dandelion

dandelion, 11 months ago to random

White Wild Indigo (Babtisia alba) stands out in the prairie, its inflorescences towering over the green. Like other legumes, this species forms symbioses with soil bacteria that turn inert nitrogen from the air into nutrients for their host plants. They live in small root nodules and help improve the soil over time.

#FloweringFriday #Florespondence #Prairies #NativePlants

A more distant view of a flowering cluster of Wild Indigo in an otherwise flowerless prairie - dappling the fresh green with white.

dandelion, 11 months ago to random

The American Elderberry bushes (Sambucus canadensis) are laden with enormous, lacy clusters of tiny white flowers. Some parts of this species are toxic, but the berries are a wildlife favorite and are traditionally used for jams and jellies.

#NativePlants #Florespondence #Elderberries

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dandelion, 11 months ago to random

It's mulberry time!

Most Mulberry trees here are White Mulberries, introduced to North America in a failed attempt to farm silkworms. They provide an attractive buffet for a host of critters. I encountered a Pileated Woodpecker snacking them straight from the tree. Snapping turtles like them, too.

#Birds #Woodpeckers #Turtles #Herps #Mulberries

Head shot of a snapping turtle munching mulberries that have fallen on the ground
Fresh mulberries on gray sandy ground. The berries are so deep purple that they appear black.

dandelion, 11 months ago to random

#SilentSunday #Wetlands

dandelion, 11 months ago to random

Zum #Insektensamstag ein Kleiner Kohlweißling (Pieris rapae) auf Loesels Rauke (Sisymbrium loeselii). Beide Arten stammen aus dem eurasischen Raum, sind also in Nordamerika relative Neulinge.

#Insects #Invertebrates #Butterflies #InvasiveSpecies

Der selbe Schmetterling auf gelben Raukenblüten mit geöffneten Flügeln.

dandelion, 11 months ago to random

#SilentSunday

dandelion, 1 year ago to random

What birds do when you aren't looking: Female Redwinged Blackbird practicing her jumping skills.

#Birdwatching #Birding #Wetlands #Birds

dandelion, 1 year ago to random

It's Wren Time! Dozens of migrating wrens are flitting around in our wetland. I'm glad I decided to pay more attention to LBBs* - these little guys have a big attitude (the tiny Eurasian Wren is even called "Zaunkönig" in German - "King of the Fence"). It also turned out that they belonged to three different species.

*Little Brown Birds

#Birdwatching #Wetlands #Birding #Birds #Wrens

Marsh Wren perching in dry marsh grass. Its colors contrast a bit more boldly. There are flat rusty patches on its shoulders and back, mixed with speckled areas. The cap and eye streak are also more pronounced.
House Wren singing on a branch. It has a more delicate pattern without strong contrasts. They also prefer the shrubbier parts of the marsh and the woodlands

dandelion, 1 year ago to random

Another familiar albeit unwelcome sight in North American woodlands: Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). This European native crowds out understory plants, and the phytochemicals released from its roots disrupt the associations plants form with mycorrhizal fungi. In many states it is therefore considered a noxious weed that needs to be eradicated.

#Florespondence #FloweringFriday #Woodlands #InvasivePlants

A small patch of blooming garlic mustard catches the sunlight in an otherwise dark forest.

samsteiner, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago) to fediverse German

[ordered some, will order more, want to always have the next book ready - thanks!]

Help.

I need #English books to read to my daughter (9).

She suggests Famous Five but I would like something with a bit more modern "mindset" than the girls always helping in the kitchen and the boys in the barn.

Ideas?

Also, thanks for boosts as my bubble is German speaking.

Also, wow! boost some of those good answers from the #Fediverse community... wow! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

dandelion, 1 year ago to random

Indoor mall at the Old Market in Omaha, NE

Thank you @KarenStrickholm for reminding me of this place!

#FensterFreitag #Nebraska