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Surprise Photo Op
Yesterday I was pleased when I got photos of a Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) at one of the feeders, as it was passing through on the way to its summer breeding grounds. I figured as the day ended I wouldn’t see any more of these Finches. But I was wrong. I don’t know if this…
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Tiny White Butterfly In Spring
A tiny white butterfly that flutters low to the ground with quick, erratic movements. Though that orange tip seems it would be obvious, when the butterfly is in flight it can be hard to spot. The Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea) has a wingspan of 1.5 inches. The male and female butterflies are sexually dimorphic, meaning…
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Long Gone
Signs. Old signs. Signs that are about to disappear forever. They intrigue me. This is a pair of such, old signs. Long gone. They sat, for who knows how long at the intersection of Seminole Trail, Airport Road and Proffit Road in Hollymead/Charlottesville, on the land where Walgreens now sits. Long gone. __________________________________________________________________________ If you…
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Wild Ginger Is Slowly Emerging
An herbaceous perennial, Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), is slowly emerging from its snug winter slumber. The gardens here at my cabin are at an elevation of 1800 feet. This is where these plants are just peeking up through the soil. I often hike up to elevations of 2600 feet and higher, where, during the summer…
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Chipping Sparrow
A little sparrow that I don’t often see. Small and quite tame, I’m pleased when one shows up at my feeders. The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a bird that will come to feeders, or eat scattered seeds on the ground. During the summer though, insects and spiders are a big part of their diet.…
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Nest Building
A female Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus), gathers fluff from last summer’s Tall Anemone (Anemone virginiana) to use to construct her nest. Here you can get a better look at what she’s gathering, from a seed head of Tall Anemone. Throughout the winter my gardens remain untouched just as they were at the end of autumn.…
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Various Shades Of Red
The woods are getting soft hints, just whispers of various shades of red. The Red Maple trees (Acer rubrum) are in bloom. This happens quietly. It doesn’t get much attention. There is a subtlety as it happens. The flowers, quite small, just enough to only create a hint of the color. As the flowers fade,…
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First Evening Of Spring
Along a trail, a ways up the mountain above my cabin, Common Blue Violets (Viola sororia) rise up to greet the evening. The first evening of the new season, spring 2023. There are 87 species of violets native to North America, or perhaps even more. Scientists are unsure of that number. Of those species, there…
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Ruby Slippers
A storefront in Roanoke and what do I see? A pair of RUBY SLIPPERS just waiting for me. (I can do it too, my dear amigo Gar-ee!) ________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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The Season Ahead
Flip the pages of the calendar ahead to June and this is what you’ll find in some of my gardens. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a wonderful flower to attract pollinators, and what better example to find than a Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). _________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by…