Until about a week ago, the month had been sunny and cool – then summer weather arrived.  Still not much rain, but we’re getting plenty of sun and heat. 

Spring flowers and tree leaves came in slowly this year – I think because of the cool weather.

 

Now that summer temperatures are here, everything is moving faster – bugs, butterflies and flowers.

Blue-eyed Grass on the prairie points

 

Rue Anemone in the savannas and the woods

 

Wood Anemones on Maple Ridge

 

Marsh Marigolds and Red Osier stems

 

Hawthorn

 

Black Cherry

 

Hidden Oaks Point had more Hoary Puccoon blooming than we’ve ever seen.

 

More Hoary Puccoon on the point

 

This is on a north facing slope along the trail above the cabin.  Ten years ago I collected some Dutchman’s Breeches seed pods from a woods down the road from us, threw them down on this cool shady hillside, and forgot about them.  We walked by last week, and found many plants, most of them blooming!

 

Some animal made a home here – under and around the roots of a tree.  The Dutchman’s Breeches were growing and blooming all around the holes.

 

More of the Dutchman’s Breeches

 

This is another species that grows nearby, but I’ve never found it growing here naturally – Silky Prairie Clover.  I planted some seeds a few years ago, and yesterday we found it growing on the sandy part of the Knife Edge Point.

 

Dwarf Raspberry – in the shady woods on Maple Ridge

 

Lupines almost in bloom – I like the geometric shapes they make at this stage.

 

Lupine in full bloom

 

Now our biggest patch of Lupine is full of Blister Beetles so the flowers are almost gone.  These beetles emerge every year – they’re native – and eat first the Lupine flowers and seeds, and when those are finished, they move on to White Wild Indigo.  They never get quite all of the flowers – isolated clumps usually escape – and it doesn’t hurt the plants, it just means we don’t get many seeds.  Larvae of these beetles are parasites in nests of sweat bees.

 

Hobomok Skipper on Lupine

 

Mountain Blue-eyed Grass

 

Harebell

 

Balsam Ragwort

 

Canada Anemone

 

Wild Geranium

 

Indian Paintbrush

 

Butterflies are starting to congregate on our driveway again – one Gorgone Checkerspot with Northern Crescents.

 

Viceroy

 

Northern Cloudywing

 

Arctic Skipper

 

We started seeing Monarchs about a week ago – May 24.

 

I’ve been seeing some of the big moths at my lights…

Polyphemus

 

Modest Sphinx showing off its rosy underwings

 

And here are some small day-flying moths…

Eight-spotted Forester

 

Another view of the Eight-spotted Forester showing its fuzzy orange leggings.

 

Mournful Thyris – a mated pair.

 

We’re having fun taking bird photos.

Indigo Bunting

 

Northern Waterthrush

 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

 

Solitary Sandpiper

 

Yellow Warbler

 

A very wet Field Sparrow

 

Common Yellowthroat

 

Chestnut-sided Warbler

 

Here’s a bunch of tiny, newly hatched spiders – moving very fast…

 

and a gorgeous Eastern Milk Snake crossing our driveway

 

This is an Autumn Olive bush in bloom – only the second one I’ve found here, and the first time I’ve seen one blooming.  It’s pretty but very invasive, so I’ve cut and treated it so it won’t come back.

 

The Hidden Oaks Prairie bench – a good place to watch spring change to summer.