Twinflower

When Linnaeus came up with his new scientific naming system, he named all of the known plants and animals. Of all of them, he named only one plant after himself - the tiny twinflower, Linnaea borealis, which is now blooming in Wilmot.

I found some today. 

I also found a kingbird that must have been laughing at me as the wind kept twirling my kayak in circles while I tried to focus my camera on him.

 

Twinflower is only about 2 inches high, which meant crawling down with the ticks and mosquitoes

 

This is bush-honeysuckle, with weird double fruits

Amanita

This kingbird kept flying from branch to branch and laughing at me.  Every time I had my camera aimed at him the wind spun my kayak around.

Mid-Summer's Day

The rain stopped, the sun peaked through the clouds on the longest day of the year.  We've hit the middle of summer, and it's all downhill from here.

Blue flag

Shadbush.  The birds will steal the berries the minute they are ripe

Spiders, flies, gnats, and a bullhead lily

Bog Laurel

Peace

I've been enjoying the perfect mornings this month (when it isn't raining....).  Woken by an obnoxious house wren, then up and out - even before my coffee!

Sitting in the sun, watching the turtles swimming, listening to the birds...

A Quiet Morning

Since retiring my waking hours are now determined by the Sun.  Of course that means sleeping until almost 8 in the winter, but in the summer the birds make sure that I am up early.

This morning I was up and out on the pond before the Sun broke through the clouds, to enjoy a quiet moment.

Topsmead

One of my favorite spots for an afternoon walk is Topsmead State Forest in Litchfield, CT.

The main attraction is the hundreds of nesting bobolinks, but there are also bluebirds, swallows, and warblers of all kinds.

There are also lots of meadow wildflowers.

Topsmead is beautiful

Bobolinks do NOT pose for photos

Hiding in the grass

I needed a really powerful zoom lens to get him.

Blue-eyed grass, which is an Iris

Mr. Bluebird

Orange Hawkweed

Wild Geranium

Golden-Chain Tree in the garden.

Buttercups and Ragged-Robin

Looking at the birdhouse from the blind

Looking at the blind from the birdhouse

Timothy Grass

Ragged-Robin

A Walk Before The Rain

Went for a walk along a shaded road through the reservoir in Burlington CT and 

found some pretty things.

The alien Dame's Rocket adds color to roadsides

A beautiful native azalea

If you know the ID of this moth, let me know

Fringed polygala

Cucumber root is starting to bloom

Arabis, I believe

Cinnamon fern fertile fronds are ripening

Pink lady's slipper

Mr. indigo bunting

A female rose-breasted grosbeak