Welcome

To all those interested in the natural world. Please add your sightings.

In the woods we return to reason and faith-Emerson

Best-Lynn

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

8-26 Caterpillars

8-26
A Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar was still fattening on Milkweed leaves while a Sycamore Tussock Moth Caterpillar wandered, perhaps looking for a place to pupate.
John
Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Sycamore Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

8-25 Cucumber

8-25
One-seeded Bur Cucumber is in flower as is Wild Cucumber, AKA Balsam Apple.
John
One-seeded Bur Cucumber

Wild Cucumber

Monday, August 24, 2020

8-24 Hairy Willow Herb

8-24
The cleft petaled pink flowers of Hairy Willow Herb are chest high in marshy swales.
John

Sunday, August 23, 2020

8-23 Slender Gerardia

8-23
Slender Gerardia is opening its first flowers. This species is said to favor dry woods and fields. I find it along sandy river banks and in old parking lots and gravel pits.
A dagger moth caterpillar - probably that of the Splendid Dagger Moth - posed motionless on a willow twig.
John
Slender Gerardia

Splendid Dagger Moth caterpillar

Splendid Dagger Moth caterpillar

Saturday, August 22, 2020

8-22 Hog Peanut

8-22
The pale, purple, or sometimes white, flowers of Hog Peanut twine through moist thickets. Being small and low to the ground these flowers are seldom noticed.
John

Friday, August 21, 2020

8-21 Purple-stemmed Asters

8-21
Purple-stemmed Asters like marshy ground. Their flowers may be blue-violet, lilac or, rarely, white.
John

Thursday, August 20, 2020

8-20 Common Clotbur

8-20
Common Clotbur is in flower in its own unspectacular way.
A well-camouflaged male Northern Walkingstick rests motionless on a Black Locust tree.
John
Common Clotbur

Northern Walkingstick

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

8-19 Common Ragweed

8-19
Common Ragweed is described by one field guide as an unattractive weed and a principal cause of hay fever. Some of which seems a bit judgmental.
A Tachinid Fly rather unimaginatively called the Beelike Tachinid rests on a leaf. Larvae of this fly are internal parasites of moth and butterfly caterpillars.
John
Common Ragweed

Beelike Tachinid Fly

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

8-18 Spearmint

8-18
spearmint - an introduced and widely escaped species - is in full flower.
John

Monday, August 17, 2020

8-17 Water Lobelia

8-17
Water Lobelia is in flower. Look for it in shallow water or on wet shores.
A Twice-stabbed Stink Bug, so named for obvious reasons, rested on a Hemp Nettle this morning.
John
Water Lobelia

Twice-stabbed Stink Bug

Sunday, August 16, 2020

8-16 Golden Hedge Hyssop

8-16
Golden Hedge Hyssop, AKA Pert, is flowering along wet sandy shores
Ball-like heads of tiny white flowers give Button Bush its common name. This species also likes wet feet.
The leaves of this Indian Cucumber Root have faded to buttery yellow and scarlet. Its berries will eventually turn dark purple.
John
Golden Hedge Hyssop

Button Bush

Indian Cucumber Root

Saturday, August 15, 2020

8-15 Slender Cottonweed

8-15
Slender Cottonweed, AKA Slender Snake Cotton, flourishes along dry, often salty, roadsides.
Tall Rattlesnake Root, AKA Gall-of-the-earth, favors dry woods and sandy soil.
John
Slender Cottonweed

Slender Cottonweed leaves

Tall Rattlesnake Root

Friday, August 14, 2020

8-14 Whorled Aster

8-14
Whorled Aster, AKA Sharp-leaved Aster, is a woodland species. Flowers may be either white or purple tinged.
Field Sow Thistle favors fields and roadsides. It forms colonies, spreading by underground stems.
John
Whorled Asters

Field Sow Thistle

Field Sow Thistle leaves

Thursday, August 13, 2020

8-13 Beggar's Tick

8-13
Beggar's Tick and Blue Lettuce are both flowering.
John
Beggar's Tick

Blue Lettuce

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

8-12 Fall Webworm

8-12
The communal nests of Fall Webworm envelop entire tree branches which may be completely defoliated. The worms are host to over 50 species of parasitic wasps and flies, yet manage to survive in good numbers.
The fungus, commonly known as an elegant Stinkhorn, was not deterred by a crusty soil layer.
John
Fall Webworm

Elegant Stinkhorn

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

8-11 Large Coralroot

8-11
Large Coralroot is leafless, lacks green pigment and grows in deeply shaded summer woods!
John

Monday, August 10, 2020

8-10 Common Dodder

8-10
Common Dodder is totally parasitic, it takes all of the nutrients it needs from the plants it climbs on.
Panicled Tick-Trefoil -  a state listed rare species - is in flower.
A Yellow Bear caterpillar crossed a local road, safely reaching the other side.
John
Common Dodder

Panicled Tick-trefoil

Yellow Bear

Sunday, August 9, 2020

8-9 Rough Cinquefoil

8-9
Rough Cinquefoil which, strangely, has only 3 leaves is still in flower and the bright white flowers of White Snakeroot can be seen in rich woods.
John
Rough Cinquefoil

White Snakeroot

Saturday, August 8, 2020

8-8 Pearly Everlasting

8-8
Pearly Everlasting is a plant of dry, open places. Both the stem and the leaves of this species have a white woolly appearance.
John

Friday, August 7, 2020

8-7 Groundnut

8-7
Groundnut's root is a round edible tuber. Its pea-like flowers have a unique rather overpowering scent.
Round-headed Bush Clover is opening a few flowers.
A Milbert's Tortoiseshell Butterfly displayed both its boldly patterned orange and black underwing and its dull black and brown upper.
John
Groundnut

Round-headed Bush Clover

Milbert's Tortoiseshell butterfly underwings

Milbert's Tortoiseshell butterfly upperwing

Thursday, August 6, 2020

8-6 Nodding Pogonia

8-6
Nodding Pogonia, AKA Three Birds, is starting its flowering.
John

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

8-5 Blue Curls

8-5
Blue Curls are somewhat salt tolerant and will grow in sandy or gravelly soils. Therefore, road shoulders are a good place to find them. The long curving stamens of this mint relative give it its common name.
A moth caterpillar - that of the White-blotched Heterocampa - posed in all its white splotched splendor.
John
Blue Curls

White-blotched Heterocampa caterpillar

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

8-4 Shining Flower Beetles

8-4
Shining Flower Beetles are congregating on Goldenrods in this picture taken on a day drier than this one!
John

Monday, August 3, 2020

8-3 Silverrod

8-3
Silverrod, our only white goldenrod, is starting to flower.
John

Sunday, August 2, 2020

8-2 Inidan Mallow

8-2
Indian Mallow, AKA Ve,velvetleaf, is a plant of waste places and corn fields.
False Dragonhead, AKA Obedient Plant, is a plant of damp thickets and shores. Obedient refers to the fact that, if repositioned, flowers of the plant remain as placed. They are obedient. At least for a while.
John
Indian Malllow

False Dragonhead

Saturday, August 1, 2020

8-1 Common Purslane

8-1
The tiny yellow flowers of Common Purslane are open for only a few hours in the morning sun.
The three petaled white flowers of Common Arrowhead rise over shallow water and muddy shores.
John
Common Purslane

Common Arrowhead