Some Early Summer Sights

Top Photo: Purple coneflower in front of Picnic Dome at Museum of Life & Science. Purple coneflower is in full bloom. This flower attracts many insects. It’s a rewarding experience to visit a planting of coneflower. Lots of different butterfly species come to coneflower for its nectar, and goldfinches can’t resist the seeds. Coneflower likes sun, can handle the heat and will tolerate a forgetful gardener’s lack of watering, so you can’t lose by planting these 3 foot tall flowersRead more

What’s Happening in the Wild

Above, during a downpour, northern rough-winged swallows take a break from swirling, diving and capturing airborne insects over the wetlands. If, while visiting the museum you park at the parking deck, stop and have a look at the flowers blooming along the path leading to the deck, you may see some interesting insects, including several species of butterfly. Over the past week I’ve been seeing dogbane beetles on their namesake plant along the path of the outdoor loop through ExploreRead more

Crab Spider w/prey

Crab Spiders (Thomisidae) typically conceal themselves within the petals, seeds, or leaves of a flowering plant, waiting in ambush for insects to come along. They quickly lurch out to capture any unsuspecting insect that happens by. Prey rarely escape the clutches of these bold little spiders. The spiders get their name from their superficial resemblance to crabs. The action in the above photo took place on the seed head of a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in the very fine garden onRead more