Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts

Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Unidentified Bird at the Neighborhood – Nature 76

We just have a visitor, quite difficult to identify. Several friends have different opinions about the species of the bird.



Image 1- A Finch on the feeder for hummingbird?

Some guesses the bird species are following:

- a house sparrow
- a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- a finch (a red finch or a house finch)
- a cardinal or a female cardinal

Then, as always, we search through GoogleID, the machine offer two possibilities: first, the Northern cardinal and the second is a house finch. I think the best guess is a house finch.



Image 2- Flowers, just illustration

It is because the finch has “larger beak” compared to other birds, but smaller compared to Rose-breasted Grosbeak.



Image 3- Sky, Just for illustration

You may read about Rose-breasted Grosbeak at previous posts:



Image 4- A finch? Look enjoy on the feeder.

Can you identify what is the bird species? (please see images 1 and 3)

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Monday, 22 May 2023

Canna had been Popular Garden Plants since Victorian era – Nature 75

Back to Victoria era (June 20, 1837 – January 22, 1901), Canna had been popular as garden plants.



Image 1- Yellow of Canna lily

The Canna plant also known as Canna Lily then separates to many European countries like Hungary, Italy, France and Germany.

As reported by Dennis Carey and Tony Avent (2010: Cannas, Cannas, Cannas – Canna Lilies for Your Garden) that Canna came to America through France was around 1840s.

Moreover, Canna Lilies appeared in many gardens across the United States of America was about 1890s. We may spots this plant in the city gardens nowadays. Is Canna Lily native to European countries?



Image 2- Two flowers of Canna plant

The plant with scientific name Canna indica come from South America countries, include Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.

We have two colors as you could see at images 1, 2 and 3. However, in the gardens, there are several other colors such as orange, yellow, darker red and brown.



Image 3- Canna plants at yard

Do you familiar with Canna Lilies?

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Saturday, 20 May 2023

Flowers of Hidden Lily Ginger Plants – Nature 74

First time I saw the flower called as Hidden Lily Ginger at our neighborhood about few weeks ago. Colorful flowers.



Image 1- Blooming of Hidden Lily Ginger

The plant has several other common names, includes hidden ginger, queen lily, hidden lily, Siam tulip and pastel hidden.

The scientific name of plant is Curcuma petiolate which is native to Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Nowadays, we may buy the plants in many plant nurseries around our city, Baton Rouge, LA.

Some neighbors bought it from Home Depot and Walmart stores with reasonable prices.



Image 2- Pink of Hidden Lily flower

Based on my own observations at our neighborhood, the hidden lily flower’s colors are wonderful, could be pink, red, white, purple and yellow.

We just have images of red (with yellow), pink and pink to white as you can see at images 1, 2 and 3.



Image 3- Red flower of Hidden Lily

Do you familiar with Hidden Lily plants?

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Tuesday, 16 May 2023

A Baby Quail Stuck on the Patio – Nature 73

We consume quail eggs, both fresh and canned eggs sometimes. The quail eggs are sold in the grocery stores or several farmer markets in our city.



Image 1- A baby quail, just quiet.

We never seen a quail or a baby quail in the nature or in the farming sites. However, some neighbors have seen adults running around on the streets at our neighborhood.

Many our neighbors believed that the adult quails are not wild ones, but someone must be raising them as pets or even raising them for daily fresh eggs in the community.

Recently, we saw a baby quail on the patio, maybe the baby just wander off and lost to find their way back home.



Image 2- Look like a sick baby quail

Other possibilities that maybe, a Mom will come looking for it, or maybe something happened to Mom. We don’t know the real answers.

Since the baby looks confuse or maybe sick, it needs a rescue. We will call The Vet School or a foundation (Wings of Hope) in our city.



Image 3- A baby quail needs rescue.

Have you consumed quail eggs and seen the critters in the nature?

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Sunday, 14 May 2023

The Mexican Hat Flowers in the City Garden – Part 1 – Nature 72

When we walk through one of our city gardens, we saw plants or flowers with “a strange shape.” What interesting of these flowers?



Image 1- A Mexican hat flower with green stalk

After searching with Google ID, the flower was identified as a Mexican hat flower. Some interesting appearances that we could observe its leafless stalk, and look like a “peak” of Mexican hat at glance.

The stalk colors could be green (mainly), brown or mix of colors. I believe the change of colors depend on its maturity.

The flower has scientific name Ratibida columnifera. In addition to the Mexican hat flower, its other common names are: long-headed coneflowers and prairie coneflowers.



Image 2- Flowers in the garden

Then, from internet searching, the native of this flower at least come from three different places:

- American Midwest
- North Mexico
- Madagascar



Image 3- Flowers with green stalks

# To be continued to part 2

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Friday, 5 May 2023

A Hummingbird on my Blueberry Tree – Nature 70

We have two posted about hummingbirds from our areas. The Winter and Spring hummingbirds.



Image 01- A hummingbird eats nectar.

You may read two previous posts of hummingbirds:

We might wonder what hummingbirds do on a blueberry tree?

Actually, hummingbirds sip nectar from tree’s flowers, and amazing for me that this bird may visit about 1,500 flowers a day.



Image 2- Blueberries, just illustration

Hummingbirds love to consume tiny critters as well, include “small insects, beetles, ants, aphids, gnats, mosquitoes, and wasp” (Lisa M. Genie, 2018: 10 Facts About Hummingbirds – And other interesting tidbits).

As reported by Melissa Mayntz (2022: What Foods do Hummingbirds Eat?) that “Hummingbirds have been known to discreetly sip the juices from berries, apples, pears, and oranges if they are peeled, cut open, or if the flesh is otherwise exposed.”



Image 3- Magnolia flowers, illustration only

What species of hummingbirds in your areas?

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Thursday, 4 May 2023

The Mother Duck Brings her Duckling to Swim – Nature 69

We describe a part of life cycles of a Muscovy duck, from eggs to hatching. This is a final part of series.



Image 1- A mother and 6 ducklings

You may read the previous 5 series of life cycle for a Muscovy duck based on our observation:

We may wonder do ducklings go when they are first outing? Can you guess?



Image 2- Ducklings, just hatching

Yes, your prediction might true. A mother duck will lead her babies to water, nearby ponds or rivers.

Finding water as soon as possible will increase the chances for babies to survive.



Image 3- The mother and duckling are swimming.

Have you seen eggs hatching in nature?

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Thursday, 27 April 2023

A Blue Parakeet in the Park – Nature 67

We have talked about Green parakeet, also well known as the Monk parrot at previous post.



Image 1- A Blue Parakeet on twigs.

You may read the previous post of Green Parakeet:

Blue Parakeet also known as Blue Budgerigars has scientific name Melopsittacus undulatus, native to Australia.

This little critter was seen in our neighborhood park recently. As reported by Kai Kupperschmidst in Science (2017: How this Popular Pet Store Bird Got its Sky-blue Hue) that this blue color parakeet is very rare in nature.



Image 2- Illustration only

Hence, this lonely Blue Parakeet is highly possibility not wild one, but belong to someone as a pet. Who know that the bird escaped from its “convenient” cage, then lost the way or doesn’t know to return home.

The bird looks pretty with striped white and blue with vibrant black spots and stripes.



Image 3- A lonely Blue Parakeet in the wild

Have you seen this kind of bird as a wild bird or pet?

# Previous postings:

Unidentified Bird at the Neighborhood – Nature 76

We just have a visitor, quite difficult to identify. Several friends have different opinions about the species of the bird. Image 1- A Finch...