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Another Great Spangled Fritillary
June 10, 2025 I’ve been watching the buds for what seems like forever. Today flowers on my Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) finally began to open. A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) came by to enjoy the nectar of the blooms, one of their favorite food sources. The blossoms of Butterfly Weed are also popular with…
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Just Beginning
June 9, 2025 Just the beginning of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) bloom time. A native flower that attracts all sorts of pollinators. Bees, hummingbirds, skippers, and butterflies like this Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele). Ah spring and summer! So many splendid flowers! _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email,…
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Despite The Dull Color A Butterfly
June 8, 2025 Butterflies are usually brightly colored creatures. This one not so much. But it is not a moth. Grayish-tan with eyespots that may be for startling predators. A Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela). The word “little” in its common name is appropriate. Its wingspan is just 1.5″ to 1.75″. The host plant of…
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Black Raspberries
June 5, 2025 Yum! Black Raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) native to eastern North America. Just beginning to ripen up here. They look quite similar to Allegheny Blackberries (Rubus allegheniensis) which also grow up here in the mountains. Black Raspberries grow on bushes that have pale green stems and the berries are round, while Blackberries are longer…
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Another Baby Turtle
June 4, 2025 Today while out on an errand, a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentia) was spotted alongside the road but past experience kept any help from occurring. Their necks are what gives them the specific epithet, serpentia, meaning “snake-like”. No matter how they are lifted, that head can come back and bite. This image…