Uploads from Brian E Kushner, tagged ultimateshot

Blue Jay Raiding Nut Pile

nobody@flickr.com (Brian E Kushner) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:52:47 -0700

© Brian E Kushner
Blue Jay eating peanuts in my yard.
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Size & Shape

Large crested songbird with broad, rounded tail. Blue Jays are smaller than crows, larger than robins.
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Color Pattern

White or light gray underneath, various shades of blue, black, and white above.
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Behavior

Blue Jays make a large variety of calls that carry long distances. Most calls produced while the jay is perched within a tree. Usually flies across open areas silently, especially during migration. Stuffs food items in throat pouch to cache elsewhere; when eating, holds a seed or nut in feet and pecks it open.
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Habitat

Blue Jays are birds of forest edges. A favorite food is acorns, and they are often found near oaks, in forests, woodlots, towns, cities, parks.

Measurements
Both Sexes

Length
9.8–11.8 in
25–30 cm
Wingspan
13.4–16.9 in
34–43 cm
Weight
2.5–3.5 oz
70–100 g

Gray Squirrel

nobody@flickr.com (Brian E Kushner) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:09:47 -0700

Brian E Kushner posted a photo:

Daylily

nobody@flickr.com (Brian E Kushner) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:21:02 -0700

Brian E Kushner posted a photo:

Daylilies are perennial plants. The name Hemerocallis comes from the Greek words ἡμέρα (hēmera) "day" and καλός (kalos) "beautiful". The flowers of most species open at sunrise and wither at sunset, possibly replaced by another one on the same stem the next day. Some species are night-blooming. Daylilies are not commonly used as cut flowers for formal flower arranging, yet they make good cut flowers otherwise as new flowers continue to open on cut stems over several days.

Originally native from Europe to China, Korea, and Japan, their large showy flowers have made them popular worldwide. There are over 60,000 registered cultivars. Only a few cultivars are scented, scented cultivars are appearing more frequently in northern hybridization however. Some cultivars rebloom later in the season, particularly if their developing seedpods are removed.

Daylilies occur as a clump including leaves, the crown, and the roots. The long, often linear lanceolate leaves are grouped into opposite flat fans with leaves arching out to both sides. The crown of a daylily is the small white portion between the leaves and the roots, an essential part of the fan. Along the flower stem or scape, small leafy "proliferations" may form at nodes or in bracts. These proliferations form roots when planted and are the exact clones of the parent plant. Some daylilies show elongated widenings along the roots, made by the plant mostly for water storage and an indication of good health.

The flower consists of three petals and three sepals, collectively called tepals, each with a midrib in the same or in a contrasting color. The centermost section of the flower, called the throat, has usually a different and contrasting color. There are six (sometimes seven) stamens, each with a two-lobed anther. After pollination, the flower forms a pod.

The common Daylily has potential to become a noxious weed and is listed as such by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.[3] While sometimes planted due to their ease of growth and the fact that they produce a flower, non-clumping varieties of daylily can quickly overrun a garden. Once established, it is difficult to remove runner daylilies from the yard.

©Brian E Kushner