Today we have artistic photos of plants courtesy of reader Bryan Lepore and desert photos courtesy of Lenora Good. I’ve indented their captions.
I submit candidates for Reader’s Wildlife Photos… but these are cultivated plants, so, it’s worth a shot.
Collard Greens (Brassica oleracea, cultivar group Acephala). The morning dew has collected on the leaves in silvery orbs. Note how the drops concentrate at the ends of the veins in the leaf.
From Lenora Good; readers can help with the IDs, which in some cases are uncertain.
All of these were taken in at the end of spring 2009 at Cactus Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.White-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica) Cactus Garden, Phoenix AZ, 2009.
I think this is either a female or immature House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus):
I think this is a Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) Again, I’m not sure.
Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) perched on a cholla at the Cactus Garden of Phoenix:
I call it a small brown bird, but I believe it’s a Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii):
Another level of unusual entrant class there – “health food”!
Thank you for sharing.
Somehow, the Cardinal looks out of place in Arizona.
Sparrows are notoriously difficult to tell apart, and there are lots of them to worry about.
The “woodpecker” is a Cactus Wren, and the sparrow is a female ( or immature) House Sparrow.
Kelvin, many thanks for the id. Muchly appreciated!!
Kelvin, many thanks for the id. Muchly appreciated!!
Kelvin, many thanks for the ID of the birds. Muchly appreciated.
My grandmother used to call sparrows “LBJs”, “little brown jobs”.
@rickflick #3 Cardinals and their cousins the pyrrhuloxias are common in AZ.
@Kevin Britton #4 Note, the Cactus Wren is Arizona’s state bird.
“The morning dew has collected on the leaves in silvery orbs.”
Nice pictures, but most of it is not dew. This is “guttation water” escaping from inside the plant. That’s why, as the photographer mentioned, the big drops were on the veins. Dew would not have done that.
WOWWWW
THAT IS AMAZING!
Yes! Another new thing!