Sycamore Seed Dispersal Halted by Black-eyed Susan
“We must look for a long time before we can see”.
— Henry David Thoreau
What is hiding in your native area? Thoreau says we must look a long time before we can see. It is easy to walk through and around your native plants but how closely do you look?
There are times I do not saunter enough with my legs or my eyes. When I take the time to really see, I usually discover dramas I could easily miss.
Photographing is a task that requires my close observation. When I am looking for interesting subjects or dramas to photograph, I use my binoculars which allows me to view from one vantage spot and discover hidden subjects.
One day as I was sauntering through a native prairie, I spotted this sycamore seed (through my binoculars) dangling from the underside of a Black-eyed Susan. The seed had ridden the wind quite a distance since the nearest sycamore tree was far away.
Spring Peeper Hiding in Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Another day I discovered this tiny young spring peeper hiding inside one of my swamp milkweed plants. I purposely searched the depths of this plant–carefully moving leaves back searching for hidden dramas. And there it was! I wish it would have devoured all the aphids that covered my milkweed!
Bird Breast Feather Caught on Plant
Often your discoveries can tell a story . . . or leave you creating your own. Another morning I found this feather snagged on a plant in my garden. In late summer birds molt their feathers. Did a bird molt a feather in or near the garden? Was it a feather that drifted into the garden after the bird became prey to a predator? Did the drama unfold far away and the wind deposited it there? Mysteries.
Snail on Underside of Common Milkweed
This snail was hanging out on the underside of a common milkweed plant. Without careful observation, I would never have seen the snail. In fact this is a first for me to see one on a plant!
Eastern Garter Snake
Another find was this Eastern Garter Snake on the fringes of the native area. These are such subtly beautiful creatures. Having discovered its presence, I began seeing it every day for a few weeks in the same general area. It became a companion when I would walk down the steps along the stone wall. Looking for a long time . . . I see!
Try sauntering with your eyes . . . use binoculars . . . observe from different angles . . . and be open to new discoveries! More wildlife is present in your native areas than you know! Share one interesting discovery (by leaving a comment) you found in your garden when you took the time to really look and see!
© 2014, Joni James. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com We have received many requests to reprint our work. Our policy is that you are free to use a short excerpt which must give proper credit to the author, and must include a link back to the original post on our site. Please use the contact form above if you have any questions.