It seems like we wait all winter for the Baltimore Orioles to arrive in the spring. They usually make their appearance the first week of May and it is such a treat! They are so colorful and their song is so beautiful and they stay all summer. (Click on blog link for more photographs.)
And now that summer is winding down, we cherish each day that we see them at the feeder. They usually start their southern migration at the end of August… which could be any time now. The past few days have been so busy at the feeder. I’ve been filling it with grape jelly at least 3 times a day. We keep wondering if they are “eating up a storm” so they have the energy to fly so far. They will go to Florida, Central America or northern South America. Wow!
The first photograph is of an adult male in its gorgeous orange coloring waiting patiently for the feeder to be free. Isn’t he just beautiful?! The 2nd photograph is of 2 Baltimore Orioles enjoying their jelly at Phil’s custom feeder. And the 3rd photograph shows you how our feeder has been Grand Central Station for the past few days. There is always a line but they are always very patiently waiting…
We sure will miss them when they go… they have been so much fun to have in our yard all summer.
The Water Willows are in full bloom near the waters and swamps on Cape Cod. You can see them on the boardwalk on The Red Maple Swamps Trail at Fort Hill or going over the bridge on the Silver Spring Trail at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. They are so pretty and so unique. (Click on blog link to see other photos.)
The flower is only 1/2′ to 1″ while the plant is quite large growing 3-9 feet. They bloom in late July and August near shallow water.
The first photograph is a closeup of the flower. The 2nd photograph shows how they grow in clusters and the 3rd one is how uniquely they grow on the stem.
Have you ever seen a Water-Willow? So pretty and unique, don’t you think?
I had a little extra time on my way to Provincetown, so I stopped at the Beech Forest Trail to see what I could find. Oh my! Thank goodness I brought my camera! There were birds, butterflies and dragonflies galore! And I didn’t even have to walk more than 10 yards. Wow! (Click on blog link to see other photo.)
This Red-spotted Purple butterfly landed at my feet while I was photographing a dragonfly. I had never seen this gorgeous blue butterfly before, so it was fun to come home and do a little research. I had no idea what it was.
The Red-spotted Purple butterfly is 3-3.5″ and black with iridescent blue at the borders above with several white spots at FW tips. The underside was so totally different with brick-red marks.
Such a cool find… have you ever seen a Red-spotted Purple butterfly?
I loved this reflection of the boats at Rock Harbor early the other morning. It was about 6:00 am and low tide so the boats couldn’t go out yet. There was no one else around… perfect!
Hydrangeas seem to be “the” Cape Cod flower. They grow beautifully here and are certainly abundant! When we were building our home a few years ago, the two staples that I wanted for our “Cape Cod garden” were Hydrangeas and Daisies.
Depending on the acidity in the soil, they can be shades of blue or purple.
So pretty, don’t you think?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
