Bluebead Lily (Clintonia borealis)
Wildflowers continue to pop as the warm temperatures and sunshine are becoming more abundant. One pretty little flower that is currently in bloom is Clintonia borealis, more commonly known as Bluebead Lily. This plant gets its name not from the flowers it produces, but instead from the beautiful fruits that become noticeable during mid to late summer. As the summer season progresses the flowers will be replaced by little green fruits, that slowly turn white and then eventually a deep blue, looking almost like porcelain beads. While these fruits may look appealing, they are said to be quite...
Read MoreTulip Tree Flower
I noticed this Tulip Tree flower on the ground only because it was lit by one ray of sunlight in the shade. The leaves have popped here, there and everywhere! We are really getting that late spring feel to the weather this week. If you can let that lawn grow up a little this summer please do. It helps all of our pollinators, means less pollution, saves your time, money and energy, and can even provide a better habitat for some of our birds. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreChestnut-sided Warbler Singing
Frost in the morning – sunny cheer by lunchtime. It’s spring in Chautauqua County! This Chestnut-sided Warbler seemed excited about it all…
Read MoreGrowing Fox Family
As summer approaches, these little ones will be on the move more and more in order to prepare themselves for life on their own. Red fox kits typically stay with their mothers until they reach about seven months old. During that time, they will develop their hunting skills through playtime, hunting the prey brought back by mom and slowly through their own exploration outside of the safety of their dens to seek and stalk prey species close by. By fall, these young foxes will be on their own and will have to rely on their own hunting skills to get a meal. These little ones living down the...
Read MoreCape May Warbler
This male Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) is hidden in the very tops of this oak tree, its bright and vibrant yellow, orange and brown shades somehow camouflaged in the growing leaves and glowing sunlight. The easiest way to “spot” this bird was to hear its voice, but even the song of the species is a high-pitched, thin and quick little tune. These record photos are actually past record shots of a bird that I heard moments after waking up, with it in the always helpful oak outside my window. Being half awake I was not fully processing what I was hearing among a chorus of...
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