Category Archives: Plants

Mushroom in the grass

I don’t see a lot of mushrooms in the yard here, but this one popped up recently and I liked how it looked in the grass.

Java Sparrow juvenile on a bottlebrush

A Java Sparrow on a bottlebrush in Hawaii

I see Java Sparrows quite often, but I’d never seen a juvenile until I took this top photo. The bird has the look but not much of the coloration, just a bit of pink in the bill and around the eye. The adult, in the second photo, shows the distinctive markings still to come.

Time to weed

This gutter sported a generous amount of greenery, which probably should be removed. I’ve seen trees growing in gutters and neither party benefits from that arrangement.

Favorites from 2022

Surf crashes ashore on the North Kohala coast in Hawaii — January: High surf crashes ashore in North Kohala. (link)

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Your 2022 Year-in-Review.’ See more responses here. Like last year, I’ve gone with a favorite photo from each month of 2021, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in.

A Common Waxbill feeds on cane grass seeds — February: A Common Waxbill grabs a mouthful of seeds. (link)

A Monarch butterfly on purple bougainvillea flowers — March: A Monarch Butterfly on a bougainvillea. (link)

A Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle swims by — April: A Green Turtle swims by. (link)

Three cats resting in Hawaii — May: A trio of cats hard at work! (link)

A photo of an owl in a car wing mirror — June: How to keep birds off your car. (link)

A view of Green sand beach (Papakōlea) on the Big Island, Hawaii — July: The green sand beach near South Point. (link)

A white-tailed tropicbird flying over North Kohala, Hawaii — August: A White-tailed Tropicbird glides by. (link)

A Black-crowned night heron struggles o get out of an algae covered pond — September: A Black-crowned Night Heron struggles to get out of a pond. (link)

A Spinner dolphin leaps from the waters off Hawaii — October: A Spinner Dolphin leaps from the water off North Kohala. (link)

Two manta rays in the waters off Hawaii — November: A pair of Manta Rays swims toward me. (link)

A cloud forms over the site of the eruption on Mauna Loa , Hawaii — December: Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in 40 years, capturing attention and changing the weather. (link)

Hanging by a thread

An abandoned birds nest hangs by a thread in Hawaii

I saw this nest hanging from the mock orange in the yard. I think it’s the nest of a Japanese White-eye and I’m hoping it’s an old one and didn’t tip any youngsters out to their fate.