Nature Journal

Notes about birds, mammals, wildflowers, insects, and more




Saturday, July 5, 2003

There are many wildflowers still blooming, but some - such as the Yellow Hawkweed (at right) - are beginning to go to seed or have already faded. Wildflowers that have started blooming more recently are the Hop Clover (Yellow Clover), Harebell, and Common Milkweed. Also, the delicate bell-shaped flowers are opening on the Snowberry, a shrubby plant
which has white berries in the fall.


Thursday, July 3, 2003

The sound of the crickets is beautiful tonight. I was outside for a while this evening just listening to the crickets and watching the fireflies. Between the two, nature was putting on a very nice audiovisual show!


Tuesday, July 1, 2003

While I was out walking, I found this skipper feeding on a cinquefoil. This may be a European Skipper, but I'm not certain. Also, earlier today, I saw a female hummingbird drinking nectar from a clover blossom. It was only about 4
feet from me. I must have moved too fast in reaching for my camera, because it flew away before I could get a picture.


Sunday, June 29, 2003

The Purple-flowering Raspberries (Rubus odoratus) which are growing in more shaded areas are blooming now. Those growing in sunny spots are already beginning to lose their petals. These plants have large rose-colored flowers and, in contrast to Red Raspberries, they have no thorns. Many species of wildflowers are blooming, including the Cow Vetch, Yarrow, Black-eyed Susan, and White Clover. Some Wild Strawberries still have flowers and others have already formed fruit.


Friday, June 27, 2003

Saw a group of five male wild turkeys yesterday. After the mating season is over, male turkeys usually travel in small flocks. Wild turkeys forage on the ground, feeding mostly on plant matter - leaves, seeds, buds, flowers, etc. They also eat fruits and berries, including blackberries
and wild grapes, when in season.


Wednesday, June 25, 2003

The White Admiral and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies have been very active lately. It's fun to see how high the Tiger Swallowtails will fly. The White Admirals seem to stay closer to the ground. A female ruby-throated hummingbird was hovering near one of my windows today. I couldn't tell if she was reacting to her reflection in the window or just stopping by to say hello.


Monday, June 23, 2003

When I was out for an evening walk, I saw a whitetail doe watching me from deeper in the woods. As soon as I looked away, I heard her running and looked back to see her white tail flashing as she fled.
Many different birds were singing this evening, including a cardinal, a veery, and numerous warblers. The fireflies are out again tonight as they have been over the past few nights. And I can attest to the fact that the mosquitoes are out in force. Whew!


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