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Patiently Waiting
On the front porch, in a small, faded red, star shaped bird house, nestlings wait for mom and dad to return with some dinner. Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus). The eggs of Carolina Wrens usually hatch after 12 to 16 days of incubation. The female incubates the eggs and the male will feed her. Once the…
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Bunnies, Many Bunnies!
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus), or simply, a Bunny. They are quite common to see right now, big ones, little ones. They love to eat clover but many other things as well. If you have a favorite plant with lots of weeds around it, you might consider leaving the weeds. Removing the weeds calls the…
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Perfect For Hummingbirds
Flowers that seem to have been designed specifically for hummingbirds. Utah Penstemon (Penstemon utahensis). A beautiful and very determined plant that I’ve seen on many trips to the Southwest. These flowers were found at Zion National Park, Utah. Utah Penstemon can be found in southern Utah, northern Arizona, and southern Nevada, and small neighboring areas…
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Diurnal Moth
Mournful Thyris (Pseudothyris sepulchralis), a moth that is active during the day. They are about 5/16 inch in length and have a wingspan of about 7/8 inch. Adults take nectar from flowers of herbaceous plants. As adults they live for 2 to 3 weeks. A delight to find while I was out hiking! ________________________________ If…
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Similar Butterflies
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton) Two butterflies that are closely related. Their larvae both have, as their host plant, Hackberry trees (Celtis). The hungry larvae will concentrate on eating the leaves of the Hackberry trees at different times. Hackberry Emperor larvae will eat new foliage and the older leaves will be eaten…
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Two Wren Nests At The Moment
There are two active Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) nests here at the cabin right now. One at the front door, in an actual, small, bird house. The other at the back door, in a typical Carolina Wren habit, built in a basket that is hanging from the ceiling of the porch. They are quite creative…
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Worm-eating Warblers
Worm-eating Warblers keep me company as I hike on my mountain, letting me know that they’re on the trails with me with their song. It’s a trill, sounding like an insect, and quite similar to the song of the Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). They are birds that are in the eastern US for only the…
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Staying Cool
Watering newly planted things in the garden got me out on this mighty hot first afternoon of summer, when I noticed a couple Great Spangled Fritillaries (Speyeria cybele) enjoying the sweet nectar of Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea). As adults Great Spangled Fritillaries enjoy a life much longer than many butterflies. Some butterflies live for a…
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The Yucca Flower
Yucca, the state flower of New Mexico and the national flower of El Salvador. I fell in love with Yuccas when I moved to New Mexico, and fell in love with the state too. I remember being captivated by the plants and would frequently go out and sketch them. This picture was taken at White…
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Ghosts?
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) is in bloom along the trails up here right now. They have always made me think of ghosts of the people who lived here for thousands of years before now. Reminders of the past. Black Cohosh is a herbaceous perennial that grows quite tall, between three and seven feet tall, one…