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:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Rose breasted grosbeak Comes to Our Neighborhood – Nature 23
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Diet of Rose breasted grosbeak in Nature – Nature 25

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

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

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : New Parents often Faced Depression – Part 1 - Healthy Life 15
- The Rainbow Before Evening : The Prodigy Kid - Marla Olmstead’s Paintings – Part 2- Art 3
- The Rainbow Before Evening : New Parents often Faced Depression – Part 2 - Healthy Life 15
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Recreational Fishing in the Louisiana – Part 1 – Nature 13
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Growing Tabasco Peppers in My Yard – Part 1

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?

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Like Crazy, “a wild child cares for the wild woman who raised him” - Reading 2
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Do you know about E. coli Bacteria? - part 1 - Healthy Life 12
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Birds Fly Over Our Backyard – Nature 10
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Do you know about E. coli Bacteria? - part 2 - Healthy Life 12
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Why the Free Meals Program could Attract Kids to Come to Library?

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?

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Measles Outbreak in a Recent year – Part 2 – Healthy Life 11
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Have You Tasted Matcha Latte with Soy Milk or Almond Milk? - Food 6
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? - Science 6
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Do You Visit Car Service Center Every Year?
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Like Crazy, “a wild child cares for the wild woman who raised him” - Reading 2

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?

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Mental Awareness and Vaccination – Healthy Life 10
- The Rainbow Before Evening : A Bouquet from Combinations of Flowers and Vegetables
- The Rainbow Before Evening : The Best Steakhouse in my City, Louisiana – Food 5
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Measles Outbreak in a Recent year – Part 1 – Healthy Life 11

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

## Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Is Strawberry Greek Yogurt Good For Health? - Healthy Life 9
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Do You Know about Golden Kiwis Fruit? - Food 3
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Grass in Our Yard during Hot Summer
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Green Bean and Papaya Delight – Food 4
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Mental Awareness and Vaccination – Healthy Life 10

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:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : The Winter Hummingbird at Our Community – Science 26
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Spring Hummingbirds in Our Neighborhood – Nature 58

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?

# Previous postings:

- Rediscovering of Rare Blue Bee in Florida in 2020 – Science 3
- Rainbow Evening : Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? - Science 4
- The Rainbow Before Evening : White Azaleas in the City Garden – Nature 5
- The Amphibians Near Extinct due to Fungus Disease – Science 5
- Rainbow Evening : What is Coronasomnia? - Healthy Life 2

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:

- Rainbow Before Evening: A Duck Lays Eggs in the Pot – Nature 54
- Rainbow Evening: A Mother Duck with Her 8 Eggs – Nature 56
- A Beautiful Female Muscovy Sitting on the Eggs – Nature 62
- Rainbow Evening: The Hatching of Duck Eggs in the Pot – Nature 65
- Rainbow Evening: The mother duck and her Ducklings Out – Nature 66

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?

# Previous postings:

- How Many Animals Are Expected to Extinct by 2050? - Nature 4
- Rediscovering of Rare Blue Bee in Florida in 2020 – Science 3
- Rainbow Evening : Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? - Science 4
- The Rainbow Before Evening : White Azaleas in the City Garden – Nature 5
- The Amphibians Near Extinct due to Fungus Disease – Science 5

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:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Green Parakeet in Our State – Nature 46

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:

- Rainbow Evening : I Got a Covid 19 Vaccine Shot Recently – Part 1
- Rainbow Evening : Important of Microorganisms in Food Industry – Healthy Life 1
- Rainbow Evening : I Got a Covid 19 Vaccine Shot Recently – Part 2
- Rainbow BeforeEvening : Wild Flowers in the Backyards – Nature 1
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Wreaths for Mardi Gras in Louisiana