Aegithalos caudatus 北長尾山雀

Common name: Long-tailed Tit
Scientific name: Aegithalos caudatus 北長尾山雀
Genus: Aegithalos 長尾山雀屬
Family: Aegithalidae 長尾山雀科, the long-tailed tits 長尾山雀 or bushtits 短嘴長尾山雀, 叢山雀 family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: 

Status: Fairly common resident.

Date: 14th Jan

[007_1] Black and dull pinkish-white. Black stripes beside crown blend into dark back; pink 'shoulders'.

[013_1] Pinkish underparts; long, slim, white-sided black tail.

Larix decidua 歐洲落葉松

Common name: European Larch
Scientific name: Larix decidua 歐洲落葉松
Genus: Larix 落葉松屬
Family: Pinaceae 松科, pine family
Class: Pinopsida 松柏網
Divison: Pinophyta 松柏門

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native to the Alps and Carpathians (喀爾巴阡山脈, it spans across seven countries - Romania, Slovakia 斯洛伐克, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia 塞爾維亞, Czech Republic and Austria). It was introduced to Britian in 1629.

Date: 22nd March 

[075542] A deciduous tree to 45 m.

[075803] Tree trunks.

[042] Tree trunk.

[045] Flowering female cones are seen with leaf buds now. Very young male cones are very inconspicuous and difficult to see.

[043] Mature female cones of last year can also be seen.

[036_1] A leaf bud with leaves ready to emerge.
(Mature leaves: needles to 30 mm long, <1 mm wide, in dense clusters of up to 50 on short lateral shoots.)

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[040_1] Very young male cones.

[040_2] Enlarged photo above showing the bracts of the male cone.

[041_2] Top view of a very young male cone.

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[035_1] A female cone (flowering cone - the "larch rose" stage) with several leaf buds around.

[037_1] Lateral view of the female cone showing the bracts. The crimson-red bracts (bract scales 苞鱗^) are longer than the seed scales 種鱗 (ovouliferous scales 珠鱗) and clearly visible now.

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[038_1] Mature female cone.

[039_1] Mature female cones oval, 20-40 mm long x 20-25 mm wide, bracts* not recurved at tip. (vs Mature female cones more spherical, about 30 mm long x 25 mm wide, bracts recurved at tips in Larix kaempferi 日本落葉松, Japanese Larch)

[*These bracts are woody ovuliferous scales 珠鱗 that are different from the bract scales 苞鱗^ appeared in young female cone.]

Psittacula krameri 紅領綠鸚鵡、玫瑰環頸鸚鵡、環頸鸚鵡、月輪鸚鵡、印度紅領鸚鵡

Common name: Ring-necked Parakeet
Scientific name: Psittacula krameri 紅領綠鸚鵡、玫瑰環頸鸚鵡、環頸鸚鵡、月輪鸚鵡、印度紅領鸚鵡
Genus: Psittacula 鸚鵡屬
Family: Psittaculidae 舊世界鸚鵡科, Old World parrots
Order: Order: Psittaciformes 鸚形目

Remarks:

Status: Scarce, locally common introduced resident. It is native in Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.

Date: 13th Dec 

[100_1]

[094_1]

[098_1]

Periparus ater 煤山雀

Common name: Coal Tit
Scientific name: Periparus ater 煤山雀
Genus: Periparus 煤山雀屬
Family: Paridae 山雀科, the tits 山雀, chickadees 北美山雀* and titmice* family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: *chickadees and titmice are native to North America.

Status: Common, widespread resident.

Date: 29th Aug

Parus major 歐亞大山雀, 大山雀

Common name: Great Tit
Scientific name: Parus major 歐亞大山雀, 大山雀
Genus: Parus 山雀屬
Family: Paridae 山雀科, the tits 山雀, chickadees 北美山雀* and titmice* family

Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: *chickadees and titmice are native to North America.

Status: Common, widespread resident.

Date: 14th Jan & 29th Aug 

[024] Black head with oval white cheek. Pale yellow or buffish-yellow beneath.

[030] Green above with bluer wings and white wingbar.

[029] Black stripe down centre of belly. It is a male as the black stripe widens between legs. (vs black narrows towards legs)

Chloris chloris 歐金翅雀

Common name: Greenfinch, European Greenfinch
Scientific name: Chloris chloris 歐金翅雀
Genus: Chloris 綠金翅雀屬
Family: Fringillidae 雀科, 燕雀科, songbird family

Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Status: Common resident.

Date: 29th Aug

Spinus spinus 黃雀

Common name: Siskin
Scientific name: Spinus spinus 黃雀
Genus: Spinus 黃雀屬
Family: Fringillidae 雀科, 燕雀科, songbird family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Status: Locally fairly common resident.

Date: 29th Aug

Male.

Fringilla coelebs 蒼頭燕雀

Common name: Chaffinch
Scientific name: Fringilla coelebs 蒼頭燕雀
Genus: Fringilla 燕雀屬
Family: Fringillidae 雀科, 燕雀科, songbird family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Status: Very common resident.

Date: 29th Aug

Male.

Female.

Impatiens capensis 斑點橙鳳仙花、斑點鳳仙花、橙黃鳳仙花、卡佩鳳仙花、好望角鳳仙花、普通鳳仙花、斑點勿碰我、女士耳墜、珠寶草

Common name: Orange Balsam
Scientific name: Impatiens capensis 斑點橙鳳仙花、斑點鳳仙花、橙黃鳳仙花、卡佩鳳仙花、好望角鳳仙花、普通鳳仙花、斑點勿碰我、女士耳墜、珠寶草
Genus: Impatiens 鳳仙花屬
Family: Balsaminaceae 鳳仙花科, balsam family

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of North America. It was introduced to Britian in 1818 and was recorded in the wild from 1822.

Date: 18th Aug

[306] An erect, glabrous annual, can reach up to 1.5 m.

[309]

[292_3] The tip of the stem showing the branching and small leaves and flower buds.

[292_1] Leaves 3-8 cm, with less than 10 teeth on each side.

[314_1] Underside of the leaf.

[311] Stem swollen at nodes.

[301] Flowering plant.

[305] Axillary inflorescence.

[288_3] Very thin bracts.

[293_1] Few-flowered axillary inflorescence.

[288_1] Different stages of flower buds. Top and rather front view of a flower bud above. 2 pale pink later sepals and stipule could be seen above.

[289_1] Lateral view of a flower bud showing pale pink lateral sepals, orange lower sepal with curved sepal spur.

[285_1] Lateral view of a open flower. Flowers about 3.5 cm.

[300_1] Dorsal petal (standard petal), upper petals, lower petals in addition to lateral sepal and lower sepal could be seen now. Androecium is seen and thus it is now the male stage of the flower.  

[298_1] Top and end view of the flower showing the erect dorsal (standard petal) at the front, 2 pale pink lateral sepals and the large orange lower sepal with curved sepal spur.

[296_1] Erect dorsal petal (standard petal), 2 upper petals, 2 lower petals, androecium (filaments and anthers) in addition to lateral sepal and lower sepal with sepal spur could be seen above.   

[288_1] Front view of the flower.

[283_1] Flower orange with deep orange (brown?) spots inside.

[283_2] Enlarged photo above showing the androecium (filaments and anthers). White powders are the pollens released already. 

[314_2] Developing capsules. (Sorry, not in focus)

Impatiens parviflora 小花鳳仙花、小花勿碰我

Common name: Small Balsam
Scientific name: Impatiens parviflora 小花鳳仙花、小花勿碰我
Genus: Impatiens 鳳仙花屬
Family: Balsaminaceae 鳳仙花科, balsam family

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of central Asia. It was introduced to Britain in 1830 and was record in the wild in 1848.

Date: 19th Aug

[363] An erect, glabrous annual, can reach up to 1 m.

[365] Flowering now.

[353] Leaves 5-15 cm, with more than 20 teeth on each side. (vs leaves 5-12 cm, with 6-15 teeth on each side in Impatiens noli-tangere 水金鳳、輝菜花, touch-me-not balsam)

[355] Underside of the leaf.

[354_1] Top view showing where the inflorescence and leaves arise.

[356_1] Stem glabrous, zigzag shaped. Leaves alternate.

[357_1] A pair of glands? at the leaf axil. Inflorescence (the left thinner one) also arises from the leaf axil (axillary inflorescence). 

[359_1] Base of stem swollen, with roots could be seen above.

[337_2] Bracts.

[344_1] Side view of the flower and also showing different stages of flower buds and the inflorescence.

[337_1] Sepal spur is straight, not curved. Green lateral sepals, yellow dorsal petal, upper petal and lower petal could be seen.

[347_1] Anther view of the male stage of flower. Flowers small, 5-15 mm, pale yellow.

[341_1] Upper view of the flower, the 2 green lateral sepals, yellow dorsal petal with green midrib (standard petal) and 2 lower petals could be seen.

[348_1] Anther view showing the  the 2 green lateral sepals, the lower sepal with straight sepal spur, yellow dorsal petal with green midrib (standard petal), 2 upper petals and 2 lower petals. 

[334_1] Androecium could be seen above. This is the male stage of the flower.

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[335_1] This is a flower of female stage. Androecium had dropped and gynoecium (stigma and style) could now be seen. 

[340_1] Developing capsule.

[350_1] Capsule slightly swollen.