Hello readers,

Have you seen the Korean Mountainash next to the Chapel? It is not as majestic as the pine but it is delicate and pretty in its own way, aesthetically pleasing throughout the year.

Spring is all about green. When I met this ornamental tree on the tree walk on May 18th, its crown was thriving in an elliptical shape with luxuriant foliage. It seemed young since it’s about 3 meters tall, far from its height potential of 12-15 meters. The dark green leaves are simple, toothed, smooth with an acute tip and a round base. White buds, growing on inflorescences, are cloaked with green sepals. Scarlet globose fruits can be seen hanging from the twigs, with dimples on sides and white little dots on the surface. These fruits are pomes, the same type as apples, but much smaller with a diameter of about 1 cm.

Buds

Fruits

Come with summer are the pure white flowers. When I walked past it about 2 weeks later, it had already put on a creamy white cover-up unawares. The five-petal flowers were grouped in corymbs. The stamens looked ethereal in the middle of the flowers, which made me think of the beautiful crest on a white peacock.

From Google Images

Then when fall brings yellow to the world, it won’t leave the Korean Mountainash out. I haven’t seen its look in autumn but I’m sure the mix of orange-red flowers and red mature fruits will look fantastic. Can’t wait to see it in the fall term!

From Google Images

From Google Images

Which look of the Korean Mountainash is your favorite? Have you seen the Korean Mountainash elsewhere on campus?

One strange thing about the observation during the tree walk was that the red pomes were already present when the flowers were still in the form of buds. But my source says that the flowers should be followed by the fruits. I haven’t found the reason behind this during research. What do you think?

Until next time!

Olivia

Source: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c151

Hello readers!

Happy end of finals!

If I have to pick something to share among the brilliant species I observed this term, it has to be birds. Birds are my favorite group of creatures on campus but observing birds is not an easy task. I’ve lost count of how many times I only had the luck to look at a lovely bird for 3 second before it flew off briskly. Sometimes things got worse and I could only listen to a bird’s beautiful warbling songs without even seeing it. I’m sure you all have similar bitter-sweet experiences with birds.

But the bird I met on May 7th was an exception.  I was walking to Mclaughlin when this bird appeared on the lawn next to the sidewalk. Its body was overall gray with shades of green and brown and white dots on the back. The only parts that brightened things up a little bit were the conspicuous yellow beak and pinkish/reddish claws with three front toes and one hallux. My later research told me that what I had observed was a European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris.

The starling walked around on the grass, constantly bending down to poke the soil. The European starlings like to forage in open areas with short vegetation such as lawns like this. It was probably trying to find its personal favorite food. We don’t know what that was since this species has an extremely diverse diet that varies geographically, with the age of individuals, and with season.

As I excitedly approached it to observe more and take photos, it didn’t look frightened at all and only walked a little away from me. It didn’t fly away even when I was so close as about one meter from it. Pleasantly surprised, I followed it around as it leisurely waddled across the sideway to another part of the lawn.

Was this bird just an exception among all the shy and easily-frightened birds? It turned out that European starlings are generally insensitive to disturbance of any kind. Even if there is any initial response, it disappears quickly after repeated exposure to the disturbance. I haven’t found out the reason behind this but maybe they are just adaptable to urban environment.

Sadly, I was in a rush so I had to fail this approachable bird and left after 2 minutes of observation.

However, now we have all the time in the world to go outside and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature! So no more missing chances!

Until next time,

Olivia

Source:

Cabe, Paul R. (1993). European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America: https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/eursta. DOI: 10.2173/bna.48