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Dancing
April 8, 2025 As their fiddleheads unfurl, they seem to be gently dancing to the soft songs of spring. This, the frond of a Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides). A common sight up here on my mountain. _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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Bejeweled
April 7, 2025 There are some leaves that are water repellant. I love to see these plants during rain, or just after rain has fallen. The leaves look to me like they are covered with gem stones. This is a leaf of Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) and is a great example of a leaf that…
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Ready And Waiting
April 6, 2025 All set. A feeder is out filled with hummingbird syrup. Four parts water to one part sugar with no red dye. Now the wait begins. There have been a couple years when Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) arrived here on April 17th. I’m patiently waiting to see what their arrival date will be…
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Fields Of Purple
April 5, 2025 Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureumo). Native to Eurasia. A member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is quite an aggressive grower and is considered an invasive weed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, there are times when it can be appreciated. First, when these are not your fields. And second when…
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On The Back Hill
April 4, 2025 Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) native to eastern United States from Rhode Island and New York to Louisiana and northern Florida. Beginning to bloom on my back hill. In the middle of May it will look like this blooming like crazy. The blooms will continue, though not quite as profusely, on through…
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Wild Strawberry Blooms
April 3, 2025 They’re blooming now. Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca). Popping up like weeds, all over. They’re native plants. Plants that I thoroughly enjoy. I don’t wildiscourage them. The strawberries they produce have an exceptionally wonderful flavor. The only problem with the berries is that they are so tiny. They will be here, getting ripe…
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First Tiger Swallowtail Of Spring
April 2, 2025 Yesterday afternoon and the first Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio gloucus) of spring, checking Daffodils (Narcissus) for pollen. No adult Tiger Swallowtails live through the winter. These Swallowtails spend the winter as chrysalises and will emerge as adults beginning right about now. Looking forward to seeing many more as spring turns to summer.…
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It Is Time For PINK!
April 1, 2025 A Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) sitting amongst pink blooms of an Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis). The buds as well as the flowers are a valuable source of nutrition. Downy Woodpeckers, along with many songbirds including Cedar Waxwings, Chickadees, Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Juncos, and others, eat these buds and flowers. Exquisite flowers making clouds…
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Little Spring Butterfly
March 31, 2025 Both these images are of the same species of butterfly. Spring Azures (Celastrina ladon) which are active right now. A very small butterfly with a wingspan of about an inch. Tiny. The image above gives you a glimpse of the dorsal side (the side of the wing which you see when the…