Hibiscus In temperate zones, probably the most commonly grown ornamental species is Hibiscus syriacus, the common garden hibiscus, also known in some areas as the "Rose of Althea" or "Rose of Sharon" (but not to be confused with the unrelated Hypericum calycinum, also called "Rose of Sharon"). In tropical and subtropical areas, the Chinese hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis), with its many showy hybrids, is the most popular hibiscus.

Reed Bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus (M)

It breeds across Europe and much of temperate and northern Asia. Most birds migrate south in winter, but those in the milder south and west of the range are resident. It is common in reedbeds and also breeds in drier open areas such as moorland and cultivation. For example, it is a component of the purple moor grass and rush pastures, a type of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in the UK. It occurs on poorly drained neutral and acidic soils of the lowlands and upland fringe.

The common reed bunting is a medium-sized bird, 13.5–15.5 cm long, with a small but sturdy seed-eater's bill. The male has a black head and throat, white neck collar and underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back. The female is much duller, with a streaked brown head, and is more streaked below.

Despite its name, the Reed Bunting breeds across a range of habitats from reedbeds and conifer plantations to hedgerows and arable crops like oil seed rape. During the non-breeding season, this species is dependent upon weed seeds, and as such, Reed Buntings would have joined other species in winter flocks on farmland stubbles. The decline of this species matches that of other farmland species like Tree Sparrow and Linnet. The increasing winter use of gardens during the 1980s probably reflects the decrease in availability of winter food.

Common Whitethroat - Sylvia communis

The common whitethroat (Sylvia communis) is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.

This is one of several Sylvia species that has distinct male and female plumages. Both sexes are mainly brown above and buff below, with chestnut fringes to the secondary remiges. The adult male has a grey head and a white throat. The female lacks the grey head, and the throat is duller.

This species may appear to be closely related to the lesser whitethroat, the species having evolved only during the end of the last ice age similar to the willow warbler and chiffchaffs. However, researchers found the presence of a white throat is an unreliable morphological marker for relationships in Sylvia, and the greater and lesser whitethroats are not closely related.

This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3–7 eggs are laid. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will also eat berries and other soft fruit.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,100,000 territories

The common whitethroat (Sylvia communis) is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.

This is one of several Sylvia species that has distinct male and female plumages. Both sexes are mainly brown above and buff below, with chestnut fringes to the secondary remiges. The adult male has a grey head and a white throat. The female lacks the grey head, and the throat is duller.

This species may appear to be closely related to the lesser whitethroat, the species having evolved only during the end of the last ice age similar to the willow warbler and chiffchaffs. However, researchers found the presence of a white throat is an unreliable morphological marker for relationships in Sylvia, and the greater and lesser whitethroats are not closely related.

This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3–7 eggs are laid. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will also eat berries and other soft fruit.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,100,000 territories

Mallow (lat. Malva), or kalachik, or stem-rose - the type genus of the Malvaceae family - a herbaceous plant, usually annual, sometimes biennial and perennial. Today, about 30 species of mallow grow naturally in the temperate climates of North Africa, North America, Asia and Europe. Mallow was cultivated in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece: a description of the healing properties of the plant was found in the writings of Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder. In the twenties of the last century, scientists discovered ecological plasticity and high fodder qualities in mallow. And large bright pink flowers have always aroused the admiration of artists who depicted them in paintings, and poets who sang about them in verse.

Mallow has long been known in folk medicine. The beneficial properties of mallow have been studied by healers in many countries. For example, an infusion of mallow flowers and leaves cures stomach inflammation and intestinal disorders. Hot baths with steamed leaves or flowers of mallow (mallow) help relieve swelling of the spleen. The forest mallow grass is a constant component of chest collections.

La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes, 2300 meters above sea level.

Myioborus miniatus

(Slate-throated Redstart / Abanico pechinegro)

The Slate-throated Redstart is found from northern Mexico south to northern Bolivia, always in temperate montane habitats. In the north it lives in Pine-Oak forests, farther south in cloud forests and moist montane slopes.

It is a species which shows a high degree of geographic variation. In fact this largely grayish-blue bird with a dark chestnut cap has a striking red belly in the north, and in South America it is yellow-bellied, with orange-bellied forms in-between.

neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/...

The yellow-throated warbler (Setophaga dominica) is a small migratory songbird species breeding in temperate North America. It belongs to the New World warbler family (Parulidae). Yellow-throated Warblers are small, well-proportioned birds with sharp and pointed bills. Compared to other warblers, they are a bit more heavy-bodied with a longer and thicker bill. From below, note the blunt, only slightly notched tail. Yellow-throated Warblers are gray and white with a splash of yellow on the throat and black streaks down the sides. The yellow throat is offset by a black triangle below the eye and a white eyebrow. From above they have a gray back and 2 white wingbars. From below look for the white belly and white tail. Females and first-year males look similar, but are slightly paler.

Kingfisher - Alcedo Atthis

The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) also known as the Eurasian kingfisher, and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.

This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.

The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult, but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90–100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather.

The flight of the kingfisher is fast, direct and usually low over water. The short rounded wings whirr rapidly, and a bird flying away shows an electric-blue "flash" down its back.

The common kingfisher is widely distributed over Europe, Asia, and North Africa, mainly south of 60°N. It is a common breeding species over much of its vast Eurasian range, but in North Africa it is mainly a winter visitor, although it is a scarce breeding resident in coastal Morocco and Tunisia. In temperate regions, this kingfisher inhabits clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. It frequents scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which it hunts. In winter it is more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbours and along rocky seashores. Tropical populations are found by slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks and in swamps.

Like all kingfishers, the common kingfisher is highly territorial; since it must eat around 60% of its body weight each day, it is essential to have control of a suitable stretch of river. It is solitary for most of the year, roosting alone in heavy cover. If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds display from perches, and fights may occur, in which a bird will grab the other's beak and try to hold it under water. Pairs form in the autumn but each bird retains a separate territory, generally at least 1 km (0.62 mi) long, but up to 3.5 km (2.2 mi) and territories are not merged until the spring.

Very few birds live longer than one breeding season. The oldest bird on record was 21 years.

They are also listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act offering them additional protection.

Population:

UK breeding:

3,800-6,400 pairs

Great White Egret - Ardea Alba

The great egret is generally a very successful species with a large and expanding range, occurring worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. It is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the Neotropics. In North America, large numbers of great egrets were killed around the end of the 19th century so that their plumes could be used to decorate hats. Numbers have since recovered as a result of conservation measures. Its range has expanded as far north as southern Canada. However, in some parts of the southern United States, its numbers have declined due to habitat loss, particularly wetland degradation through drainage, grazing, clearing, burning, increased salinity, groundwater extraction and invasion by exotic plants. Nevertheless, the species adapts well to human habitation and can be readily seen near wetlands and bodies of water in urban and suburban areas.

The great egret is partially migratory, with northern hemisphere birds moving south from areas with colder winters. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

In 1953, the great egret in flight was chosen as the symbol of the National Audubon Society, which was formed in part to prevent the killing of birds for their feathers.

On 22 May 2012, a pair of great egrets was announced to be nesting in the UK for the first time at the Shapwick Heath nature reserve in Somerset. The species is a rare visitor to the UK and Ben Aviss of the BBC stated that the news could mean the UK's first great egret colony is established. The following week, Kevin Anderson of Natural England confirmed a great egret chick had hatched, making it a new breeding bird record for the UK. In 2017, seven nests in Somerset fledged 17 young, and a second breeding site was announced at Holkham National Nature Reserve in Norfolk where a pair fledged three young.

In 2018, a pair of great egrets nested in Finland for the first time, raising four young in a grey heron colony in Porvoo.

The peacock (Aglais io) is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Nymphalidae and the subfamily Aurelias (Nymphalinae).

The day peacock is one of the most colorful and best-known species of butterflies in Europe. The species is common in Europe in the temperate zones and is absent in the extreme north and south. The species can also be found in the temperate regions of Asia as far as Japan. The large distribution area can be explained, among other things, because the most important host plant, the nettle, is so common. The dagpauwoog is common in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The day peacock is not to be confused with other butterflies here because of its size, the orange-red wings and the characteristic eye spot on the top of each wing. The underside is well camouflaged by dark brown colors and dark stripes.

The peacock peacock has been well researched, so much is known about the butterfly's lifestyle, reproduction and development. It is one of the species that hibernates as an adult butterfly and can be found in homes during the winter.

Red Squirrel - Sciurus Vulgaris

Highlands, Scotland.

The red squirrel is found in both coniferous forest and temperate broadleaf woodlands. The squirrel makes a drey (nest) out of twigs in a branch-fork, forming a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter. This is lined with moss, leaves, grass and bark. Tree hollows and woodpecker holes are also used. The red squirrel is a solitary animal and is shy and reluctant to share food with others. However, outside the breeding season and particularly in winter, several red squirrels may share a drey to keep warm. Social organization is based on dominance hierarchies within and between sexes; although males are not necessarily dominant to females, the dominant animals tend to be larger and older than subordinate animals, and dominant males tend to have larger home ranges than subordinate males or females.

Red squirrels that survive their first winter have a life expectancy of 3 years. Individuals may reach 7 years of age, and 10 in captivity. Survival is positively related to availability of autumn–winter tree seeds; on average, 75–85% of juveniles die during their first winter, and mortality is approximately 50% for winters following the first.

Although not thought to be under any threat worldwide, the red squirrel has nevertheless drastically reduced in number in the United Kingdom; especially after the grey squirrels were introduced from North America in the 1870s. Fewer than 140,000 individuals are thought to be left in 2013; approximately 85% of which are in Scotland, with the Isle of Wight being the largest haven in England. A local charity, the Wight Squirrel Project,[26] supports red squirrel conservation on the island, and islanders are actively recommended to report any invasive greys. The population decrease in Britain is often ascribed to the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America, but the loss and fragmentation of its native woodland habitat has also played a role.

In January 1998, eradication of the non-native North American grey squirrel began on the North Wales island of Anglesey. This facilitated the natural recovery of the small remnant red squirrel population. It was followed by the successful reintroduction of the red squirrel into the pine stands of Newborough Forest. Subsequent reintroductions into broadleaved woodland followed and today the island has the single largest red squirrel population in Wales. Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour is also populated exclusively by red rather than grey squirrels (approximately 200 individuals).

Deep in the temperate rainforest of the Otways

Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is a weed of temperate, sub-tropical and occasionally semi-arid regions that prefers damp places, such as wetlands, swamps and stream banks. It also grows in disturbed sites, waste areas, bushland, open woodlands, grasslands, coastal environs, forestry plantations and along roadsides. It is cultivated as a garden ornamental in southern and eastern Australia, though legislation has reduced its popularity in some regions. A widely distributed species that is naturalised mainly in the southern parts of Australia. It is most commonly found throughout Tasmania, in southern and central Victoria, in the ACT, in south-western Western Australia, and in the coastal and sub-coastal regions regions of central New South Wales. Also present in south-eastern South Australia and south-eastern Queensland and possibly naturalised on Norfolk Island. Infestations are common near the capital cities in most states. 53945

Bullfinch - Pyrrhula Pyrrhula (F)

The Eurasian bullfinch, common bullfinch or bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is a small passerine bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch.

The bullfinch is a bulky bull-headed bird. The upper parts are grey; the flight feathers and short thick bill are black; as are the cap and face in adults (they are greyish-brown in juveniles), and the white rump and wing bars are striking in flight. The adult male has red underparts, but females and young birds have grey-buff underparts. It moults between July and October, but males do not have the duller autumn plumage that is typical of some other finches. The song of this unobtrusive bird contains fluted whistles, and is often described as 'mournful'.

This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia. It is mainly resident, but many northern birds migrate further south in the winter. Mixed woodland with some conifers is favoured for breeding, including parkland and gardens.

This species does not form large flocks outside the breeding season, and is usually seen as a pair or family group.

The food is mainly seeds and buds of fruit trees, which can make it a pest in orchards: in England for centuries every parish paid a bounty for every bullfinch killed. Ash and hawthorn are favoured in autumn and early winter. If wild bird cover is planted for it, kale, quinoa and millet are preferred, next to tall hedges or woodland.

Population:

UK breeding:

190,000

Gannet - Morus Bassanus

Bempton Cliffs

The gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, having a wingspan of up to 2 metres (6.6 ft). The other two species occur in the temperate seas around southern Africa, southern Australia and New Zealand.

Gannets hunt fish by diving into the sea from a height and pursuing their prey underwater. Gannets have a number of adaptations which enable them to do this:

no external nostrils, they are located inside the mouth instead;

air sacs in the face and chest under the skin which act like bubble wrapping, cushioning the impact with the water;

positioning of the eyes far enough forward on the face for binocular vision, allowing them to judge distances accurately.

Gannets can dive from a height of 30 metres (98 ft), achieving speeds of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) as they strike the water, enabling them to catch fish much deeper than most airborne birds.

The gannet's supposed capacity for eating large quantities of fish has led to gannet becoming a description of somebody with a voracious appetite.

Gannets are colonial breeders on islands and coasts, normally laying one chalky, blue egg. Gannets lack brood patches and they use their webbed feet to warm the eggs. It takes five years for gannets to reach maturity. First-year birds are completely black, and subsequent sub-adult plumages show increasing amounts of white.

The most important nesting ground for northern gannets is the United Kingdom with about two thirds of the world's population. These live mainly in Scotland, including the Shetland Isles. The rest of the world's population is divided between Canada, Ireland, Faroe Islands and Iceland, with small numbers in France (they are often seen in the Bay of Biscay), the Channel Islands, Norway and a single colony in Germany on Heligoland. The biggest northern gannet colony is on Scotland's Bass Rock; in 2014, this colony contained some 75,000 pairs. Sulasgeir off the coast of the Isle of Lewis, St. Kilda, Grassholm in Pembrokeshire, Bempton Cliffs in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Sceilig Bheag, Ireland and Bonaventure Island, Quebec are also important northern gannet breeding sites.

Young gannets were historically used as a food source, a tradition still practised in Ness, Scotland, where they are called guga. Like examples of continued traditional whale harvesting, the modern day hunting of gannet chicks results in great controversies as to whether it should continue to be afforded exemption from the ordinary protection afforded to sea birds in UK and EU law". The Ness hunt is currently limited to 2,000 chicks per year, and dates back at least to the Iron Age. The hunt is considered to be sustainable, as between 1902 and 2003 Gannet numbers in Scotland increased dramatically from 30,000 to 180,000.

Population:

UK breeding:

220,000 nests

Today we have been exploring the theme of an ancient temperate rainforest in Tasmania that scientists can link directly to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana (550-180 million years ago). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondwana

This is a truly primordial environment, and when I came across this dark ferny grotto in the forest of the Lake St Clair National Park, it was like being transported back long before humans ever walked the earth. It looks so ancient one would not be surprised to see a little dinosaur species run out from under the cover of those ferns.

That is my "Gondwana Dreaming" for the day. And so with a little tweak of processing, I dedicate this piece of photo art to an ancient world that eventually became our home too. May we forever be reminded that like any home we need to take great care to conserve it.

The term Geranium refers, in general, to a group of herbs and small shrubs of the genera Geranium and Pelargonium. It gathers about 300 species, many native to temperate and tropical regions of altitude, of which several are cultivated as ornamentals or for the extraction of tannins and tinctures.

Geranium can be divided into groups, such as: upright geranium; pending geranium; English geranium; fragrant geranium; herbaceous geranium and succulent geranium.

The photos presented in this series are from Pelargonium peltatum (pending geranium), Geraniums with narrow stems and leaves similar in shape to ivy are called “Ivy-leaved Geraniums” or “Pelargonium peltatum”. It behaves like a vine and the flowers have narrower petals and fewer floral heads.

The flowers can be single or folded and can be colored crimson, scarlet, salmon, pink and white. The strong colors and double flowers are the preference of the majority of the public in southern Brazil.

Hoh River, Olympic National Park, Washington

In honor of the birthday of Olympic National Park (it officially became a national park on June 29th, 1938) I thought I would post a photo of the beautiful Hoh River that is one of the central features of the park. It originates from the Hoh Glacier on Mount Olympus, winds it way through the park and terminates in the Pacific Ocean along the edge of the coastal boundary of the park.

This section is located in the Hoh Rainforest along the Hoh River Trail.

Ferns and moss amid the winter mists of the Oregon coast forest.

Yes, we do have lots of rain here. This short tree or shrub was here when we moved in four years ago. Just needed water. I think it's a Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, or hawberry, a genus of several hundred species of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus

Feel free to correct me about the name. No increased saturation or vibrancy. The rain and clouds take credit for that.

Parque Estadual do Espinilho - Barra do Quaraí, RS, Brazil.

This is an endangered South American species in the tanager family, Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Gubernatrix. Found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, it inhabits dry savannas, temperate and subtropical shrublands, and temperate grasslands. Sadly, it is threatened by habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade. The current global population is estimated at just 1,000 to 2,000 individuals.

More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_cardinal

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Suborder: Passeri

Family: Thraupidae

Subfamily: Thraupinae

Genus: Gubernatrix Lesson, 1837

Species: G. cristata (Vieillot, 1817)

Binomial name: Gubernatrix cristata

The temperate rainforest of Argyll under fog at dawn

These beautiful large tree ferns greet you as you make your way down the track to the Liffey Falls. It is a glorious natural fernery, which in the temperate rainforest gets significant rain and is shaded by the taller trees to allow this species to flourish.

In this case we are talking about "Dicksonia antarctica". As the name suggests, these ferns go back to the time when Australia and Antarctica were all part of the super continent of Gondwana.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_ferns

A 19th century reference to the significance of tree ferns in Tasmania: www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/T/...

The mallard or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa.

Fiddleheads is the term given to the early stage of a fern frond before it unfolds to produce the full frond. www.sas.upenn.edu/~joyellen/bioweb.html

There's no surprise where the name came from. Their presence in the forest is a healthy sign that the fern trees (Dicksonia antarctica) are reproducing normally. In Tasmania's temperate rainforests they get plenty of water and are shaded by the canopy of the taller trees. These are truly beautiful, yet ancient plants. A fully grown tree fern can live for more than 250 years.

Gnesta, Sweden.

The silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia) is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palaearctic ecozone – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia and Japan.

The silver-washed fritillary butterfly is deep orange with black spots on the upperside of its wings, and has a wingspan of 54–70 mm, with the male being smaller and paler than the female.

www.wikiwand.com/en/Silver-washed_fritillary

Pelargonium, a genus of flowering plants in the family Geraniaceae, which includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly known as geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills.

Some species are extremely popular garden plants, grown as houseplants and bedding plants in temperate regions. They have a long flowering period.

Temperate rain forest near Milford Sound - New Zealand

All images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written explicit permission of the photographer.

From Sonnet 18

It is well known now as Shakespeare's phrase "The Darling Buds of May" was used as the title for his novel by H.E. Bates... which has since been adapted for television too 😊

Apologies for using my Japanese plum in 3 successive photos - I am enjoying it before it freezes (-2.6c last night)

For the Smile on Saturday challenge: "picture with added text"

HCC and HSoS ;o)

Cliché and Smile on Saturday: Here

my Plum blossom set: Here

Blend and Merge: Here

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Autumn, also known as Fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere). Autumn is the season when the duration of daylight becomes noticeably shorter and the temperature cools considerably. Day length decreases and night length increases as the season progresses until the Winter Solstice in December (Northern Hemisphere) and June (Southern Hemisphere). One of its main features in temperate climates is the striking change in colour for the leaves of deciduous trees as they prepare to shed.

Thank you for visits, comments and favs!

Vielen Dank für Eure Besuche, Kommentare und Sternchen!

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Wikipedia: The common redshank or simply redshank (Tringa totanus) is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.

The common redshank is a widespread breeding bird across temperate Eurasia. It is a migratory species, wintering on coasts around the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast of Europe from Ireland and Great Britain southwards, and in South Asia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_redshank

Conservation status: Least Concern

Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are renowned for their large, showy flowers and those species are commonly known simply as "hibiscus", or less widely known as rose mallow. Other names include hardy hibiscus, rose of sharon, and tropical hibiscus.

Hibiscus

Biscayne Park FL

www.susanfordcollins.com

The Muttart Conservatory, Edmonton's premier horticultural attraction, is nestled in the river valley and features more than 700 species of plants in 3 climate-regulated biomes - arid, temperate and tropical - and a feature biome, located within our pyramids.

The Temperate Pyramid is 7100 square feet in size, standing 79 feet high which is tall enough for some trees to reach maturity. Seasonal climate temperatures are carefully controlled to simulate the seasons.

Plants growing in this pyramid are closest to those native to our climate here in Edmonton. Plants are adapted to seasonal growth patterns, with summer and winter seasons.

Changing with the seasons, colourful floral displays enhance the rich foliage. Plants go dormant in winter and burst into spring growth of green leaves and blooms. A variety of plants including many herbs, grasses and shrubs accompany larger trees.

Berberis (/ˈbɜːrbərɪs/), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in South America and Asia; Europe, Africa and North America have native species as well. The best-known Berberis species is the European barberry, Berberis vulgaris, which is common in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia, and has been widely introduced in North America. Many of the species have spines on the shoots and all along the margins of the leaves

Zephyranthes /ˌzɛfᵻˈrænθiːz/ is a genus of temperate and tropical plants in the Amaryllis family, native to the Western Hemisphere and widely cultivated as ornamentals. There are over 70 recognized species species in the Amaryllis family (subfamily Amaryllidoideae) as well as numerous hybrids and cultivars. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily, Atamasco lily, and rain lily. The name is derived from Ζέφυρος (Zephyrus), the Greek god of the west wind, and ἄνθος (anthos), meaning flower, referring to the slender stalks.

Hawfinch - Coccothraustes Coccothraustes

This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia (Palearctic). It is mainly resident in Europe, but many Asian birds migrate further south in the winter. It is a rare vagrant to the western islands of Alaska.

Deciduous or mixed woodland, including parkland, with large trees – especially hornbeam – is favoured for breeding. The hawfinch builds its nest in a bush or tree, and lays 2–7 eggs. The food is mainly seeds and fruit kernels, especially those of cherries, which it cracks with its powerful bill. This large finch species is usually seen in a pair or small group.

The 16.5–18 cm long hawfinch is a bulky bull-headed bird, which appears very short-tailed in flight. Its head is orange-brown with a black eyestripe and bib, and a massive bill, which is black in summer but paler in winter. The upper parts are dark brown and the underparts orange.

The white wing bars and tail tip are striking in flight. The sexes are similar. The call is a hard chick. The song of this unobtrusive bird is quiet and mumbled.

In the 18th century, the hawfinch was recorded as only a rare winter visitor in Britain. The first breeding record was early in the 19th century; by the early 1830s, a well-documented colony was established at Epping Forest in Essex, and breeding was also recorded in other counties east and south of London. Further expansion of the range continued through the 19th and 20th centuries, with breeding occurring as far north as Aberdeenshire by 1968–1972. Peak numbers were in the period 1983–1990. Subsequently, there has been a significant decline of between 37% and 45% between 1990–1999.

Southeastern England is the stronghold of the hawfinch in Britain. One well-known site is Bedgebury Pinetum, where flocks gather to roost in winter. The species is also found in the New Forest; a central roost site exists here, at the Blackwater Arboretum. The only Sussex stronghold is at Westdean Woods in West Sussex, while in Surrey they are regularly seen at Bookham Common in winter. Formerly, hawfinches were regularly encountered in the Windsor Great Park area in winter, though no sizeable gatherings have been reported since the mid-1990s. The recent (2007–11) BTO Bird Atlas shows no evidence of the hawfinch breeding anywhere in this area; the reasons why are unclear.

In Devon (southwestern England), the hawfinch is largely confined to the upper Teign Valley. In western England and Wales, two areas in which hawfinches reliably occur are the Forest of Dean and the Wyre Forest. In Eastern England, the hawfinch is present in the Breckland of East Anglia. In northern England, hawfinches are regularly found in a small number of locations. Prime sites include Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire and Hulne Park in Northumberland. Hawfinches can be seen at Cromford Derbyshire near the canal and at Clumber Park (Nottinghamshire) near the chapel. In Scotland, Scone Palace near Perth is the most well-known site in Scotland for hawfinches. Formerly, they also occurred in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. In Ireland, they are an annual winter visitor in small numbers: they are most often seen at Curraghchase Forest Park in County Limerick, where a flock of between 15 and 30 birds occurs each winter. A few birds also turn up in Dublin most years.

Temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park - New Zealand

The Pacific Northwest and it's temperate rainforest provides recreation, jobs and habitat for a variety of animals and plants. I took this picture in Washington just a short walk from my truck at a rest area.

The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a wide-ranging marine mammal of the family Delphinidae. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it gets in captivity in marine parks and dolphinariums, and in movies and television programs. It is the largest species of the beaked dolphins. It inhabits temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world, and is absent only from polar waters. While formerly known simply as the bottlenose dolphin, this term is now applied to the genus Tursiops as a whole. As considerable genetic variation has been described within this species, even between neighboring populations, many experts think additional species may be recognized.

Common bottlenose dolphins are grey, and between 2 and 4 m (6.6 and 13.1 ft) long, and weigh between 150 and 650 kg (330 and 1,430 lb). Males are generally larger and heavier than females. In most parts of the world, adult length is between 2.5 and 3.5 m (8.2 and 11.5 ft); weight ranges between 200 and 500 kg (440 and 1,100 lb). Dolphins have a short and well-defined snout that looks like an old-fashioned gin bottle, which is the source for their common name.

This image was taken just off the coast of Northumberland, near Amble on a boat trip to Coquet Island

...except there's not been much rain...

www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/woodland/temperate-rainfo...

Temperate rainforests are wet, wonderful places full of life. The trees that grow there include sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow, and hazel. They often have open glades, or rivers cutting through rocky gorges. What really makes a temperate rainforest special is the rich tapestry of life that grows on and around the trees. Ferns, mosses, liverworts, and lichens seem to cover every surface, from the ground to boulders, crags, and even the trunks and branches themselves.

Olympic National Park, Washington State.

The Hoh Rainforest is located on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state, USA. It is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the U.S.[1] Within Olympic National Park, the forest is protected from commercial exploitation. This includes 24 miles (39 km) of low elevation forest 394 to 2,493 feet (120 to 760 m) along the Hoh River. The Hoh River valley was formed thousands of years ago by glaciers. Between the park boundary and the Pacific Ocean, 48 km (30 mi) of river, much of the forest has been logged within the last century, although many pockets of forest remain.

The Asian barred owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides) is a species of true owl, resident in northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. It ranges across north central and northeast India, Nepal Bhutan, north Bangladesh, and southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam). Its natural habitat is temperate forest.

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is also a muscimol mushroom. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.

Arguably the most iconic toadstool species, the fly agaric is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. This includes video game design, such as the extensive use of a recognizable Amanita muscaria in the Mario franchise and its Super Mushroom power up.

Despite its easily distinguishable features, Amanita muscaria is a fungus with several known variations, or subspecies. These subspecies are slightly different, some have yellow or white caps, but they are all usually called fly agarics, and they are most of the time recognizable by their notable white spots. Recent DNA fungi research, however, has shown that some of these variations are not muscarias at all, such as the peach-colored fly agaric for example, but the common name 'fly agaric' clings on.

Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from A. muscaria ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling twice with water draining—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. All Amanita muscaria varieties, but in particular A. muscaria var. muscaria, are noted for their hallucinogenic properties, with the main psychoactive constituents being the neurotoxins ibotenic acid and muscimol. A local variety of the mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia and by the Sámi, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia. (Wikipedia) Heusden-Zolder, Belgium

Temperate rainforest is probably less diverse and definitely not as colourful as tropical one – but it is still captivating and full of all kinds of life. Taking many shots of it in early November (which was appropriately very rainy), I have arrived to the conclusion that I need to try and do some radically different in postprocessing to make those shots interesting. The lush greenery went away - and instead you see less – or maybe more. It depends on how you look ;-)

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island, British Columbia