23-7-2026 COBH, IRELAND - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common Blackbird, Turdus merula, is a true thrush and a familiar sight in gardens and woodlands. The male is distinguished by its all-black plumage, bright yellow eye-ring, and orange-yellow bill, which darkens slightly during winter. Females and juveniles are more demure in their attire, sporting mainly dark brown feathers.

Adult males are entirely black with the exception of the yellow eye-ring and bill. Females are sooty-brown with a duller bill, and juveniles resemble females but have pale spots on their upperparts. The very young may also exhibit a speckled breast.

23-7-2026 RIVER LEE CORK, IRELAND - EUROPEAN HERRING GULL (Larus marinus)

The European herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large and robust seabird, with a length of up to 66 cm (26 inches). It is a familiar sight along the coastal regions of Western Europe and is known for its striking appearance and adaptability to various environments.

Adult European herring gulls have a light grey back and upper wings, with a white head and underparts. Their wingtips are marked with black and white spots known as "mirrors." The bill is a bright yellow with a red spot near the tip, and the legs are typically pink, although they can sometimes be yellowish. Juveniles are mottled brown with darker streaks and possess a dark bill and eyes. As they mature, their plumage gradually lightens, reaching full adult coloration and sexual maturity at around four years of age.

23-7-2026 RIVER LEE CORK, IRELAND - EUROPEAN HERRING GULL (JUVENILE) (Larus argentatus)

A juvenile European herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large, heavy-bodied young bird up to 66 cm long. It features mottled, dark brown and buff-speckled plumage, a dark bill, dark eyes, and pinkish legs. It takes about four years to transition into fully gray-and-white adult plumage.

Appearance and Identification

Plumage: Covered in a messy mix of dark brown feathers with pale fringes, giving a scaly or checkered look.

Head and Neck: Streak-brown and dingy, lacking the clean white look of adults.

Bill: Mostly dark or blackish, sometimes showing a slightly paler pinkish base.

Eyes and Legs: Dark eyes (becoming pale only in later years) and dull pink legs.

Development and Behavior

Maturation: Takes four years to reach adult look. Intermediate stages look mottled and messy.

Diet: Opportunistic feeder. Found near coasts, lakes, and landfills.

Flight: Strong and broad-winged, though juvenile tail and wing feathers show dark, uniform tones.

23-7-2026 RIVER LEE CORK, IRELAND - BLACK HEADED GULL (JUVENILE) (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

A juvenile Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small, noisy bird measuring about 34 to 43 cm long. Unlike adults, young birds lack a dark hood. They feature a mottled brownish back, brown wing patterns, a speckled breast, yellowish-pink legs, and a pale bill with a dark tip.

Key Identification Features

Head: White with a dark smudge or spot near the ear.

Body: Warm buff-brown streaking and mottling on the upper back and wing coverts.

Tail: White with a distinct dark or black band right at the tip.

Bill and Legs: Flesh-colored, yellowish, or dull orange-pink rather than the bright red of an adult.

Wings: Show a bright white stripe (blaze) on the front edge of the inner wing during flight.

Behavior and Habitat

Diet: Eats insects, worms, scraps, and small fish.

Location: Found near lakes, ponds, farm fields, rivers, and coastal shores.

Development: They molt their brown juvenile feathers and transition to a pale gray back by their first winter.

30-7-2026 ROSTELLAN, IRELAND - MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor)

The mute swan, Cygnus olor, is a majestic bird, easily recognized by its all-white plumage and the distinctive orange beak bordered with black. The male, known as a cob, is noted for a prominent knob atop the beak, which is more pronounced than that of the female, or pen.

Adult mute swans measure between 125 to 160 cm in length, with a wingspan of 200 to 240 cm. The males are generally larger than females and possess a larger knob on their bill. The species is one of the heaviest flying birds, with males reaching weights up to 14.3 kg and females up to 10.6 kg. Juveniles, or cygnets, are not as bright white as adults and have a dull greyish-black bill for their first year.

Mute swans are found in a variety of wetland habitats, including lakes, ponds, rivers, and coastal areas, where they build large mounds of vegetation for nesting.

Native to Eurosiberia, the mute swan has been introduced to North America, Australasia, and southern Africa. It is partially migratory in northern latitudes, with some populations moving as far south as North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Mute swans are territorial and monogamous, often reusing the same nest each year. They are less vocal than other swan species but are known for their aggressive defense of their nests and offspring. They can be seen performing a threat display known as busking, with wings half raised and neck curved back.

While not as vocal, mute swans produce a range of sounds including grunting, hoarse whistling, and snorting. They also have a rhythmic song during courtship displays and a unique throbbing sound from their wings in flight.

30-7-2026 ROSTELLAN, IRELAND - MUTE SWAN (JUVENILE) (Cygnus olor)

A juvenile mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a large young water bird. It has dusty gray-brown feathers instead of bright white. Its bill is dark gray or dull pinkish instead of orange, and it lacks the large black forehead knob that adults have.

Physical Traits

Color: Dusky gray-brown body, paler on the neck and chin.

Bill: Dull gray, black, or pinkish-horn with no visible knob.

Size: Nearly as large as an adult, with a long neck.

Change: Feathers turn white and bills turn orange during their first year or second year.

Life and HabitsTracked by bird watchers on platforms like eBird.

Stays with family groups for several months after hatching.

Eats water plants by dabbling in lakes, ponds, and slow rivers.

30-7-2026 ROSTELLAN, IRELAND - MALLARD (FEMALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

The Mallard, or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos), is a familiar and widespread dabbling duck with a presence across temperate and subtropical regions of the Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has also been introduced to parts of the Southern Hemisphere. The male is renowned for its iridescent green head and white collar, while the female sports a brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes boast a speculum—a patch of feathers with iridescent purple or blue hues bordered by white. The Mallard's length ranges from 50 to 65 cm, with a wingspan of 81 to 98 cm, and it typically weighs between 0.7 and 1.6 kg.

 Males during the breeding season are unmistakable with their glossy green heads, white collars, and purple-tinged brown breasts. Females are mottled brown with buff cheeks and an eye-stripe. Both sexes have the distinctive speculum on their wings. The male's bill is yellowish-orange tipped with black, while the female's is darker, ranging from black to mottled orange and brown.

Mallards are found in a variety of wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. They prefer water depths less than 0.9 meters and are drawn to areas with aquatic vegetation.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - DOTTED LOOSESTRIFE (Lysimachia punctata)

Lysimachia punctata, the dotted loosestrife, large yellow loosestrife, circle flower, or spotted loosestrife, is a flowering plant species in the family Primulaceae.

Lysimachia punctata is a rhizomatous perennial herbaceous plant growing up to about 1.2m in height. The flowers have five petals, sepals and stamens and are produced in dense groups in the axils of leaves. The leaves are opposite and ovate. Both the leaves and the flower parts are hairy.  The petals are fringed with hairs and the hairy sepals all-green, without the orange margin of L. vulgaris.

It is native to SE Europe east to the Caucasus, introduced as a garden plant and widely naturalized as a garden escape on rough ground, roadsides and damp places.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - GARDEN DAHLIA (Dahlia pinnata)

Dahlia pinnata (D. × pinnata) is a species in the genus Dahlia, family Asteraceae, with the common name garden dahlia. It is the type species of the genus and is widely cultivated.

Dahlia pinnata is a perennial herbaceous plant with a rhizome and tuberous roots, reaching a height of 70 to 120 centimetres (28 to 47 inches), rarely 160 cm. The stem is erect, and branched only in the inflorescence. The leaves are usually simple, with leaflets that are ovate and 5–10 centimetres (2–4 in) long. The plant is slightly shaggy.

Between July and October, atop stems 5 to 15 cm in length are two to eight flower heads, 6 to 10 cm in diameter. The eight florets have a length of 3 to 5 cm, are ovate and coloured pink to deep purple.

Hansen and Hjerting in (1996)[3] demonstrated that Dahlia pinnata should more properly be designated D. x pinnata. D. x pinnata was shown to actually be a variant of D. sorensenii that had acquired hybrid qualities before it was introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century and formally named by Cavanilles. The original wild D. pinnata is presumed extinct.

It is geographically located in Central America, tending to grow at borders. The plant occurs in Mexico in the mountains around Mexico City.

7-8-2026 KATMAI NAT PARK, ALASKA., USA - BROWN BEAR (Ursus arctos) WEBCAM

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is known as the Kodiak bear. It is one of the largest living terrestrial members of the order Carnivora, rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on average. The brown bear's range includes parts of Russia, Central Asia, the Himalayas, China, Canada, the United States, Hokkaido, Scandinavia, Finland, the Balkans, the Picos de Europa and the Carpathian region (especially Romania), Iran, Anatolia, and the Caucasus. The brown bear is recognized as a national and state animal in several European countries.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - GOLDEN EVERLASTING (Xerochrysum bracteatum)

Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Australia. Described by Étienne Pierre Ventenat in 1803, it was known as Helichrysum bracteatum for many years before being transferred to a new genus Xerochrysum in 1990. It is an annual[4] up to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall with green or grey leafy foliage. Golden yellow or white flower heads are produced from spring to autumn; their distinctive feature is the papery bracts that resemble petals. 

The species is widespread, growing in a variety of habitats across the country, from rainforest margins to deserts and subalpine areas. The golden everlasting serves as food for various larvae of lepidopterans (butterflies and moths), and adult butterflies, hoverflies, native bees, small beetles, and grasshoppers visit the flower heads.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - EUROPEAN COMMA BUTTERFLY (Polygonia c-album)

 Polygonia c-album, or the “comma”, is a food generalist (polyphagous) butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. The angular notches on the edges of the forewings are characteristic of the genus Polygonia, which is why species in the genus are commonly referred to as anglewing butterflies. Comma butterflies can be identified by their prominent orange and dark brown/black dorsal wings.

Both the larval and adult stages exhibit protective camouflage, mimicking bird droppings and fallen leaves respectively, which reduces predation. The pupae are also cryptic, resembling shriveled leaves. During the later stage of development, the larvae also develop strong spines along their backs. The species is commonly found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and contains several subspecies. Although the species is not migratory, the butterflies are strong fliers, resulting in an open population structure with high gene flow and increased genetic variation.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - ORANGE DAY LILY (Hemerocallis fulva)

Hemerocallis fulva, the orange day-lily, tawny daylily, corn lily, tiger daylily, fulvous daylily, ditch lily or Fourth of July lily (also railroad daylily, roadside daylily, outhouse lily, track lily, and wash-house lily), is a species of daylily native to Asia. 

It is very widely grown as an ornamental plant in temperate climates for its showy flowers and ease of cultivation. It is not a true lily in the genus Lilium, but gets its common name from the superficial similarity of its flowers to Lilium and from the fact that each flower lasts only one day.

Hemerocallis fulva, widely known as the orange day-lily or ditch lily, is a tough, rhizomatous perennial plant native to Asia that features large, showy orange blooms lasting only a single day. Detailed insights on Hemerocallis fulva highlight its widespread naturalization and distinct growth habits.

Plant Characteristics and Growth

Height: Grows up to 80 cm (about 2.5 feet) tall and wide.

Flowers: Trumpet-shaped, reddish-orange, opening for just one day.

Roots: Spreads aggressively through a robust tuberous and rhizomatous root system.

Foliage: Linear, arching, light green leaves.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - HARDY FUSCHIA (Fuchsia magellanica)

Fuchsia magellanica – commonly known as the hummingbird fuchsia, hardy fuchsia or chilco (from Mapudungun: chillko "watery" – is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family Onagraceae, native to the lower Southern Cone of southern South America.

They arrived in England in the late 18th century. According to tradition, the English gardener James Lee discovered them on the windowsill of a seaman's house and bought them for a considerable sum. As early as 1793 Lee is said to have sold a large number of pieces that he had pulled from this one copy. Fuchsia magellanica, and its cultivars and hybrids, are widely cultivated by plant nurseries and gardeners as ornamental plants. They are grown in temperate and subtropical gardens and conservatories, in containers on patios, balcony|balconies, and indoors. They prefer a sunny position.

The plants are quite cold-hardy compared to other species from more tropical climates, being deciduous where frosts are light, and only top die back in hard frosts (with mulching). The profuse drooping flowers are a nectar source attractive to hummingbirds.

This species, and hybrids using it as parent stock, are very susceptible to the fuchsia gall mite, Aculops fuchsiae, a serious disfiguring pest that was first accidentally spread from its native Brazil to the West Coast of the United States in 1980. It has more recently made appearances in France (2003), the Channel Islands (2006) and the United Kingdom (2007). Fortunately the fuchsia gall mite does not readily survive temperatures below 40 °F (4 °C), and there are effective treatments and strategies.

It has been used in traditional remedies as a diuretic and antipyretic.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - BELLADONNA LILY (Amaryllis belladonna)

Amaryllis belladonna, the Jersey lily, belladonna-lily, naked-lady-lily, or March lily, is a plant species native to Cape Province in South Africa but widely cultivated as an ornamental. It is reportedly naturalized in many places: Corsica, Portugal, the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Scilly Isles of Great Britain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ascension Island, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Chile, California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan, Indiana and the Juan Fernández Islands. 

Perennial bulbous geophyte with one to two erect solid stems which appear in late summer. The inflorescence bears 2–12 showy fragrant funnel-shaped flowers on a 'naked' (leafless) stem, which gives it the common name of naked-lady-lily. The pink flowers which may be up to 10cm in length, appear in the autumn before the leaves (hysteranthy) which are narrow and strap shaped.

Amaryllis belladonna is one of the two species in the genus Amaryllis as currently circumscribed.

The specific epithet belladonna is derived from the Italian bella donna, which means beautiful lady.

Amaryllis belladonna is found in South Africa, where the plants are found growing among rocks.

12-8-2026 LAKE ONALASKA, MISSISIPPI RIVER USA - BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) WEBCAM

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a majestic bird  of prey indigenous to North America, is not actually bald. Its name derives from an older meaning of "white headed," referencing the striking contrast between its chocolate-brown body and its snow-white head and tail. The adult bald eagle is unmistakable within its range, with a robust build, a heavy head, and a powerful beak. The plumage of immature eagles is a mottled brown, with the distinctive white head and tail feathers not appearing until four to five years of age.

Adult bald eagles are primarily brown with a white head and tail, and their eyes, beak, and talons are bright yellow. Females are about 25 percent larger than males. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females being larger, averaging up to 5.6 kg (12 lb), compared to the males' average of 4.1 kg (9.0 lb). The beak is large, hooked, and yellow. Juveniles lack the white head and tail, featuring a brown plumage overlaid with white until they reach maturity.

Bald eagles favor habitats near large bodies of open water with abundant fish and old-growth trees for nesting. They are found in environments ranging from the bayous of Louisiana to the Sonoran Desert and the deciduous forests of Quebec and New England.

The bald eagle's range spans most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. They are migratory in the northern parts of their range and resident in the southern parts.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - GARDEN MONBRETIA (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora)

Garden montbretia (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora) is a tough, bulbous perennial in the iris family known for bright, funnel-shaped orange-red flowers and sword-like leaves. Growing 60 to 100 cm tall, it blooms from summer to autumn, attracts pollinators, and spreads quickly via underground corms.

Plant Care and Growing Tips

Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps in very hot areas.

Soil: Rich, moist, and well-draining.Water: Moderate water; let soil dry slightly between waterings.

Maintenance: Divide crowded clumps every few years to keep blooms strong.

21-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDEN, IRELAND - EUROPEAN PEACOCK BUTTERFLY (Aglais io)

Aglais io, the European peacock, or the peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. The peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring.

The peacock butterfly has figured in research in which the role of eyespots as an anti-predator mechanism has been investigated. The peacock is expanding its range and is not known to be threatened.

The butterfly has a wingspan of 50 to 55 millimetres (2 to 2+1⁄8 in). The base colour of the wings is a rusty red, and at each wingtip it bears a distinctive, black, blue and yellow eyespot. The underside is a cryptically coloured dark brown or black, mimicking a dead leaf.

 There are two subspecies: A. io caucasica (Jachontov, 1912), found in Azerbaijan, and A. io geisha (Stichel, 1908), found in Japan and the Russian Far East.

The peacock can be found in woods, fields, meadows, pastures, parks, and gardens, from lowlands up to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) elevation. It is a relatively common butterfly, seen in many European parks and gardens. The peacock male exhibits territorial behaviour, in many cases territories being selected en route of the females to oviposition sites.

The butterfly hibernates over winter before laying its eggs in early spring, in batches of up to 400 at a time. However, recent studies in Belgium have shown that peacock butterflies reproduce in two periods: early spring and early summer, and a possible third period in autumn. They found that peacock butterflies show flight peaks in early July and early August to early October, with the emergence of butterflies with good-conditioned wings, which shows signs of new offspring. The olive green eggs are ribbed. They are laid on both the upper parts and the undersides of leaves of nettle species and hops.[citation needed] The caterpillars hatch after about a week. They are shiny black with six rows of barbed spikes and a series of white dots on each segment. The chrysalis may be either grey, brown or green, and may have a blackish tinge. The caterpillars grow up to 42 millimetres (1+5⁄8 in) in length.

30-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDENS, IRELAND - CALIFORNIA POPPY (Eschscholzia californica)

Eschscholzia californica, the California poppy, golden poppy, Mexican poppy, California sunlight or cup of gold, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae, native to the United States and Mexico. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant flowering in summer (spring in southern Australia), with showy flowers in brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow (occasionally pink and white). It is also used as food or a garnish. It had various uses in indigenous herbalism. It became the official state flower of California in 1903.

California poppy is a perennial or annual plant growing to 5–12 in (13–30 cm) tall with alternately branching glaucous blue-green foliage. The leaves are alternately divided into round, lobed segments. The flowers are solitary on long stems, silky-textured, with four petals, each petal 2 to 6 cm (0.79 to 2.36 in) long and broad; flower color ranges through yellow, orange and red. Flowering occurs from February to September in the northern hemisphere. The petals close at night (or in cold, windy weather) and open again the following morning, although they may remain closed in cloudy weather. The fruit is a slender, dehiscent capsule 3 to 9 cm (1.2 to 3.5 in) long, which splits in two, sometimes explosively with an audible snap, to release numerous small 1.5–1.8 mm (0.059–0.071 in) wide black or dark brown seeds. The plant will reseed under ideal conditions, or when winters are cold. Anecdotally, it can be an aggressive reseeder in the home garden context, eventually becoming a groundcover. It survives mild winters in its native range, dying completely in colder climates.

12-8-2026 LAKE ONALASKA, MISSISIPPI RIVER USA - SANDHILL CRANE (Antigone canadensis) WEBCAM

The sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to its habitat, such as the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on the American Great Plains. Sandhill cranes are known to frequent the edges of bodies of water. The central Platte River Valley in Nebraska is the most important stopover area for the nominotypical subspecies, the lesser sandhill crane (A. c. canadensis), with up to 450,000 of these birds migrating through annually.

Sandhill cranes are fairly social birds that usually live in pairs or family groups through the year. During migration and winter, unrelated cranes come together to form "survival groups" that forage and roost together. Such groups often congregate at migration and winter sites, sometimes in the thousands.

Sandhill cranes are mainly herbivorous, but eat various types of food, depending on availability. They often feed with their bills down to the ground as they root around for seeds and other foods, in shallow wetlands with vegetation or various upland habitats. Cranes readily eat cultivated foods such as corn, wheat, cottonseed, and sorghum. Waste corn is useful to cranes preparing for migration, providing them with nutrients for the long journey. Among northern races of sandhill cranes, their diet is most varied, especially among breeding birds. They variously feed on berries, small mammals, insects, snails, reptiles, and amphibians.

30-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDENS, IRELAND - EURASIAN DRONE FLY (Eristalis arbustorum)

The Eurasian Drone Fly (Eristalis arbustorum), also called the European drone fly or plain-faced dronefly, is a common hoverfly in the family Syrphidae. It mimics honeybee drones for protection, features an aquatic "rat-tailed maggot" larva, and acts as an effective flower pollinator.

Physical Traits & Identification

Size: Adults measure about 9 to 11 millimeters in length.

Face: Features a completely pale-dusted, white-haired face without a central dark stripe.

Body Markings: Abdominal color patterns vary widely depending on the temperature during larval growth, ranging from yellow-banded to almost entirely black.

Bee Mimicry: Looks like a male honeybee (drone), which helps deter predators.

30-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDENS, IRELAND - HONEYSUCKLE FUCHSIA (Fuchsia triphylla)

Fuchsia triphylla, commonly known as the Honeysuckle Fuchsia or Firecracker Fuchsia, is a compact, evergreen subshrub native to Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). It features dark green leaves with purple undersides and vivid clusters of narrow, tubular orange-red flowers that bloom from spring to autumn.

Key Botanical Facts

Taxonomy: Belongs to the Onagraceae family and is the type species for the entire Fuchsia genus.

Name Origin: The species name triphylla means "three-leaved," referring to its habit of producing leaves in whorls of three at each node instead of the typical two.

Wildlife Value: The nectar-rich, pendulous tubular flowers are a primary food source for hummingbirds in their native range.

30-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDENS, IRELAND - PERUVIAN LILY (Alstroemeria aurea)

Alstroemeria aurea is a species of flowering plant in the family Alstroemeriaceae, native to Chile and Argentina, but naturalised in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental.

Common names include yellow alstroemeria, though cultivars have been selected in a range of colours. The name Peruvian lily is often applied to this and other species of Alstroemeria, despite the fact that most are not native to that country.

Growing to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall by 0.5 m (1.6 ft) broad, it is a herbaceous perennial with brittle, fleshy roots beneath erect stems with narrow leaves. Many orchid-like flowers in brilliant shades of yellow and orange. appear in early to midsummer. The flowers may be heavily spotted or striped with red or brown. If undisturbed, plants will spread rapidly in benign conditions.

When cultivated it is one of the hardiest alstroemerias, surviving temperatures of −10 °C (14 °F). It requires a sheltered spot in sun or part shade.

30-7-2026 FOTA HOUSE GARDENS, IRELAND - GIANT GOLDENROD (Solidago gigantea)

Solidago gigantea is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae.  Its common names include tall goldenrod and giant goldenrod, among others.

Goldenrod is the state flower of Kentucky and of Nebraska.

Solidago gigantea is a perennial herb that reaches heights of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall, sometimes spreading by means of underground rhizomes. It often grows in clumps with no leaves at the base but numerous leaves on the stem. At the top, each stem produces a sizable array of many small flower heads, sometimes several hundred. Each head is yellow, containing both disc florets and ray florets.

Solidago gigantea is found in a wide variety of natural habitats, although it is restricted to areas with at least seasonally moist soils.

It is a widespread species known from most of non-arctic North America east of the Rocky Mountains. It has been reported from every state and province from Alberta to Nova Scotia to Florida to Texas, and also from the state of Nuevo León in northeastern Mexico.

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - HIMALAYAN GRIFFON VULTURE (Gyps himalayensis)

The Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) or Himalayan griffon vulture is an Old World vulture native to the Himalayas and foothills in North and Northeastern India, as well as the adjacent Tibetan Plateau. After the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), it is the second-largest Old World vulture species, and among the world's largest true raptors. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. It is not to be confused with the Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), which is a visually similar, sympatric species.

The Himalayan vulture has dark brown greater covert feathers, tail and wing quills, but a pale buff uniform upperside and paler tipped inner secondaries; its legs are covered with buffy feathers and vary in colour from greenish grey to pale brown. The underside and under-wing coverts are pale brown or buff, almost white in some individuals. The whitish down on the head of immatures changes to yellowish in adults who have a long and pale brown ruff with white streaks and long and spiky ruff feathers.

The pale blue facial skin is lighter than the dark blue in Gyps fulvus with this species having a yellowish bill. In flight the long fingers are splayed and there is a pale patagial stripe on the underwing. The wing and tail feathers are dark and contrast with the pale coverts and body, one of the best methods to distinguish this species from the slightly smaller griffon vulture. The feathers on the body have pale shaft streaks.

It is the largest of the Gyps species, averaging larger in every method of measurement than its relatives, and is perhaps the largest and heaviest bird in the Himalayas. Weight in Himalayan vultures ranges from 6 kg (13 lb) to 12.5 kg (28 lb). It has been estimated to weigh an average of 9 kg (20 lb), but weights vary with conditions from 8–12 kg (18–26 lb). Published measurements of the wingspan vary from 2.56 to 3.1 m (8 ft 5 in to 10 ft 2 in), a similar range to that of cinereous vulture, but the wingspan varies greatly depending on the method used to measure them.

It differs from the similar-coloured Indian vulture (G. indicus) by a stouter, more robust bill; younger birds have a pale bill and tend to have buffy-white streaks on the scapulars and wing coverts contrasting with dark brown underparts. It is similar in size to the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), which typically has a slightly shorter overall length but can weigh more than the Himalayan vulture.

The Himalayan vulture lives mainly in the higher regions of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau at the elevation range of 1,200–5,500 m (3,900–18,000 ft). It is distributed from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran to Pakistan to India, Nepal, Bhutan to western China and Mongolia. Juvenile birds may however disperse further south, and vagrants have been recorded in Thailand, Burma, Singapore and Cambodia.