Discovery Journal

The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird is known for his brilliant red gorget. But sometimes, that gorget is less brilliant and more black than red, to the point that they could almost be mistaken for a Black-chinned Hummingbird if it were not for the range.

I am pleased to announce that I have added a new feature to Native Suburbia: The Images of the Day. All images are now indexed by shot date in the Images of the Day Index, accessible from the Gallery menu.

This year we added the native plant Royal Catchfly to our gardens and it is rapidly becoming one of my favorites.

Eastern Amberwings are everywhere at the pond right now, posing on seeding grassheads and hovering in flight over the water.

Tonight a new species of damselfly was spotted in our backyard gardens. This one is a Great Spreadwing.

The pond has proven to be a great area for birdwatching during the spring migration. However, there are a good number of year-round residents that can be seen regularly during the rest of the year. The following are a few species seen in the last two days.

Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) is not the only lobelia seeing pollinator action in the gardens right now. Lobelia syphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia, sometimes referred to as Blue Cardinal Flower), is a bee favorite.

While the cardinal flower is a favorite of the hummingbirds, this monarch was not interested in its nectar. However, it sure made a pretty resting spot when a tired male needs to take a break from patrolling his territory.

While the gardens contain many plants that are attractive to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the striking red blossoms of the Cardinal Flower are an irresistible draw.

More dragonflies today at the pond and creek - some of the same seen on Saturday and some new ones to share. They sure do love a sunny day. This time, I had the telephoto lens to capture the dragonflies perched further away.