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Downy Leather-wing
If you find any of these in your garden, you are in luck. You’ve got help controlling pests. This is a Downy Leather-wing (Podabrus pruinosus), a species of Soldier Beetle in the family Cantharidae. Specifically how are they going to help you in the garden? They eat Aphids and Spider Mites. Good ones to have around. ________________________ If…
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A Moment Of Romance
I had read of such romantic events. Some call it courtship feeding. I was fortunate to witness this just a few days ago for the first time. Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). The male is on the left, the female on the right. During courtship the male, in expressing affection, feeds the female. The male is…
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Back Again Today
Yesterday I was surprised and pleased to see a male Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) and I shared a couple pictures that I took, with you in last night’s post. Now today, again, a male Restart showed up to amaze me several times this afternoon. Here, just two of the images I was able to get. What…
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Early Evening Visitor
A total surprise early this evening as I was washing dishes. A male American Restart (Setophaga ruticilla) taking care of his feathers at the birdbath. Redstarts are not the most frequent birds I see. They seek out insects from the forest floor to the tree tops and for the most part only come by for…
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Black-eyed Susan
A confusing common name with so many species of flowers using that same one, including Maryland’s state flower. This particular one is Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) which I am working on committing “Rudbeckia fulgida” to memory to avoid confusing myself. One of the other Black-eyed Susans, (Rudbeckia hirta). Soon soon soon there will be Maryland’s…
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Baorangia Bicolor
Baorangia Bicolor (Boletus bicolor). One very cool mushroom, in a world filled with astounding mushrooms. This one red and yellow. Color is something that I adore and this fungus doesn’t disappoint. The pores bruise with a dark indigo blue stain and the stem also changes color in a matter of a few minutes with little…
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Spotted St. Johnswort
Spotted St. Johnswort (Hypericum punctatum), with lots and lots of spots. They show up, as volunteers, in my gardens. Volunteers most welcome. Five yummy yellow petals with many stamens surrounding a central green pistil. Those petals, of course, spotted. Spots of black, the leaves but also the stems. Green flower buds show the spots too.…
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New To The Garden
There was a new vendor, Beloved Brook Natives, at the Greene Farmers Market yesterday morning, with marvelous native plants. My wonderful husband bought two Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata), and brought them home, along with a farmers market breakfast. This afternoon I put them into a garden just outside the kitchen window. I got a good…
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Confusing Bumblebees Revisited
Confusing Bumblebee (Bombus perplexus), a species of Bumblebee that is native to northern North America, where it can be found in Canada and the eastern United States. Confusing Bumblebees live in colonies made up of one queen and the female workers. New, mated queens, overwinter in a state of dormancy emerging in the spring. The…
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Ghost Pipe
Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), quite the surprise to find. What in the world?It’s an herbaceous perennial plant which is found in much of the United States, with the exception of the Southwest, intermountain west and the central Rocky mountains. It’s also found in Canada, and in parts of northern South America. Ghost Pipe is a…