#pollinator: bird

[tinyurbanwilderness]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/21/world/iyw-rufous-hummingbird-tipping-point-extinction-earth-day/index.html#:~:text=The%20Rufous%20hummingbird%20lost%20two,if%20conservation%20doesn't%20improve.

Plant NATIVE honeysuckle, not the ones you buy at Home Depot or Lowe’s. You can find them at local native plant sales or online at native plant nurseries.

Update since this is going viral:

The hummingbirds in my restored yard habitat visit ALL of the native flowers in my yard, so it doesn’t strictly have to be honeysuckle. They just tend to like flowers with trumpet shapes.

[fatchance]

White-winged dove / paloma alas blancas (Zenaida asiatica), perched on a saguaro blossom.

The dove has been burying its head deep in the flower for a taste of nectar; its head is glowing with a golden blush of sticky pollen.

At Tohono Chul, Tucson, Arizona.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Wow--it's been two years since I started writing these quarterly chapbooks! I'm working on #9 as we speak, ready for release next month. It's been a fun project so far, a chance for me to deep-dive into some topics in a format longer than a blog post.

If you want to get the next one free in your inbox as an ebook (and the latest one on foraging safety as well), you can join my monthly email newsletter at https://rebeccalexa.com/news-updates/ - stick around, and you'll get a new ebook every three months. Or you can purchase paperbacks and ebooks of any of the chapbooks at https://rebeccalexa.com/chapbooks/ - thank you :)

[venus-garden]

[awkwardbotany]

Another Year of Pollination: Viscin Threads

While we’re on the subject of pollen-gluing mechanisms, there is another material apart from pollenkitt that a limited number of flowering plant families use to link their pollen grains together. It functions, much like pollenkitt, by aiding in the attachment of pollen to visiting animals. However, unlike pollenkitt, it isn’t sticky, oily, or viscous, and is instead more like a series of threads.…

[wumbologyandecology]

A blue throated hummingbird getting a drink of sugar water after being banded for population data, providing her with a little energy boost before being released.

Portal, Arizona

[sandhya17]

A Look at Pollinator Variety!

Dive deeper into the world of pollinators beyond bees and birds with our engaging infographic! Uncover the fascinating diversity of these often-overlooked yet essential creatures.

[geohoneylovers]

Pollen Transport in Nature: A Tale of Two Strategies 🌼🐝🦋

In the intricate world of plant reproduction, pollen's journey unfolds through diverse mechanisms. Depending on the species, some plants employ biotic pollinators such as bees, butterflies, or birds to facilitate the vital exchange of pollen from one flower to another. In contrast, others entrust their genetic material to the whims of abiotic factors like the wind, relying on its gentle embrace to disperse pollen far and wide. These strategies exemplify nature's remarkable adaptability, ensuring the continuation of life in a myriad of ways. 🌼

[ainawgsd]

I probably should be doing something "productive" (like vacuuming or weeding or even doing my nails) but it's such a nice morning for hanging out with the cats under the patio umbrella

[tinyurbanwilderness]

I'm so glad Doug said this because this is exactly how I see the world these days.

[sheltiechicago]

Crested porcupine

A Veritable Aviary of Birds and Pollinators by The Paper Ark Are Small Enough to Perch on the Tip of a Finger

Nayan Shrimali and Venus Bird, of The Paper Ark, approach conservation and environmental activism on a tiny scale. The artists (previously) create miniature renditions of flora and fauna that harness the textured, buildable potentials of paper to showcase the beauty and singularity of threatened and endangered species.

Great egrets

Endangered pollinators

Albino ruby-throated hummingbird

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Can't wait for The Everyday Naturalist to be published next year? I have plenty of reading material for you right now! All of these chapbooks I wrote are available for just $6 each for paperbacks, or $3 for ebooks, at https://rebeccalexa.com/chapbooks/

[arthistoryanimalia]

For #WorldRainforestDay + #PollinatorWeek:

Hummingbird & Trumpet Flower, giant LEGO art by Sean Kenney from his 2019 show at Liberty Science Center.

“FUN FACT: This sculpture is made using 35,508 LEGO bricks!”

[anipgarden]

It’s hummingbird season here in Florida! I've been seeing all kinds of activity around my flowers and bird feeders!

So, what kind of flowers do hummingbirds like? The general advice I've seen circle around is red (or red-orange), tubular flowers like Trumpet Vine or Firecracker bush. However, there's plenty of other options that people can grow in their areas--whether that be in-ground, in raised beds, or even in hanging baskets!

I've noticed the hummingbirds around my house like salvias and red pentas a lot, though I've also seen them go for lantana, coneflowers, and lavender a few times! I've also had friends in my area say that they go crazy over bottlebrush bush and shrimp plants, though I don't grow any of those myself.

What do hummingbirds like in your gardens?

[typhlonectes]

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Spring Migration Map for the Eastern U.S.

[wumbologyandecology]

Two juvenile hummingbirds sleeping soundly in their nest.

This nest is a neatly constructed cup of mosses, twigs, and plant fibers, held together with spider webs. The spider silk gives it a stretchy quality to expand with the birds’ growth and movement. The outside is camouflaged with bits of bark and lichen.

Trabuco Canyon, California