Have you seen the beaver dam at Bond Park? This is a stream at the south end of Bond Lake, where the Lake Trail and Oxxford Hunt Greenway intersect. It’s amazing what a couple of beavers can do!
Blogs
What Is This Shiny Mushroom?
Have you seen any interesting mushrooms lately? I found this one on the side of Town Hall Drive. I don’t think I’ve seen this type of mushroom before. This is Ganoderma sessile (it doesn’t have a common name). The reddish-brown middle was so shiny! I wonder if the mushroom was sticky when it first started… Continue reading What Is This Shiny Mushroom?
Sleeping Bees
On these cool fall mornings, you might find a bee sleeping on a flower. Colder temperatures make it harder for bees to move around. In fact, the temperature has to be above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for carpenter bees to be active. They find shelter and protection in the flowers until the temperature warms up. I… Continue reading Sleeping Bees
Henbit With Flowers in October
I was surprised to see a henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) with flowers on the American Tobbacco Trail yesterday. Henbit flowers all year, but it is seen most often in the early spring.
Fall is Here
Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you see it? Fall is here!
Great Golden Digger Wasp
It’s easy to find bees and wasps enjoying the goldenrods and asters these days. Don’t forget to look on the ground! Here, a great golden digger wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) was busy excavating a hole for its nest. This wasp is not aggressive to humans.
Can You Identify This Flower?
Can you identify this tiny flower? I stumbled upon this little plant on the side of the trail. After taking a closer look, I figured out what it is. I’ll give you some hints: it is very common, and it is usually much bigger. It blooms during this time of year. I’ll leave the mystery… Continue reading Can You Identify This Flower?
Quiet Nature- October 5, 2025
Enjoy some quiet nature today with this Common Buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia).
What’s That? October 2, 2025
What is that? It’s a fertile frond of a cutleaf grape fern (Sceptridium dissectum).
What Flowers Will Bloom Next Month? October 2025
The beginning of fall means the end of growing season. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be any flowers in October, though! The goldenrods will continue to bloom this month. Also, the small white asters and the purple asters have just barely started to bloom in September. We can expect a beautiful show of them… Continue reading What Flowers Will Bloom Next Month? October 2025