Crocus Flowers
It is only mid-March but the crocus have come to join us! We are about to hit spring and the first signs continue to spring up everywhere we look. These lovely crocus flowers were opening up this morning to feel some sun on another beautiful and unseasonably warm day. The first bees are in the air, too!
Read MoreWorn Black Swallowtail
You can see the wear and tear on this Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) even as it was being battered by the wind and difficult to capture with my camera. It is so gratifying to see individuals like this surviving for so long. Fight on, butterfly! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreClover Up Close
In today’s episode of “Clover Up Close” we see the all too typically busy bee hard at work. Hey, it looks like you missed some of that pollen, come back! And please bring all of your friends…remember, if we build it, they will come.
Read MorePollinator Meadows
You think there are a few pollinator sources here? It may not be the most ideal mix of vegetation, and it may contain some non-native and even dominant or invasive species, but it is far better than a mowed lawn or some pavement, full of busy bees, beetles, butterflies and many other insects. Let it grow and keep it chemical free, folks! We can perfect it later.
Read MoreBusy Black Swallowtail
After seeing many Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterflies and little else on the wing for much of the spring, they have dropped off in number as others increase. What have your observations been? I have been surprised at how (relatively) few Eastern Tiger Swallowtails have been in the air except for a week or two in May. The harsh and historically cold winter likely changed the lepidoptera landscape for us more than usual. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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