Red Cross

 No, not that Red Cross. The red crossbill. 

 
I hadn't seen one of these birds for ages and I got lucky when I spotted this immature one while out on my morning ramble.

It looks like a young male that is starting to don his red feathers. He's in the phase where he looks kind of speckled and untidy. 

They are primarily inhabitants of coniferous forests, feeding on conifer seeds and they usually hang out in flocks.

I caught this youngster out on his own as he gathered a little bit of grit in the middle of the dirt road where I was walking.

These finch-family birds are so interesting. They have these marvelous twisted bills that cross over when they close their mouths. Hence the name crossbill.

Perhaps their bills adapted to make it easier to break into pine cones to get the little nuts out. In any event, I was delighted to see this fellow. I hope you enjoyed seeing him along with me.

The Big Flap

The sandhill cranes were successful parents again this year. 

Last year they raised two youngsters, but they only reared one this time around. (Junior is in the middle.)

They are losing their fawn colored summer plumage and putting on their winter grays, just like the deer have been doing.

They frequent the big rye field my brother planted, enjoying both bugs and fresh greens. (Junior is on the left in this picture - he hasn't gotten his red cap yet.)

This picture isn't a lot different from the last one, but I simply couldn't resist the Abbey Road vibe, even though they are only the Fab Three.)

One of the parents started getting excited, flapping, hopping and clacking.

This caused Junior to get all wound up to put on a display, too. 

I just love these tall birds. They're so much fun to watch and, since they really like the big field, I can often capture a fun moment or two. 

They will soon fly south for the winter, but we will look forward to seeing them again next year and hope for another successful nesting.

Not Spineless

A couple years ago, I found this plant flowering and was curious about it. The interesting shape of the leaves and the wild, lacy look of the blossoms captured my attention.

 
When I looked it up, I learned it was called wild cucumber. I promised myself that I would check back on it to see what the fruit of this particular vine looked like. 

It took me a long time, but I finally caught one with both blossoms and fruit growing on it. Somehow, the prickly exterior of the cucumber matches the flower's fine, pointy petals.

 
Picking this spiny little fruit for making salad would be a disappointment, though. From what I have read, it seems the fruit isn't fleshy, moist and crisp like the tame vegetable of the same name. Its interior consists of four chambers whose sole purpose is to house the seeds. 

The only traditional uses I can find for this plant are making tea or poultices from the root. Unfortunately, while the tea is supposed to help with digestive problems, nausea and fever as well as rheumatism and kidney disease, its flavor leaves a lot to be desired, since it's quite bitter. The poultice is said to be a remedy for headaches and migraines and might be easier to use, since one doesn't have to endure the flavor to employ it in that fashion. 

I think it's an interesting plant and some people cultivate it in their gardens for the foliage, since it's pretty easy to grow and can be quite ornamental, especially if grown over a trellis or arch support.

Mid-week Mystery #3 (Solution)

 Wow! Once again, you mystery people have amazingly sharp eyes. Well done!

 
So, as usual, here's the original picture that started this particular mystery.

 
Here's the closer view, which was a total reveal for some of you.

 
Yes, it was a green heron, walking on the carpet of water lilies and hunting for fish and frogs.

 

The plumage on these birds is the perfect camouflage for this environment, don't you think?

The greens and purples mimic the water lily leaves incredibly well.

Like their great blue cousins, green herons are extremely patient hunters. This bird worked its little area for quite some time hunting for breakfast. I finally had to leave it to its efforts and head home for my own breakfast, but it was a very enjoyable way to start my day. 

I got some other good pictures of green herons while visiting this wetland on other mornings and will probably share a few of them in another post, but I hope you got a bit of a grin from this little puzzler.

Mid-week Mystery #2

Once again, the mystery mavens out there have impressed me with their sharp eyes!
 
First, the usual reminder of yesterday's clue, before we get to a little closer view.

 
This is the same wetland area where I had the delightful encounter with the otter.

 
Have you spotted the subject of our mystery? I know where it is, so I have a definite advantage, but with your sharp eyes, I wouldn't be surprised to have a couple mystery solvers!

Tomorrow will bring the big reveal, to get the weekend started on a frivolous footing.

 

Mid-week Mystery #1

Okay, mystery lovers, there's somebody in this picture that was a treat to watch.

 
I'll leave you with this to ponder, along with the reminder that you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it. 

Tomorrow will bring clue #2. :)

More Mushroom Monday

My brother and I were scheduled to play music for a museum benefit not long ago and I went to the family homestead for a few days so we could practice together and polish our repertoire for a few days before the performance. We had set up the sound system away from the house, so I was able to get up early every morning to get used to playing with amplification and practice the mandolin before anyone else was up and about (and without disturbing sleep).

On my way across the yard, I noticed this Aminita muscaria poking through the needles at the base of a white pine.

I decided to do a little time-lapse photography, taking a picture every morning on my way to my practice session. 

It was fun to watch it open a little more each day.

These mushrooms, also known as Yellow-orange Fly Agaric, are poisonous. That's probably why slugs and beetles leave them alone to be their pretty, colorful and dangerous selves without any interference.

It finally collapsed under its own weight, spreading its spores for next year's beautiful and dangerous crop - they usually grow in groups and there was another one one of these striking mushrooms a few feet away. Unfortunately, we accidentally squashed it while loading the PA system and other gear into the truck to take to the benefit. Oops.