Hummingbird colors for four walls?

Hummingbird season can be inspiring. I think these colors would be interesting in a bedroom that needs repainting after a boy vacates it.

But I found lots of nature-inspired palettes at the Design Seeds site.

I also love the Love Birds, middle right.

Catching the blur of a hummingbird

Jan Hanson shot these cool photos of the hummingbirds at Smith Point Hawk Watch tower Sept. 8.

Rainy day at a hawk watch tower

We had a good view of rain clouds rolling in during Sunday's visit to Smith Point Hawk Watch tower, but only a couple of hawks flew by.

However the hummingbird viewing was fantastic. My buddy Jan H. got some good photos of the little birds resting on the brush before make another buzz around the feeders. All my photos were taken with my camera phone.

This dog wandering past the tower returned when he heard or smelled us getting food out of the cars for a picnic-style lunch in the tower. When the food was put away, the dog went back down the ramps to go on his way.

Before the rain, some explorers headed down a trail. They came back with at least one tick, stories of mosquito swarms and a couple of bird sightings.

I had on shorts (stupid wardrobe choice) so I stayed in the tower. I didn't get any tick souvenirs, but I bought this cool shirt.

Bluebirds of happiness and mealworms

It is a mealworm feast. (Hanson Nature Photography.)

Neighborhood bluebirds wait patiently each evening for Jan H. to fill her backyard feeders with mealworms.

The birds didn't hatch in her Chambers County yard, but they know where to find a fine dining experience.

Sometimes the restless birds sit on the feeders waiting to be served.

When Jan arrives with the mealworms, the bluebirds fly up to the power lines to wait while she fills the feeders. As soon as she walks away, they fly back down.

Jan says:

We have about 12 bluebirds that come to the feeders. That probably represents two clutches. 

One hatched in early spring and one in late spring. They show up roughly between 6 and  7:30 every day. 

The Bluebirds love the wiggly treats to so much that Jan buys mealworms in bulk and keeps the larvae of the mealworm beetle refrigerated.

Jan is a softie, and Bluebirds have trained her well.

Sometimes they don't leave and I know they want more, so they get more. 

After mealtime -- and sometimes before -- the Bluebirds usually visit the bird bath near the feeders for splash bath.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

More, please.

Mushroom Surprise!

This mushroom is about 8 inches in diameter and has a caramel lacquered color on the cap.  After a little research, I found that it may be a Ganoderma lucidum and called "Artist's Conk" because it's "underlayer (hymenium) is white and can be drawn upon.  As the pores are crushed, a browning reaction occurs, thus allowing the artist to sketch an image."  (Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Paul Stamets, 2000,        pg. 352)  I've plucked a young growth from this spot several times and it becomes as hard as a plastic.  This time I decided to let it grow to it's maximum size.  I'll place a ruler by it for scale next time I take a photo.
Marilyn

Hummingbirds at Baytown Nature Center

                                  Beautiful and very busy Hummingbirds
                                  this morning from Baytown Nature Center.
                                   -- Marilyn

Sedges have edges and violets are blue

During the first day of Wetland Plant Identification class we learned a poem.

Sedges have edges
Rushes are round
Grasses are hollow from node to the ground.

The rhyme is supposed to help me get a grip on the distinctions among Cyperaceae, Juncaceae and Poaceae, with emphasis on the plants used by the restoration team at Sheldon Lake. 

Everything that I learned in class each Wednesday was a jumble two hours after I got home. So I was pleased that at least I remembered the poem.

Then I learned there are different versions. Oh, no!

This one is in our notebooks:

Sedges have edges
Rushes are round
Grasses have joints, when the cops aren't around.

A simple search turned up:

Sedges have edges
Rushes are round
Grasses have nodes where leaves are found.

Sedges have edges
Rushes are round
Grasses have joints that your friends pass around.

Sedges have edges and other things. White-topped sedge: Rhynchospora colorata / Dichromena colorata

Sedges have edges
Rushes are round
Grasses have joints where elbows are found

What the what?

Here's my version:

Sedges have edges
Rushes are round
Grasses have nodes, moron.

- Lana b.