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

Friday, 17 June 2022

A Juvenile Woodpecker Hit a Glass Window – Nature 27

I saw birds hit my glass window several times. Many of them can fly away, but few not able to move and even dead.

I can do nothing for helping dead birds. Just feel very sad.



Image 1- A Juvenile Woodpecker can’t fly

Couple weeks ago, A juvenile woodpecker hit a glass window, and unfortunately couldn’t fly away.

I tried to call several numbers, but got nowhere

After thinking a while, then I called Veterinary school at my city, Baton Rouge, LA. The school then ask me to bring the bird to them in the afternoon.

I drop the bird off at 4.00 pm, and the veterinarian there to help the injured Juvenile Woodpecker.



Image 2- Flowers and grass in the garden

I was so thankful, because the bird could be saved, and I feel that I have blessing for the day.



Image 3- Flowers under trees, birds love this place

However, as I said that few birds are “not able to move and even dead.” As far as I remember they are including:

- humming bird
- cardinal
- warbler
- brown creeper

As many people said that birds hit the window glass because they see reflections of:

- vegetation or plants as potential of their foods resources.
- their own, and think that outsiders

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Sunday, 12 June 2022

Giant Hibiscus Flowers are Found in Walking Trails – Nature 26

We are in the second week of June. Slowly the temperature is getting higher and hotter, so we decide to take morning walk a little early.

We left home about 7.00 am this morning.



Image 1- Red of a giant Hibiscus flower

The sky was clear, but some part of walking trails a little bit wet, so we walked around the roses garden.

There were beautiful giant flowers welcomes us in the corner of walking trails. Their colors are so attractive in:

- red
- pink
- white
- orange and yellow



Image 2- Contracted flower



Image 3- Rotten flower buds



Image 4- Giant Hibiscus flowers

When we walked closer to the flowers, I can see the petals of flowers are so big.

The tree is small and not that high, but the size of flowers is fantastic. Diameter of a flower can reach 10 to 12 inches (25 to 31 cm). I think the flowers are quite big (giant) compared to “normal” Hibiscus ones.

I believe they are hibiscus family with very big flowers, so call them the giant hibiscus.

From Google, some sites called them Hibiscus evening rose.

What do you think about those flowers?

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Sunday, 29 May 2022

Diet of Rose breasted grosbeak in Nature – Nature 25

We have talk about very rare visiting of Rose breasted grosbeak in our neighborhood:

- Rose breasted grosbeak Comes to Our Neighborhood – Nature 23



Image 1- Rose breasted grosbeak sitting on feeder.

As you might know that Rose breasted grosbeak has “quite big size of beak” compared to other birds with similar size. Hence, the birds have ability to consume larger food items.

Wild Bird Unlimited (2022) reported that more than 50% of Rose breasted grosbeak come from larger insects such as:

- crickets
- grasshoppers
- and other insects



Image 2- Pink Caladium in the pot



Image 3- Sunflower at the neighbor garden



Image 4- Rose breasted grosbeak at a neighbor’s feeder

Sure, in backyard of our neighborhood, this “big beak” bird love to eat seed, any kind of seeds.

In nature, in addition to insects, the bird consumes fruit and seed. The favorite seeds are:

- sunflower
- safflower seeds
- weed seeds and peanuts.

Have you ever feed Rose breasted grosbeak in your yards? What kind of food do you provide the bird?

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Wednesday, 25 May 2022

Blue Mirror Flowers Blooming Twice in a Season – Nature 24

I just know, plenty flowers blooming more than one in a season. One of them is Delphiniums, also called as Blue Mirror.

The scientific name is a Delphinium elatum, perennial flower.



Image 1- Blue Mirror is blooming.

Blue Mirror always get first blooming in early summer, and blooming again in late summer or early fall.

The color quite beautiful; violet – blue. Flowers could reach 10 inches (25 cm). Look sweet in the garden.

Europe is origin of flowers. They commonly found from southern parts of Europe to Siberia.



Image 2- Some blooming, others not yet



Image 3- Love to see flowers blooming

In addition to Blue Mirror, other flowers which blooming twice a year are many, here some of them:

- Russian Sage, Ice plant
- Salvia, Yarrow
- Beebalm, Echinacea
- Astible, Icelandic poppies and etc

Finally, all flowers genus Delphinium are poisonous both to human and animals. All parts of flowers are poison, include seed. Toxicity may lead to bloat, respiratory failure and even to death.

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Tuesday, 17 May 2022

Rose breasted grosbeak Comes to Our Neighborhood – Nature 23

This migration bird visit our neighborhood rarely, even some neighbors never seen it for long time.

Luckily, we have seen Rose breasted grosbeak in late spring of this year. The birds visited some neighbor’s feeders.



Image 1- Rose breasted grosbeak sitting on the feeder

The birds live and breed during spring and summer seasons in many American states and even in Canada.

In the fall and winter, then, Rose breasted grosbeak return to the south in the countries or regions such as:

- Mexico
- Central America
- South America
- and the Caribbean



Image 2- Bougainvillea flowers, illustration



Image 3- Wild yellow flowers



Image 4- Sweet bird, Rose breasted grosbeak

We believe, Rose breasted grosbeaks migrate from Mexico, then go up to the North America and Canada.

Some of them stop by in our state then breeding. This bird love to breed in areas such as:

- woodlands
- forest edges
- and in the parks

Our neighborhoods have less trees in recent years, hence its might be reason why this bird not seen quite a while.

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Tuesday, 10 May 2022

What kinds of foods are Consumed by Crowned Night Heron? - Nature 22

You may read previous posting (Part 1), talking about crown heron (yellow crown night heron) at our neighborhood:

- Crowned Heron Crawfishing Near Our Neighborhood – Part 1 – Nature 20



Image 1- A crown heron is walking

We tried to find the answer of previous question: “What kinds of foods are consumed by Yellow Crowned Night Heron?”

Online searching found that there are 3 (three) categories (types) of this bird menus, they are:

- fish
- crustaceans
- other small critters.



Image 2- Beautiful flowers

The crowned night herons consume any kind of little fish which they are able to catch in the shallow waters.



Image 3- Little dog playing in the yard

Crawfish and crabs are the main crustaceans eaten by night herons. Crawfish looks like little crab.



Image 4- Crown night heron on the grass

These crustaceans are found easily in the areas such as:

- ditches
- canals
- swamps
- wetlands
- rivers
- lakes

In respect to other small critters, crowned night heron's diets may include frogs, rodents, mollusks (clams and mussels), insects and even snakes.

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Monday, 2 May 2022

Colorful Flowers in the Spring – Nature 21

We found many types and colors of flower when walking or jogging in our neighborhood area.

I believe the following flowers are daylily (corrected by Yvonne that are Iris instead of daylily).



Fig 01- Purple flower

By Googling, it said there are plenty of day-lily flowers. About six colors are very common:

- purple
- white
- pink
- red
- orange
- yellow



Fig 02- Is it red or pink color?



Fig 03- Several flower with light purple color



Fig 04- Yellow color



Fig 05- Dark purple

Since our state, Louisiana is a southern state, the blooming of day-lily flowers could be from March to April or early May.

In the Northern states, blooming time from May to June. Blooming just in short period, about 1 to 5 weeks.

Then, we might wonder: how long does day-lily lifespan?

Depend on varieties. Rae Oliver (2022) In Posting “Growing Daylilies: When, Where & How To Plant Daylily Flowers,” said that Daylilies could reach several years.

However, the flowers blooming less after reaching six years.

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Blooming of the Confederate Roses - Nature 162

We have posted several hybrids of roses in our areas. This one called as the Confederate Rose.  Image 01 - The White Confederate Rose Other ...