{"id":22219,"date":"2026-06-15T09:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T13:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=22219"},"modified":"2026-06-15T09:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T13:57:08","slug":"birds-foot-trefoil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=22219","title":{"rendered":"Bird\u2019s-foot Trefoil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bird\u2019s-foot Trefoil: Kennebunk Bridle Trail, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2026 \u2014 One of the more interesting wildflowers of June in Southern Maine. Besides its bright yellow color, you might notice that the working parts of the flower\u2014the stamens and stigma\u2014are hidden inside the folded petals of the keel, along with the nectar. Only when the preferred pollinator lands in the flower, the pollinator of exactly the right size and weight, does its weight on the larger petals \u201copen\u201d the keel and allow access to the works. It took us generations to design a bird feeder that works on the same principle to exclude larger birds and squirrels. \ud83d\ude42 And our solution is not nearly so pretty (or efficient). Notice the two keels with holes. A bit of research this morning suggests that they are most likely from tiny caterpillars feeding on the keel petals while they were still folded inside the bud. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 112mm equivalent field of view. Aperture with macro modifications. Processed in Photomator. <\/p>\n

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