Great Spangled Fritillary
The Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) is one member of over 6000 species divided into twelve families of Fritillary butterflies. The Great Fritillary is common over most of North America and can be found in a variety of habitats including fields, valleys, pastures, meadows, open woodland, prairies and even city gardens.
Males patrol open areas looking for females. After mating the females lay up to 2000 eggs on or near Violets and violet species, in late summer. When the caterpillars hatch they do not eat. Instead they over winter and feed heavily on young violet leaves, including Johnny Jump Ups, in the spring. Many do not survive the winter. That's the reason for the females laying so many eggs.
Adult butterflies feed on nectar from many plants including milkweeds, thistles, ironweed, dogbane, mountain laurel, verbena, vetch, bergamot, red clover, joe-pye weed, purple coneflower, and Zinnia's. They are a fairly large butterfly with a wing span from 2 1/2 - 4 inches. The female is tawny and darker than males.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) by Ernie Hunter
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
Used in Europe for many years as a medicinal herb then brought to North America, Motherwort got it's name from it's use as a tea to treat mothers during childbirth. A wildflower, often relegated to the “noxious weed†category simply because the flowers are small and not showy. Look closer, but be careful of the spines on the Calyxes that surround each leaf axil, you will see beautiful white and purple, orchid like flowers, that are no more than a quarter inch high. Use your imagination and you might even see "Aliens" sitting on their thrones.
The stalks are square and hollow and have a rib on each corner, making them very strong. Try cutting them with a weed eater, especially if they are old plants. Mammalian herbivores avoid the foliage as it has a bitter taste, but bees do a great job pollinating the flowers of these plants. The lower leaves some what resemble a maple leaf in the beginning rosette. The upper leaves on the stems are different in shape. The Motherwort is a member of the mint family.
Used in Europe for many years as a medicinal herb then brought to North America, Motherwort got it's name from it's use as a tea to treat mothers during childbirth. A wildflower, often relegated to the “noxious weed†category simply because the flowers are small and not showy. Look closer, but be careful of the spines on the Calyxes that surround each leaf axil, you will see beautiful white and purple, orchid like flowers, that are no more than a quarter inch high. Use your imagination and you might even see "Aliens" sitting on their thrones.
The stalks are square and hollow and have a rib on each corner, making them very strong. Try cutting them with a weed eater, especially if they are old plants. Mammalian herbivores avoid the foliage as it has a bitter taste, but bees do a great job pollinating the flowers of these plants. The lower leaves some what resemble a maple leaf in the beginning rosette. The upper leaves on the stems are different in shape. The Motherwort is a member of the mint family.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare).
The Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare), introduced from Europe and Asia, is a tall plant with exceptional fortification. Unlike other thistle, the Bull Thistle is covered from top to bottom with defensively sharp spines. Most other thistles only have spines on their leaves. The Bull Thistle starts it's first year as a rosette, while it establishes a deep tap root to supply nutrients and stabilize it in the second year, when it can grow to five or six feet tall. It's in this second year that it flowers and produces the hundreds of air born seeds to start the cycle all over. The seeds are carried on silky parachutes if not eaten first by the American Goldfinch and other birds. The goldfinches will gather in groups, if the thistle are abundant, and sit on the flower heads plucking the parachutes out and shaping off the seeds. They also use the thistle down for lining in their nests as do other small birds and rodents.
While the Bull Thistle is a noxious weed, it is easily controlled by cutting or digging. It is, however, a delight to let some grow in a place where you can watch the Goldfinches (wild Canary's) work them. Picking out seed after seed and letting the parachutes blow in the breezes. For all their spiny defenses these small birds seem impervious to them, or they just ignore them.
The Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare), introduced from Europe and Asia, is a tall plant with exceptional fortification. Unlike other thistle, the Bull Thistle is covered from top to bottom with defensively sharp spines. Most other thistles only have spines on their leaves. The Bull Thistle starts it's first year as a rosette, while it establishes a deep tap root to supply nutrients and stabilize it in the second year, when it can grow to five or six feet tall. It's in this second year that it flowers and produces the hundreds of air born seeds to start the cycle all over. The seeds are carried on silky parachutes if not eaten first by the American Goldfinch and other birds. The goldfinches will gather in groups, if the thistle are abundant, and sit on the flower heads plucking the parachutes out and shaping off the seeds. They also use the thistle down for lining in their nests as do other small birds and rodents.
While the Bull Thistle is a noxious weed, it is easily controlled by cutting or digging. It is, however, a delight to let some grow in a place where you can watch the Goldfinches (wild Canary's) work them. Picking out seed after seed and letting the parachutes blow in the breezes. For all their spiny defenses these small birds seem impervious to them, or they just ignore them.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
The Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) is North America's largest native moth and a member of the Saturniidae family of Giant Silk Moths. I found the cocoon of this moth attached to a very thorny blackberry cane. I'm wondering if this might have been partly for protection as mice and squirrels will eat the pupae. I didn't have a lot of time so I took a couple of photos of it in place and then brought it into the house to photograph later. Instead of putting it into a rearing box I left it on a shelf next to the TV with some other things that needed photos taken.
Monday morning, Victoria Day in Canada, I remembered the cocoon and went to place it in a box - too late! Something caught my eye and there, hanging on a birch twig, was a beautiful female Cecropia Moth, slowly fanning her wings. When a moth, or butterfly, emerges their wings are small, wet and folded tightly around their body with more precision than a parachute in it's case. The insect must immediately start slowly beating them to pump fluids into them, expanding the wings for flight. This also helps dry the wings and strengthen their flight muscles for their next journey in life. This process takes several hours and when completed left this moth with a wing span of almost eight inches. She seemed to like having photos taken and we even did a little video.
That evening Chris and I took Victoria, named after the day, outside to release her. She wasn't excited and clung to Chris's finger like she knew what was happening. After several minutes she fluttered her wings, as if trying them out. Then she made an attempt! A short flight of about ten inches, landing on Chris's lip. Neither one seemed scared and Chris got her back on her finger after several minutes. Moments passed and finally another flutter of her wings and she let go of Chris, landing a few feet away on a post. We left her there and, after ten minutes or so, she flew off into the night in search of a mate, her life cycle nearly complete. Once she mates, she will lay up to a hundred eggs and die. Her job on Earth complete.
The Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) is North America's largest native moth and a member of the Saturniidae family of Giant Silk Moths. I found the cocoon of this moth attached to a very thorny blackberry cane. I'm wondering if this might have been partly for protection as mice and squirrels will eat the pupae. I didn't have a lot of time so I took a couple of photos of it in place and then brought it into the house to photograph later. Instead of putting it into a rearing box I left it on a shelf next to the TV with some other things that needed photos taken.
Monday morning, Victoria Day in Canada, I remembered the cocoon and went to place it in a box - too late! Something caught my eye and there, hanging on a birch twig, was a beautiful female Cecropia Moth, slowly fanning her wings. When a moth, or butterfly, emerges their wings are small, wet and folded tightly around their body with more precision than a parachute in it's case. The insect must immediately start slowly beating them to pump fluids into them, expanding the wings for flight. This also helps dry the wings and strengthen their flight muscles for their next journey in life. This process takes several hours and when completed left this moth with a wing span of almost eight inches. She seemed to like having photos taken and we even did a little video.
That evening Chris and I took Victoria, named after the day, outside to release her. She wasn't excited and clung to Chris's finger like she knew what was happening. After several minutes she fluttered her wings, as if trying them out. Then she made an attempt! A short flight of about ten inches, landing on Chris's lip. Neither one seemed scared and Chris got her back on her finger after several minutes. Moments passed and finally another flutter of her wings and she let go of Chris, landing a few feet away on a post. We left her there and, after ten minutes or so, she flew off into the night in search of a mate, her life cycle nearly complete. Once she mates, she will lay up to a hundred eggs and die. Her job on Earth complete.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Ernie Hunter - White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
One of our better known deciduous trees, the White Ash (Fraxinus americana) stands tall. Up to eighty feet tall with a straight trunk measuring up to two feet in diameter. While the tree itself may or may not be easily recognized, the end result of some of the lumber from it will always be remembered. White ash is the primary source for baseball bats. It's straight grain, resilience and shock absorbency make it the wood of choice, not only for bats but tennis rackets, hockey sticks, polo mallets, oars and many other sports and playground equipment. A hardwood much sought after by anyone wanting a good quality, straight grained and easily worked wood.
White Ash is also used for shade trees. If it is not crowded it will grow tall and straight with a beautiful conical or rounded crown, providing shade in all directions. It will, however, cover everything with yellow pollen in early spring just before it's leaves open. This tree practices segregation as male flowers are on one tree and female ones on another. The male flowers, when viewed up close, resemble bunches of bananas in miniature. As they open, they disperse a yellow pollen that is carried, mostly, by the wind hopefully to other trees with female blossoms. When pollinated, the female flowers form keys similar to maples except the are in singles and not double keys. These winged keys are the seeds of the ash and are carried by the wind, if they're not eaten, to start new trees in new locations. They are however, a favourite food of squirrels, chipmunks, mice and many birds, and only a fraction of the thousands produced ever grow.
The bark on young trees is a smooth dark grey which becomes furrowed as it ages much like people, although we don't like to admit it! The leaves are opposite, pinnately compound with 7 to 9 ovate or elliptical, finely saw-toothed or almost smooth leaflets. These are dark green, sometimes with a purplish cast on the top and whitish green on the bottom. They turn purple or yellow in the fall.
The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilis planipennis), an invasive Asian species of beetle, has devastated thousands of ash trees. If an infested tree is found it should be cut and burned to try to limit the spread.
One of our better known deciduous trees, the White Ash (Fraxinus americana) stands tall. Up to eighty feet tall with a straight trunk measuring up to two feet in diameter. While the tree itself may or may not be easily recognized, the end result of some of the lumber from it will always be remembered. White ash is the primary source for baseball bats. It's straight grain, resilience and shock absorbency make it the wood of choice, not only for bats but tennis rackets, hockey sticks, polo mallets, oars and many other sports and playground equipment. A hardwood much sought after by anyone wanting a good quality, straight grained and easily worked wood.
White Ash is also used for shade trees. If it is not crowded it will grow tall and straight with a beautiful conical or rounded crown, providing shade in all directions. It will, however, cover everything with yellow pollen in early spring just before it's leaves open. This tree practices segregation as male flowers are on one tree and female ones on another. The male flowers, when viewed up close, resemble bunches of bananas in miniature. As they open, they disperse a yellow pollen that is carried, mostly, by the wind hopefully to other trees with female blossoms. When pollinated, the female flowers form keys similar to maples except the are in singles and not double keys. These winged keys are the seeds of the ash and are carried by the wind, if they're not eaten, to start new trees in new locations. They are however, a favourite food of squirrels, chipmunks, mice and many birds, and only a fraction of the thousands produced ever grow.
The bark on young trees is a smooth dark grey which becomes furrowed as it ages much like people, although we don't like to admit it! The leaves are opposite, pinnately compound with 7 to 9 ovate or elliptical, finely saw-toothed or almost smooth leaflets. These are dark green, sometimes with a purplish cast on the top and whitish green on the bottom. They turn purple or yellow in the fall.
The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilis planipennis), an invasive Asian species of beetle, has devastated thousands of ash trees. If an infested tree is found it should be cut and burned to try to limit the spread.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Historic March from New Brunswick 1813
Historic March from New Brunswick 1813: Historic March from New Brunswick 1813: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
On Saturday, Feb. 16th, 1813, in Officers’ Square in downtown Fredericton the 104th (New Brunswick) Regiment of Foot left on their historical march to Kingston, Ontario. Marching through one of the worst winters on record, they traveled the 1100 kms in deep snow and extreme cold. These poorly clad soldiers suffered from hunger and frost bite but marched on in their valiant effort to reinforce British troops in Kingston and thwart the expected American invasion.
As the American invasion was thought to happen when the campaign season opened in the spring, the British needed more men by early April and as the St. Lawrence was still frozen, water navigation was out of the question. Things were relatively quiet in the East so troops were sent from the Maritimes, on foot. 554 men, split into companies of 100, began the long march to Kingston.
Marching North along the St. John River until they reached the St. Lawrence, they then turned west and followed the St. Lawrence through the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Crossing the river at Levis, they continued on, enduring the bitter cold, lack of food and proper clothing, arriving in Kingston 57 days later on April 12th, 1813.
This march by the 104th is one of the great marches in military history and yet goes much unrecognized. We can only hope that this re-enactment will bring it the recognition it deserves.
On Saturday, Feb. 16th, 1813, in Officers’ Square in downtown Fredericton the 104th (New Brunswick) Regiment of Foot left on their historical march to Kingston, Ontario. Marching through one of the worst winters on record, they traveled the 1100 kms in deep snow and extreme cold. These poorly clad soldiers suffered from hunger and frost bite but marched on in their valiant effort to reinforce British troops in Kingston and thwart the expected American invasion.
As the American invasion was thought to happen when the campaign season opened in the spring, the British needed more men by early April and as the St. Lawrence was still frozen, water navigation was out of the question. Things were relatively quiet in the East so troops were sent from the Maritimes, on foot. 554 men, split into companies of 100, began the long march to Kingston.
Marching North along the St. John River until they reached the St. Lawrence, they then turned west and followed the St. Lawrence through the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Crossing the river at Levis, they continued on, enduring the bitter cold, lack of food and proper clothing, arriving in Kingston 57 days later on April 12th, 1813.
This march by the 104th is one of the great marches in military history and yet goes much unrecognized. We can only hope that this re-enactment will bring it the recognition it deserves.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Ice Storm
Ice Storm: Ice Storm: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Do the words "Freezing Rain" in your weather forecast send shivers up your spine? They probably do if you remember the ice storm of 1998 that put up to 5 inches of freezing rain across eastern Ontario, southern Quebec, the Maritimes and parts of the northern United States. Power outages lasting weeks, not hours or days, trees down everywhere, roads closed. This is enough to make those who remembered leave town. However; last Fridays ice storm wasn't that bad. In fact, while it coated cars, trees, wires and the like, it was not that bad on the roads. More slushy than icy.
Ice coated trees, shrubs and grass combined with the dull overcast sky gave things a fairy tale look. Some scenes looked as though they were photographed in infrared as the trees and grass appeared white, much like the effect of black and white infrared film. Long needled pine bows drooped and looked as though they were coated in glass. Newly swelled buds on lilac bushes were encapsulated in a quarter of an inch of ice. Bushes, usually a safe distance from the highway, were touching the edges of the pavement. In several places long tubes of ice coming off one hydro line touched the other line, sending a ball of flame and sparks skyward, and put the power out.
By mid afternoon the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. Within an hour most of the ice was gone from the trees, wires etc and Ontario Hydro had power restored. Anyone who slept in late missed most of it. Guess that's not a bad thing though.
Do the words "Freezing Rain" in your weather forecast send shivers up your spine? They probably do if you remember the ice storm of 1998 that put up to 5 inches of freezing rain across eastern Ontario, southern Quebec, the Maritimes and parts of the northern United States. Power outages lasting weeks, not hours or days, trees down everywhere, roads closed. This is enough to make those who remembered leave town. However; last Fridays ice storm wasn't that bad. In fact, while it coated cars, trees, wires and the like, it was not that bad on the roads. More slushy than icy.
Ice coated trees, shrubs and grass combined with the dull overcast sky gave things a fairy tale look. Some scenes looked as though they were photographed in infrared as the trees and grass appeared white, much like the effect of black and white infrared film. Long needled pine bows drooped and looked as though they were coated in glass. Newly swelled buds on lilac bushes were encapsulated in a quarter of an inch of ice. Bushes, usually a safe distance from the highway, were touching the edges of the pavement. In several places long tubes of ice coming off one hydro line touched the other line, sending a ball of flame and sparks skyward, and put the power out.
By mid afternoon the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. Within an hour most of the ice was gone from the trees, wires etc and Ontario Hydro had power restored. Anyone who slept in late missed most of it. Guess that's not a bad thing though.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Spring at Upper Brewers Mills
Spring at Upper Brewers Mills: Spring at Upper Brewers Mills: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Lower Brewers Mills Lock Station 45
Lower Brewers Mills Lock Station 45: Lower Brewers Mills Lock Station 45: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Replacing a Submersible Well Water Pump
Replacing a Submersible Well Water Pump: Replacing a Submersible Well Water Pump: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis): Canada Goose (Branta canadensis): new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Sunday, March 10, 2013
McCormick Deering Tractors on Steel
McCormick Deering Tractors on Steel: McCormick Deering Tractors on Steel: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Davis Lock Station 38 on the Rideau
Davis Lock Station 38 on the Rideau: Davis Lock Station 38 on the Rideau: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Jones Falls Locks 39-42 Rideau Canal
Jones Falls Locks 39-42 Rideau Canal: Jones Falls Locks 39-42 Rideau Canal: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Random Wanderings: Guest Blogger - Ernie Hunter
Random Wanderings: Guest Blogger - Ernie Hunter: Ernie Hunter News :: A Few More Wildflowers Posted: 2/22/2013 12:28:58 PM Page Views 28 Comments 0 I think everyone can r...
Friday, February 22, 2013
Guest Blogger - Ernie Hunter
Ernie Hunter News :: A Few More Wildflowers |
 Posted: 2/22/2013 12:28:58 PM
 Page Views 28
 Comments 0
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 I
think everyone can recognize a few wildflowers, so let's look at one
easy one and then we can try to find a couple of somewhat harder ones.The Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) is probably the easiest. Remember "She Loves Me - She Loves Me Not" or making a daisy chain bracelet. Now we're telling our age. Look along roadsides, in pasture fields and hay fields and even in some peoples flower gardens. You'll see this startling white flower with the bright yellow center, or eye, growing on long stems, blowing in the breeze. This "eye" is composed of densely packed tiny disc florets. So, the yellow and white flower we see is actually hundreds of tiny flowers, making up the eye. Look closely and you might see a different insect, sitting motionless on the flower. A favourite spot for the Goldenrod Crab Spider - - Thomisidae - Misumena vatia. It can change it's colour to hide on it's surroundings and wait for unsuspecting prey. Nature is sneaky! Take a close look on your lawn, in June, and try to find a plant that looks like a wild strawberry, but with yellow blossoms. Now you've seen the Indian Strawberry (Duchesnea indica). Sometimes, these plants are confused with Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex), which has five leaflets and not three like the strawberry. Cinquefoil, also, does not produce a berry. The berries from Indian Strawberry, while edible, do not have much taste. These plants are native to India and were naturalized to north America. Let's look along the edge of a thicket or bushy area in July. Do you see a bush with what looks like Maple tree leaves and pink or burgundy flowers that resemble roses. Perhaps you also see what looks like large flat raspberries growing on this bush. OK, now you've found a Purple Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus) bush. It blooms from June to September and produces large, red, broad raspberry like fruit. The stems are thorn less and the fruit is rather tasteless, but, the birds love them. The flowers; however, are very pretty and smell gorgeous. The plants are also used for landscaping. The next time your out walking in the spring, summer or fall, try to see how many wildflowers you can recognize. |
Monday, February 11, 2013
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