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Northeastern Hammertail
August 6, 2025 Northeastern Hammertail (Efferia aestuans), in the Robber Fly, Asilidae family, modeling for me on the hood of my truck. They measure in at between 11/16 and 7/8 of an inch. These are predatory insects, even going after insects larger than themselves. They will perch on vegetation to fly out and catch their…
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Butterfly Pea
August 5, 2025 Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana), a herbaceous, perennial vine up to three or four feet long. Though it is a vine, it generally stays close to the ground. Usually the plant has only one flower but on occasion it will have two or three blooms. Leaves are alternate, and trifoliate (divided into three…
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Snakeroot
August 4, 2025 White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima). Like many plants that grow around us, this is a plant that is poisonous, containing tremetol. If you don’t know the plants in your gardens and in the woods around you, really really well, don’t eat them. This Snakeroot can grow to 5 feet tall with single or…
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At The Post Office
August 3, 2025 Just no telling when Mother Nature will allow her children to make an appearance. Even at a walkway leading to the Post Office. A seed made its way to a crack between the sidewalk and curb. The seed germinated and managed to live to produce a bloom of a rose-colored Zinnia (Zinnia).…
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Usually Tall, Joe Pye Weed
August 2, 2025 Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium). In the genus Eutrochium there are five species of Joe Pye Weed native to North America and Canada; including Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Appalachian Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium steelei), Coastal Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium), Hollow-stem Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum), and Sweet-scented Joe Pye Weed…
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Little Glassywing
August 1, 2025 A Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna) sipping nectar from the many flowers of Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum). The Little Glassywing is a skipper belonging to the order Lepidoptera, an order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. True butterflies (not Skippers) belong to the superfamily Papillonoidea. Skippers belong to the superfamily Hesperioidea.…
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Hatching In An Ant Nest
July 31, 2025 A Northern Walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata), an enchanting insect that makes me think of dinosaurs. They are Stick Insects in the order Phasmatodea, and Stick Insects have been around for at least 162 million years. These insects that like to pretend they are sticks have an average length of 3 inches for males and…
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Tiny Mushroom
July 30, 2025 Several minuscule mushrooms have greeted me the past couple mornings as I’ve arrived for yoga. Tiny little things that won’t be noticed by most. Just peeking through the tops of the freshly cut grass. One step would totally destroy its existence. But time and sunshine are a challenge for them too. White…
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Question Mark
July 29, 2025 A butterfly with an odd name, this is a Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis). There is also a butterfly called Comma. These two butterflies look quite similar. The easiest way for me to tell the difference is to look at the butterfly in the ventral position (wings up and closed). The Question Mark…
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Eastern Box Turtle
July 28, 2025 An Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina). From tiny to very large, there have been many roaming this mountain, as I too, roam the mountain. And each one has unique designs on its carapace (its upper shell). This one is quite different than others because of its simplicity. _______________________ If you would like…