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And the foxgloves
Seeing towers of Foxgloves (Digitalis) over the weekend — many of the flowers had been knocked down by Saturday’s strong rains — reminded me of my trip to Dartmoor a year ago. The hedge-shrouded paths there were frequently foxgloved, and abuzz with bees. Check out the wild pattern within, and remember that bees see more…
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More Galls
The world of galls is vast: I don’t know what these are, but they evidently darken into these rather glossy, bean-like structures:Another. It’s just a splotchy discoloration on the top of the leaf, but underneath there’s some interest.
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Plants and other lifeforms
A few more from Maine. Here’s Low-bush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) in flower. I’m mad for those little Maine blueberries, which I get frozen and eat all winter.Starflower (Trientalis borealis).Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), a wildflower relation of Dogwood.Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) needs to be revealed. Hiding its light under a bushel. This is a plant I’ve never run…
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VLB in BK
I came across some Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) in Prospect Park that been skeletonized by Viburnum Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni). This invasive species that has been defoliating its way through numerous Viburnum species through the northeast.The beetle — both the larval and adult stages are leaf-chewers — wasn’t found in NYC half a dozen years ago,…
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More Maine Birds
An exhausted Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) looking for food amidst the festering seaweed of Lobster Cove on Monhegan Island.And here’s one of the Empidonax flycatchers in the same spot. These flycatchers are impossible to tell apart unless they vocalize.There were big flocks of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) over Monhegan, sometimes landing near by. A Red-necked…
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Painted Skimmer
Flying gold at Big John’s Pond: a Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata).
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Blue Flag
Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) blooming now. These are also known as Wild Iris, Harlequin Blueflag, and Northern Blue Flag. Look for them in swamps, marshes, and wet shorelines from Virginia to Canada. Watch honeybees and native bees land on the large petal, which must look AMAZING in their ultraviolet-shifted vision, and scoot down into…
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Nesting Update
Returning to three nests reported here on May 23rd, I find the birds incubating. Nesting season is, for the observer, rather more contemplative than active. The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) was the only one of these three not hunkered down when I arrived. The bird was grooming itself — could be either male or female…
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Backyard and Beyond 