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Coral Honeysuckle
A perennial vine, native to the eastern United States. Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) with flowers that provide nectar to hungry Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the blooms as well. The Coral Honeysuckle is the host plant for Spring Azure Butterflies and Snowberry Clearwing Moths. The berries of this Honeysuckle are eaten by…
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Amazing Mom Spider
Hoping you’re not freaked out by this photo. I had to share this with you, a mother Wolf Spider (Lycosidae). AND those yellow-green dots on her back are her babies. If you look carefully at the image, you can actually see their legs. The Wolf Spider is a different sort of mom, particularly in the…
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Smooth Solomon’s Seal
Smooth Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), in bloom up here in the woods. It is an herbaceous perennial, native to eastern and central North America. Often found in rocky woods, happy in either dry or moist soil. Like the Yucca, it’s another plant in the asparagus (Asparagaceae) family. Smooth Solomon Seal can very slowly form colonies…
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Happiness At The Birdbath
An Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), kindly posed for me at one of my birdbaths. They’re in the area year round, though not necessarily here in my yard. I try to tempt them with dried mealworms which they sometimes like. Without the mealworms they wouldn’t be feeder birds, preferring to eat insects, and small fruits and…
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Hide And Seek
It was a game of hide and seek. The female Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) and I. The game ended in a draw. Though I was able to get photographs, they left me still wanting more and better images. And she seemed to leave with a very quiet chuckle. I seldom see Hooded Warblers. They eat…
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Rattlesnake Weed
Rattlesnake Weed (Hieracium venosum). Native to south-central Canada, through the eastern United States. It has the common name of Rattlesnake Weed, since it is thought to be found in areas where rattlesnakes frequent. That common name too, is an excellent example why one should depend on the scientific name rather than the common name. There…
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Punctuation In The Natural World
An Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma). One of the species of butterfly that overwinters as an adult. Imagine a warm winter day, you’re hiking along a mountain trail and there in front of you is an orange butterfly. This might be what you are seeing. This one has seen many miles. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like…
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Just A Number
Overnight, one of the digits that represent my age changed. Funny how that happens. Here I am, celebrating with a bow in my hair, on the left (my right). Today, being a special day, I was on alert for something unusual to show up in the world of nature. That seems to happen on holidays,…
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Spring Yucca Blooms
I went out on the back hillside this afternoon to get photographs of the Yucca filamentosa with its spears emerging, soon to be blossoms. Those spears resemble the asparagus that is growing in the vegetable garden, several feet away. Much to my surprise, as I was searching the Internet for information on Yuccas, I discovered…
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Tawny Emperor
A Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton), one of my hiking buddies that keeps me company as I trek up the mountain. Native to the eastern half of North America from Canada to northern Mexico. Their sole host plant is the Hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis). Plenty of those trees around here. As adults, these butterflies don’t go…