Posed for some good shots...
At least one adult and at least one very young juvenile bird (recent fledgling), feeding on flowering bottlebrush in a front garden.
Pellenes?
This was one cool park in Sherman. Elizabeth and I went around Herman Baker Park to look for dragonflies and of course, we spotted lots of other neat things. :)
This may be the prettiest snake I've ever seen. :)
Captured in the basement by the cat, and brought upstairs to the living room as a gift. Released in brush pile outdoors.
Halictidae, Sweat Bee (Agapostemon splendens) nectaring Iridaceae- Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium augustifolium)), 4/13/2020, The Landing's Sparrow Field "Pollinator Garden Berm", Skidaway Island, Savannah, Chatham Co., Ga.
Spotted Lanternfly being eaten by Camel Cricket
Anyone know what the white ball on its back is?
Staten Island Museum
Accessed 4/29/2022
Okanagana yakimaensis
3.1 cm
Notes: I need to add this species to iNat.
This Triepeolus is on the large side- possibly the size of a honeybee.
On Rhus copallinum
Hatchling found in the upper Guadalupe River, Kerr County. First one I’ve seen that wasn’t a basking adult female who immediately dove...
Size: less than two cm
Hunting along roadside out of a Ponderosa Pine. Took a dive at the roadbank, presumably for a rodent under the snow.
Found in a burrow underneath a home.
I was very surprised to see a black colored White-tailed Deer fawn this evening behind my house. I have seen some very dark White-tailed Deer in this area in the past:
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/816864
but not one like this. These are just quick shots, taken against the light and as the deer were rapidly moving away, but this black fawn can be seen in company with normally colored fawns. I will be trying to get more and better shots in the next few days.
Tree Frog on a Puffball Mushroom.
Melanistic juvenile (likely male based on size relative to the Great-tailed Grackle it was feeding upon). Verified by William Clark, and Lance and Jill Morrow. First observed by M. Silvas with me, and I shouted "melanistic Cooper's Hawk, OMG" as I identified the bird preliminarily, before submitting it to experts for review.
N31.070728 W-97.369269
JPK-2925
an ebird reviewer flagged an observation of mine with this photo when I listed it as cackling goose so I am no longer certain of an ID.
Somehow, this grouse flew into our window. I have no idea why he was in our area, nor any idea why he was flying but he crashed into our window anyways. After that he took a 2 hour long nap and then strutted away into our woods. I think he will be fine.
Young osprey had head stuck in grate. Was removed by hand and released. Immediately rejoined the nest in adjoining field
The is a mother and three baby killdeer feeding off of the bacteria in the Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park.
3 or 4 of these were buried in the ground. This one was the most complete. The shell is about 5-6 in. or 13-15 cm. long, and about 2 in. or 5 cm. wide.
I assumed these were extirpated by recent (past 10 years) incursion of bullfrogs into north Potholes Reservoir. I've been doing week long camping/surveys at this spot and region since 1992. None were seen in 2013 but at least four were found in traditional pre-bullfrog spot in 2014. This is one area of Washington state where Northern Leopard Frogs were historically found. (No data for 2008 or 2015-16). (edited May 2017)
golden currant (Ribes aureum) above Palouse Falls, Palouse Falls State Park, Washington
Just hatched today
Exploration of the Cratageous Columbiana from the Rosaceae Family
The Rosaceae family claims a diverse variety of angiosperm plants. Despite all these species differences, though, they all share a few common phenotypes that place them in the Rosaceae family. The species columbiana especially is set apart from the additional members of Rosaceae due to its morphological differences, and preferred habitat.
To begin, all the species in the Rosaceae family have certain qualities that place in this unit. These characteristics consist of the flowers normally having five petals, and the plants having bracteolate between the plants lobes. When the plants are born they will have petals on the calyx and when in the Rosaceae family they will be either deciduous or evergreen. Sometimes these plants are armed and they mostly have stipulate leaves. They are typically trees or shrubs.
The plant Cratageous columbiana separates itself from the rest of the Rosaceae family with key qualities. These include styles that normally number in 10 and stamens that number from 10-20. The major defining phenotype of this plant is their thorns that grow 4-7 centimeters in length. columbiana is also a woody shrub plant, and as a result has long thick roots and branches.
The key elements that most clearly differentiate the columbiana species from the others I collected are seen in variations. The major defining characteristic of the columbiana is it’s 4-7 cm thorns. Other armed plants typically have 1-2 cm. The Rosaceae plants that aren’t armed are diverse by the shape and complexities of their flowers. An example of this is the species triflorum, instead of flowers in clusters- such as the columbiana- it has bowl or vase shaped flowers. These are a just a few of the many morphological traits.
To continue, due to the fact plants in the Rosaceae family are angiosperms, they reproduce through pollination. To achieve reproduction, the flower needs certain reproductive organs. These include the pistil and stamen, which consist of many other smaller elements to create the whole. To begin the process of reproduction, angiosperms contain the sperm of a flower on the anther. This pollen grain then gets transferred to another flower, commonly by insects. The Rosaceae’s showy flowers draw them in and the pollen is transitioned from the insect to the stigma. From the stigma, the pollen grains then travel down the style to the ovary. A seed is then created in the ovule and is then introduced to the world through the fruits the Rosaceae Family bears.
Because of these characteristics, this plant is commonly found in warmer habitats. These habitats commonly are rocky areas with plenty of sun exposure and located on steep slopes. One of the many reasons columbiana thrives in this environment is because of its long woody roots. They penetrate through the rocky ground and are able to reach water; also by having woody limbs the plant can store water easier. The location I found Cratageous columbiana fitted the idealistic habitat for this species, and was located in Troy, Oregon.
To continue; the interesting adaptations the columbiana species has developed vs. the other Rosaceae species is unique. As previously stated, the columbiana has abnormally long thorns, and prefers dryer habitats. This greatly differs with the characteristics of the triflorum, which prefer moist habitats and has moderately short- though thick, roots. In all, the Cratageous columbiana is very diverse, and has notable and intriguing characteristics.
Refrences:
The Pacific North West Flora book
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/printouts/floweranatomy.shtml
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Angiosperm.html
EXPLORATION OF THE AMELANCHIER ALNIFOLIA FROM THE ROSACEA FAMILY
Amelanchier alnifolia is a plant that is in the Rosacea family commonly named as the alder-leaved serviceberry. Also called a Juneberry since its growing season is near the end of June and early July. It is considered a showy shrub because of its white lilac looking flowers that are in numerous amounts on the shrub. The shrub also grows fruits similar to blueberries.
Members of the Rosacea plant including the Amelanchier alnifolia are woody plants. The shrub grows numerous amounts of white flowers that can range in colors of yellow, pink, orange, red or lavender. These flowers can range in size, shape and color depending on the habitat conditions. The flowers are cup-shaped with five petals. They are also randomly placed on the stems and are radially symmetric. The center of the flower is green and contains stamens and carpels. There are normally only four or five sepals for each flower. Each flower contains a hypanthium; the area where the calyx, stamens and corolla are fused together to form a cup shape that surrounds the stem. The bark on the tree is smooth and grayish in color. The leaves on the shrub are light green on the surface and pale on the bottom. The leaves are fan-shaped with toothed margins and grow alternately on the stem. The Amelanchier alnifolia is a perennial plant.
One of the other plants I collected that was similar to the Amelanchier alnifolia is the Crataegus douglasii. Like the Amelanchier alnifolia it is considered a shrub that can grow to be 20 feet to 30 feet tall. Both of the plants have the nearly identical flowers and fan-shaped leaves that have toothed margins. The shrubs are both gray in bark color when mature. Both the plants produce some type of fruit. The difference between the two shrubs is that the Crataegus douglasii has thorns on the stem to protect itself from predators. The leaves on the douglasii are darker green unlike the alnifolia leaves.
Amelanchier alnifolia reproduce by sexual reproduction. A pollen grain from one type of plant lands on the ovary and pollination occurs. A pollen tube forms and grows into the ovule. Mitosis occurs forming a sperm that will travel down the pollen tube to fertilize an egg. An embryo and endosperm are made which will undergo photosynthesis to develop a seed sprout. The seed will then grow to become a fruit.
Amelanchier alnifolia grows on the North American continent in the west and central parts of the Unites States. It is found on a variety of landscapes ranging from a dry slope, moist hillsides, and wide prairies. The shrub can also be found growing close to other wild roses or shrubby plants. In different types of condition the Amelanchier alnofolia will adjust as needed to grow. With the correct conditions the deciduous shrub can grow to be a large tree with a height of 35 feet and width of 20 feet. I found my collection at Wenaha River Trail in Troy, Oregon. The shrub was on a hillside surrounded by grass and other shrubs. The soil contained rocks and contained a sufficient amount of water for the plant to grow. It had access to direct sunlight and rain.
Some adaptations that Rosacea plants have made are that they have developed thorns to protect their fruits from predators. The shrubs have also adjusted to growing in different types of habitats. The flowers have changed from white into yellow and blue flowers to attract bees to pollinate it. They also have strong scents to attract animals that will be able to pollinate it.