3-30
A Woolly Bear, the caterpillar of an Isabella Tiger moth, was on the move today. There are two generations a year of Woolly Bears and this one obviously overwintered.
And Shepherd's Purse is, in its very unspectacular way, starting to open flowers.
John
3-27
Whatever you think of them as wildflowers, weeds or vitamin rich pot herbs, Dandelions brighten places hostile to most other plants!
John
3-25
A lot of Painted Turtles were basking in the sun this afternoon, a Red Eft was out wandering and hordes of Snow Fleas, held up by surface tension, colored puddles a pale lavendar gray.
John
3-24
The tiny, brilliantly colored, female flowers of Beaked Hazelnut are opening in proximity to dangling male cones.
Heard a Woodcock peenting in the field tonight.
John
3-23
Red Dead Nettle (AKA Purple Dead Nettle) is starting to flower as is Mouse-ear Cress. Both are introduced species.
One Bloodroot also opened a flower today.
Not pictured: Silver Maple flowers and a Mourning Cloak Butterfly. Early butterflies feed on tree sap, carrion and scat.
John
3-22
Spring Whitlowgrass and Common chickweed are both flowering in idle cornfields. On sunny banks Myrtle is opening a few flowers.
John
3-17
In the swamps a few Pussy Willows are open. Crocuses dot one neighbor's lawn, while Snow Drops brighten another. And Colt's Foot is up along a sunny roadside bank.
John
3-16
A pair of Bald Eagles made a meal of road-killed skunk in a field near my house.
John
You can see the right leg sticking straight out.
Notice the "toes" of the left leg, which the chickadee uses to hang on a branch, one-footed and usually upside down.
The chickadee scoots along on the deck like a double amputee in India, scooting along on a little board with tiny rollers. The chickadee flaps its wings to propel itself forward an inch or two.
Such compassion for this individual creature, whom i can identify as different from all the others.
submitted by Cheryl Wilfong
Our neighbor, Diana Wahle, from her upstairs window saw the bobcat come out of our driveway at the end of Partridge Road, walk along the edge of the woods, and disappear down a trail into the woods, headed for Miller Orchard.
submitted by Cheryl Wilfong
photos by Lynn Levine
9-20
toadflax Brocade Caterpillars feed on Butter and Eggs, a species of toadflax. The caterpillars, originally from E
urope, were introduced into Ontario in 1968 as a biological control for Butter and Eggs which can be quite invasive.
John
9-19
Nodding Ladies Tresses are among the very latest wildflowers of any season.
John
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| Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar |
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| Sycamore Tussock Moth Caterpillar |
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| One-seeded Bur Cucumber |
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| Wild Cucumber |
