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Winged Sumac
Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) making a not so subtle statement. Look out! Here it comes! Brilliant leaves here now. Rich red, warm orange, soft yellow. Fall is on its way. Use your observation skills. The colors are here and there. Look. Take note. Hints throughout the woods. Replacing the various shades of green with the…
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White-banded Crab Spider
White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes). The body length of a female is about 1/4 inch to almost 1/2 inch. The body of a male is about 1/10 inch. The color of a female, who has the ability to change color – could be yellow, white or pale brown. That color will depend on where the spider…
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Sleepy Orange
If only you could see the whole series of images that this one came from. The series is like a dramatic opera without music but so much movement! Butterflies love this flower, Tithonia rotundifolia. That’s the orange flower that caused the drama. I highly recommend it if butterflies bring you pleasure. An annual plant that…
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Northern Walkingstick
It wasn’t too long ago that I became aware there was an insect called a “walkingstick.” A creature that I would have marveled at as a child. During my growing up years I spent loads of time in the woods, but never did I see such a thing. I’m delighted now that I know about…
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Lobelia inflata
Incredibly tiny flowers that grow on slightly hairy stems. At just 1/3 inch long the flowers would be perfect for a dollhouse. Lobelia inflata flowers are a beautiful shade of pale blue-purple. Native to eastern North America. A bit of conflict on the Internet regarding whether Lobelia inflata is poisonous or not. More sites say…
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Blackberry Lily Revisited
Wow! She’s about to go into second grade. But even as a toddler, she’s always wanted to help me scatter the Blackberry Lily (Iris domestica) seeds. Those seeds reveal why this plant has its name. But the name is a bit misleading since Blackberry Lily is not actually a lily at all but a species…
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Little Piggies
They surely had to get somewhere. Trotting down the road. Obviously a very important appointment.
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An Escape From The Heat
A glimpse of what winter does for me. Ice with its chilling diamonds. Sparkles so fleeting. Beauty that makes my heart sing. Ice on Yucca (Yucca gloriosa).
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Larger Elm Leaf Beetle
Quite a pretty beetle with its colorful iridescence, the Larger Elm Leaf Beetle can be found in the eastern and southeastern US, from Florida west to Kansas and north to Pennsylvania. Elm is a favorite tree that this beetle feeds on, but it also skeletonizes the leaves of Hawthorn, Hazelnut, Flowering Dogwood, River Birch, Pecan…
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Red-eyed Vireo
The Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) is a summer resident here at my Virginia cabin. They are constantly reminding me that they’re around, though I seldom see them. Their normal place to be is high up in the tree tops while hunting for their meals, out of sight. Their summer diet is predominantly insects of all…