Over at the Refuge, where we went to dodge chores in the damp of the morning, we saw nesting swans…also flying and floating and feeding swans. Not many Canada geese. A beaver.
Several sandhill cranes. And a red-wing blackbird to the left.
Some kind of viburnum. I thought it was a hobblebush (there’s a name), but if these are the leaves, they don’t match those in my ID book….
I saw just one specimen of this vine, with leaves that wrapped around the stem almost completely, and this showy bloom. I cannot find it in my book…. I call it the mystery vine.
Across our orchard and field, the deep blue lupine are variable, but most are dark across the entire bloom part. Of course, there are also some in pink and white, and some…blended versions, too.
So, for our collection, this is an unusual coloration, this bicolor presentation. Pretty though, especially with the dark lines. Interestingly, this is the version in my wildflower guide.
This is sure the lupine-time. They are taller than the orchard grasses that will eclipse them within weeks, and their delightful colors sure make them pop against the green-green background.