Buzzy seeds purple coneflower3/1/2023 ![]() ![]() Join Cindy for a Program or Class this Autumn ***All photos in today’s post are from the Crosby’s prairie plantings and garden in Glen Ellyn, IL. Although much of her poetry is set in New England and Ohio, her love of nature and ability to connect with the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives through her words transcends geography. ![]() The opening quote is by Mary Oliver (1935-2019) from her poem, “Don’t Worry” ( Felicity). Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa ) with Spurred Ceratina Carpenter Bee ( Ceratina calcarata ).Īn hour walking through the prairie garden has a way of taking care of that. Meanwhile, any “blues” I had have passed. The flowers are deep sapphire! So very blue. Spurred Ceratina Carpenter Bee ( Ceratina calcarata ) visiting Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica ).Ī carpenter bee seems as enamored of it as I am. Such a delicate insect! Margined Calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus ), a type of hover fly, on Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum).Īlmost a dozen Great Blue Lobelia blooms are “blue-ming” around the water, and the insects approve. The chives, much like my pink garden Chives, have popped up all over the garden and close to the pond. Ī Margined Calligrapher-a type of hover fly-rests on Garlic Chive blooms. Possibly an Umbrella Paper Wasp (Polistes sp. You can see where the old-fashioned phrase “wasp waisted” comes from. Wasps are such a large group of insects! I believe it’s a paper wasp. For the millionth time, I wish I knew more about wasp ID. European Green Bottle Fly ( Lucilia sericata ) on Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia sp.).Ī wasp nestles into the marsh marigold leaves. It’s a connection to the past that never fails to make me smile. But they started life in my grandparent’s garden, and now, they attend to mine. ![]() Froggie love ( possibly Lithobates catesbeianus ). When it flies away, I check the pond for visitors. Hummingbird Clearwing Moth ( Hemaris thysbe ) on Cut and Come Again Zinnia (Zinnia pumila). I watch this day-flying moth hover over flower after flower for a long time, marveling at its downy body and gorgeous wings. One of the reasons I include non-native zinnias in my backyard plant mix is as nectar sources for hummingbirds, moths, butterflies, and bees. ![]() Not a hummingbird-but a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth! Its wings are mostly a blur as it works the zinnias. The defeated hummingbird brushes by my head in a whir of wings on his way to the neighbor’s feeder. The winner! American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis). American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) and Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). The goldfinch seems to think the water moat is his personal watering hole. A water moat keeps ants from plundering the sugar water. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens).Ī noisy goldfinch and furious hummingbird battle over the hummingbird feeder. A downy woodpecker stops mid-peck to see what all the fuss is about. Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale ) with (possibly) Spurred Ceratina Carpenter Bees ( Ceratina calcarata ).Īs I walk, there’s a loud chatter at the feeders. The insect world is so big, and my ID skills are so limited. I try my phone app iNaturalist on them for identification, but none of my ID’s feel certain. My sneezeweed, now in its second year, is covered with winged creatures. Maybe it’s a reminder that “there’s no place like home.” Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens ) on Cut and Come Again Zinnia (Zinnia pumila). Would I have noticed this tiny, nondescript butterfly if I was busy with my normal prairie and dragonfly hikes in the bigger preserves? Probably not. Marine Blue Butterfly (Leptotes marina ) on Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera). I’m stunned to see this butterfly in my small suburban front yard. But that was on a 4,000 acre mosaic of prairies, woodlands, and wetlands, where you might expect to encounter an unusual insect. Earlier, I saw one of these “rare strays” to Illinois at Nachusa Grasslands, 90 miles west. A reminder to pay attention to what I can do, instead of what I can’t do right now.Īnd what’s this? A Marine Blue Butterfly sips nectar in the front yard prairie planting. I like its single-minded focus on what’s in front of it. Possibly a Spurred Ceratina Carpenter Bee ( Ceratina calcarata) headed for Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera). Look at the determination of this insect, making a beeline for the blazing star. Sunset.Īn unexpected health setback means no big hikes for a while. Tumultuous sunsets send me to the porch each evening to watch the show. Don’t worry.”-Mary OliverĪugust takes its last steamy, stormy breaths. ![]()
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