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Mysteries
Every now and then I get a request from a friend to help solve a mystery. The mystery is, “What is this plant?” or perhaps, “What is this insect?” I thoroughly enjoy the mystery and sometimes I actually come up with the correct answer, but not always. Sometimes the question comes with several great photographs…
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Whorled Rosinweed
Whorled Rosinweed (Silphium trifoliatum) are in bloom right now, and through the fall, along trails up here in the mountains of the Blue Ridge. An herbaceous perennial native to eastern North America. Whorled Rosinweed grows to 3-5′, or on occasion up to 10′ tall. It’s unbranched, except where the flowers appear. Occasionally there are side…
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Those Wheels are Turning
As the squirrel is looking over at the bird feeders in frustration, those wheels are turning. There is a squirrel baffle that works extremely well protecting those feeders from the marauders. It is one of those black metal, bent into a blunt cone-shape. It works really well. But it certainly gives the squirrels’ brains a…
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Ruby-throated Entertainment
A small portion of the crew of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) that are a constant source of entertainment during the summer months. Zooming ’round and ’round chasing each other. Playing “King of the Hill” as one decides that it will become the sole consumer of hummingbird syrup – chasing any tiny bird that dares come…
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Toad In The Garden
Yesterday I was out pulling Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) from one of my gardens. Something that has to be done regularly or it will take over the world, totally eliminating the native plants. Groan. I was rewarded for my work/good deed with a visit from a tiny American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus). Surely not any longer…
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Splashing In The Birdbath
Yesterday an Indigo Bunting came by to check out the birdbath. A beautiful glowing shade of blue splashing about in the water. Indigo Buntings spend their winters from extreme southern Florida to northern South America. In the breeding season they’re common in the eastern United States and occasionally can be found in the Southwest. While…
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Nettleleaf Sage
A member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae), Nettleleaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia) is an herbaceous perennial that is native to the southeastern United States, with some found in Pennsylvania which is the northernmost part of its range. It grows to 1 ½-2 feet tall, with square stems of green, that are pubescent. Leaves are opposite on short…
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Jewelweed
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), native to northern and eastern North America. It’s an annual that is found in rich moist soils where it grows to a lush 2 to 5 feet tall. Jewelweed has a dedicated following for its help with Poison Ivy and Stinging Nettles. Hummingbirds and Bumblebees are dependable pollinators of Jewelweed. _______________________ If…
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Baltimore Checkerspot
The Baltimore Checkerspot is in the family of brush-footed butterflies, or Nymphalidae. Their front legs are small which gives them the appearance of having four legs rather than six. The range of the Baltimore checkerspot extends from southern Canada and the eastern United States to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina and west across…
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Pandorus Sphinx Moth
The Pandorus Sphinx Moth (Eumorpha pandorus) has a wingspan of 3.25 to 4.5 inches. That’s mighty big. Their host plants are vines: peppervine, grape, and Virginia creeper. Adults have a lifespan of 10 to 30 days. During that time they consume nectar from the flowers of bouncing bet, white campion, and petunia. They’re found in…