@barbritz.bsky.social

@barbritz.bsky.social

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PA Master Naturalist, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary volunteer, birder, native plant gardener

Green Frog sitting on a small deck in the native habitat garden at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. There are Jewel weed plants growing in the water behind the frog. The frog didn’t mind sitting there for hours while lots of people went through the garden.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly(brown butterfly with large white splotch on the back wing) feeding on purple Monarda( bee balm)
A bird called a killdeer foraging for food on the ground and around puddles. It has a white collar with two black bands around its chest. It tries to lure predators away from its nest by pretending to have a broken wing and moving the predator away from the nest or young birds. That gets the predator to think it will have an easy meal only to find out that the bird quickly flies away and the predator is out of luck. He didn’t get his meal and hasn’t found the nest.
Bumblebee covered with pollen sitting on a Purple Giant Hyssop flower
Black and white striped butterfly with long tails on its hind wings and a bit of red and blue on the end of its body sitting on garlic mustard. The caterpillars feed only on paw paw trees. They ingest toxins from the leaves of the tree which deters predators from eating caterpillars and adult butterflies.
Photo of a forest. The trees are just beginning to show leaves. The forest floor is covered with a variety of spring ephemeral plants such as Trout lilies and dwarf ginseng. You can see a number of green tints in the plants and a blue sky with a few clouds.
Photo of the North Spur Trail in Swatara State Park. Vegetation is just beginning to turn green after a cold winter and early spring
A video of the banks of the Swatara Creek in Swatara State Park. The creek is in the foreground with trees and bushes on the far bank. Although the trees still have no leaves, there is some light green visible on the forest floor where bushes are beginning to leaf out. The sky is totally blue without any clouds.
Adult bald eagle sitting in a bare tree at Middle Creek wildlife Management Area
Photo of a Common Ribbon Snake basking in the stony ground in the warm sunshine on a cold day in central PA
Photo of an adult bald eagle perched in a bare tree. There are hundreds of snow geese flying in a clear blue sky behind the eagle. The eagle had flown over the lake and stirred up all the snow geese so that they took to the sky.
Photo of the pavilion at Frog Hollow Nature Area taken from the small wooden bridge which crosses the Upper Little Swatara Creek. There was still some snow on the ground.
Several small Pine Siskins in the snow feeding on seeds that I had put out for them.
A black-bellied whistling duck walking her ducklings down the street
Picture of two Mourning Doves sitting in a hanging bird feeder chowing down on black oil sunflower hearts
Photo of the conservatory at Penguin Court.
Photo of the creek that feeds Sweet Arrow Lake. There are trees growing on one side. The other side of the creek is more of an open wetlands area. Some fall color is visible. The vegetation has not been changing color until the last couple of days. It has been unusually warm and dry for October.
Picture of a monarch butterfly sitting on a small, light blue aster flower. The flower has a bright yellow center. There are a few clusters of small, light blue aster flowers on a stem in the photo as well.
Video of Locust Lake under a blue, cloudless sky and the forested hills that surround the lake
Various native plants lined up by species ready to be sold at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. People in the background waiting for the sale to start.
Bumblebee with the pollen it carries on its legs clearly visible sitting on a bright yellow flower called Sneezeweed.
Clusters of bright red berries with green leaves as background
Large brown moth sitting on the bike rack at the back of my car
Video of goldenrod flowers with insects buzzing around
Monarch butterfly on Joe pye weed
Monarch butterfly sipping nectar from a pink Joe Pye Weed flower
Squirrel sitting on a fence eating seeds out of a pine cone
Young red-bellied woodpecker hanging awkwardly on a sunflower seed bird feeder. Only a bit of red beginning to show on its head.
Tall plant in the pea family. Leaves are compound. Flowers are yellow clusters located at the top of plant.
Black cicada with green veined wings clinging to a plant
Picture looking down on a garter snake curled up in the leaf litter
Collage of insects sitting on native plants. Three butterfly and two wasp species
A small black and white moth sitting in a bright yellow primrose flower. Green leaves of various plants surround the yellow flowers.
White, trumpet-shaped flower clusters at the top of flower stalk. The plant is about three feet tall. It blooms in the middle of spring to early summer.
Small black and white moth with wings outstretched sitting on emerging plant leaves
Plaster replica of a plaque with face of an owl from ancient Egypt
Mountain Laurel flowers. Clusters of small white flowers with a bit of pinkish tinge
Video of a wooden platform overlooking a small pond in the Hawk Mountain Native Habitat Garden. Lots of native shrubs and trees surrounding the pond. The sound of water is from a small waterfall.
Photo of a red trillium flower
Two small flowers with seven white petals growing close to the ground. The tiny leaves look like ducks’s feet as drawn in a cartoon(like Daffy Duck’s feet).
Picture of a plant called Dutchmen’s breeches which is now blooming. Gets its name from the small white blossoms which look like old fashioned poofy Dutch pants.
Rail trail under clear blue skies with trees growing on either side of the trail