Wild Bird Wednesday Nuthatch, Hoya

Autumn is swiftly coming to a close, yet we still have some leaves left on some trees.   Today I am linking with-

Wild Bird Wednesday hosted by Stewart M.

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Mystical Magical Teacher

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

The birds are eagerly awaiting seeds when I go out in the morning, and flit nervously in to grab a seed then escape.  So it is hard to get good photos, here is one of the fastest that often gives me a blur, the tiny Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis-   

"Now you see me, now you don't!"-

Like the Chickadee, they like to roam conifer forests in groups, and can hunt bugs upside down on the undersides of the branches-   "Score!"

"The Masked Marauder Strikes Again!"

"I'm nutty and I know it!"

"I work out!"

Stealth-

The next houseplant in my continuing bloom series is another yellow line plant, leave it on the yellow line of the road and it will survive as long as no one drives over it, Hoya carnosa.  Hoyas are tropical relatives of Milkweed, and share the pentagonal buds that open into 5 pointed stars.

The leaves are thick, dark glossy green with some silver frosting.   The plant blooms on permanent bloom stalks, the spent flowers falling off leave little scars and the next bloom cycle grows from the tip, the flowers arranged in a half-spherical shape.   

The fragrance is delightful, some find it too sweet, and the flowers exude wonderful drops of nectar, which I like to taste, very fragrant.

The Hoya vines are very easy to propagate as well, like tomatoes they form little bumps on the stems, which are precursors of roots, so just cutting the vine above some of the bumps and putting it in a glass of water causes the roots to grow out from the bumps, and when sufficiently long, I just plant them in some good potting soil and stick the plant in a sunny west or south facing window.  Water perhaps once a week, they are not fussy, and in spring, summer, and even into fall they will bloom.   It will take new cuttings a while to grow enough to start making the bloom stalks, or you can be sneaky and root vines long enough to already have some bloom stalks for faster bloom.

In the tropics there are many colors, textures, and sizes of Hoya vines and flowers.   Enjoy!

Wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah, December 16-24, and joyous Christmas season.    Hannah

                                                                                   or cameras are macro

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