Just when I was feeling confident about the morphology of the milkweed family of plants, a new twist on the familiar leaps out shoutin’ “ Hey, lookie here!” Expecting to see a common vine gracefully twirling its way up a desert shrub, I paused ……. searching for the crimson red trumpet-shaped flowers of Ipomoeacristulata (Trans-Pecos morning glory). But instead there was an umbrella of 5 flowers, each with 5 widely spreading greenish-brownish-mauve colored petals crowned in the center of an unmistakable floral corona, a sure fire characteristic of a milkweed! Could it be?
Trans-Pecos Morning glory
Oh Yes!
This unexpected, undeniable discovery had me puzzled though. It’s been two years since I created a detailed post about the Asclepias genus of milkweed (see Summer Botany: Meet the Milkweeds). At that time and throughout the decades prior, my knowledge of milkweeds was limited to Asclepias, and the specific characteristics of that genus.
Spreading petals of Wavyleaf Twinevine
But here was something new-to-me; so worthy of whatever time it might take to learn all about this find in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), aka the Milkweeds. I quickly confirmed this vine does not belong with the Asclepias species of milkweeds, but is of the genus Funastrum, which is Latin for rope (funis) with twining stems (astrum), commonly referred to as the “twinevines.” And the full name of this plant is Funastrum crispum, commonly called Wavyleaf Twinevine.
Most of what I uncovered about Wavyleaf Twinevine is included on my 2 journal pages, along with some confusing taxonomy involving family and subfamily names, tribe and subtribe names, and how until 2012, this plant was known as Sarcostemmacrispum. Curiosity about the taxonomic history will undoubtedly tempt me to sort through the confusion ……. maybe someday soon!
Have you discovered anything new-to-you in nature lately? What was it, and did it lease to more discoveries?
Oops! I was caught without my sketchbook ….. but that didn’t prevent me from making a few interesting collections while waiting for a ride.
My curiosity unleashed, I began by wondering what voracious insect(s) tried to eat 1000x their weight in fresh cottonwood leaves. Then I noticed a very lovely leafy tree growing next to a stately pine, both of which were mysteries to me.
So I spent this afternoon sketching, painting, and looking over ID and reference materials, as much fun as collecting my three parking lot treasures!
If you find yourself “waiting,” how do you pass the time?
After a longer than planned for blog break, I’m glad to be back and sharing a few pages from my nature journal. Beginning in April, the riot of wildflowers popping up everywhere has, and still keeps me scurrying about my backyard, the “back 40,” and local hiking trails just to refresh my memory about familiar plant species while searching for new discoveries. I’ve been sketching daily, learning about new-to-me plants, and growing my knowledge about favorites.
Recording first seasonal sightings, it’s interesting to compare previous years’ emergence and abundance, and wonder why timings vary. For example, last year the white-stemmed evening primrose (Oenotheraalbicaulis) blanketed the hillsides with white; this year those beautiful white blooms have been scarce. Last year the tall crowded flower stems of White Point-Vetch (Oxytropis sericea) were few and far between. This year an explosion of these graceful plants that belong in the pea family (Fabaceae) began blooming in April and are still going strong!
White Point-Vetch, also called white locoweed, whitepoint crazyweed, and silky crazyweed, makes a striking bouquet that glows like a bright light as it blooms along tall flower stalks 15+ inches above bare brown ground. New stems push up through multiple dried stems packed with last year’s empty seedpods. But it’s obvious this species is an aggressive re-seeder; there are so many new plants this year where last year there were none!
It’s been a spectacular show!
Enjoying researching this species, dissecting a few fresh flowers, and searching for remnant seeds in the dried pods, kept me delving deep into the bits and pieces of what defines this group of plants. This large family, which houses well over 10,000 species world-wide, includes peas, acacias, mimosas, and licorice (see the list below for more residents).
The dried stem was drawn and shaded in graphite.
But one species at a time, please! Actually the locoweeds, which fall into the genera Oxytropis (like the White Point-Vetch) and Astragalus, contain over 600 species world-wide, 21 of which grow in the U.S. Many plants in these two genera are toxic, particularly to domestic ungulates. More about the toxin and what happens when these animals ingest even small quantities, along with other interesting facts are described on my two journal pages. ……
There is so much more to learn about this important family of plants, but I’ll save that for another post.
Thanks for stopping by and have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!
Thanks for stopping by …… have a safe and happy Happy Memorial Day!
It’s Spring in my neighborhood, and not a day too soon!! Along with gusty winds carrying clouds of yellow pollen come drifts of an outrageously bright yellow ‘sunflower’ named Perky Sue.
How Perky Sue got its common name is a mystery. My best guess is this herbaceous forb, native to New Mexico, has to be the Perky-est, Happiest Spring Flower, Ever!
What is your favorite native flower signaling the arrival of Spring in your world? Does its bloom cause you to smile; perhaps you break out in your happy dance?
Thanks for stopping by …… and Happy Mother’s Day to all!
When trying to pin down exactly what’s so special about Herbs, a deliciously aromatic group of plants, I was stumped. Well, maybe not stumped, exactly. There are so many reasons to fall in love with Herbs, and picking one feature or even one Herb that’s especially special is nearly impossible. Best known for their culinary flavor enhancements, can you imagine pickles without Dill, pesto without Basil, salsa without Cilantro? What’s a dark chocolate circular pattie without Peppermint, or a cookie cutter man without Ginger?
Herbs excite memories, calm the mind, reduce inflammation. Does the aroma of sage conjur thoughts of Thanksgiving? Does a sprig of lavender make you sleepy? Does bold yellow turmeric soothe arthritic joints?
And many Herbs are decorative and lovely to look at, form beautiful shrubs, have gorgeous flowers.
But I keep coming back to the aroma. It’s hard to resist crushing the leaves of herbs like thyme or mint between my fingers. The essential oils released into the air and lingering on my fingers causes me to take a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance, embedding the aroma in my brain, resulting in a memory I can recall over and over again.
Herbs are Special!
The Rosemary plant (actually a mini shrub) in my yard always invites my attention, and just this week it welcomed spring by coming into full bloom!
Who remembers this?! Now I can’t get it out of my head!
Do you have a favorite Herb? Why is it special? How do you use it? Please share! And thanks for stopping by!
After years of on-line and email chats, I was delighted when my friend Robin Atkins decided it was finally time we met in person! Bravo!
Robin and her travel buddy Lunnette, drove over 1,800 miles to Tucson to teach a Spirit Doll class to a local beading group. Then after spending 5+ days exploring Tucson and before driving home to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, WA, they took a “short” scenic 450 mile detour …… to Tijeras, NM. This out-of-the way drive would bring them to our doorstep, and our first face-to-face meeting! While in Tijeras, we were able to spend an evening and full day getting to know each other and spent time hiking, nature sketching, and sharing each other’s art.
Robin snapped this photo of me sketching out at Golden Open Space. The beautiful wind sculpted juniper trees growing along the precipices of the windy observation areas are absolutely captivating (and tough). Luna thinks they’re tasty!
Meet Robin
Robin, whom I’ve always thought of as an “extreme creative,” is a fascinating, energetic, curious, passionate and bright-eyed adventurer in her early 80s. Her many interests and skills, in addition to creating uniquely designed, hand sewn and beaded Spirit Dolls, include: quilting (many with bead embellishments), thread embroidery, book making, watercolor painting, Zentangle art, nature journaling, making decorative papers, poetry, weaving, collage, crochet, felting and book author. And she shares her skills and techniques by teaching.
This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means! As someone who seems to thrive on learning and developing new skills, Robin never stops seeking artistic challenges to take on.
Check out Robin’s beautiful webpage and blog (http://robinatkins.com) where you can find photos and posts highlighting her current and past creative projects.
A Short-but-Sweet Visit
We had a wonderful time getting to know each other, and what a delight to have also met Robin’s long-time friend and travel buddy, Lunnette. A retired firefighter in her mid 70s, Lunnette is also a nature journaler, calligrapher, quilter, and according to Robin, “she’s a terrific navigator, who always uses her keen sense of direction and map reading skills to keep us on the “right road,” (in both the literal and figurative sense).”
This is my finished graphite drawing of the twisted juniper I spent 5 minutes sketching.
Parting company was hard, but Robin and Lunnette needed to return home. Along their route they visited both Mesa Verde National Park and Arches National Park, soaking in more of the desert southwest sun and culture before taking on the 1,200 mile journey for Friday Harbor.
My notes taken and sketches/watercolor paintings created during the workshop
April 6, 2024
Each Spring, Winslow Art Center of Seattle organizes and hosts their Spring Fling! For four days, back-to-back live Zoom workshops are offered, featuring artists skilled in a wide range of media. Each workshop is free, a full hour long, and may include talks, demos, or a work-along. And all of the workshops are recorded for unlimited playback in case you miss one or all of the live sessions or want to watch one or more over and over again!
Each workshop is fascinating; there’s always something new to learn from all of the professional artists. But one work-along session presented by artist, educator and naturalist, Jean Mackay, I look forward to with exuberant excitement! Jean has been actively observing, illustrating and sharing, through her blog, stunning watercolor paintings of her daily encounters with nature for the past 20 years. Jean’s knowledge of wildlife and the many wonders found in nature are reflected in her illustrations. But there’s more! She always provides helpful tips and techniques pertinent to the development of her pages. For Spring Fling! 2024, Jean’s workshop was all about creating realistic looking bird eggs. I’m not sure how she managed to cover so much material in a very short hour, but she did. Beginning with a bit of bird egg natural history (just enough to whet the appetite for more), Jean jumped right in by describing 3 basic techniques for sketching egg shapes. Defining edges, shadowing, coloring and marking eggs came next, and before I knew it, time was up!
Somehow during the excellent, well organized presentation, I felt compelled to try a sketch of my favorite nature journaler, Jean Mackay. Perhaps not as good as my eggs turned out, but a pretty recognizable likeness, even if I do say so myself!
Thank you so much Jean! Every minute was a joy!
You too can follow Jean’s artistic journey! Check out her webpage and subscribe to her blog at: http://www.jeanmackayart.com
And if you’d like to give egg painting a try, for free, the Winslow Art Center’s webpage at: http://www.winslowartcenter.com
Reading this poem not only gave me the “lift” I was seeking on a dreary winter day…….. it was clear I wanted to design an illustration to further heighten the “lift” in anticipation of Spring and the new season of imaginative creation that was fast approaching!
Thanks to Michele Lee for allowing me permission to reprint her wonderful poem, Paper Airplane Pilot (March 6, 2024). Michele is a talented and prolific writer of poetry and prose, and a published author who lives in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. I look forward to her almost daily posts featuring something new and inspired on her widely-followed blog.
If you enjoyed Paper Airplane Pilot, your sure to enjoy her regular posts by becoming a subscriber to her blog, myinspiredlife.org
Seems like we’ve had tons and tons of snow this winter. And the closer we got to the official date of Spring (the equinox falls on March 19th this year), the more intense the storms became.
So when the forecast called for four straight days of snowstorms and piles of snow, I had an idea. ……. build a Jolly Snow Glob and journal his Life and Tymes.
Jolly Snow Glob, “Glob” for short!
Friday, March 15h was the birth day of the “Glob.” Constructed of freshly fallen snow that was the perfect combination of wet and fluffy, he seemed to hold together beautifully. If the weather forecast was accurate, he might even hold together long enough to witness the arrival of Spring.
Did he? See for yourself!
All four snow days and the 1st day of Spring …… from the beginning to the end of a Jolly Snow Glob
There are a number of different woodpecker and closely related species (sapsuckers and flickers) that frequent our Piñon-Juniper woodlands in the East Mountains of central New Mexico. These include the downy, hairy, Lewis’s, red-naped, Northern flicker, and Williamson’s sapsucker. They are always such a joy to observe, unless they’re drilling a hole in the side of the house. Their stiff tails allow them to ‘walk’ up and down tree trunks and other vertical surfaces that house insects or exude sticky sap. Their sharp bills are ideal for creating nest holes and sapwells in tree trunks. Their sharp calls, drumming, and stiff-winged flight make them easy to recognize as a member of the woodpecker group of birds.
Until mid-March we’ve never seen a Williamson’s sapsucker. Then one morning Roy was trying to catch a glimpse of a strange woodpecker on one of our old growth piñon pines. Immediately recognizing the markings of this bird were unlike any we’ve seen before, he excitedly fetched me from my studio to have a look.
Sure enough! Realizing this was likely a life list sighting for us both, the markings looked just like those illustrated in our numerous field guides. Indubitably, dear Watson! This was a Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicusthyroideus) and he was treating us to a visit. We watched him (definitely a male, as females look completely different than the males, which is unusual for woodpecker species) working his way up and down the tree trunk. As he walked and hopped up and down the tree, he would circle the trunk and pause to lick up actively flowing tree sap from rows and rows of sapwells! Why had we never noticed so many sapwells on this tree before? Did this or other Williamson’s sapsuckers drill these shallow sapwells? Maybe another woodpecker species created them and the Williamson’s was stealing the nutritious sap? Are these new sapwells or have woodpeckers been drilling this tree for many years? Countless questions, but this handsome fellow wasn’t giving up his secrets. So we enjoyed his antics for about 30 minutes until he flew off, maybe to another piñon to lap its sap?
The next day, as we were about to pull into the garage, we spotted the Williamson’s again …… again working the sapwells up and down the piñon tree. We sat in the car and watched him while mulling over new questions, like “isn’t this the same time he was here yesterday?” “Why yes!” We closely observed his feeding pattern, beginning at about 5 feet above the ground, walking and hopping up the tree while circling the trunk, and when he reached the needled branches about 25 feet high, he would make a diving flight back down to the 5 foot height and again work his way up. This went on repeatedly for about 5 times before he flew away. Hmmmm! Why did he stop when he did? Had he licked up all the available sap for the day, and had to wait until the sap began flowing again? (I showed up later to see if he returned ….. he didn’t. Maybe my timing was off? Maybe the sap flow still wasn’t worth his trip?).Day 3, and same time/same place. This hungry bird was back lapping sap! Same up and down behaviors; same departure time.
Day 3, and same time/same place. This hungry bird was back lapping sap! Same up and down behaviors; same departure time.
Day 4, ditto
Day 5, ditto
Day 6 ……. We arrived at the same mid-morning time, and waited. And waited. And waited. The Williamson’s sapsucker was a no show. And we haven’t seen him since.
Was he only migrating through, just long enough to stock up on high energy meals? Apparently this species is widespread and fairly common throughout the Rocky Mountain West, but their breeding range begins just north of us and extends into Canada. However, we are well within the Williamson’s sapsucker’s winter range. Hope he returns again next year!
Meanwhile we’ll be watching that old growth piñon to see if the sapwells draw in other hungry birds!
Now, a few fun facts about the Williamson’s sapsucker and sapsuckers in general.
While the male Williamson’s sapsucker is silky black with a cherry-red throat, a brilliant lemon-yellow belly and bright white wing patches, the female looks totally different. This is very unusual for birds in the woodpecker group. The female has a mousy brown head, banded back and small patches of black and yellow on the belly.
The difference is so striking between the male and female, they were originally thought to be different species entirely. It wasn’t until 1873 that ornithologists realized they were the same species. Naturalist Henry Henshaw located a pair at their nest in Colorado and published his observations, thus putting an end to the confusion.
Sapsuckers get their name from their habit of drilling rows of shallow holes in tree bark. The birds come back to these holes to lick the sap that flows from these holes and to eat insects that have become caught in the sticky residue.
Early ornithologists in the West reported seeing Williamson’s Sapsuckers at sapwells in aspen trees; however, in the past 100 years, observers have seen their sapwells only in conifers, never in deciduous trees. The early reports might have been of Williamson’s stealing sap from wells made by Red-naped Sapsuckers.
Here’s a few progress shots I remembered to capture while creating the Williamson’s clinging to the tree
Earliest coloring stages …. Laying down base colors to build up to the Williamson’s silky black back
Adding more base colors, sapwell and tree bark furrowing details
Close to final image. The black was achieved by using purples, browns, blues and greens to achieve the iridescence of his black coloring.
a curious nature 