a spring walk
I'm still alive and kicking...yesterday I took a long nature walk; some photographic evidence is below.
The woods in springtime.
The mountain laurel isn't yet in bloom, but pink azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides/nudiflorum) is.
I saw (and heard others) a Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) deep in the woods
Northern Rough-Winged Swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) sitting on the fence enclosing a dam:
The butterflies are here! I was very pleased to find falcate orange tips (Anthocharis midea). Here a female is nectaring on what I believe is smooth rock-cress (Arabis laevigata), a larval host-plant.
The male has the orange tips:
This and another Juvenal's Duskywing were darting back and forth:
A view from the top of the ridge
At one point I thought there were no flowers, but they kept popping up in unexpected places.
Wild Columbine and Early Saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis, (Aquilegia canadensis and Saxifraga virginiensis, respectively) I believe. It was so windy I'm surprised this photo isn't more blurry.
Birdfoot violet (Viola pedata): I wondered if there were any fritillary caterpillars resting beneath the leaves.
last but not least, a Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule)!
Also found some sort of blueberry, several iridescent green Six-Spotted Tiger Beetles, a huge wolf spider, two damselflies, a fresh Spicebush Swallowtail, Solomon's Seal, many ferns....
The woods in springtime.
The mountain laurel isn't yet in bloom, but pink azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides/nudiflorum) is.
I saw (and heard others) a Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) deep in the woods
Northern Rough-Winged Swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) sitting on the fence enclosing a dam:
The butterflies are here! I was very pleased to find falcate orange tips (Anthocharis midea). Here a female is nectaring on what I believe is smooth rock-cress (Arabis laevigata), a larval host-plant.
The male has the orange tips:
This and another Juvenal's Duskywing were darting back and forth:
A view from the top of the ridge
At one point I thought there were no flowers, but they kept popping up in unexpected places.
Wild Columbine and Early Saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis, (Aquilegia canadensis and Saxifraga virginiensis, respectively) I believe. It was so windy I'm surprised this photo isn't more blurry.
Birdfoot violet (Viola pedata): I wondered if there were any fritillary caterpillars resting beneath the leaves.
last but not least, a Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule)!
Also found some sort of blueberry, several iridescent green Six-Spotted Tiger Beetles, a huge wolf spider, two damselflies, a fresh Spicebush Swallowtail, Solomon's Seal, many ferns....