#AMomentinNature was noticing this tiny, iridescent blue fly on a forked bluecurls (Trichostema dichotomum) leaf. It's probably a Glossy Blue Fly (Condylostylus mundus).

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #RedOrDead, a bird with red in the photo (not on the bird) or a bird on bare branches, I offer this photo I took of a wake of Black Vultures(Coragyps atratus) on a dead tree covered with Spanish moss(Tillandsia usneoides) at sunrise in our North FL neighborhood.

Southern arrowwood(Viburnum dentatum), an attractive understory shrub native most of eastern US, attracts pollinators with its white flower heads & birds love its berries. It's a larval food source for the spring azure butterfly(Celastrina ladon). greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/09/sout...

#Sunset just now before a thunderstorm rolled in. A tiny bat had a zigzagging flight pattern to catch bugs. It's just a black speck in front of the more brightly colored cloud. I was hoping it would swoop down closer to catch the mosquitoes around me as I was standing barefoot on our front lawn.

#GrowMoreFood Sweet potato(Ipomoea batatas), a species of morning glory, is native to S. America, but James Cook found them in HI in 1778, proof that Polynesians visited there before the Europeans. More on morning glories: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/02/morn... Photo by Man-in-Overalls

A mood lifter for this Tuesday. Vivaldi!!

Acid Rain@bearysweet.bsky.social · 2d ago

And now, a little Vivaldi. Michel Tirabosco, a renowned pan flute player, collaborating with Raphaël Froissart. He is a professor at the Geneva Conservatory. Born with physical differences, he began playing the pan flute at 7 and has achieved international recognition for his skill. #streetmusic

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #FabulousWaders, I offer this photo I took of a lone Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) wading in the St. Johns River in North Florida just after sunrise. This was #AMomentinNature!

Nature is amazing! This is a mosquito's foot, including a claw, scales & the pulvillus, a pad with adhesive hairs. These scales are particularly dense near the foot and enable mosquitoes to land on water, where they lay their eggs. To reduce their population, eliminate standing water. #NoPoisons

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #Firsts some of your earliest bird captures, got me thinking that I've been birding for a long time. This photo of me & my brother on Skyline Drive, which runs along a high ridge in the Appalachian Mountains, was one of our "first" birding experiences. Don't do the math!

#MomentinNature was this lovely peach-colored Florida sunset. Time to count your blessings, because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #Firsts some of your earliest bird captures, I opted for my youngest bird photo of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus). This nest was in an empty pot that was sitting on top of one of our rain barrels.

Winged Sumac(Rhus copallinum), a deciduous, densely growing shrub, is native to eastern N. Am. It supports pollinators & birds. Plus, it's a larval host plant for butterflies. Add this versatile, easy-to-grow shrub to your yard to build habitat. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/07/wing...

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #BestOfJuly, I offer this photo I took of a lone Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) Iceland’s largest bird, in Seyðisfjörður. I was a #GuestLecturer & #Naturalist on a cruise ship for 2 trips around Iceland in July.

Today, there's a nice wooded area in front of our house, which adds privacy, buffers noise, cools the air, & provides habitat for birds. In 2004, it was mostly mowed lawn. Read, "From lawn to woods: a retrospective" to see this transformation: beautifulnativeplants.blogspot.com/2016/07/from...

For National Sunflower Day (first Saturday in August), I offer this east coast dune sunflower (Helianthus debilis), a low growing, salt-tolerant Florida native. Here's its FNPS profile with more details & a FANN link to native plant vendors who have it in stock: www.fnps.org/plant/helian...

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #OverTheRainbow, I offer this Galápagos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) looking toward a rainbow. This is not a telephoto, we were right next to it. #AMomentinNature!

While most people are aware of terrestrial epiphytes such as mosses, ferns, Spanish moss, air plants, & orchids growing on our trees, there are also marine epiphytes. I covered some surprising epiphyte science & more in my latest post: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2026/08/epip...

While it’s been fun picking out my bird photos for #BirdOfTheDay themes, here's a bird-lover's reminder that birds are NOT doing well. Populations are in steep decline, but we can all help birds in our communities. Read my article for info & ideas: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-...

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #EgretsAndHerons, I offer this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) flying just above the St. Johns River silhouetted by the muted early morning light. #AMomentinNature!

#GrowMoreFood! Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) is a bountiful, year-round, perennial crop. We use it almost every day for something, including soups, salads, stir-fries, dips, pestos, & more. It's native to China, but it thrives here in Florida. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2014/08/garl...

A glassy, golden #sunrise photo that I took from a kayak near Marathon Key, Florida. Enjoy every sunrise because tomorrow is is not guaranteed. #Breathe!

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme #YourChoice, I offer these 13 American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) & 1 Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) trying to blend in. We saw them in South Florida.

#GrowMoreFood Some of this year's harvest of Seminole pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata). The fruit under my left hand weighs 8 pounds! This is described as a larger fruiting variety from www.southernexposure.com For more on this amazing crop: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2017/09/end-...

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme #MultiColour, birds with 3 or more colours in their plumage, I offer this beautiful & very colorful Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) that we saw in Sydney, Australia.

What we do in our yards & in our communities DOES make a difference! I love Tallamy's Home-Grown National Park idea. "We envision a world where, landscaping practices will no longer degrade local ecosystems; landscaping will become synonymous with ecological restoration." homegrownnationalpark.org

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme #EmeraldBackdrop, I offer these romantic Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) that we saw in the Galapagos Islands.

#PlantMoreNatives for more #MomentsinNature! Snow squarestem(Melanthera nivea), a member of the daisy family(Asteraceae), attracts a high volume of butterflies, skippers, bees, wasps & hummingbirds. It tolerates poor soil, drought, & salt spray. beautifulnativeplants.blogspot.com/2016/02/snow...

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme #Grey, I offer this mostly gray Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) turned pinkish by the sunrise over the St. Johns River in North Florida.

The short-sighted plans for selling off public lands is part of the Republican platform. Think about your grandkids when you vote this fall. It is shameful that this Patrick F. Bagley cartoon from 12 years ago is still relevant. #VoteBlue at all levels of government.

#SundaySunrise This was today's sunrise in Clay County, Florida taken while on our early morning 2-mile walk. Every sunrise indicates a new day to accomplish something positive for yourself, your family, & our only planet.