5-19

5-19
Today Bunchberry was starting to open flowers. The whitish 'petals' are actually bracts. The tiny greenish-yellow flowers are in the center. Bunchberry is in the Dogwood family.
And an American Copper butterfly was taking advantage of the abundant strawberry flowers. Another name for the butterfly is The Flame Copper. Its host plants are Sheep Sorrell and Curly Dock.
John

Bunchberry AKA Dwarf Cornel

American Copper

5-18

5-18
Today a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird joined the male at my nectar feeder.
Starflower - oddly enough a Primrose family member - sparkled in the woods.
Pink Moccasin flowers could be found in optimal locations.
The pale magenta flowers of Common Fleabane turned their faces to the sun.
And along Black Mt. Road a porcupine fed on new tender growth in a roadside elm.

John

Starflower

Moccasin Flower

Common Fleabane

5-16

5-16
Wood Betony has opened its whorls of tubular, hooded flowers. Wood Betony flowers can be red, yellow or both.
Red Baneberry's oblong clusters of white flowers lit up a bit of rich woods. Red baneberry bears bright red berries. The closely related White Baneberry bears white berries each with a black eye - thus their common name Doll's Eye.
And this nicely marked brown moth, the One-lined Zale was active last night. The larval host plant of this species is Black Locust.
John

Red Baneberry

Re

Wood Betony

5-15

5-15
The frothy white terminal clusters of Foam Flower are at perfection. These were alongside Stickney Brook Road.
John

5-14

5-14
This morning looking south from my kitchen I could see two male Indigo Buntings in a tree. Looking north I could see two male Scarlet Tanagers. It was a morning of primary colors.
Along the roadsides Wild Sarsaparilla was starting to flower.
John

5-13

5-13
Fringed Polygala (AKA Flowering Wintergreen) has opened its odd little flowers. Fringed Polygala is in the Milkwort family.
Along the West River this Bald Eagle, closely watched by two crows, perched and waited, and waited …
And in my yard a Tufted Titmouse offered food to his mate. Eggs soon!
John

Fringed Polygala

5-12

5-12
The delicate little flowers of Goldthread dot the forest floor. Goldthread spreads by bright yellow runners thus the common name. And there was a hatch of Pine Elfin butterflies, several of which were feeding on Field Pussytoes in my backyard.

John

Goldthread

Pine Elfin

5-11

5-11
Today sun-drenched ledges were blushed by Columbine. Celandine - an aggressive invader - brightened the ditches. Long-spurred Violets flecked the woods and in the fields Bugle was opening a few flowers. Closer to home a moth called Comstock's Sallow (Feralia comstocki) added its own jewel-like glitter to the day.
John

Comstock's Sallow

Columbine

Celandine

Long-spurred Violets

Bugle

5-10

5-10
There wer Baltimore Orioles and Catbirds in my yard this morning.
Pin Cherries are starting to flower. Red-berried Elder is in full bloom. Blueberries are opening a few of their delicate little bell shaped flowers. Canada Violets can be found here and there. And the fertile canes of a Horsetail - perhaps Rough Horsetail AKA Scouring Rush - add their own subtle beauty to the world.
John

Blueberries

Horsetail

Red-berried Elder

Pin Cherry

Canada Violet

5-9

5-9
Garlic Mustard is starting to flower, but there is still time to pull the troublesome invasive before it goes to seed.
John

5-8

5-8
Today Great-spurred Violets brightened the forest floor. The feather of a woodpecker - perhaps a victim of predation - flecked the moss.
Blackburnian Warblers and Ovenbirds were among the birds seen. This utility pole had served as a bear's marking post - to the detriment of the pole. And Cabbage White butterflies were intent on future butterfly generations.
John

Great-spurred Violets

5-7

5-7
Kingbirds and Common Yellow Throats are back.
The delicate white bell flowers of Leatherleaf are open. And the showy but non-reproductive outer flowers of Hobblebush are also open. The much smaller fertile flowers in the center of the clusters will open soon.
John

Leatherleaf

Hobblebush

5-6

5-6
Painted Trillium is in flower on Black Mountain.
John

5-5

5-5
Smooth Yellow Violets and Sweet White Violets are both starting to flower. Smooth Yellow Violets are "stemmed". Sweet White Violets are 'Stemless". Stemmed violets bear both leaves and flowers on the same stalk. Stemless violets have only one leaf or one flower on any stalk.
John

5-4

5-4
Shadbush is starting to open flowers. Within a few days field edges and riverbanks will be frosted with these simple white blossoms.
Shadbush is a catch-all name for a variety of Amelanchier species. One field guide I consulted listed ten of the commonest.
My guess is that this one is Early Shadbush (Amelanchier laevis). But …?
John

5-3

5-3
Today was a good day for birds, wild flowers and insects. There was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak in my yard. Osprey were fishing along the West River. A Broad-winged hawk perched in a tree directly above my head. And a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird visited my nectar feeder.

Bumblebees were active. A Cabbage White butterfly was flitting along the rail trail. And a strange hairy little beetle - perhaps a Bumble flower beetle - posed for a photo. You never know what you'll see once you start looking!

Wood Anemone

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Squirrel Corn

Toothwort

Dwarf Ginseng was in flower. Toothwort and Wood Anemone were just opening. Jack-in-the-Pulpit were everywhere. And Squirrel Corn was lighting up the woods.

Meanwhile up on the west side of town there is still frost in the ground in a few shady spots … and the mud to prove it.

John

Dwarf Ginseng

5-2

5-2
This afternoon an American Kestrel was perched on the Velco high line near Betterly Rd.
Kestrels are largely insectivorous and need only open spaces for hunting. They also need hollow trees to nest in.
John

4-29

4-29
The male catkins of Sweet Gale show as if on fire. Sweet Gale is a shrub of wet places. Male and female catkins are usually - but not always - on separate bushes.
John

4-28

4-28
Today Spring Beauty was living up to its name, the pale yellow dangling flowers of Wild Oats could be found and a single tiny White Violet was open.
On the ground Gill-o'er-the-Ground - a ubiquitous member of the mint family nestled in the fresh green of the lawn. Gill-o'er-the-Ground, like almost all of our mints, is an introduced species.
John

Spring Beauty

Wild Oats

White Violet

Gill-o'er-the-Ground

We went to the woods of Black Mountain and an orange object caught our attention.  We wondered whether it was some garbage, but realized it was a plant.  That moment of recognition was special.  Of course, I had to name it, and it turned out to be a Scarlet Elf Mushroom.