A Little Visitor

We had a little visitor in the yard this week. It’s not every day you get to see a mouse, let alone have one stay still long enough to photograph it! (These pictures were taken through a window.) This is probably a house mouse (Mus musculus).

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A Look Back at 2024

I thought it would be fun to share some statistics from my nature walks this year: I hope you enjoyed coming along on this journey with me! I’m looking forward to many new adventures in 2025. Happy New Year!

A Resting Hummingbird

Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) don’t usually sit still for very long. It was a special treat to watch this one today. I snapped a few quick pictures when I first spotted it, thinking that it would be gone in a flash. It stayed on the branch long enough for me to adjust my angle for better… Continue reading A Resting Hummingbird

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A Second Bloom in Autumn

Some spring flowers have a second bloom in autumn. This week, I found Carolina jessamine and green and gold blooming at Church Street Park. What a nice surprise!

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A Second Species of Ragweed

Did you know that there are TWO different ragweed plants? I found a giant ragweed plant (Ambrosia trifida var. trifida) this year. It happened to be growing right next to common or annual ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). Giant ragweed can grow up to 12 feet tall. The oval leaves are 3-12 inches long. And in case… Continue reading A Second Species of Ragweed

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A Smile for Your Monday

I spotted my first ditch-daisy (midwestern tickseed-sunflower) of the season today. They always make me smile. Happy Monday!

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A Trip to the Coast

Everywhere we go, we can’t help but be curious about the nature that surrounds us. We recently spent a few days at the beach here in North Carolina. While the star of the show was the Atlantic Ocean, we did take note of the plants and animals that crossed our path. Sea oats are a… Continue reading A Trip to the Coast