northeast-flora-and-fauna

Here's an American Goldfinch I saw last summer. Though the picture is obstructed, the rich yellow-and-black coloring means this is the more flamboyantly colored male of the species. He appears to be in a spot with a number of thistles (we've got both invasive and native species around here), which would make a certain amount of sense since thistle seeds are one of the American Goldfinch's (and other seed-eating birds') favorite foods. One popular thistle seed substitute commonly used in bird feeders is Nyjer  seed; I think it's sometimes referred to as "thistle seed" although Nyjer isn't considered a thistle. AFAIK Nyjer seed is a healthy substitute for our seed-eating birds. July 30, 2021 at Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve Photo 149013242, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Here's another Monarch Butterfly imbibing in an afternoon drink. It looks like the watering hole is a thistle, quite possibly the invasive Canada Thistle . Though Canada Thistle doesn't belong in New Jersey, crowds out native species, and almost certainly degrades our ecosystems, to Monarchs they're still a fine place to drink a refreshing beverage. August 15, 2020 at Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve