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Common Rockcap Fern
September 17, 2025 A surprising fern that grows on large boulders and smaller rocks, ledges, decaying logs and tree roots, sometimes in a location that has no soil at all. Its roots aid in breaking down rocks to create soil. This evergreen fern is Common Rockcap Fern (Polypodium virginianum), native to the eastern United States…
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Broad-banded Hoverfly
September 16, 2025 A Broad-banded Hoverfly (Epistrophe grossulariae) feeding on the nectar and pollen of Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium). These Hoverflies have a widespread native range including Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America. They closely resemble a bee, but they don’t sting, though they do enjoy landing on a sweaty arm to lap up…
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Butterfly In The Leaves
September 15, 2025 A Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) showing off its colors in the sunlight. Red? Orange? My vote is for orange spots. And purple? I’d vote for blue on this one. But perhaps I see colors in a different way than other people do. I think that’s quite likely. As adults these butterflies live…
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Brilliant Leaves One By One
September 14, 2025 A tree with leaves that have an independent streak, not changing all at once, but just here and there, one at a time. A medium sized tree native to eastern North America from the coast of Northeastern United States and southern Ontario to central Florida and eastern Texas on to Mexico. Black…
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Changing Colors
September 13, 2025 What a marvelous jigsaw puzzle this would make. Light shining through the changing leaves of a Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). Every year I notice as summer is just beginning, in late June, that the Dogwoods are just starting little by little to lose the green of their leaves. Ever so slowly getting…
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What Are Drupes?
September 12, 2025 A drupe is defined as, “in botany, simple fleshy fruit that usually contains a single seed, such as the cherry, peach, and olive.” Thanks to Britannica.com. These drupes are on the deciduous shrub/small tree, Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium). They are red right now, and they’ll soon be turning to a blue-black color. There is a very long list of birds…
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Western Honey Bee
September 11, 2025 A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on Goldenrod (Solidago). A bee that is native to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This bee can now be found on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, where it has been introduced for honey production and pollination services. Notice one of the corbiculae, or…
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Now For Seekers Of Nectar
September 9, 2025 My Obedient Plants (Physostegia virginiana) are just beginning to bloom. An attractive plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that’s native to North America from Quebec to Manitoba south to Florida and New Mexico. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) on their way to their winter homes are stopping by to enjoy the nectar. And the seldom…
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Male White-banded Crab Spider
September 8, 2025 Last night I sent you a post about a female White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes). This is the male of the species, which is quite a bit smaller than the female. Her body length is between 1/4 to 1/2 inch, and his body length is 1/10 inch. Though she is able to…