Sunflower
Who doesn’t love a good sunflower? These plants are popping right now, too, as they provide meals for pollinators now and prepare to feed hungry birds this autumn. This…this is summer!
Read MoreGreat Spangled Fritillary & Eastern Purple Coneflower
I am finally seeing more butterfly abundance and diversity as we enter July, and I could not be happier about that! I photographed this appropriately named Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) nectaring on a fresh Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) during the morning of Independence Day. These pollinator plants are gorgeous and great for attracting beneficial insects to your yard. On Sunday, July 3, I was thrilled to finally see my first of the year Monarch butterflies. What species have you spotted recently? Have you planted anything in your garden to help pollinators...
Read MoreSwamp Milkweed
The Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is on the way! These wonderfully helpful pollinator plants, beloved by the Monarch butterfly for feeding and egg laying, will be blooming soon enough. I am looking forward to seeing all sorts of butterflies and other insects enjoying the nectar this summer. Have you planted any beneficial and native pollinator plants in your yard? What are you hoping to spot feeding on them? Go see what you can find this weekend in the great outdoors… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreRuby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) & Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Here’s a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) feeding on some Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser. Photographed for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Connecticut while on assignment for The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreAmerican Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
The cutest and most cooperative friend that I made today during an afternoon bird survey was this American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). It was chowing down and allowing me to shoot from a comfortable distance for a minute as Gray Squirrels and Eastern Chipmunks excitedly ran around us. I saw an increase in both butterflies and moths on the wing in the woodlands. Most of our birds are staying busy with nesting season upon us, feeding and quieting down to care for eggs or young with territories already well established. The goal now is to minimize disturbances and not attract...
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