Spotted in the woods, a spotted butterfly. A Great Spangled Fritilary (Speyeria cybele). One of the top contenders for most often seen butterfly in my gardens during the summer. Many species of native violets serve as a larval host plant for the Great Spangled Fritillary. Enjoy those beautiful violets and enjoy the thought that you’re helping these butterflies.
An aggregation of butterflies at a mud puddle. Sometimes moths do this too. This is called puddling. It’s mainly the male of the species that you’ll find puddling. This moist soil or sand provides salts and minerals which the male of the species passes along to the female in their sperm. This improves the viability of the female’s eggs. These salts and minerals will increase the couples chances of producing another successful generation.
Jackie, thinking of you. Short and sweet.
Bright sunshine, with warm temperatures, and brilliant colors in the garden. In posting this image, I have to explain. Though I am truly dedicated to planting natives in my garden, there are a small number of choices that are based entirely on sentimentality. As is this one. My Mom’s favorite flower, the Iris.
Oh the Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), having a grand time, enjoying seeds that I’ve put out. There are times when I can’t count the number of the little ones that are out there adding color to the world.
And to add the perfect accent, the crimson of the male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). What a lovely, bright day in the garden.
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata). As a Habitat Defender in Shenandoah National Park, this one certainly keeps me busy. Except that it is so prevalent this is an easy invasive to deal with, compared to some others.
The Invasive Plant Atlas calls Garlic Mustard an Ecological Threat. It is quite clever in its ways, being a plant that is allelopathic, meaning it produces compounds that impede seed germination of other species. It is also a plant that is quite happy to be in very dense shade, but it is equally happy growing in full sun.
Though native to Europe, Garlic Mustard first showed up in the US in 1868 and can now be found throughout the northeastern and midwestern United States.
Easy to pull, just make sure you get all the root, and if the plant is in flower, be sure to place the plant in the trash. Otherwise, those flowers will continue to mature and turn to seed, even though it has been pulled up. What a nightmare!
An unusual butterfly that I seldom see, Gemmed Satyr (Cyllopsis gemma). Its native range is Virginia south to Florida, west to the eastern third of Texas, south to Guatemala.
With a wingspan of about 1.5 inches, those wings contain a fascinating feature. The ventral (underside) hindwing has black reflective spots which make me think of a cute Jumping Spider waiting to scare off predators with its big bright eyes.
The larval host of this Satyr is uncertain but has been speculated to be Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) and other grasses. Adults aren’t attracted to flowers but to tree sap and rotting or overripe fruit. Something that I’ve been known to put out on my back porch to attract butterflies.
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Orchids. Magnificent flowers. An Orchid has been the national flower of Columbia since 1936, the Flor de Mayo (Cattleya trianae). There are 4,000 species of Orchids in the world and more than 1,500 are only found in Columbia.
Here in Virginia we do have native Orchids but not nearly so many. I’ve seen just a small portion of the 64 species of Orchids that are native to Virginia and have photographed even fewer of them. These, above, are the species Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis).
Here’s Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale) which produces a lone leaf in autumn that stays green during the winter and fades as the plant produces a flowering stalk in the spring.
The incredible, patterned leaves of Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) really impress me. This too is a species of Orchid. It blooms in late summer. Unfortunately I cannot find any of my photographs of its flowers.
And the last of my photos of native Virginia Orchids, the Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum). All of these are not far from my cabin.
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American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
I live in bear country. During normal years, during spring, summer, and autumn, I see a bear every few weeks. During the winter when they are doing their “cold weather slumber,” I won’t see a bear for perhaps 2 or 3 months.
And sometimes it is not just one bear but a family of bears that comes through.
This, perhaps the largest bear I’ve ever seen here. One not to be messed with, but then no bear is to be messed with. I treat them with respect but certainly let them know that I’m the boss around here.
This certainly has not been a normal year. In April 2021 I saw a bear come through, obviously suffering from a severe case of mange or Sarcoptes scabiei, with hardly any fur, extremely thin, looking like a saggy baggy elephant. Since that day I have not seen a single one. Last night though my bird feeders, mounted on an extremely sturdy pole, were raided, the pole bent to the ground, a sure sign of a bear.
The bent pole has left me with mixed feelings. I’ve missed seeing bears but it’s been so nice putting out the bird feeders without concern that they would be carted off into the woods not to be found again, or mangled beyond recognition. Most of all though, this perhaps is a sign that the bear population here in my woods is recovering. Color me happy!
Canadian Owlet Caterpillar (Calyptra canadensis)
I can count on caterpillars impressing me in a big way. So often they come in brilliant colors and occasionally one will look like a cartoon character.
And this one certainly fills the bill with its colors. The mature Canadian Owlet Moth is what some think of when it comes to moths. It is brown and blends in perfectly with the dead leaves of the woods. A great camouflage.
Native to Canada and much of the United States, though the warmer southern states don’t often see this bright beauty. The host plant of the Canadian Owlet is Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum) which doesn’t care for that warm climate.
Many days ago a friend let me know that Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were migrating through. I’ve been watching for them ever since. Today, finally, I spotted one or more females. Several times at the feeder. Each time a single female. I’m delighted to see them.
Now if only a male would show up. As is so often the case the male of the species is the one to get all the attention with its spectacular coloring. The female looks much like a large sparrow. A not so little LBJ
My cabin, here in central Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains is very close to the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks’ breeding grounds but I only see them as they migrate through. This, the fourth year in a row that I’ve witnessed this happening. It brings me joy!
It’s quite eye catching right now. Along roadsides, with no leaves on its branches, but lavender trumpet shaped flowers contrasting with the newly emerged leaves of the trees that surround the Paulownia tomentosa.
Native to eastern and central China. Here is it a fast growing exotic invasive which generally wins in competition against native plants.
The tree grows to between 35 and 80 feet, with leaves that are heart-shaped that can be mighty large, 6 to 16 inches across. Or, perhaps larger. See the image above? That’s the toe of my boot on the lower right. And that’s a Paulownia leaf just above it. One mighty large leaf.
