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More Summer Residents
The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have arrived, and now I’m pleased that another of the many birds that spend the summer here has arrived. The American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), like many of the birds that spend the summer here are stunning. The top image is a male Redstart and in the image directly above is a female…
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Red Or Orange?
A stunning butterfly. Just look at those colors. Black and white, rich purplish-blue, and that red (orange?). This, the dorsal side (or top side) of the butterfly. This is a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) which has an impressive range including North and South America, Europe and Asia. And of course because of its vastly different…
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Carolina Allspice
Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus). Keep that scientific name handy since I discovered if you Google “Carolina Allspice” you will get all sorts of things that are not this shrub. Carolina Allspice grows to 6 – 9 feet tall, and is native to the southeastern US, where it is found at woodland edges and openings. Its…
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Red Trillium
Oh spring! You bring delight! To roam the woods. Slowly. Taking in all the beauty. Here, one of those treats. Red Trillium (Trillium erectum). Those incredible petals, some so dark that they are nearly black. It is said that the rotting meat scent of this flower is intended to attract flies and beetles. Reflected in…
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Wearing Its Name
A beautiful bunch of Red maple (Acer rubrum) samaras, or helicopters, or keys, or seeds. Reflecting its name. But then there are red flowers, red twigs and in the autumn red leaves. Choose what you want that “red” to stand for. You may notice though that in autumn those leaves don’t necessarily turn red. Some Red…
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Obolaria
Obolaria (Obolaria virginica) is a small plant that’s native to the eastern United States. The purplish green of some of its leaves helps the plant blend in with the leaf litter where it emerges. It spends much of the year underground emerging as the weather warms and the arrival of leaves overhead encourages it to…
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Not Petals But Bracts
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) in the very early stages of floral bloom, back on April 10th. Those little pale green nubs at the center are the buds of the Dogwood flowers. Those four even paler green items extending out from the buds – items that we most often think of as petals are actually bracts.…