Often, all we get to see is the underside of the bird. This bird was photographed in Florida last month. Can you name it? I will post another photo on Saturday, giving you one more chance. The answer will appear at the end of next Monday’s post.
Tag: ID
Meet the Apiaceae
What do carrots, cilantro, celery, and poison hemlock have in common? Think like a botanist. How do the leaves look? What shape is the root? What about the flowers? Yes, they’re all members of the Apiaceae (aka Umbelliferae) family of plants. So are caraway, anise, parsley, parsnips, and a whole host of other familiar species.
Members of this family are relatively easy to distinguish. The most obvious feature is in the way their flowers are arranged—like an umbrella, with a stalk and a cluster of flowers on stems all springing from a central point.
February Bird Quiz, Uncropped Photo
If you were stymied on Monday, now can you name this bird? The photos were taken in California. The answer will appear at the end of Monday’s post.
Amaranthaceae
Celosia (above) & Gomphrena
Love-lies-bleeding
Family Amaranthaceae has a lot of members—over 2,000 species. You will likely recognize many of them. Some are ornamental—think of the garden annuals Gomphrena, Ptilotus, and Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus). The Celosias are also amaranths—you might know some of them as the old-fashioned flower Cock’s Comb.
February Bird Quiz
Here’s another bird from warmer climes. It was photographed near Half Moon Bay, California, in March, 2013. Can you name it? I will post the uncropped photo on Saturday, along with some more photos of this species, giving you one more chance. The answer will appear at the end of next Monday’s post.
January Bird Quiz, Uncropped Photo
If you were stymied on Monday, now can you name this bird? The photos were taken in North Carolina on December 30, 2013. The answer will appear at the end of Monday’s post.
January Bird Quiz
I’ve been studying eastern birds in anticipation of an upcoming trip to the southeast (I can hardly wait!). This bird was photographed in North Carolina on December 30, 2013. Can you name it? I will post the uncropped photo on Saturday, along with another picture of the same individual, giving you one more chance. The answer will appear at the end of next Monday’s post.
December Bird Quiz: Uncropped Photo
If you were stymied on Monday, now can you name this bird? The photos were taken in Arizona in April. The answer will appear at the end of next Monday’s post.
What Plant is This?
I was looking through my camera downloads for blog-topic inspiration when I noticed that I have many lovely photos of pretty flowers, but no idea what they are. Some were taken in exotic (at least compared to Colorado) locales, others at our local gardens. It’s past time I get around to identifying these plants. And if I have a need to identify my mystery plants, maybe you do too. Here is how I go about putting names to pretty plant faces.
December Bird Quiz
I thought I would offer two clues this month. The first one is harder. If you would like more information, click to continue the page. Now can you name this bird? The photo was taken in Arizona in April. I will post the uncropped photo on Saturday, giving you one more chance. The answer will appear at the end of next Monday’s post.
Mountain Plover 