Category Archives: Local Flora and Fauna

Spotting the Knotweed

Posted on 08/30/2025 by chick

The other day I walked into the great room while my husband was watching a video, which he paused when he saw me. Frozen on the screen was an image of foliage. He said, “Do you know what that is?” … Continue reading →

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For the Bees

Posted on 07/17/2025 by chick

Talking to my sister-in-law recently, my husband told her about how, for the bees’ sake, I’d asked him not to mow the front lawn for a while. She joked that she would have done exactly the opposite. I laughed in … Continue reading →

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Much Ado About the Dewberry

Posted on 07/16/2025 by chick

When my friend and I were walking in Putnam earlier this year, I noticed a low-growing white flower that looked maybe a little strawberryish. Imagine my surprise when I later found what appeared to be that same type of plant … Continue reading →

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Goose, Goose, Duck

Posted on 02/23/2025 by chick

I decided to go for a walk on the driveway this evening. When I opened the front door, I spooked some birds that had been hanging around the edges of my yard. More of them flew away when I walked … Continue reading →

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SITY: Mysterious Behavior of Ants

Posted on 03/12/2024 by chick

A post from July of 2022 that I never published– There are two things that I see ants do almost every year. One is farming. I’ve shown pictures of this in the past, but not yet this summer. Actually, I … Continue reading →

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Hi, Kiwi!

Posted on 07/24/2023 by chick

We have two hummingbird feeders in front of our dining-room window, and they get a lot of traffic. There is one particular hummingbird–short and squat, with an incredibly bright orange throat–who not only visits the feeders, but also perches on … Continue reading →

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Into the Woods

Posted on 07/22/2023 by chick

I went for a walk in the woods today, inappropriately appareled, and will no doubt bitterly regret it tonight when I can’t sleep because of the dozen mosquito bites on my arms. My goal initially had been only to check … Continue reading →

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SITY: Jack-in-the-Pulpit in Bloom

Posted on 04/30/2023 by chick

A couple of years ago, I found some three-leaved plants that I thought were likely to be Jack-in-the-pulpit. Now I can say that at least one of them definitely is. This is a very small plant, only a few inches … Continue reading →

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SITY: Striped Wintergreen

Posted on 07/10/2022 by chick

On Friday I took a quick hike into the wooded area of my property so that I could check on the rattlesnake plantain. There were no flowers yet but also no withered flower stalks, so I don’t think I’ve missed … Continue reading →

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SITY: Weedy Orchid

Posted on 07/09/2022 by chick

A new plant sprouted in the yard this year, just within the confines of the landscaping border in front of the house, almost as if it wanted to be part of the “official” plantings. I kept an eye on the … Continue reading →

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