21-JUN-2016
As Busy As a Bee!
If we say someone is as busy as a bee, we mean they are doing a lot! Bees do keep busy, and it is always good to see bees busily flying from flower to flower as a wonderfully efficient way of collecting and using pollen.
"Why do bees need nectar and pollen – and how do they use it?
It’s well known that bees gather these products from flowers, but why do they need them - what are the specific benefits to bees? Basically, nectar provides an important energy source (carbohydrate) – it supplies a complex range of sugars, whilst pollen gives vital protein and fats. Although all bees need pollen at some stage in their lives, not all bees gather it." -
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/why-do-bees-need-nectar-and-pollen.html
Sort of like humans, some of whom raise crops on farms to feed the rest of us.
22-JUN-2016
In Delta Ponds Looking South Toward Spencer Butte
This scene is toward the north end of the Delta Ponds. There is a path along the pond here and I enjoy walking here to see what birds I can get a glimpse of. This was a day when not many birds were at this spot, but this beautiful made up for it.
23-JUN-2016
Daisies Don't Tell!
I wondered where that saying came from, especially after I learned what daisies mean to a lot of people.
I found this from Canadian Flower Delivery - "All About the Daisy Flower - If there a flower that is common and that everyone knows, it is the daisy. There are all kinds of great varieties of the daisy and people absolutely love them. It is probably just as common as the rose, but the cost is so much less and this is a great flower to give friends and family or to grow. Overall, people are a huge fan of the daisy and it is a great flower to give out to people you care about. With the daisy, it has a meaning that shows loyalty to love and commitment. This is a great flower to be giving out to those you truly care about."
http://www.canadianflowerdelivery.com/daisy.aspx
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a real asnswer as to where the saying, "Daisies don't tell". comes from. It could relate to a little girl's game called 'he loves me, he loves me not.'
24-JUN-2016
Female Red-wing Blackbird
From what I saw in my 'Birds of Oregon' book, I concluded that this bird could very well be a female red-wing blackbird. It was with a male red-wing, and they were chirping to each other.
Here is what is said at 'All About Birds' about the female red-wing blackbird: "Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. In the North, their early arrival and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring." -
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id
25-JUN-2016
Biking Through Delta Ponds
I met this happy group of bikers on the path along the river while on a walk in Delta Ponds. They certainly were friendly.
26-JUN-2016
One of the Delta Ponds
The Delta Ponds are made up of four or five connected ponds along the Willamette River in Eugene, OR. This is one of them. There are trails along all of them. I am grateful that we have them, having spent many hours there.
27-JUN-2016
Wood Duck Couple
The Wood Duck is amazing! Not only are the male's colors among the most beautiful of birds, they are unusually equipped to perch in trees. These two make a peach of a pair.
From 'All About Birds' - "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." See:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id
28-JUN-2016
Portrait of Miko the Magnificent
Caught Miko in some great light today and decided it was time for another portrait of our quirky dog! :) He has quite a unique personality, seems like half dog and half cat, very independent. And to him, Carol is his queen and I am his lackey. He is devoted to her, and never bothers her when he wants something done. He comes to me instead, and can be quite demanding. What a dog! He is very entertaining.
29-JUN-2016
Catching a Kingfisher
I find Kingfishers so difficult to photograph! They are flighty, taking flight at the first sight of a human. And they most often see us before we see them. I found a spot where a couple of them were flying around and landing along the pond, and tried getting a shot. The only success I had was this photo, which I am so pleased to get. Guess I can say it was a good day!
30-JUN-2016
Two of a Kind
Identifying these birds took a lot of online research, but I found pictures just like them. They are Wood Ducks, whether they are immature males that haven't yet developed the distinctive crest on their head, or non-breeding birds as was stated by some, isn't clear to me.
A photo said to be of a non-breeding wood duck is seen here -
http://www.pbase.com/nsxbirder/image/102682262 Other photos online seemed to indicate they have not yet fully developed distinctive characteristics of the adult wood duck. These are the first like this I have ever seen.
01-JUL-2016
Oh, What Tangled Webs We Weave!
This pretty and complex spider web just cried out for a stark black and white treatment! So I gave it one, and I like the result. Hope you do too! The ironwork fence made a good frame for the web and emphasized the contrasts, straight and angular with soft and gentle curves and circles. Where did the spiders get the wisdom to create such awesome designs?
The words, "Oh! what a tangled web we weave : When first we practice to deceive!" are from the poem, Marmion, by Walter Scott, published in 1808. It doesn't really relate to the photo, only to the weaving of a web of plots and deception. I guess the spider does plot to catch the fly! :)
02-JUL-2016
Oregon Grape - Eat or Not?
The Oregon Grape has a pretty blue berry on the bush when it is fully ripe. The plant is used for medicinal purposes. But can the berries (they are not grapes) be eaten?
Here is some information from "Random Musings"
"This is Oregon’s state plant. Oregon liked it because the glossy leaves could be used for decoration and it was plenty. It resembles a holly leaf and it very shiny and often the ones left in sunlight the leaves will turn orange or bright red. It is a lovely plant. The “grapes” are edible and have been eaten quite a bit over the years by both pioneers as well as Indians. It has also been used for medicinal purposes. (I put grapes in quotes because they really are berries and not grapes but do have an oval shape more like a grape.) However, it it a sour little thing and should never be eaten if pregnant. Rumor has it – it may contain oxidants that actually help with cancer patients. (This is still being studied.)"