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Orange Sulphur
Ah, what a beautiful summer day. Lots of rain the past few days along with loads of humidity. Now, today, a tiny bit cooler and the humidity is down. A good day for being outside seeing the world of nature. Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurpea) with a pollinator visitor, an Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme). As butterflies,…
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Dessert Tonight
Oh such beautiful berries. Wineberries (Rubus phoenicolasius). Unfortunately they are native to China, Japan, and Korea. Introduced to North America as an ornamental plant, and for its use in breeding hybrid raspberries. A vigorous plant that now grows in many parts of the United States, primarily in the Appalachian Mountains where they can form dense…
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Frogs At The Pond
There are several species frogs that visit the pond that I have just above the vegetable garden. The one that I see most often, and frequently in large numbers, is the Green Frog (Rana clamitans). They’re the first ones to become active in February, when it is mating time. The top two images are Green…
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Flowering Spurge
Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata). A plant that’s in the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Flowering Spurge has a milky sap that is caustic, so be careful. Those flowers are really small at just 1/4 inch. The plant grows to 2 or 3 feet tall and has a taproot which makes it difficult to transplant. It can be…
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Deptford Pink And . . .
Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria) is an annual or biennial plant that pops up in just a few places here, in one of my gardens, in a corner of the lane, or a spot in the woods, every summer. It is native to Europe and though I am dedicated to native plants, it makes me happy…
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THIS Is Why I Love To Fly
This indeed is why I love to fly. I just have to be sure I’ve got one of my many camera with me, the perfect lens, AND a window seat, and I’m a happy camper. Just so long as there are not tons of flight cancellations happening. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my…
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Happy 4th Of Banana!
Yes, Happy 4th of Banana! And speaking of the 4th, here are some flowers, native to eastern North America, that make me think of fire works. These flowers, Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma). They attract all sorts of pollinators, like the Bumblebee in the picture above. A Bumblebee is part of the bee family, Apidae. There…
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Canadian Owlet Moth Caterpillar
Quite the impressive caterpillar. Caterpillar of the Canadian Owlet Moth (Calyptra canadensis). Native to most of Canada and the United States. Adults have a wingspan of a bit less than 1.5 inches and are pale brown, looking much like a dried up leaf, a perfect camouflage. The caterpillars of Canadian Owlet Moths feed exclusively on…
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A Gorgeous Beetle
Shiny black, like patent leather shoes, with an impressive purple edging. A Ground Beetle with no common name, but a scientific name of Carabus serratus. Ground Beetles are a large family of beetles, Carabidae, with around 2,000 species in North America. Ground Beetles eat slugs, snails, worms, and insects in all stages of growth. All…
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Selfheal
Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris). A member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). Pollinators such as Bees, small Butterflies and Skippers seek the nectar of Selfheal. And Halictid Bees collect Selfheal’s pollen. In the image above, a Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) is gathering nectar. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign…