting to be discovered. One just has to look for it.

________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Spotted St. Johnswort

Spotted St. Johnswort (Hypericum punctatum), with lots and lots of spots. They show up, as volunteers, in my gardens. Volunteers most welcome.

Five yummy yellow petals with many stamens surrounding a central green pistil. Those petals, of course, spotted.

Spots of black, the leaves but also the stems. Green flower buds show the spots too.

Found in eastern North America. Growing to heights of 1 to 3 feet with a bit of branching in the upper half of the plant. Hairless stems of green or occasionally red. Pollinators are Bees, Beetles and Syrphid Flies, which find no nectar but lots of pollen.

I’ll take these volunteers any day!