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Brown Thrasher
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum). Quite the handsome bird. It makes me think of a Roadrunner with its very long tail and long curved bill. They’re here during their breeding season but are year round in the deeper Southeast. The feeders here at my cabin don’t tempt them, not even the suet, but they love my…
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Giant Swallowtail
Having a wingspan up to seven inches, this butterfly certainly earns the name Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes). It also holds the title of largest butterfly in North America. The larval host plants of Giant Swallowtails consist of many trees in the citrus family including, here in Virginia, the Common Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata). These caterpillars…
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So Many Common Box Turtles
Four days ago GrandCamper spotted a female Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) digging a hole in the soil to lay her eggs. We were much too excited and created way too much commotion. Next thing we knew she had vanished without laying her eggs. We learned our lesson. In the photo above GrandCamper is adding…
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Common Snapping Turtle
Much to my surprise it just showed up one day on a path behind my cabin. A tiny Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). They have a reputation as having a combative disposition but this creature was so little I could hardly think of it in those terms. A short distance from where I first saw…
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Silverleaf Mountain Mint
An attractive mint that grows here on my mountain, Silverleaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum). The flowers attract lots of beneficial pollinators like this Spicebush Swallowtail, and other butterflies, bees, wasps, and moths. The blooms, first appearing midsummer will last until late summer. The square stems, leaves and even the flowers have a silvery look. All…
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Baby Common Box Turtle
Today as I was looking through images from a few years ago, I came upon one of these photos and thought you might enjoy seeing the fun time our family had back then. Take a look, and see what you think. From June 2021. Yesterday GrandCamper and I were checking on the little pawpaw trees…
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It’s Blueberry Season
An abundance of blueberries on the bushes keeping me busy. Picking them before the birds get them. I don’t mind sharing them though. There’s plenty!
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Carolina Horsenettle
One to watch out for. Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), all parts of the plant are poisonous including cherry tomato-looking berries which turn yellow when ripe. Native to southeastern United States but has spread widely.
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Eastern Cottontail
Populating the area around the cabin, a few Eastern Cottontail Rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) provide fun entertainment as they grow from the size of one’s hand to an adult. They love to eat the clover which grows in great abundance and because care is taken not to tempt them, they eat little else. Little else that…
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Common Box Turtle
So many Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) shell designs! Each and every one of them different. They fascinate me. But then it’s not just the shell design, it’s the whole turtle that fascinates me. As I’m out roaming I’ll stop if I see a turtle in the middle of the road, to help it get…