Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Grey Day Gets Even Better



My office doesn't have a window, but today I had the privilege of proctoring an exam in a room with a window. For the first time, I saw a group of Western Tanagers flying around and landing on the pine tree around 50' from the window so I got a few pictures. Didn't see any females, but at least 6 males. I was tired of doing work on my laptop, so I looked up Western Tanager and was surprised to discover that the bird does not manufacture the red pigment on its head. It gets it from bugs in its diet which, in turn, get it from the plants they eat. What a wonderful example of interdependence of species. Then, on a lunch break, I spotted some bright yellow flowers in a ditch at the side of Quincy Junction Road. Stopped to investigate and photograph. They appear to be some sort of wild mustard. Maybe I'll find out more later.

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