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A Fritillary
This is a caterpillar of the Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), chomping away on a Violet (Viola) leaf, one of many host plants of this species. A few other examples of their host plants are Passion Vines, Pansies, Purslane, Flax, and Mayapple. As an adult, the Variegated Fritillary can live over 10 months. That’s a mighty…
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Dining At The Echinaceas
A Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) dining on the nectar of Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea). ________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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Treasures In A Vernal Pool
“Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals.” Wikipedia Occasionally there is water in a vernal pool next to the yoga studio where I take classes three days a week. It’s a special place. Well, yes indeed, the studio is a…
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A Different Sort Of Bee
A Flat-tailed Leaf-cutter Bee (Megachile mendica) on Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota). A small bee, the female is usually between 1/3 and 1/2 inch and the male is slightly smaller. They eat pollen and nectar from many different flowers, pollinating while they eat. These bees cut beautiful circles from leaves to line their nests which…
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One Of The Bumblebees
A Perplexing Bumblebee (Bombus perplexus) gathering nectar and pollen from a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). ________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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A Bobcat!
A total sense of GLEE hit me this morning as I watched the interaction between a squirrel and a larger animal. A scuffling sound started at the bottom of our front steps and immediately the two animals ran out toward the woods on the other side of our lane. I couldn’t identify the larger animal.…
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Perhaps Not What You’d Expect
A female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (dark morph)(Papilio glaucus). Females of this species of butterfly can be either the color you would expect, yellow and black, or mostly black, like this one. This is called sexual dimorphism. The dark morph looks similar to a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) which has a disagreeable taste. That appearance helps…
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Lemon Yellow
Whorled Rosinweed (Silphium asteriscus var. trifoliatum). A bright lemon yellow flower that is a herbaceous perennial. It grows to be four to six feet tall. Native to the eastern United States. Found growing along trails up here. This plant is a variety of Silphium asteriscus which has whorls of leaves of three or four along…
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Brilliant Crimson
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), adding color to a wide swath of the Americas. Native from southeastern Canada south through the eastern and southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America to northern Colombia. Perfect for hummingbirds and butterflies love it too. Though I have it in my gardens, I totally love to find it in the…
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Bliss
Total bliss. Rain rain RAIN! Not water from a sprinkler but rain falling from the sky this afternoon, 1.74 inches of gorgeous rain. My cabin sits in an area that has been suffering from severe/extreme drought. Grass brown. Plants dying. That rain totally delighted me. Now rain gods, more please. ________________________________ If you would like…