Coneflowers in fall

Snow or no snow, this is the last coneflower of the year. All the others, after blooming and feeding bees, have ripened into spiky seedheads. And the goldfinches have found them.

Coneflowers are buzzing

Coneflowers are buzzing.
Buzzing with bumblebees.
Buzzing with honeybees.
Buzzing with … flies? That doesn’t even look like a syrphid fly. But you know what? There’s lots of coneflowers for everyone.

Summer, still?

Ah! Another barbeque perfect day. How long can it last?
And the first coneflowers are stretching out their purple wings, oblivious to their inevitable, tatty fate. For now, they’re sunny and happy and ready for the bees.

Collards are survivors

Well, the collards that poked their heads above the snow from time to time are definitely dead. But the collards out back on the hillside, the ones I didn’t see up close all winter not only survived, but look downright robust. They’re as tough as pansies.

Birds on a rainy day

It’s still raining, but that’s not slowing down these goldfinches. One stuck to the nyjer feeder, while others foraged on the coneflower seed heads.
Everyone is wearing their winter plumage, so I guess I won’t be seeing any wild canary-yellow birds zooming by until next summer. Still, with that buff background, the white borders on [...]

Goldfinches

The coneflowers are now way past bee fodder. The seed heads are ripe, which means now the coneflowers are feeding goldfinches.
So long as the regular feeders are full of black oil sunflower, it’s easy to keep the cats entertained with flocks of sparrows and house finches. (And yes, I’m afraid that is how they also [...]

Coneflower

As I said earlier, the coneflowers have been a happening place for bees since the middle of July. Other flowers have been popular party places, but nothing seems to have attracted so many bees for so long as the coneflowers. There’s still lots of bees, but the flowers are getting a bit ratty looking, [...]