Known in some areas as a pest, the “rice bird” who feeds on rice and grains especially during migration, this New World Blackbird has unique coloration featuring a male with high-contrast white and cream on black.
This is one of the few birds that many residents of the USA know by name… but it is THAT NAME that makes many people in the UK a bit confused. No matter where you live, each version has the classic “red breast”.
This is the typical “red-breast” found in the United Kingdom and much of Europe, completely unrelated to the “red-breast” found in America.
Birders in the eastern half of America welcome this bird as one of their most colorful and recognizable, with its classic blue plumage, contrasted with a little red and white
These nearly ubiquitous, often evergreen vines are almost entirely edible outside of their berries. Try their tender tendrils. 😉
These plants CAN be a nuisance, with some species having stinging hairs… BUT they are edible and highly nutritious, with various other uses as well!
The local Philippines call this woody vine “tayabak”. Related to the green beans we grow in our gardens, this species’ unique turquoise claw-shaped flowers are pollinated by bats.
This worldwide wetland grass can grow up to 20 feet (6 meters) tall and can cover a quarter of a square mile or more in one stand!