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Bliss
Total bliss. Rain rain RAIN! Not water from a sprinkler but rain falling from the sky this afternoon, 1.74 inches of gorgeous rain. My cabin sits in an area that has been suffering from severe/extreme drought. Grass brown. Plants dying. That rain totally delighted me. Now rain gods, more please. ________________________________ If you would like…
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Like Sunflower Seeds?
Like sunflowers seeds? Then go directly to the source. Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) on Sunflower (Helianthus), enjoying the seeds directly where they are grown. Ever so tasty! ________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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A Green And Brown Butterfly
Brown isn’t an unusual color in a butterfly, but green is unusual. This is a Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus). It’s a small butterfly with a wingspan of just 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches. Native to North America. Here in Virginia the larval host plant is Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana). This guy in the photo is…
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A Toad Waiting For Something Yummy
A little American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) in the garden waiting for something yummy to come by. Most toads are aggressive in seeking and hunting for their meals. The American Toad sits and waits for a meal to come within striking distance and will jump on it, or will shoot out its very quick, sticky, long…
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Why The Black Beak?
A juvenile Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) that doesn’t have its adult feathers yet. And look at that beak, it’s black instead of the usual red-orange beak. Given time those feathers will come in, and the beak will become the red-orange of an adult. All grown up! ________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog…
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A Butterfly Special To Maryland
A Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) seen at Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County, Maryland. It’s the Maryland state insect. I grew up in Maryland and this, the first time I’ve ever seen this beautiful butterfly. Just a short while after seeing that butterfly I happened upon this caterpillar at Buck Hollow, in Shenandoah National Park, where…
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One Of The Larger Skippers
The Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) is a large skipper with a wing span of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. It can be found across southern parts of Canada, south through most of the United States, into northern Mexico. They’re also found in southern England. I see them very frequently here on my mountain eating the…
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Squash’em!
Spotted Lantern Fly (Lycorma delicatula). First arrived in North America (in Berks County, Pennsylvania) in 2014, probably on a shipment of stone from China. This alien invasive eats the sap of at least 70 tree species, including fruit trees, and shrubs, ornamentals, and soybeans. Its favorite plants are Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), grapevines, walnuts…
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Copper Colored Cap
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) with its copper colored cap, just a tiny bit smaller than a Song Sparrow, and just a tiny bit larger than a Chickadee. Male and female look alike. A delightful summer resident. ________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!