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Dancing In The Sunlight
July 7, 2025 Dancing with glee in the dappled sunlight, a Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus). One of many in bloom up here right now. Native to central and eastern North America. An herbaceous perennial in the Aster (Asteraceae) family that can grow 5 to 7 feet tall. As you can see in my photo, it has…
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Tall White Spires
July 6, 2025 Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa), sending up tall spires, 30 to 98 inches, each holding a single raceme that can be up to 20 inches in length. Numerous snow white flowers with no petals, tightly and neatly arranged on each of the spires. Tiny flowers with long stamens surrounding a single stigma. Flowers…
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Beautiful Blue!
July 5, 2025 I saw him this morning preparing to take a dip in the birdbath. A bath to clean those striking blue feathers of this male Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). Bathing allows birds to freshen and sustain their feathers. Bathing helps birds in their ability to fly, assisting with insulation, and in waterproofing those…
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New York Ironweed
July 4, 2025 A native plant that I adore. But that’s a silly thing to say given that I adore most all of them. This is New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), having the look of fireworks bursting across the sky. Like the fireworks that you’ll be seeing this evening. A clump-forming plant that is tall,…
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Narrow-leaved Cryptantha
July 3, 2025 Narrow-leaved Cryptantha (Cryptantha angustifolia), a plant that grows in the woodlands and desert scrub of northern Mexico and southwestern United States, where it is native. An annual herb with abundant long hairs and bristles, usually not more than 12 inches tall. Its tiny flowers have a yellow throat surrounded by 5 white…
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A Gentle Bee
July 1, 2025 A Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens). A bee that is considered friendly and gentle. Unless they have the feeling of being threatened, or if they feel their nest is being attacked, they are not aggressive. Yes, they’re able to sting, but it is generally only done in self-defense. This Bumble Bee…
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NO They Won’t Give You Warts
June 30, 2025 This an American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) blending in with its surroundings. This common toad is quite variable in its coloring, which can be brown, gray, olive or brick red. I was lucky to stumple upon this one since they are mainly noctural. During the day they seek hiding places such as under…
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State Insect Of Virginia
June 29, 2025 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), the state insect of Virginia, and one of our largest butterflies, with a wingspan ranging from 3.1 to 5.5 inches. Quite familiar in its native range of eastern US, extending north into southern Ontario. Along with many other pollinators, it’s visiting Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), which provides…
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Common Yarrow In Late June
June 28, 2025 Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) in bloom throughout the area now. Flowers are in flat clusters atop plants that sometimes reach 3 feet tall. Individual flowers in those clusters are 1/4 inch across with 5 white or pale pink ray flowers, slightly notched, surrounding cream colored or soft yellow disc flowers. These Yarrow…