Small White
Here is a Small White, or Cabbage White, (Pieris rapae) butterfly feeding on some Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) last week. This fresh individual afforded me the best opportunity to photograph one that I have ever had as it posed perfectly on the flowers. The non-native species may be common and invasive but boy, they certainly are beautiful little things! I had never seen one with so much bright yellow on it. And check out those eyes! Wildlife certainly looks different when up close. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreHumped Bladderwort (Utricularia macrorhiza)
Gorgeous above the water surface, deadly below it – the Humped Bladderwort (Utricularia macrorhiza), and other bladderworts, use small submerged vesicles – bladders – to trap and digest small aquatic invertebrates to augment their nutrient intake in the wetlands they occupy. These are among the very few carnivorous plants found in the northeastern United States. Photographed by RTPI President Twan Leenders for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History and the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project.
Read MorePopular Plants
The outdoor restaurants are getting more crowded now that we are in the middle of July with Eastern Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) like this one sitting two to a table at times. On the left is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and on the right is a Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus). This is as good as a summer nature scene gets. I was able to capture more images of both of them while nectaring independently, and I will share them in the next week. For now we wish you a wonderful weekend full of delightful nature sights and sightings like this one. Scott...
Read MoreSunflower
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 MoreMilkweed Bee
The bees love the milkweed! Whether it is bumble, honey, metallic or otherwise, these buzzy pollinators have been all over the Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) lately. There are finally a lot more butterflies out and about, nectaring frequently on delicious, chemical-free and native pollinator plants. I will show you more of what we have all seen lately all month long. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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