As the temperatures rise there are small insects busily visiting flowers … the yellow flowers are Golden Alexander and the mauve one is Geranium maculatum, the spotted or wild geranium.
Finding Birds …
I was asked how come I can find birds and share them here, when many people just see a couple of sparrows and hear twittering in the bushes. There’s no great secret to it, and a good place to start is reading this short piece from the good people at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology -
Essentially though, it’s a matter of looking around as you go about your life, wherever you are. I have named an ongoing section of these newsletters “Noticing Nature” (see below for edition 31) and that’s what it amounts to. Simply start noticing with intent. You see a bird - everyone does that but don’t say “oh a bird” and move on. Look with intent, wonder about its name, at the very least make a note of its size, its location, its dominant colour. Basic things like that and then look it up when you get home. At the very least try to recognize that this blackbird or sparrow is not quite like the blackbird or sparrow you saw earlier in the day. Curiosity is all you need and it won’t take long.
Noticing Nature #31 : Cornus/Dogwoods
When people ask for suggestions of native shrubs to plant in their gardens that will be good for wildlife, I usually suggest to them that they consider one of the most widespread groups trees and shrubs - Dogwoods, plants its of the genus Cornus.
There are species for all situations. You are probably familiar with Cornus sericea (Red Osier Dogwood) - which is a multi-stemmed shrub 1–3 m tall that has distinctive bright red flexible branches that are especially striking in winter as they stand out against the white of snow. But there are also species that are low-growing dwarf shrubs forming extensive mats close to the ground - an example being Cornus canadensis (Canadian Bunchberry) which produces bright red berries. A favourite of mine is Cornus alternifolia (Pagoda Dogwood) which grows into a small tree with a distinctive layered branching arrangement … though the problem for me is that it is susceptible to a fungal disease that is endemic in my area. This disease, golden canker, does not seem to affect other species but it is frustratingly endemic here - https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/golden-canker-pagoda-dogwood
All dogwoods have distinctive arched veins in their leaves running from midrib to leaf tip — this is perhaps the most reliable field identifier. Leaves are opposite leaves and not alternate along the stems. The flowers are usually surrounded by petal-like bracts (technically they are modified leaves) while the true flowers are small and clustered. These flowers provide early-season nectar for bees and other insects. Later there will fruits, berries or drupes in colors that range from bright red to bluish-black depending on species. Dogwood berries are particularly high in fat content, and offer a critical energy source for birds during fall migration
A fine feature for a garden planting is the dense branching provides protective cover and nesting sites for songbirds. If you want to see birds at your garden feeders, a safe cover is something that will encourage them to come and visit.
The wood is hard, close-grained, and quite heavy. It has been used to make shuttles for weaving due to its toughness, and for turning to make tool handles, mallet heads, golf club heads, and engraver’s blocks. Historically the wood was also used for bearings of machinery or the hubs of small wheels due to its strength.
Seasonal interest is something that dogwoods offer, be they planted in a garden or growing wild. In the spring, there are early flowers - some species actually bloom before leaves emerge. In summer we see attractive green , or some species yellow-green, foliage followed by the berries starting to develop. In the autumn/fall the leaves change colour to shades of reds and purples and the Barries finally ripen. The winter arrives and some at least of the species, such as Red Osier Dogwood brighten the cold and general whiteness with bright red stems that stand out against the snow
If you are planting dogwoods than note that native species are preferred over ornamentals (there has been a lot of breeding, for ecological restoration to support local wildlife food webs
Going off at a tangent, apparently (quote):
The Cherokee believed that a tiny people lived amidst the Dogwoods and that this divine little race was sent to teach people to live in harmony with the woods. The “Dogwood People,” as they were called, were very kind; they protected babies and took care of the old and infirm. It is said that when the Cherokee learned to speak English – they began to call the Dogwood people “brownies”.
Hoverflies
Starting to appear now - like this handsome fellow. Their larvae are predators of thrips, aphids, and small caterpillars while the adults feed on a wide range of flowers.
Making BIG Wildlife Ponds - The “Picasso of Ponds”
This fellow has a business creating large-scale wildlife ponds for nature reserves:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/06/picasso-of-ponds-wildlife-rewilding-habitats
Illegal Plants
As of Thursday past, the government of Quebec have issued a list of plants that are henceforth deemed to be illegal. There will be penalties for their possession, importation, gifting or trade. The horse bolted from the stables quite a few years ago for some, but if you live in Quebec do not be caught with these in your garden:
This is the list of invasive exotic plant species (Espèces floristiques exotiques envahissantes) recognized by the Government of Quebec.
Invasive Exotic Plant Species
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Common Hogweed / Cow Parsnip (Heracleum sphondylium)
Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Carolina Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
Water Chestnut (Trapa natans)
Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)
Pale Swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum)
Black Swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum nigrum)
Goutweed / Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria)
Brazilian Waterweed (Egeria densa)
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Yellow Floating Heart (Nymphoides peltata)
Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)
European Frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae)
Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)
Kudzu (Pueraria montana)
Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)
Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
Parrot Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
European Naiad (Najas minor)
Curly-leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
Bohemian Knotweed (Reynoutria × bohemica)
Giant Knotweed (Reynoutria sachalinensis)
Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)
Common Reed (Phragmites australis subsp. australis)
Water Soldier (Stratiotes aloides)
Lastly …
Quote: "For the style police among you, yep, contrary to most style manuals, I capitalize the common names of plants, animals, fungi, and other wild things here at Chasing Nature ... Hey, it’s my Substack — I set the rules."
Quoted from a splendid article that speaks to my tastes. Bogs:
