On our neighbors’ front lawn at 95 Harwill Drive
Eastern Redbud
Plants
Mayapple
I watch for these each spring in our back woods, and saw our first ones pop up two or three days ago. This morning, suddenly, there was a plethora. Didjaknow, just like the Aspen, their colony shares a single root? Mayapple is also called mandrake. It flowers in May, but its “apple” comes later. The fruit may be eaten in small quantities but only after it turns yellow, and only after removing the seeds. Linnaeus described this plant in 1753. See more at wildfoods.ca.
Our twin magnolias
Perhaps at their peak today. Blooms open about the same time as forsythia but they don’t last nearly as long. Rain, wind, or frost often decimate them overnight. For years we’ve called them northern magnolia (to distinguish from the more popular evergreen southern magnolia), but their correct name is probably saucer magnolia. They were 1993 gifts from David and Wena.
North American Beech
Ours are mostly quite small trees, overlooked and perhaps stunted by a preponderance of many tall oaks. But they stand out in the winter and early spring by holding onto most of last year’s now very light brown leaves.
A fine spring morning
Butterfly at Willowmere Park, Sept 20th
Been seeing a few of these at home lately. The camera produced something a bit too yellow — I think the true color was a bit more brownish.
Who me?
Sandy asked, “Who’s eating all the leaves off my cucumber vine?”
She also asked, “Who keeps digging holes in my fairy garden?”
That’s the Carolina Wren, owner of both the porch and the space under the porch. His call seems to be “Lucille! Lucille!”
Seen last month by the wildview camera in the badminton garden, a young fox maybe?
Dad’s birthday weekend
With Nick and Judy, Gareth and Nancy, we celebrated Dad’s birthday on what was coincidentally Memorial Day Weekend. Dad and I had a walk in Duff Park one day and Beaver Run the next, where we noticed an exceptionally large tulip poplar tree. Didn’t take many pictures this weekend, and only saved these six:
From the wildlife camera, Jan-Apr, 2018
26 images, about 10 seconds apart. Click the image to skip the wait. By the way, we’re not actively trying to fence the critters out — only to keep the dog in. We’ve seen adult deer easily jumping that 5′ fence, but they hardly ever bother, and the squirrels squeeze through those 2″ x 4″ openings. I think the box turtles burrow underneath, but so far this dog hasn’t learned to do that. The vine climbing the fence is the notorious Japanese honeysuckle, branded by the state as a noxious weed. Its flowers are pretty, and they really do smell like honey later in the spring.
Redbud, and . . .
Went back to Willowmere Park after my run there this morning, thinking I could try one more time to get an ok photo of eastern redbud in blossom. It’s very noticeable in early spring in woods or hedgerows near us, but it doesn’t last long, and seems difficult to photograph. True, it’s purple not red. But this is:
This cardinal was continually singing loudly about 30 feet above me, despite my approach, but I had to look to find him, and zoom in.