Hike with no expectations. No timeline. Just go. Let nature surprise you. There is so much out there. Take it all in.
Up the mountain, in a spot with perfect conditions, a rocky slope. Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). Native to eastern North America. A favorite of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but of course.
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Yesterday afternoon, a look out at one of the birdbaths revealed a delightful surprise, a Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). A summer resident getting settled in. This, a photo from that sighting, is a male with his beautiful black and orange feathers.
This, a female Redstart. Subtle colors, a medium gray and, soft yellow.
The Redstarts come to the birdbaths. I rarely see them otherwise, since they don’t come to the feeders. They are insect and spider eaters, though in late summer into autumn, they will also eat some small berries and fruits.
I love to see the change of the bird population as the seasons change. Each season is my favorite.
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Until early this morning, or late last night there hadn’t been a Black Bear (Ursus americanus) in my yard for 3 years. I wasn’t sure what had actually happened. Bird feeders scattered. The pole where several of them had been hanging was bent to nearly flat on the ground. A feeder which had been hanging in a tree, now down on the ground.
But the Bear left muddy paw prints on a squirrel baffle and a suet feeder, making it definite, a Bear was the culprit.
I had mixed feelings during the time there were no Bears. I was concerned for them. Their absence was caused by an outbreak of Sarcoptes scabiei, a type of mange, that had wiped out the Bear population in this area. During their absence the number of White-tailed Deer increased. More and more plants were being chomped as the Deer passed through my yard.
But it has been absolutely delightful to be able to feed the birds with no concern for what now, has happened overnight. Mixed feelings, indeed.
I don’t actually know that the Bear that came through is truly healthy. Whether this will be the beginning of things returning to normal.
If this IS the beginning of things returning to normal, I’m very pleased, because they are so darned CUTE!
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This is my Mom, many years ago when we lived in Cheverly, Maryland. Mom created a great love of nature in my heart. A love that will always be with me. I was introduced to many trees in that yard, including the young Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) that is behind her right shoulder (on the left as you look at her). A tree that must have sprouted up about the same year that Mom and Dad, and I, as a little baby, moved into that house. As the years went by I played out there, outside the kitchen, as the tree became part of my environment and my imagination.
Now I live in the woods, with oodles of trees around me. Some are Tulip Poplars that are in bloom right now. The color of the flowers, a soft yellow-green with a slight band of orange, is not at all noticeable on the towering trees, except to pollinators such as Hummingbirds, Bees, and Butterflies.
But those blossoms fall to the ground and then they get noticed by us folks down at ground level.
Too bad the blooms are not more visible to us. They’re quite beautiful.
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A Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) on an exotic invasive, Wintercress (Barbarea vulgarism). The host plant of the Zebra Swallowtail is the Pawpaw Tree (Asimina triloba).
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The Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a legume! Yes, it’s a member of the legume (Fabaceae) family. Unlike most members of the legume family, which are able to fix nitrogen through their roots into the soil, the Eastern Redbud doesn’t have this ability.
The seeds in the legume pods are a great source of food for many birds including, Cardinals, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Bobwhites. Deer and Squirrels feed on the seeds as well.
Great seed pods, but they certainly don’t impress me nearly as much as the sweet cauliflorous pink (not red) Redbud blooms.
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A common sight as I walk along the dirt road up here, a multitude of butterflies gathered at a puddle intent on gathering what they can, from the puddle. And puddling is what this is called. But it isn’t just puddles where they gather. They will also gather on scat, fermenting fruit, carrion, urine, even sweat on human skin.
The butterflies are seeking sodium, amino acids, and minerals. It’s mostly males that you’ll find puddling. They are gathering these three items to aid in reproduction. They pass them along to the female in their spermatophore during mating, which seems to aid in reproductive success.
Tiger Swallowtails are the butterflies that I see puddling most often but certainly not the only ones. Other butterflies can be found puddling, such as Pipevine Swallowtails, Snouts, and Appalachian Azures, but don’t be surprised if you see others.
An advantage that I see as I find this activity taking place, the butterflies are so concentrating on their task that they don’t pay attention to me and my camera.
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So many favorites. Favorites that, in part, are emerging right now. Emerging as spring makes itself at home. One of those favorites – Common Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium).
The many Common Blue-eyed Grass flowers charm innumerable pollinators like Sweat Bees, Bumble Bees, Bee Flies, Syrphid Flies, and Spring Azures. And the seeds of those flowers provide food for songbirds.
Native to eastern Canada and the US, west to Texas and Minnesota. Not a grass at all but in the Iris family (Iridaceae).
Common Blue-eyed Grass, one of countless favorites.
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Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum). An incredibly beautiful native flower to have just growing in the woods. Found across the entirety of Canada and the US, Alaska to Arizona and Georgia, growing in open meadows, along streams, and moist woods.
These flowers attract small bees, such as Honeybees, Small Carpenter Bees, and Mason Bees. The flowers offer no nectar and its pollen is a difficult chore to find for the potential pollinators.
I don’t look for pollen or nectar, just the simple joy of finding native plants to capture in photos. This cluster of native orchids certainly brought me that joy!
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Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora), looking mighty pretty right now. But it is an exotic invasive plant that is banned or prohibited in many states. Here in the mountains of central Virginia it is growing in dense thickets in the forest, crowding out native plants.
Native to Japan, Korea, and China, Multiflora Rose was brought to the United States in 1866 to be used as rootstock for ornamental roses. The US Soil Conservation Service in the 1930s suggested its use as a living fence, and for erosion control. In the 1960s scientists were recommending the plants for shelter and a food source for wildlife. And more recently highway median strips have been planted with Multiflora Rose to help eliminate headlight glare from oncoming traffic and to help stop or slow, out of control vehicles.
This plant is a climbing and spreading bush that can grow 1 to 2 feet each month during its growing season, reaching out 10 to 15 feet. Producing 500,000 seeds each year, with a seed viability of 10 to 20 years.
Right now, as the bushes are blooming, there is a native plant to looks quite similar. Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus). The Blackberry blossoms are nearly the same size, with similar white petals (5 petals on each blossom). BUT those Blackberry blossoms have a soft green center with pale green stamens, while the blossom of the Multiflora Rose, has very bright yellow stamens at their center. And keep in mind that Blackberry bushes are not climbing plants.
I hope you don’t find any.
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