Summer Wildflowers and Some Bugs (of course!)

Now that summer is in full swing, I wanted to post a list of what was in bloom. There are lots of bigger, showier flowers growing in the sunny, open areas of the preserve and smaller, yet just as beautiful flowers thriving in the cool and dark woods. Wildlife watching opportunities abound around these flowering buffets. And not just of the insect kind! Hummingbirds and other avians are frequent visitors. Amphibians and reptiles can be a surprise find too, whether it is a small spring peeper or gray tree frog hiding on a leaf or a quick leopard frog darting through the grass. Enjoy this photo montage of flora and fauna and check out the "in bloom" list at the bottom of the post!

Queen Ann's Lace

 Heal-all

 Swamp Milkweed

Monarda

Obedient Plant

Purple Coneflower

False Sunflower

Sweet-scented Water Lily

Next up is the wildlife!

This isn't an insect, it's an arachnid! A Six-spotted Fishing Spider to be precise. These are really cool animals; they can dive under water to catch a yummy fish to eat.

 Here is a small spring peeper resting on a Monarda leaf.

 Check out this beautiful baby Milk Snake we found! We gave him his "close up", then let him go.

You didn't think I was going to let you get away without a couple of insect photos, did you? 

 A small native bee working hard at collecting pollen and nectar on the Monarda. If you look closely at the picture you may notice the white glob of pollen on the last leg.

 Here is a Slender Spreadwing Damselfly, Lestes rectangularis. Note the incredibly blue eyes.


Flowers currently in bloom... 
Sweet-scented Joy-pye Weed
Lizard's Tail
Monarda
Orange Milkweed
Sweet-scented Water Lily
Fleabane
White and Blue Vervain
Swamp Milkweed
False Sunflower
Obedient Plant
Heal-all
Horse Balm
Enchanter's Nightshade
Lopseed
Hog Peanut
Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil
Common Milkweed
White Sweet Clover
Trumpet Creeper
Queen Ann's Lace
Purple Coneflower