rupertclayton's Favorites

Elevation 5800'. Massive woody root about the diameter of a fat guy's thumb, explains how it is flowering profusely despite the very dry climate. Note the glandular bracts that cover immature flowers and are shed once the flower opens.

Sisyrinchium bellum, branched stem with 2 nodes. Several individual plants looked at in the area. May be hybrids? Two other Sisyrinchium idahoense entries for this site. There are exceptions to every rule. "All generalizations are false, including this one." - Mark Twain

A number of iNaturalist observations have been posted of this undescribed taxon from Kelso Dunes and Soda Lake Basin sands, past collectors have placed under M. transmontana. Tasha La Doux and I in the process of compiling background information and conducting morphological and genetic research leading up to the publishing of this as a new taxon.

Thank you @avlok for the description of hairiness on the under side of leaves in A. bullata. The leaves are crumpled/blistery on the underside but very stiff. That is why I thought bullata could fit. Thanks again 🤞private farm, obscuration requested

I looked out the window and saw 2 hummingbirds fighting (?*) on the ground. It looked like one had already lost and was motionless. I opened the door to get pictures and the “victor” moved off a couple feet but eventually went back to picking on the downed one. I’d left my door open and my indoor cat (never caught anything other than an moth or two), dashed out to investigate. She got the downed bird in her mouth, and as I was kicking at her to drop it, that bird woke up and flew off! So, here was a time when a cat saved a bird (even though inadvertently).

*Update: After viewing the clips from the doorbell cam, my husband things the flying bird was trying to protect the fallen bird. This went on from about 6:30 am to 7:30 am. He is combining the clips to make one whole movie. I will try to post it to YouTube when he is finished.

Here is the YouTube video with clips from the doorbell cam. Look close to see the unusual interaction between the two birds (one flying and one prone); and see how the prone birds comes back to it’s senses and flies off at the end after my cat mouthed it for a second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pTdAWcs4rg