View allAll Photos Tagged GOOSEFOOT
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Purple-backed Fairy-wren (prior to 2018 called verigated fairy wren)
Scientific Name: Malurus assimilis
Description: The purple-backed fairywren is on average 14.5 cm (5.5 in) long.[citation needed] Like other fairywrens, it is notable for its marked sexual dimorphism, males adopting a highly visible breeding plumage of brilliant iridescent blue and chestnut contrasting with black and grey-brown. The brightly coloured crown and ear tufts are prominently featured in breeding displays. The male in breeding plumage has striking bright blue ear coverts and blue-purple crown and forehead, a black throat and nape, a blue-purple upper back, chestnut shoulders and a bluish-grey tail. The wings are drab brown and the belly white. Within subspecies assimilis, the plumage of both sexes is becomes paler from east to west across its range, with those of northwestern Australia paler still. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles of subspecies assimilis are predominantly grey-brown in colour, while those of subspecies rogersi and dulcis are mainly blue-grey. Males of all subspecies have a black bill and lores (eye-ring and bare skin between eyes and bill), while females of subspecies assimilis and rogersi have a red-brown bill and bright rufous lores, and those of subspecies dulcis have white lores. Immature males will develop black bills by six months of age, and moult into breeding plumage the first breeding season after hatching, though this may be incomplete with residual brownish plumage and may take another year or two to perfect. Both sexes moult in autumn after breeding, with males assuming an eclipse non-breeding plumage. They will moult again into nuptial plumage in winter or spring. The blue coloured plumage, particularly the ear-coverts, of the breeding males is highly iridescent due to the flattened and twisted surface of the barbules. The blue plumage also reflects ultraviolet light strongly, and so may be even more prominent to other fairywrens, whose colour vision extends into that part of the spectrum.
Distribution and habitat: The purple-backed fairywren is widely distributed over much of the Australian continent. It is replaced in southwestern Western Australia by the red-winged and blue-breasted fairywrens, and by the lovely fairywren north of a line between Normanton and Townsville in north Queensland. Some early evidence suggested subspecies assimilis may be nomadic, but later more detailed fieldwork indicated it was generally sedentary, with pairs of purple-backed fairywrens maintaining territories year-round. There is little information on the other subspecies.
It is found in scrubland with plenty of vegetation providing dense cover. It prefers rocky outcrops and patches of Acacia, Eremophila or lignum in inland and northern Australia. Fieldwork in the Northern Territory showed that the species preferred open woodland dominated by thickets of lancewood (Acacia shirleyi) and bullwaddy (Macropteranthes kekwickii) than eucalyptus. Chenopod scrubland with plants such as saltbush, bluebush, black rolypoly (Sclerolaena muricata), nitre goosefoot (Chenopodium nitrariaceum), grass tussocks, and overstory plants such as black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) and native cypress (Callitris).
Clearing of native vegetation for agriculture in the Western Australian wheatbelt and Murray-Mallee region of Victoria had a negative impact on the species, as does the consumption of saltbush by cattle.
Breeding: Breeding can occur at any time in inland Australia, with birds taking the opportunity to nest after heavy rains, although only one brood is usually raised each year.
The nest is a round or domed structure made of loosely woven grasses, twigs, bark and spider webs, with an entrance in one side, and is often larger than those of other fairywrens. Nest measured at Shark Bay ranged from 9 to 11 cm tall and 5 to 9 cm wide.
The Striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum) is a small maple tree with a characteristic stripy bark. It is native to Northern America where it is also known as the Moosewood or Moose maple because moose (as well as deer and beavers) found its bark particularly tasty in winter months. Old Arboretum; Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury, South Gloucestershire, England, UK.
Thank you for your visit, favours and comments.
I was attracted to the lovely colours of this plant whose seeds are providing a good meal for this female House Sparrow. It is one of the 40 varieties of Goosefoot which may be found in Britain. I am pleased that garden numbers for the House Sparrow also seem to be very high this year.
A thrill to find this species on my work patch last week, having only ever previously seen it in France! Always had a soft spot for the Tortoise beetles!
Upton Magna - Shropshire
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Seems to be a nervous, but very active bird here, preferring to stick to the thicket, rarely coming out in the open, unlike their cousin the Splendid Fairy Wren.
Purple-backed Fairywren
Scientific Name: Malurus assimilis
It was long considered a subspecies of the variegated fairywren until its genetic distinctness led to it once again becoming a separate species in 2018.
Description: The purple-backed fairywren is on average 14.5 cm (5.5 in) long.[citation needed] Like other fairywrens, it is notable for its marked sexual dimorphism, males adopting a highly visible breeding plumage of brilliant iridescent blue and chestnut contrasting with black and grey-brown. The brightly coloured crown and ear tufts are prominently featured in breeding displays. The male in breeding plumage has striking bright blue ear coverts and blue-purple crown and forehead, a black throat and nape, a blue-purple upper back, chestnut shoulders and a bluish-grey tail. The wings are drab brown and the belly white. Within subspecies assimilis, the plumage of both sexes is becomes paler from east to west across its range, with those of northwestern Australia paler still. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles of subspecies assimilis are predominantly grey-brown in colour, while those of subspecies rogersi and dulcis are mainly blue-grey. Males of all subspecies have a black bill and lores (eye-ring and bare skin between eyes and bill), while females of subspecies assimilis and rogersi have a red-brown bill and bright rufous lores, and those of subspecies dulcis have white lores. Immature males will develop black bills by six months of age, and moult into breeding plumage the first breeding season after hatching, though this may be incomplete with residual brownish plumage and may take another year or two to perfect.[23] Both sexes moult in autumn after breeding, with males assuming an eclipse non-breeding plumage. They will moult again into nuptial plumage in winter or spring. The blue coloured plumage, particularly the ear-coverts, of the breeding males is highly iridescent due to the flattened and twisted surface of the barbules. The blue plumage also reflects ultraviolet light strongly, and so may be even more prominent to other fairywrens, whose colour vision extends into that part of the spectrum.
Distribution and habitat: The purple-backed fairywren is widely distributed over much of the Australian continent. It is replaced in southwestern Western Australia by the red-winged and blue-breasted fairywrens, and by the lovely fairywren north of a line between Normanton and Townsville in north Queensland. Some early evidence suggested subspecies assimilis may be nomadic, but later more detailed fieldwork indicated it was generally sedentary, with pairs of purple-backed fairywrens maintaining territories year-round. There is little information on the other subspecies. It is found in scrubland with plenty of vegetation providing dense cover. It prefers rocky outcrops and patches of Acacia, Eremophila or lignum in inland and northern Australia. Fieldwork in the Northern Territory showed that the species preferred open woodland dominated by thickets of lancewood (Acacia shirleyi) and bullwaddy (Macropteranthes kekwickii) than eucalyptus.[29] Chenopod scrubland with plants such as saltbush, bluebush, black rolypoly (Sclerolaena muricata), nitre goosefoot (Chenopodium nitrariaceum), grass tussocks, and overstory plants such as black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) and native cypress (Callitris). Clearing of native vegetation for agriculture in the Western Australian wheatbelt and Murray-Mallee region of Victoria had a negative impact on the species, as does the consumption of saltbush by cattle.
Breeding: Breeding can occur at any time in inland Australia, with birds taking the opportunity to nest after heavy rains, although only one brood is usually raised each year. The nest is a round or domed structure made of loosely woven grasses, twigs, bark and spider webs, with an entrance in one side, and is often larger than those of other fairywrens. Nest measured at Shark Bay ranged from 9 to 11 cm tall and 5 to 9 cm wide.
(Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple-backed_fairywren)
© Chris Burns 2025
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The island has a autum of its own, with the coulors of goosefoot (not blooming anymore) and samphire.
What’s amazing to see on the end of the left foot a numeric band that researchers place on young bird in our region. Researchers have learned over the years through banding that the majority of Geese migrated fly more than 1,500 miles nonstop between North and South America.
Two more views below…
Sunlight bubbles, a gentle breeze and daydreams. An early morning walk in an English meadow. In the near distance I can hear boats setting out on the river. Here I could lie down amongst the flowers all day and watch the sun passing over me. Work can wait...
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Believe this - This photo is SooC in every way that matters. I haven’t pulled a nifty “selective monochrome” trick! This is a 200mm lens at f/4.5 with the September morning sun rising just off my right shoulder. I’ve just cleaned up some distractions around the frame and cut a 10:8 crop.
Those flower heads? I’m not sure but my best id is Goosefoot (Chenopodium). If so they have useful properties. There were acres of them.
(From somewhere near Woolverstone, River Orwell, Suffolk UK)
This hollow-spotted blepharomastix has some beautiful designs and colors on its wings. Their caterpillars feed on goosefoot (Chenopodium) leaves. Otherwise, the life history of this moth is mostly a mystery. I found this one along the edge of an oak woodland in mid-summer.
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Thanks Liam for the correct ID!
And Stonebird added: The sparrow is perched on Saltbush (Atriplex) also called Quail Bush. It's in the goosefoot family and lots of creatures use it for cover and butterflies like the Western Pygmy Blue will use it as a food source for its caterpillars.
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The leaves are quite fleshy. This plant was fairly small. I saw others 100cms tall and very branched. I am stumped.
The Toft Little Heath Staffordshire UK
15th August 2018
It looked good enough to eat so I looked it up online. Yes it is edible raw or cooked as Spinach. If you want to eat wild leaves never take many leaves from the same plant.
I believe this is goosefoot (Chenopodium album) even though the new leaves are purple.
Ich glaube, das ist der weiße Gänsefuß (Chenopodium album) obwohl die jungen Triebe und Blätter purpur sind.
Beautiful Plume (Amblyptilia acanthadactyla). This moth is distributed widely over much of Britain and Ireland, and, since the 1990s, has become much more frequent, including in gardens.
Like its relative, A. punctidactyla, the hindwing has two patches of black scales on its dorsum, which protrude when the rest of the hindwing is covered by the forewing. Amblyptilia acanthadactyla may be distinguished by its warm reddish brown colour from the greyish brown of A. punctidactyla.
There are two generations, with moths on the wing in July and again from September onwards, flying after hibernation until May. The adults are attracted to light.
The larvae feed in June and in August on the flowers and young leaves of a large range of plants, including restharrow (Ononis spp.), Hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), cranesbills and cultivated geraniums (Geranium spp.), goosefoots (Chenopodium spp.), heathers (Calluna and Erica spp.), and mints (Mentha spp.) On the continent, it has also been reported on Salvia, Teucrium scorodonia, Lavandula, Euphrasia, Carlina, Vaccinium, Calamintha and Nepeta. Several other plume species feed on some of these plants, so caution should be exercised when identifying the larvae.
Photo by Nick Dobbs, Bournemouth, Dorset 06-09-21
FR Chénopode polysperme - EN Many-seeded goosefoot - ES Cenizo polispermo
Chenopodium polyspermum L. (tige avec feuilles et infrutescences)
Friche (alt. 120 m)
Fraipont (province de Liège, Wallonie, Belgique)
Indigène (Europe, Ouest de l'Asie, Centre de la Sibérie)
I believe these are Russian Thistles (Salsola tragus) as they are a quite common form of tumbleweed in Utah. Emery County, Utah.
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'A prolific member of the Amaranthaceae family a crop like quinoa can be obtained by those with time on their hands.
Hedgerow Type
Common NamesFat Hen, Lambs Quarters, White Goosefoot
Scientific NameChenopodium album
Season StartApr
Season EndOct'
The Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes are similarly plumaged, and young birds are a duller version of the adult. This sparrow breeds over most of temperate Eurasia and Southeast Asia.
The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is 12.5–14 cm (5–5½ in) long, with a wingspan of about 21 cm (8.25 in) and a weight of 24 g (0.86 oz), making it roughly 10% smaller than the House Sparrow.
The Tree Sparrow is a predominantly seed and grain eating bird which feeds on the ground in flocks, often with House Sparrows, finches, or buntings. It eats weed seeds, such as chickweeds and goosefoot, spilled grain, and it may also visit feeding stations, especially for peanuts. It will also feed on invertebrates, especially during the breeding season when the young are fed mainly on animal food; it takes insects, woodlice, millipedes, centipedes, spiders and harvestmen.
Spotted at the Bolton Abbey near Skipton, UK.
Thanks to MICK fopr the ID. This is a Heart & Dart Moth (Agrotis exclamationis) caterpillar. The Heart and Dart moth is a common moth that flies from late May to July. The brownish forewings each have a distinctive black dart-shaped marking and a rough heart-shaped one, giving the moth its name. The hindwings are paler.
The caterpillars appear from July to October and are smooth and reddish brown with a fine dark-edged pale line down the back. They feed on various low-growing plants including lettuce, chickweed, plantain, goosefoot and turnips. Like many other moth larvae, they burrow into the ground to overwinter in earthen cocoons. In the spring they pupate before emerging as adults to complete their lifecycle.
The Port of Sheerness, located on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England, boasts a rich history and a vibrant present. Established in 1715, it has evolved into a major port for trade cars, fruit, and forest products, thanks to its natural deep water and no-lock access. Today, it operates as part of the Peel Ports Group and continues to play a crucial role in the UK's maritime industry, with facilities that include nine berths and six Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) facilities. The port's strategic position at the confluence of the Medway River and the Thames makes it a key gateway for both imports and exports, contributing significantly to the local and national economy.
The historic ports of Sheerness and Chatham together form our London Medway cluster and provide in excess of 182 hectares of facilities designed to meet the needs of customers across the South East of England and beyond.
The Medway Estuary, is a site of remarkable environmental significance. It is recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Ramsar internationally important wetland site, and a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. This estuary is not only crucial for its wintering bird populations but also for its breeding birds and diverse flora, including the nationally rare oak-leaved goosefoot and the nationally scarce slender hare's-ear. The Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, a not-for-profit organization, dedicates its efforts to the conservation and promotion of the estuary's natural and historical environments. The Medway Estuary's importance is further highlighted by its designation as a Marine Conservation Zone, protecting a total area of 60 km² and encompassing the estuary from Rochester down to its mouth. This rich ecosystem is a testament to the intricate balance of nature and the importance of preserving such unique habitats for future generations.
This view is taken from Southend-on-Sea on the other side of the Thames Estuary which is a significant geographical feature where the River Thames meets the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. It's one of the largest of 170 such inlets on the British coast and serves as a major shipping route, bustling with activity from large oil tankers, container ships, bulk carriers, and ferries. The estuary's boundaries have been defined in various ways over time, reflecting its dynamic nature and importance in different contexts, such as tidal, geographical, and navigational aspects. The estuary is not only a hub for commerce but also plays a crucial role in the UK's growth, with initiatives like "The Green Blue" action plan aiming to harness its potential for sustainable development. This plan underscores the estuary's unique advantages, such as its proximity to London and excellent transport links, making it a prime location for business and innovation.
A passeggio nei campi attorno alla mia abitazione.
Farinello puzzolente (?) (Chenopodium vulvaria)
Conosciuto in Sardegna come: Alba cunnina, Alba puzzinosa
Walking in the fields around my house.
Stinking goosefoot (?) (Chenopodium vulvaria)
Known in Sardinia as: Alba cunnina, Alba puzzinosa
IMG20250210093532m
Occassional.
Found growing on a manure heap. Approx 80cms tall. A bushy plant. A first for me.
It looked good enough to eat so I looked it up online. Yes it is edible raw or cooked as Spinach. If you want to eat wild leaves never take many leaves from the same plant.
Shredicote Staffordshire UK 7th August 2016
This Stinking Goosefoot at Languard Nature reserve was fenced off to protect it! According to the sign next to it Stinking Goosefoot is extremely rare and declining. Languard Nature Reserve is an important site for it and it now only persists in three places in the UK.
Stinking Goosefoot (Chenopodium vulvaria) appears greyish green with flowers borne on almost leafless spikes. It has a low growing and spreading habit. It can be seen from May to October. It is called Stinking Goosefoot because it has a stench of rotting fish!
ʻĀheahea, ʻĀweoweo or Hawaiian goosefoot
Amaranthaceae (Amaranth or pigweed family)
Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. This wide-ranging endemic species is found on all of the main islands, recently found on Kahoʻolawe, and also on Lisianski (Papaʻāpoho), Laysan (Kauō), French Frigate Shoals (Mokupāpapa), Necker (Mokumanamana), and Nīhoa.
Photo: Oʻahu (Cultivated)
Habit
www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/6904266227/in/photolist-...
Early Hawaiians used the wood to form shark hooks (makau mano) fitted with bone points.
Medicinally, it was used to treat children with ‘ea (thrush) and pā‘ao‘ao (a general term for ailments).
ʻĀweoweo leaves and shoots were wrapped in ti (kī) leaves, cooked in an ʻimu and eaten in times of food scarcity by early Hawaiians. This added greens and roughage to their diet.
Etymology
The generic name is from the Greek chen, goose, and pous, foot, referring to the goose-like foliage. See www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/37896864336/in/photolist...
The specific epithet oahuense refers the island of Oʻahu.
Tochigi Hana(flower) Center, Iwafune-machi(town) Tochigi-shi(city) Tochigi-ken(prefecture), Japan
栃木県栃木市岩舟町(とちぎけん とちぎし いわふねまち) とちぎ花センター