White Mountains, New Hampshire

We spent Saturday-Sunday in the White Mountains, enjoying beautiful scenery, wildlife sightings, good friends and lots of butterflies!  The lupine had mostly gone by, as the heat shortened the bloom time and sent them to seed.  There were still occasional blooms to see, and you can just imagine how beautiful the area is during peak season.

Our first outing was to hike at Flume Gorge.

It's a two mile trail, mostly uphill, with lots of stairs at the end of the gorge, which has 70-90 feet granite walls and a waterfall rushing through it.  Shortly after we started our hike, we came to a covered bridge and saw about 20 White Admiral butterflies on the stones along the river below the bridge.  None of us had ever seen so many butterflies gathered in one place!  And it was a first sighting of this variety for me!  Whoot!

White Admiral butterflies

As we continued along the trail, we began noticing thunder...but we continued on!  We saw more White Admirals all along the trail.

We almost made it around the loop before the rain began, and since we were under a dense forest canopy, we didn't get wet!  

See the Mama Turkey and all her babies?  They are well camouflaged!

Saturday evening, we went on a Moose Tour with Pemi Valley Mouse Tours from 8-11:30PM.  I had never seen a moose before, and we all agreed it might be fun to go on an official tour.  It wasn't guaranteed, but they had a 97% success rate.  We saw four moose and a black bear on the tour!  Why are the moose at the sides of the roads, when they have the whole forest available to them?  After winter, they can gain weight more easily by eating salt.  The rock salt used to treat icy roads in the winter washes into the ditches and roadside swampy areas, and the moose are drawn to it like moths to a flame!

Credit:  Pemi Valley Moose Tours

One of the stops on our Moose Tour was to watch the sun set over the mountain.  It was a lovely sunset!  I didn't get any photos of the moose or bear.  Things moved too quickly and it was too dark!

Today we drove up to Sugar Hill for breakfast at Polly's Pancake Parlor.  Delicious!  We also walked through the lupine fields, although they were mostly gone by.

Bobolink!

Check this off my life list!

Can you say BEAUTIFUL!?

Summer Azure butterfly

Ctenucha Virginica Moth

Silvery Blue Butterfly

Silver-Bordered Fritillary butterfly (a first sighting!)

White Admiral butterfly

European Skipper

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Common Critters

How much did this chipmunk eat for breakfast?!

 Southboro  Reservoir

My roses are still putting on a show.

Sweet Pea

This sweet pea was planted by our neighbors before we built our house.  It is a host plant for the Eastern-tailed Blue butterfly, so I keep looking for caterpillars on the vines.  So far, I have not found any, but I remain hopeful!  

This next photo is an Eastern-tailed Blue that I took last summer very near to where the sweet peas are currently blooming.  Its wingspan is 3/4 - 1"; it's a very small butterfly.  You can see the blue when it's in flight.

And is this one healthy groundhog, or what?  Wouldn't want him living near my garden!

Clouded Sulphur

Garden in the Woods Member Day

Garden in the Woods had extended hours and special sales today for members only.  I went over at 6PM to join the tour w/ the interns.  They shared some interesting information!  And I saw some butterflies!

 Banded Hairstreak (a first for me - pending confirmation from expert)
Confirmed!

This azalea was getting hit by the evening sun

 Umbrella Leaf Tree

 Oak-Leaf Hydrangea

 Gray Catbird

 California poppy

Carolina Lupine

Elm Bank Reservation

I wanted to check out the gardens of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley, MA.  I hadn't managed to get over there yet since winter....Since it was still above 90 degrees, the gardens seemed like a cooler destination for a walk than some of my other options.

I saw 2 foxes as soon as I started down the one-way road around the park, but because there was traffic behind me, I couldn't stop for more than 1 photo!  :(

 I have a weak spot for coneflowers....I always have to snap them!

 The trial gardens

Gray Hairstreak Butterfly

Gray Hairstreak (first of year)

This is one of my favorite butterflies.  Some people don't like it or see the beauty in it.  I've been told it looks too much like a "moth".  It's a very small butterfly.  You can get the idea of its diminutive size based on the clover it's on.  This particular butterfly is very fresh and dark in color, with no tatters or tears, wearing or fading from a life bound to be fraught with danger.

Blue Dasher (female)

Texas State Bird

The Common Mockingbird (a/k/a Northern Mockingbird) is the official state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.  It is a very popular state bird, more than likely because of its talent at mimicry!  It can mimic other bird songs, animal sounds, and mechanical sounds such as car alarms.  I've been told of one at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA that mimics the siren of an ambulance.

Celebrate National Pollinator Week!

Does your landscape support pollinators?  I hope it does!