Autumn Pollinators

I haven't spied a monarch butterfly in awhile.

From our walk there were bumblebees and viceroy butterflies in abundance. 

 

Late Summer Blooms

From our walk there is this. 

Prairie Dock - Silphium terebinthinaceum.  Also commonly called rosin weed.  It is a sunflower-like plant it can grow to a height of 9 feet. With a 14 foot tap root it is exceedingly drought-resistant and can flourish for decades. 

The plant gets the name rosin weed because it produces a sweet-smelling resin when injured. While Prairie Rosin weed is the correct name for this specific plant, there are other plants called rosin weed that are different species within the same genus, Silphium. 

It is just now beginning to come on-line and pollinators are attracted to it as it blooms for more than a month. Birds love the seeds.

When we planted our prairie 20 years ago this species was not in the seed mix.  Like several other species it has found its way here and established itself on its own.

Bonus! 

 

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's.....

Papilio cresphontes - commonly known as the giant swallowtail; the largest butterfly species in North America!  

This really made our day as this was a first for us.  And first experiences are, as a general rule, the best of the best.  The Missus captured this video:

The wingspan on this butterfly is a whopping 4–6 inches and features dark brown to black wings with striking yellow bands forming an "X" across the wings. The underside is mostly yellow with blue and red spots near the tail.  The hindwings feature thin tails lending the species the swallowtail name.

You'll find this critter throughout the eastern and southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and into South America.  In the US it’s most common year-round in the Southeast, but its range extends into the Midwest and as far north as southern Canada during warmer years.

Larva caterpillars are called orange dogs and feed on orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit  leaves.  They have a unique defense in that they resemble bird droppings and emit a foul odor to deter predators.  

Adults have a strong gliding flight and favor flowers featuring nectar.  Around here they're generally welcome as pollinators; although if you're a citrus grower in Florida or Texas you may feel differently.

Blooms Butterflies and Bees

Meet Vernonia noveboracensis - commonly known as Ironweed.  It caught my eye while out bushwhacking trails and wildlife openings the other day.  It seemed a bit too early for New England Asters so I thought I better check it out.  

It is indeed a striking purple color and hard to miss.  It is a perennial native east of the Mississippi ranging from Massachusetts to Florida.  It belongs to the Asteraceae (sunflower) family and this specimen was north of four feet tall.  We didn't plant it but we're tickled to welcome it as butterflies and bees love it. 

The butterfly in your image is a 

Great Spangled Fritillary - Speyeria cybele.  It is a large, orange-brown butterflies with distinctive black markings on their upper wings. The undersides of their hind wings feature numerous large, silvery-white spots, giving them their "spangled" name.

They're commonly found in open woodlands, meadows, fields, and along roadsides across much of North America, including Wisconsin.  Adults feed primarily on nectar from various wildflowers, including milkweeds, thistles, and ironweed.  Their caterpillars feed on violet leaves - commonly found growing throughout the farm but primarily in the floodplain of Silver Creek.

Pollinator Habitat

The Frau took this photo the other day.

She shared it with me.

And I'm sharing it with you.

 

Wildflower Blooms

From our morning walk the other day there were these showy, native flowers.

Bee Balm

Black-Eyed Susan

Blue Vervain

Compass Plant

Gray-Headed Coneflower

Joe Pye Weed

Obedient Plant

Prairie Blazing Star

Purple Coneflower 

Purple Prairie Clover

Wildflower Blooms

Spring has been cooler and late this year; consequently this forb is about 2 to 3 weeks delayed.  From our walk this morning there was Penstemon digitalis - commonly known as Smooth Penstemon.

A member of the snapdragon family this showy native to the prairie is also called foxglove or beardtongue.  Native Americans and folk-healers have made use of this plant for medicinal purposes for both people and animals.   

On our pollinator habitat this is the first species to materialize in large quantities.  And there is an abundance of this blooming beauty. Acres upon acres of the stuff.  This flower appears during late spring or early summer for about a month and then it’s gone.  

Long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, miner bees, butterflies, Sphinx moths, and hummingbirds favor this plant.  The name Beardtongue is a consequence of the hairy reproductive parts found within the flower.

Critters In Winter

The doggo and I got a pretty good gig going for us.  Step outta the house and there’s approximately 3.5 miles of trails to walk.  Better yet, the pup doesn’t have to wear a lead and I don’t get dragged along behind one.  All she wears is her hunting e-collar just in case.  Our walks are free range and à la carte.

North of a year and a half-old Ruby has certainly matured.  Of course that’s relative as she’s still stuck somewhere between puppyhood and solid adulthood.  Nevertheless, she follows voice commands and generally sticks close. If I stop to examine something I’m curious about she’ll wait for me to catch-up.  Conversely, if she’s after something of interest, her bell is a good cue as to her whereabouts.  And she returns when summoned.

The other day we checked-out the prairie habitat north of the house. This stuff is absolutely not indigenous peninsula habitat; but it’s good wildlife cover and it’s our property so we plant what we like.

This is excellent pollinator habitat three seasons of the year so it attracts a lot of birds.  In the fourth season of winter it is terrific cover for overwintering birds and other critters.

Those grasses and forbs that have been blown-down in the photo were about six  feet tall at their prime. Tumbled-over they form thousands of hollow cavities and caves at ground level. When covered by snow these become snug animal igloos.

Sure enough - thermal cover for the birds and other critters to hunker down and hide from the wind and snow.  Predators too.

Now play Where’s Waldo and find the dog in the photo…

 

Autumn Blooms

Another sure sign of autumn.

New England asters.

Bees are bonus.....

Wild Flower Walk

From our walk yesterday we note changes occurring daily in the pollinator habitat.

There are a few Black-eyed  Susans emerging among acres of Penstemon.

Talked the dog into posing with some False Sunflower (Ox-Eye). 

And there was the first bloom on a Compass Plant.

 

Wildflower Walk

Meet - Penstemon digitalis - commonly known as Smooth Penstemon. 

A member of the snapdragon family this showy native to the prairie is also called foxglove or beardtongue.  Native Americans and folk-healers have made use of this plant for medicinal purposes for both people and animals.    

 

 

On our pollinator habitat this is the first species to materialize in large quantities.  And there is an abundance of this blooming beauty. Acres upon acres of the stuff.  This flower appears during late spring or early summer for about a month and then it’s gone.  

 

Long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, miner bees, butterflies, Sphinx moths, and hummingbirds favor this plant.  The name Beardtongue is a consequence of the hairy reproductive parts found within the flower.

 

Fall Colors

While on my daily walk with the dog I've begun to notice some of the trees are beginning to turn on their fall foliage.  Nevertheless, the fall colors are not restricted to tree leaves.  The fall flowers are really pulling-out the stops with a color palette that is attracting the bumble bees, honey bees and other pollinators on the landscape.

From one of our recent walks there was this...

Fall Colors

Our daily walk is now a mile for the human. It is anybody’s guess what it is for the pup as she’s here and there, forth and back, in and out, all over the place.  She is a joy to watch.

This time of year is when the asters bloom adding their own colors to the fall palette.  

And from one of our walks this weekend there was Oligoneuron rigida - commonly known as stiff goldenrod or stiff-leaved goldenrod.  It is a native North American plant belonging to the vast aster family (Asteraceae).  Canada goldenrod is far more common but this was included in our pollinator mix planted decades-ago.

Found east of the Rocky Mountains this plant grows stems that branch at the top into multiple small yellow flower heads.  Named after a stem and leaves that are hairy and rough to the touch differentiating this flower from other goldenrod species.  

Insects gravitate to this plant for its nectar to feed in late summer and autumn.

 

And, no, it doesn't cause you to sneeze.  Common ragweed is responsible for that.

Wildflower Walk

Meet Aster novae-angliae - commonly known at the New England Aster.

This native plant grows all-over around here in sun, shade and moist spots.  A late bloomer it really shows-off when autumn rolls-around.  We included it in our prairie seed mix decades-ago.  And now it is found absolutely everywhere.

The coloring can range from white to blue although ours generally are pink to purple with variations of  blue-violet in between. 

It's a terrific nectar plan and I've been busy photographing many of the bees and butterflies paying it a visit

Wildflower Walk

 

Heliopsis helianthoides.  Commonly called Ox-eye this native plant is a member of the aster family.  

A great butterfly attractant it is also another showy wildflower.

Wildflower Walk

Meet - Penstemon digitalis - commonly known as Smooth Penstemon. 

 

 

A member of the snapdragon family this showy native to the prairie is also called foxglove or beardtongue.  Native Americans and folk-healers have made use of this plant for medicinal purposes for both people and animals.   

 

On our pollinator habitat this is the first species to materialize in large quantities.  And there is an abundance of this blooming beauty. Acres upon acres of the stuff.  This flower appears during late spring or early summer for about a month and then it’s gone.  

 

Long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, miner bees, butterflies, Sphinx moths, and hummingbirds favor this plant.  The name Beardtongue is a consequence of the hairy reproductive parts found within the flower.

 

More Signs of Spring

It remains rather brown outside and when it is dreary and rainy it's difficult to imagine spring. That is, unless, you get out of doors and examine the natural world that surrounds you.  

From our walk yesterday there was this.  

Catkins!   

This is the petal-less flower associated with willow, birch, hickory and a few additional trees.   

Willows thrive in the wetter soils found around here and form tangled thickets that provide valuable wildlife habitat.  The flowers you see pictured emerge in early spring before the leaves.  Willows are dioecious with male flowers are associated with a separate plant from those that bear female flowers.  

This is a common native tree found throughout Wisconsin.  Depending upon the season it is also commonly utilized in floral arrangements.   

Since this is one of the very first spring blooms they are a sure sign of the end of winter and the beginning of spring. 

*Memo to self - be sure to keep a lookout for the first honey bees of 2021

Fall Flowers - Part 2

From our walk there continue to be opportunities to exercise an immersive experience in the natural world around me.  

Lygaeus Kalmii - the Small Eastern Milkweed Bug – is found throughout the US. This critter dines on milkweed but is immune to the toxic chemicals in the plant.  And just as with the monarch butterfly the regular diet of milkweed also endows this beetle with the same properties making it toxic to other predators. Who knew? 

Of course there are New England asters as far as they eye can see.

Nevertheless, some golds of autumn too. 

Stiff goldenrod .....

And ginormous patches of sneeze weed....

Fall Flowers - Part 1

From our walk this morning there were ample opportunities to indulge my retirement vow of paying closer attention to the natural world around me.

Aster novae-angliae - commonly known as the New England Aster - has been blooming for about a month now.      

This native plant grows all-over around here in sun, shade and moist spots.  A late bloomer it really shows-off when autumn rolls-around.  We included it in our prairie seed mix decades-ago.

The coloring can range from white to blue although ours generally are pink to purple with variations of  blue in between.       

It's a terrific nectar plan and I've been busy photographing many of the bees and butterflies paying it a visit.  

Can you find the honey bee in the photo?