What is blooming on the trails right now? The ditch daisies are reaching their peak bloom this week, along with the bonesets. The goldenrods are slowly coming out. Golden asters will be opening this week. I haven’t seen any of the white or purple asters yet. I’ve found a stray bunch of purpledisc sunflowers, blue… Continue reading Field Report- September 12, 2026
Blogs
Black Swallowtails
Black swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) can easily be misidentified if you’re not paying close attention. Black swallowtail caterpillars can be mistaken for monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus). They have very similar coloring. The key difference is that black swallowtail caterpillars have yellow spots, while monarch caterpillars only have stripes. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed plants. Black… Continue reading Black Swallowtails
Quiet Nature- September 2, 2026
Enjoy some quiet nature today with this ant exploring chive flowers.
What Flowers Will Bloom Next Month? September 2026
In September we will be seeing quite a bit of yellow. While the goldenrods and ditch-daisies have already started to bloom, they will really be noticeable later this month. The asters, dog fennel, consumption weed, and swamp sunflowers should start to bloom. In September, we can also expect to see fruits. Watch for strawberry bush,… Continue reading What Flowers Will Bloom Next Month? September 2026
What’s That? August 26, 2026
What is that? As I passed by this piece of white fuzz, I dismissed it as animal fur. I stopped to admire a flower close by, and decided to take a second look. This is a pin mold. Pin molds are parasites of mushrooms. The creamy color on the left is what remains of the… Continue reading What’s That? August 26, 2026
First Ditch-Daisy of 2026
I spotted my first ditch-daisy of the season today! These flowers always make me so happy. All flowers brighten my mood, but ditch-daisies have some special power over me. I can’t explain it. Do you have a flower that you just can’t get enough of?
What’s That? August 17, 2026
Why are so many leaves on this redbud tree folded in half? Take a closer look. This is the work of a redbud leaffolder (Fascista cercerisella) caterpillar. The redbud leaffolder moth lays eggs on the redbud leaves. As the caterpillars begin to emerge, they need protection from predators. They use silk to make stitches across… Continue reading What’s That? August 17, 2026
Pileated Woodpecker
I saw my first pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) today! From other, blurry pictures that I got, I could see the red cheek stripe under the beak. This one is a male. I saw him on the Crabtree Creek greenway this morning, close to the Hatcher Creek greenway. Let me know if you find him!
Field Report- August 7, 2026
It’s been an orchid and mushroom kind of week. The cranefly orchids are in full bloom everywhere. If you’d like to see the little ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes tuberosa), they are currently on the American Tobacco Trail around mile marker 14 to 13.75. As we were walking one evening, we noticed so many mushrooms that were torn… Continue reading Field Report- August 7, 2026
A Nature Comeback Story
Do you remember last year when the utility company came through and cut the tall trees along the trails to prevent them from falling on the power lines? It was hard for me to watch. I wrote a blog about it here. Today I saw a glimmer of hope. After the logs were cleared, the… Continue reading A Nature Comeback Story