23-MAY-2013
Artists at work
Lynn and Steve are busy with their respective sketches, sitting on the Woodland Trail section of the Backyard Garden. Artists enjoy visiting the garden where they can find a wealth of native and non-native plants to sketch.
23-MAY-2013
Baltimore oriole, male, in walnut tree
Adding a touch of the tropics to the area, the baltimore oriole's vivid colouring is accompanied by his loud, "happy" sounding song, which could be heard through the rain, from many locations. These are the birds that build the tightly woven sock-like nests that dangle from high up in tall trees, often willows.
23-MAY-2013
Gray catbird
There were at least three, possibly four, catbirds calling from various parts of the garden. Some singing, some giving their "meow" like call. They build large, untidy, twiggy nests, often with strands of plastic woven through. Their nests resemble those of brown thrashers and cardinals.
23-MAY-2013
Song sparrow
One of many song sparrows around the garden, busy with nesting duties. They nest low in shrubs or on the ground, often in tangles of old DSV vines. The old field area and some sections of the new woods are particularly important nesting areas for this species, so we ask people to please keep to the paths.
23-MAY-2013
Virginian tiger moth (Spilosoma virginica), #8137
Curled up in the middle of a lupine leaf, this was one of several caterpillars all clustered around the lupine plant.
23-MAY-2013
Green blister beetle (Lytta sayi)
This large green blister beetle, with the vivid orange legs, was hiding under leaves in the BYG. This is the time of year to find these handsome beetles. I've seen them in various locations around the region over the last week.
23-MAY-2013
Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
The tulip tree sapling, which appeared one day several years ago, as a tiny seedling, has survived three winters, including the recent quite cold, harsh one. I wondered whether this Carolinian species, which is out of its range here, would survive this recent winter, but it did.
23-MAY-2013
A section of the Butterfly Meadow
The north end of the Butterfly Meadow, with the old split rail fence, and an abundance of columbine and mustards.
23-MAY-2013
Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Also in the old field area, I saw some celandine popping up. This non-native garden plant has been growing in that area for years and years, a legacy of the time when leaves from gardens were dumped there for use as compost. In Britain it is also known as swallowwort (just like our beloved pale swallowwort!). The name derives from the blooming time in Britain coinciding with the return of swallows. Wort, of course, is an old English name for plant.
23-MAY-2013
Dog-strangling vine (Cynanchum rossicum)
AKA DSV or pale swallowwort. The frost of over a week ago, caused much frost burn on thousands of DSV plants. These ones are still looking beaten down, compared to others at FWG where the frost did not hit (protected sites), which are growing quickly, and looking tall and vigorous.
23-MAY-2013
Garlic mustard seedlings (Alliaria petiolata)
In the rototilled section of the Old Field, thousands of tiny garlic mustard seedlings have sprung up. Horrors! It seems the more we pull this plant, the more we find. The rototilling last spring, must have provided good conditions for the seedlings to emerge this spring. I'll have to take a hoe to them, as they are far too tiny to pull.
23-MAY-2013
Lilacs
Gorgeous colour on this particular lilac, hidden amidst a thicket near the old field.