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Philadelphia Fleabane
Small daisy like flowers. Perfect for a party for fairies that are surely celebrating spring right about now. Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) is blooming in lovely bunches along the roadside coming up my mountain. This Fleabane is a biennial or short-lived perennial. Perhaps a bit tall for fairies, it’s nine to thirty inches tall. Its…
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Juniper Hairstreak
How often do you get to see a green butterfly? For me, not often at all. Actually only once. And here it is. This is a Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus gryneus). Their host plant in my area, the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, is Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). The Juniper Hairstreak overwinters as a…
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Eastern Tailed Blue
One of my favorites. A very small butterfly. With a wing span of just three quarters to one inch, the Eastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas). As is sometimes the case, the thin tails on the hindwings of this butterfly, above, have been rubbed off. This butterfly, a female, has the tails that are a clue…
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American Redstart
Hallelujah! More of my summer birds have arrived! A few days ago I mentioned that both male and female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have presented themselves. Now, this morning I spotted my first American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). A male, looking quite handsome in his striking black and orange feathers. The female of this species is also quite…
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Black Cohosh
A wonderful sight in late June early July. Blooms of Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) when there are few other flowers blooming in the woods. Black Cohosh is a herbaceous perennial native to eastern North America. Quite plentiful here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rising above their leaves on tall stems to six or eight feet.…
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Deptford Pinks
It’s not native, which often means, “Do I really want this plant?” But this one brings with it such a charming color. A color that just twinkles with delight. This is a Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria). And that is an itty bitty Crab Spider perched on one of its five white speckled petals. This flower…
