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White Dunce Cap Mushroom
May 27, 2025 White Dunce Cap Mushroom (Conocybe apala) surrounded by White Clover (Trifolium repens). A fairly common mushroom in Europe as well as here in North America. Mushrooms that are mighty tiny. The cap measures in at between .5″ and 1.5″ in diameter. The thin, hollow stem is 1.2″ to 4.4″ in height. That…
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Sundrops In Bloom
May 26, 2025 Narrow Leaf Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa), a member of the Evening Primrose (Onagraceae) family. Native to much of eastern North America. Narrow Leaf Sundrops are perennial plants that grow to a height of 18 to 36 inches. The brilliant yellow flowers attract Beetles, Butterflies, Moths, Skippers, Bees, and Hummingbirds. The seeds entice Goldfinch,…
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The Nymphs Are Back Again!
May 25, 2025 Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicata). A Planthopper (in the order Hemiptera) native to parts of China and Vietnam, believed to have first come to the United States in 2012, on a shipment of stone arriving in Pennsylvania. This image, one of many found here in the past couple days, an early stage nymph.…
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A Stunning Yellow Orchid
May 24, 2025 In bloom right now in Shenandoah National Park, Yellow Lady Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium parviflorum). Native to North America – even found in Alaska. In reading a blog post by Mary Anne Borge (The Natural Web) she says, “If you see it, you know you’ve won the lottery.” How true! _______________________ If you…
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Redbud, A Member Of The Legume Family
May 23, 2025 Seed pods of Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis). These look like they’re beans and sure enough, Redbud trees are in the legume family (Fabaceae). Members of the legume family are well known for their ability to add nitrogen to the soil. A little bit of what happens in the adding of nitrogen to the…
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Indian Pink
May 22, 2025 A unique flower. Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica), native to inland areas of the Southeastern and Midwestern US. An herbaceous perennial that grows to a height of 1.5 to 2 feet, with a width of about 1.5 feet. In bloom right now in my garden. A row of flowers emerges at the top of…
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One Of Many Favorites
May 21, 2025 Thinleaf Blue-eyed Grass or Common Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), a delight to have around, volunteering here and there. Native to the eastern two thirds of the United States and Canada. Though indeed it certainly looks like a grass, the several species of blue-eyed grass are in the iris family. And another thing…
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Farmer Ants
May 20, 2025 These are seed pods and seeds of Wood Poppy. You might be able to see, if you look carefully, that each seed is wrapped with something that looks like a fuzzy white band. This is an elaiosome which is nutrient rich and attracts some ants. These ants are participating, along with the…
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Melodious Warbling
May 19, 2025 Oh what beautiful songs coming through the open windows today! A Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) was out roaming and singing his heart out. Delighting me with the sounds of nature. Mockingbirds, Catbirds, and Brown Thrashers are closely related, in the family Mimidae. A family known for being mimics and expert vocalists. The…
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Back From South America?
May 18, 2025 This morning I saw the season’s first Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). They spend the winter months somewhere between southern Florida and northern South America. No telling where this guy has been. Even spending the winter in southern Florida means he was very far from here. They find their way over those incredible…