Jewelweed on the Boxers trail in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this afternoon. Interestingly, right when the hummingbirds need lots of blooming nectar rich flowers as they prepare for their migration and even begin migrating, the Impatiens are in their top blooming order!
Because of their small size, scientists are not able to track migration patterns of individual hummingbirds like they can for Snowy Owls and other large birds. So there is a gap in knowledge about exactly how they go about their migration. This is the time of year when they begin migrating.
This is a great time of year to visit places where the Swamp Mallow is blooming. It is a monumental plant with huge flowers that can open up to approximately 6-8 inches in diameter. The pink ones are our favorite! They love to be in wet locations. I love seeing them in ditches along I -95 in the Carolinas, Virginia and in swampy areas in the New Jersey Meadowlands, just for starters. You have to keep your eye out for them, and once You tune into them and train your eyes, you will see them in many places, always brightening up your day!
Last Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Isabelle and I went on a field trip to Cape May, New Jersey and visited the Nature Conservancy property adjacent to Cape May Point State Park. There were so many Swamp Mallow plants blooming that we decided to call this place the Hibiscus moscheutos place. We also saw a rabbit, and many birds, including the Great Blue Heron.
A stunning abundance of the wide and magnificent pink Hibiscus moscheutos!
This place felt like a time capsule of what the Jersey shore must have been like before it was taken over and developed. The Nature Conservancy is making a very serious effort to preserve and restore the former glory of the property. Most impressive was the beach conservation effort being made. Dune restoration and an emphasis on preserving ground-nesting birds.
Parking was easy and accessible and there was even a phone charging station and accommodations for bicyclists.
Campsis radicans waiting for a hummingbird.
The trails took us to the Atlantic Ocean!
Summertime!!
Please comment if you have a favorite summertime place that celebrates conservation and restoration of a natural area!
