Monday, July 27, 2009

More Meadow

Side oats grama grass. The grasses are beginning to show, and should make the meadow very attractive into the fall.
Drone fly. A honey bee look-alike.

Eastern sand wasp


Female eastern amberwing. Very small , 0.9 inches. In "Dragonflies through Binoculars" the female wings are described as variable with a stained glass effect.



Song sparrow




Saturday, July 25, 2009

Meadow and More Meadow

Meadow madness. This is a critter's view of the meadow, not the one we humans usually see.
This hummingbird clearwing moth is a day-flying moth that hovers at flowers to drink the nectar.

Honey bee on a black-eyed Susan. Someone said we don't have any bees, but we do have bees, and we certainly have many more with the meadow than we had with the lawn. Perhaps next year we will have even more.


Eastern tiger swallowtail



Grasses in a cicle. I have a trial version of the new Paint Shop Pro X2, and I was playing with it today. Should I keep it?




Monday, July 20, 2009

Early morning in the Meadow

This lovely evening primrose can only be seen in the evening or early in the morning. Well, not that early, as there was still one open at 9:30 this morning. Morning is a great time to visit the meadow, but the grass may still be wet.
Early morning or late afternoon, I get scolded by this red-wing female for walking in HER meadow.

This grass is just beginning to bloom. I have a list of grasses that were planted, and photos from the internet, but still can't identify this one, yet. Can anyone help?


If you look carefully you will find this beauty, Mimulus ringens, or Monkey Flower, hidden between the black-eyed Susans.



This brown daddy-long-legs has red ovals attached to its legs. Has anyone seen this before? Anyone have any idea what it would be?




Here and There

These sunflowers are in the Post Office garden. They are about to touch the sky!
This bench is on the Shady Ramble path. It looks like it is about to be eaten by the vegetation.

This berry is found near the meadow and on the edge of the woods. I was hoping that it was the purple raspberry, but unfortunately it is probably the invasive alien, wineberry. Both are edible, I understand, if you don't mind the seeds.


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Walk in the Woods

This morning I changed my routine and walked on the Maris Trail in the wooded section of Foulkeways. It was a lovely walk, but you have to watch where you are going as there are many roots, and other hazards for older folks.
This catbird scolded me for walking in his woods.

This is the summer form of the Eastern Comma. A delight to find in a sunny patch in the woods.


Do you see the white half-circle on the underwing? It tells me that this butterfly is a comma and not a question mark.



This damselfly rested briefly on a leaf in the sun.




Just before leaving the trail this beautioful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sat and posed for me for just a minute.





Monday, July 13, 2009

Back from vacation

I was eager to see what changes there were in our meadow. I am still awed by the field of Susans. I did note some new flowers blooming and saw some new butterflies.
Blue vervain It is on the side of the cattail marsh, and in the "new" meadow.

Green-headed coneflower This beauty is in the "old" meadow.


Sachem This little skipper will probably be abundant by late summer.







Wild Indigo Duskywing Seen near "P". Little wood satyr Seen near "P".