Friday Photography - Keeping it Light
Submitted by janis b on Fri, 12/04/2020 - 5:19pm
The photos are of a flowering Swan Plant, part of the same family as the American Milkweed. My local library has a seed exchange where I scored some American Milkweed seeds which l'll plant today. I remember as a child being fascinated by the feather-light silky seeds that flew with the gentlest breath.
Good evening all. I hope you are keeping well and finding comfort in the tempest.
Comments
Going bananas?
Well not in Alabama, but Costa Rica.
...and just beyond the banana...
Have a good evening all.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hi Lookout
It's good you had the opportunity to explore Costa Rica. There's not much traveling to exotic places for people at the moment. The birds are sure loving their current environment though.
Just a few weeks ago I had my first taste of marinated banana flowers. It had a nice texture and subtle flavour.
great pics Lookout!
Great pics Lookout! I will be mad at myself when I remember the name of that species of Toucan. E.L would probably know it. I am just drawing a blank on it and too busy to look it up right now. Great pics!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
A shot from a warmer time
Didn't you post pictures of a swan plant a few months ago?
Thanks for hosting Janis.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Hi Bollox
Yes, they were photos of the fluffy seeds and pod. The plant is a perennial here in Auckland and feeds the Monarch caterpillars. The winter was milder than usual and it had been only months between flowerings.
...
That's the one
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
You read my mind!
I was just about to post a question as to whether Monarchs munched down on the Swan Plant. You answered it without my asking!
I've wonder what they ate ever since I learned (here on C99) that Monarchs inhabited other places besides the Americas.
A Byzantine broach..
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Looks like a bird n/t
very cool BR!
Awesome broach B.R! I am with Janis, I see a bird. Imagine a multiple exposure image of the wings flapping. There it is. Most excellent.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Thanks for Friday Photos tonight, Janis.
I'm not sure if this is keeping it light.
I took my friend Maria to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery recently. Her to visit her grandfather, and me to visit an old friend.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
Hi Social
What a nice remembrance of loved ones. The perspective of one of your photos creates a beautiful draping look of the gravestones.
Since death is a natural part of life, I suppose it could be considered equally light or dark.
On the light side
of the light and dark equation, you couldn't ask for a nicer place to be buried. The west side of the cemetery faces the Pacific ocean and the east side faces San Diego Bay. Both are nice vistas.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
Reminds me of driving through France/Belgium
Every few miles, another war cemetery. Some are tiny.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
I can't even imagine
the number of cemetery's that dot the European countryside. Kind of a sad testament of the human species.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
great pics SP!
Ft. Rosecrans! Awesome photos SP! I have spent dozens of days on Pt. Loma, half of each at Ft. Rosecrans. I have birded every tree in your photos, many times. Cabrillo N.M. at the tip of the point is good too. In fall, Sept.- Nov., it is one of the premiere migrant traps on the west coast. The birds move down the point, hit a dead end and don't want to fly over water so come back up and go around. Sometimes they can get pretty stacked up. There was someone that lived just above the cemetery that had a 300 bird species yard list. Brings back lots of great memories. Beautiful photos of the place!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Thank you, dystopian.
I did see a few birds sitting on headstones while at the cemetery, but they didn't sit still long enough for me to get any shots.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
Love the composition of the 1st photo
Very nice. I love photographing cemeteries. I went nuts at Arlington. And mine. Still finding something new.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Thank you, snoopy.
That's the great thing about photography. No matter the subject, there's always something new.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
beautiful Janis!
Great pix Janis! It does look like many of our milkweeds here. You answered my first question already, yes the Monarchs use it. Does it smell good like many of our milkweeds? There are three butterflies here called 'milkweed' butterflies, as they use them as their larval foodplant. Monarch, Queen, and Soldier (Eresimus was another name). All appear somewhat similar, which is presumably the 'do not eat me' warning colors. The alkaloids in the Milkweed render them distasteful to dangerous. I have seen Monarchs with just the heads popped off so some birds do learn there is one part you can eat.
I will try to get back in a bit with a pic or few, I am still with a bunch (hours) of work to do here.
Hope all are well!
Play it safe!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Hi dystopian,
you always bring joy, and for that I thank you dearly.
I wouldn't say the flowers smell good, more a sour and pungent smell. I didn't know that birds sometimes eat the heads of butterflies. Here, there seems to be a problem of wasps eating the larvae.
a queen
Here's a Queen.
dorsal
ventral - which looks more like a Monarch
Soldier is between them but I see I don't have a handy pic of one.
happy happy joy joy
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Only you can decipher the difference
between the Queen and the Monarch, seen ventrally.
It does seem that shades of red identify danger in the natural world. The black and white parts seem to serve as a warning as well.
Monarch ventral
Here is a pic of the Monarch ventral side. The quick easy way to tell them apart is to note that the ventral forewing (VFW) and hindwing (VHW) have different base, or ground, colors on the Monarch. The Monarch VFW is orange of ground color. The hindwing is a tannish tone. So there is great contrast. On the Queen the VFW and VHW and the same ground color, and so very uniform ventrally. The head and bodies are nearly identical from below. I think to a degree the bold black and white dots are also like anything black and orange, yellow or red, the universal 'do not touch' sign in nature.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
cool shot
those buggers are amazing.
Speaking of buggers, just found another female deer tick attached to my thigh.
Oh shit, another round of heavy duty antibiotics to minimize the lyme.
Just when you think it is life on easy street...
question everything
Thanks for the clarification dystopian.
They are quite different.
Nice shots of the Queen, dystopian.
The ventral side really does look a lot like a Monarch.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.