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Earth Day 2023
Today, Earth Day 2023. Today and everyday, do what you can to help keep this planet, Earth, hospitable for its inhabitants. To see last year’s Earth Day 2022, go to brendaclem.com/earth-day-2022/ where you’ll see 12 birds that just like we humans, depend on this planet. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog…
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Philadelphia Fleabane
Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), is blooming all along the forest edges up here right now. It’s native to North America and found in all the states including Alaska and Hawaii, and in Canada. The name fleabane comes from the misconception that it will repel pests. It is a flower that is quite attractive to pollinators.…
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Wild Geranium Time Of Year
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), a charming native, herbaceous perennial plant blooming all around. It’s along the trails up here, along the edges of the dirt road going up the mountain, and in my gardens where it is welcome. A soft magenta flower that grows from a rhizome, the plant growing to 1 to 2 feet…
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A Mimic
The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is a bird that resides up here during the summer, but one that I seldom see. It enjoys eating insects that it finds in leaf litter under dense, low growing shrubs. It will also eat fruits and seeds. Due the presence of Black Bears (Ursus americanus), I normally don’t have…
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Roadrunner
Another visit to Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, Three Rivers, New Mexico, and an opportunity to get many images of one of my very favorite birds. The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), state bird of New Mexico. All these photos are the same bird, though with slightly different color ways. Its feathers are iridescent and vary depending…
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A Traveler
He showed up at lunch today. Gulping down the syrup as if this male had traveled long distances, which he certainly has. The very first of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) to arrive at my feeders. Now dinner has come and gone. There was a female traveler who came to the feeder while we were…
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Tiny Iris
Such a pretty flower but quite small. Reaching just 3 to 6 inches tall. Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata). There are 28 Iris species native to the United States. Iris cristata is one of them, found growing in the eastern and southern United States, on rocky, wooded slopes. Some are blooming right now in one…
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Purple Pink Blue
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), herbaceous perennials, native to eastern North America. Painting its landscape with rich yummy purple, fading to pink and eventually turning to a lovely soft blue as its flowers mature. A beautiful palette for spring, April and May. By midsummer the blooms are gone, the plants disappear into the leaf litter of…
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Buttercup Family?
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) is getting ready for bloom time, up here in the woods. It will be a while yet though, until it happens. The ones I’m seeing are 6 to 8 inches up. They reach 4 feet tall as they bloom. I was surprised just now, as I was looking through information on…
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They Seem To Pop Up Overnight
I’ve been watching, as I do with many of my plants. Knowing, anticipating. They seem to pop up unannounced. No hint that they’re there. This is one of many that I found today. A Virginia Springbeauty (Actaea racemosa) emerging next to a Confederate Violet (Viola sororia priceana). You can get an idea, comparing these two…