Berries

There are Black Raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) ripening up here. Tempting me as I am out on my hikes. Though Black Raspberries look quite similar to Blackberries, when you look at the berry, where it was picked from the stem, it is hollow. A Blackberry is solid.

I enjoy seeing the Black Raspberry bushes with their pale blue-green stems. That makes them really easy to identify.

These berries make hiking for photographs even more fun!

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Delightful Orange

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is in bloom right now on my mountain, creating bright orange patches scattered here and there. It’s a flower that attracts bees, wasps, and butterflies. This bunch of orange attracted a Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) creating a scrumptious color combination of black, white, and orange.

Butterfly Weed has a wider native range than I would have expected, including eastern and southwestern North America. It is a larval food plant of Queen and Monarch butterflies.

This is one of so many native plants to enjoy!

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Sentimentality

Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria), a beautiful flower native to Europe, naturalized in North America.

I tend to want all natives, except the ones that aren’t. The ones that I have a sentimental attachment to. Like the Lavender in this photo. It’s native to the Middle East and India. Oh but it’s a wonderful plant.

The Deptford Pink shows up in random places up here on the mountain. I don’t discourage it. It’s most welcome and the pollinators, like this Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) appreciate it too.

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Passing Through

Normally I go out and holler, in my most threatening voice, at White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) that come by to nibble in my yard. I seldom have to do that though, since there are Black Bears (Ursus americanus) up here and deer tend to avoid areas where there are bears.

BUT rather than holler at this precious little fawn following along behind its mom, I chose just to enjoy the moment. BTW, those spots help camouflage the fawn and will stay on its reddish-brown coat for 3 to 4 months.

These visitors made my day!

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Flowers To Look For

Roam the trails up here in the mountains and you might find some Smooth Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum).

Herbaceous perennials, native to eastern and central North America. Growing two feet tall and on occasion will grow to three feet tall.

Bees harvest nectar and pollen from the flowers that grow in pairs along the arched stalks.

Quarter inch green berries become bluish-black in late summer, which will be eaten by birds.

Look as you hike. There’s so much out there to see.

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Gathering Berries

Today I was out enjoying the perfect weather as I gathered more Blueberries to go into the freezer. A couple birds joined me but then realized I was there and took off. A Cardinal in one moment and a Cedar Waxwing in another.

I was able to get four pints. Many, many more to go.

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Tiger Beetle

I love seeing these Six-spotted Tiger Beetles (Cicindela sexguttata). Their metallic bright green or blue-green color is such a treat. Those six spots that their common name is from, that’s a bit misleading, there are not always six, sometimes none, sometimes as many as eight.

These Tiger Beetles are about 1/2 inch long. They eat many kinds of insects and other arthropods.

Mighty easy to spot with their bright color!

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Buzzing Bushes

Native to the eastern and central United States and Canada, Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is in bloom right now.

As I approach the tall bushes I can hear them as I get near. A very loud buzzing. The creamy white flowers have all sorts of insects collecting pollen.

A few days ago I mentioned these buzzing bushes to a friend who raises Honey Bees, since many of the insects I see are indeed Honey Bees. She asked me if the blooms are fragrant. I hadn’t even noticed but this afternoon I checked it out. Bad news, they do have an aroma but it’s not nice. I looked it up on the Internet to see what other people think and I see others do agree – “musky skunk”, “somewhat musky”, and “considered unpleasant by many people”. I didn’t see any positive description.

Oh well, the buzzing is mighty fascinating!

________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Mom Wolf Spiders

A female Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) and a very dedicated mom.

The female Wolf Spider wraps her (one hundred or so) eggs in a silk sac which provides sustenance and protection. The sac is attached to her abdomen and as she goes about her daily life, she lifts up her abdomen as well as the egg sac to protect the eggs from harm.

After the babies hatch and leave their protective sac they climb their mom’s legs to the top of her abdomen. She carries them for about two weeks as they grow reaching a point where they are able to fend for themselves.

The usual life span of a male Wolf Spider is about a year. Females usually live for several years.

Oh my, nature really amazes me!

______________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!