In these first weeks of August we have had many hummingbirds visiting our feeders. We had seen several hummingbirds in May, but they were absent in June and July. Apparently this pattern is common, many hummingbirds hang around feeders in May, but by June the females are busy nesting and the males wander off elsewhere. …
Author Archives: jimr77
Small Flowers
Ontario Lobelia (Lobelia kalmii) This tiny plant is prevalent on the north shore of Lake Superior and is less common elsewhere in Minnesota. It only reaches 0.5 to 1.5 inches tall and its flowers are just 0.25 to 0.50 inches across. Ontario Lobelia prefers wetland environments, and is found in the northern states and Canada. …
Morning on the Lake
In the three images above a beaver can be seen swimming across the lake, then raising his tail to slap the water, and finally the resulting splash as he submerges. It seemed like this beaver was intentionally showing himself to me and then swimming away — maybe to draw me away from the beaver lodge? …
Milkweeds and Butterflies #2
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) The long narrow leaves of Swamp Milkweed distinguishes it from other milkweeds. Its beautiful flowers make it a desirable plant in the garden and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. As expected from its name, Swamp Milkweed is typically found near water in the wild. However it can thrive in an average …
Understory; Shrubbery #2, Gray Alder and Hazelnut
The perimeter of our lake has a nearly continuous natural hedge. The picture below shows this continuous wall of bushes rimming one of the lake’s islands. This bushy barrier at the water’s edge is predominantly Gray Alder. Gray Alder (Alnus incana) According to the Minnesota DNR, many smaller lakes and ponds in northern Minnesota are …
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Lily Pads
Watershield (Brasenia schreberi) The pads of watershield are slightly smaller than other common lily pads, and they are more elliptical. It blooms throughout the summer, but we did not notice any of the smaller pink-purple flowers. Its most interesting and noticeable feature was a thick coating of very slippery mucilage (slime!) coating the underside of …
July Brings New Wildflowers #3 Yellow
Many different yellow wildflowers have appeared recently. So this is a longer post than usual. The first grouping includes four plants that have a “weedy” appearance. Despite this, their flowers are surprisingly attractive. Meadow Hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum); upper left of image This is an invasive non-native species relatively new to Minnesota. Like the related Orange …
Old Technology; Is Newer Necessarily Better?
Departing from the usual for one post to advocate an unconventional method to mow lawn — the old-style, non-motorized reel mower. I got one of these mowers for the first time about four years ago, and was surprised at how well it worked. Since then, I’ve used this type of mower a lot; the images …
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Understory; Shrubberies #1
Wild Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) Red Raspberry is a native plant common throughout Minnesota and easily recognized. It is likely the wild berry most often eaten by people. In our area the raspberries are especially noticeable now, because of their eye-catching ripe fruit. They are most commonly found in the dappled shade at the edges …
Time Lapse Sunset
This is a simple post, relying on scenery
