Capital Naturalist by Alonso Abugattas

      Emerald Ash Borers (Agrilus planipennis), also referred to as EAB’s, are introduced invasive beetle that is a threat to our native ash trees. The beetles themselves are small and...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2023/05/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html

A male Eastern Bluebird     Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are one of three species of bluebirds in North America. This includes its close relative the Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexica...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2023/05/eastern-bluebirds.html

    This year's City Nature Challenge was another great global citizen science event. 445 cities participated world wide representing 47 countries, with 64,095 people participating making 1,...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2022/05/city-nature-challenge-dc-2022-initial.html

      Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is a beautiful flower in the Ranunculus Family with all sorts of folklore. It has several common names: American Columbine, Red Columbine, East...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2022/04/wild-columbine.html

            Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) has over 30 common names: Indian Turnip, Wild Turnip, Marsh Pepper, Pepper Turnip, Bog Onion, Brown Dragon (due to the burning tast...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2022/03/jack-in-pulpit.html

  Common Blue or Confederate Violets      So the Common Blue (Confederate) Violet (Viola sororia) is so routinely seen in our yards that they are often ignored. They however have some i...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2022/03/common-blue-confederate-violets.html

   Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica, have a lot of common names:  Virginia Cowslip, Oysterleaf, Tree Lungwort, Gentlemen’s Breeches, Puccoon, Virginia Lungwort, Lungwort Oysterle...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2022/03/virginia-bluebells.html

       So here’s a little bit on a common spring wildflower, the Yellow Trout Lily Erithronium americanum. There are 2 other local species: White Trout Lily E. albidum, is rarer, washe...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2022/03/yellow-trout-lily.html

       They're coming! And in a BIG way! Billions of periodical cicadas will be emerging from mid April to the beginning of June after spending 17 years underground! These are different ...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2021/02/periodical-cicadas.html

     Our Eastern Coyote (Canis latrans) is a recent arrival with an interesting story. It was first noticed around 1930 or so spreading East near the Great Lakes, as Western Coyotes wander...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2020/11/eastern-coyote.html

Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina) Photo by:        There's been a lot of hype lately concerning the Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina) after a New York Times article reveale...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2020/05/asian-giant-hornets.html

A Green-Headed Coneflower provides nectar for multiple Sweat Bees, a Bumblebee, and Orange Mint Moth.      There are over 200,000 species of pollinators worldwide. These include such div...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/06/pollinator-garden-basics.html

A Bumblebee, Metallic Sweat Bee, and Orange-Spotted Mint Moth share a meal on a Green-headed Coneflower.    Happy National Pollinator Week! There are over 200,000 species of pollinators wo...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/06/happy-national-pollinator-week.html

     This year's friendly global citizen science competition, the City Nature Challenge, ended up with 159 cities competing! These cities tried to get people out making nature observations...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/05/city-nature-challenge-2019-results.html

City Nature Challenge 2019!      A friendly global challenge was issued this year: Which cities could engage the most people to record the most observations of wildlife and plants, and...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/04/particpate-in-city-nature-challenge-2019.html

An Eastern Carpenter Bee and numerous mason bees make use of two artificial bee structures.      About 30% of our region’s 450 or so bees nest above ground. Many do so in dead trees, bo...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/02/bee-nesting-structures.html

A Lesser Scaup drake, or male Bluebill. In addition to the bill color, notice the peaked head.      Lesser Scaup (Athya affinis) are the most common of our freshwater diving or bay ducks...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/02/lesser-scaup.html

       "Citizen Science" is scientific research and data gathering that is conducted or assisted using public participation, often amateurs and nonprofessionals. Such public interest and...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/01/city-nature-challenge-dc-2019.html

       "Citizen Science" is scientific research and data gathering that is conducted or assisted with public participation, often by amateurs and nonprofessionals. Such public inte...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2019/01/citizen-science-as-interpretive-events.html

  An aptly named Redhead Duck drake (male) on an inland lake in Alexandria, VA.       REDHEAD DUCKS (Aythya americana) are medium-sized (18"-22") diving ducks which visit t...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2018/12/redhead-ducks.html

A Great Pondhawk, photographed and posted to the Arlington Bioblitz and iNaturalist by David Howell.        Bioblitzes are always neat ways for people to contribute to citizen sci...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2018/11/great-pondhawk.html

     The second ever Arlington Bioblitz scheduled for September 15th of 2018 had always been planned as a smaller and more focused event than the first one conducted last May 20, 2017. I...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2018/10/arlington-bioblitz-summary.html

Part of the 92 people who participated in Arlington's first Bioblitz in 2017, which tallied 1245 observations of 468 different species, including this Giant Puffball Fungus       A biob...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2018/09/arlington-bioblitz-2018.html

         A friendly global challenge was issued this year: Which cities could engage the most people to record the most observations of wildlife and plants, and find the most species over...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2018/05/city-nature-challenge-2018.html

    Please note the beginning of National Invasive Species Awareness Week (February 28 - March 4). Invasive species are non-native organisms that, often because they're free from natural c...

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2018/02/national-invasive-species-awareness-week.html