At times there were between 30 and 50 hummingbirds swarming the feeder. All of them were competing for a spot for a cool sugary drink. I was amazed how close I could get with them. At times i could hold the feeder in my hands and the birds were not deterred. Very exciting!
Recently, I was given a taxonomical key - Thanks Angela! What a fantastic resource to have if you are a horticulturist like me. I don't know how I ever got along without one for such a long time.
Just the other day I was checking on the cider orchard. I noticed in the distance, beautiful pink flowers dripping down the slopes next to the dirt road. I've seen these plants before, and had simply assumed them to be a kind of locust. But with my new book I could explore all the details of this plant and provide this beautiful specimen with a proper name.
And for your viewing pleasure, I snapped a photo of some huge asparagus growing very close to the cider apple trees! Yummmmmmmm!
An unusual member of the spleenwort family, the Walking Fern can produce new plants at the end of its leaves! My father and I came across many of these ferns while hiking the Buffalo River Trail.
During the fall of 2010, the work crew at Compton Gardens set off to explore and study some of the beauty in Arkansas' natural forests. The destination was Lost Valley State Park. At arrival, I considered this place to be a typical hike, easy and ruined by too many visitors. Then I noticed the Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta carpeting the forest floor on both sides of the walking path. My original opinion of the place instantly melted into pure excitement. Not far into the trail, we also noticed several spent orchids! This place must be visited in spring to view this impressive flora.
The most impressive feature of this area are the ancient American Beech trees, Fagus grandifolia. As my friends keep their eyes on the floor, my head is constantly tilted back staring at the trees' knobby branches, twisting above my head, covered in those amber fall leaves. From my time spent in the Buffalo National River area, I have falling in love with the American Beech.
Toward the end of the trail, past the big waterfall and near the mouth of the cave, we discovered something camouflaged among the moss and fallen leaves. We studied these non-photosynthetic plants desperately. Once we returned to civilization with our many photographs, we cracked our books. We found Epifagus virginiana, Beech Drops. Beech Drops love to feed from the roots of the American Beech, hence the lack of chlorophyll. This plant is also known as Cancer-Root; it was once said to cure cancer, but that isn't true. However, it does hold some medical uses. If you are interested in reading more click here.
After we moved on from the Beech Drops we slipped into the darkness of the cave at the end of the trail. As we entered the cave, I felt a rush of cold air down my neck. It felt as if someone was following us into the cave. To get to the chamber at the end, you must pass through the very tight hallway. Jose, one member of our team, lost his footing and broke his ankle. I stayed with him while the others went to get help. We sat in silence for what felt like hours. At one point it seemed that the shadows cast by the light of my headlight were moving. One of them was actually moving! It wasn't my light, it was the shadow! I scrambled to get away from the approaching figure. I heard Jose's voice sound as if he was being crushed by rocks. When I turned to look, he was gone. The shadows had receded. Fun story, huh? Of course, Jose is fine. He was never hurt.
January 4 - Partial Solar Eclipse. The partial eclipse will be visible in most parts of northern Africa, Europe, and Asia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
March 20 - The March Equinox occurs at 23:21 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the southern hemisphere.
April 3 - Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons.
April 21, 22 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids are an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The shower usually peaks on April 21 & 22, although some meteors can be visible from April 16 - 25. This year, the gibbous moon will hide most of the fainter meteors in its glare. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight, and be sure to find a dark viewing location far from city lights.
May 5, 6 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids are a light shower, usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on May 5 & 6, however viewing should be good on any morning from May 4 - 7. A thin, crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what could be an good show. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight, far from city lights.
June 1 - Partial Solar Eclipse. The partial eclipse will be visible in most parts eastern Asia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
June 15 - Total Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
June 21 - The June solstice occurs at 17:16 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the southern hemisphere.
July 1 - Partial Solar Eclipse. This partial eclipse will only be visible off the coast of Antarctica. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
July 28, 29 - Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids can produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on July 28 & 29, but some meteors can also be seen from July 18 - August 18. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. This year the thin, crescent moon will be hanging around for the show, but it shouldn’t cause too many problems. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight from a dark location.
August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on August 13 & 14, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 - August 22. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. The full moon will definitely be a problem this year, hiding the fainter meteors with its glare. But with up to 60 meteors per hour possible, it could still be a great show. Find a location far from city lights and look to the northeast after midnight.
August 22 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view Neptune. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
September 23 - The September equinox occurs at 09:05 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the southern hemisphere.
September 25 - Uranus at Opposition.The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
October 21, 22 - Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This shower usually peaks on the 21st, but it is highly irregular. A good show could be experienced on any morning from October 20 - 24, and some meteors may be seen any time from October 17 - 25. The nearly last quarter moon may hide some of the faintest meteors this year. Best viewing will be to the east after midnight. Be sure to find a dark location far from city lights.
October 29 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. The giant planet will be a big and bright as it gets in the night sky. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.
November 17, 18 - Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids is one of the better meteor showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour. The last of these occurred in 2001. The shower usually peaks on November 17 & 18, but you may see some meteors from November 13 - 20. The nearly last quarter moon may hide some of the faintest meteors this year, but this should still be an excellent show. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Leo after midnight.
November 25 - Partial Solar Eclipse. This partial eclipse will only be visible over Antarctica and parts of South Africa and Tasmania. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
December 10 - Total Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of Europe, eastern Africa, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and the North America. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. Considered by many to be the best meteor shower in the heavens, the Geminids are known for producing up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour at their peak. The peak of the shower usually occurs around December 13 & 14, although some meteors should be visible from December 6 - 19. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Gemini. The gibbous moon will definitely interfere this year by hiding the faintest meteors, but with up to 60 meteors per hour possible, this should still be an excellent show. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight from a dark location.
December 21 - The December solstice occurs 05:30 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the southern hemisphere.
This photo was taken during the fall of 2010 in the White Rock National Forest. This is not an uncommon caterpillar; however, the shape and color provides excellent camouflage from predators. Some people believe that the hairs covering the caterpillar will sting. That isn't quite true. There might be a few circumstances that a person might develop a very slight reaction, but nothing serious.
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