An Ode to SQUASH

Never, ever again treat the spaghetti squash or zucchini with contempt! 

It could be that they (the squash family) are the smartest plants around and this is why:

If you ever spent about three seconds to push a shiny squash seed into a bit of fertile dirt, chances are that a seedling burst open the seed shell and then successfully took over your garden. In no time!

Then, it sent out a slender arm (or two, or a dozen); a shoot capable of climbing over anything in its path and attaching itself to poles, fences wire or fellow plants.

Shiny new leaves sprouted on the young plant and soon they shaded out the competition. 
Let there be light shining on those leaves and on the millions of tiny photosynthetic factories within. 

Was there a conference in Paris on going solar? That in 2016? 
They should have asked the squash - it knows how to use the sunlight! 
It has known that for thousands of years.

Eventually 2 kinds of flowers had been produced:

Some were male with a bunch of pollen grains arranged around a stick-like stamen 
(filaments that carry anthers with pollen are missing in squash).
The stamen is placed strategically in the center of a deep, hairy "well".
And at the bottom of the "well" are nectaries; specialized nectar-secreting groups of cells.
One nectary is clearly visible in the photo; it is the small brownish dot at the bottom of the "well".
Nectar is highly valued and sought after by many: bees, flies, butterflies, hummingbirds and moths.

Just a couple of weeks ago I had a chance to observe insects during their morning visit of the squash blossoms.                                                           

Various customers were visiting the flower but they were NOT after pollen! Oh, no! 
They wanted nectar, the potent source of energy and a crucial ingredient of honey. 
They were eager to crawl to the bottom of the "well", brushing against the stamen and accumulating pollen on their hairy bodies!



There was barely enough space for them to squeeze through. And the tough hairs on the side of the "well" did not make it easier one bit.

BINGO!!!

They were mostly bees and drone flies there;

the green one being a Virescent Green Metallic Bee - Agapostemon virescens.

After they left the flower, they landed on a nearby leaf and, surprisingly, proceeded to brush all that pollen away.

Only after they managed to get rid of most of it did they fly to another flower.

Drone Fly

A bee attempting to brush away the sticky pollen.

After that they would fly off to find another nectar producing flower.

Possibly a female one.

I was wondering: did they know that they were being used?

Or was it Fair Trade?

The female blossom (top of the page) would also be yellow-orange but in the "well" would sit a 

different extrusion, the sticky pistil, that traps the pollen grains and allows them to grow towards the eggs that are placed in a "bag" just underneath the "well". That's where fertilization occurs. 
1 pollen grain per 1 egg. 1 future seed. No waste!


The female flower would also contain the nectaries.

Because ... how else would a female flower attract the already pollen laden insects?

But here comes the best part! The nectaries in male flowers produce thicker, sweeter nectar and in higher volume too. Wouldn't anyone visit the male flower first? You bet!

Squashes are efficient too. There is no beauty contest between them - the blossom, male or female, opens in the morning and before the day is done either one is closed and finished. You can almost watch the process with your eyes.
The extra nectar within the flowers is re-absorbed, re-used, recycled within the body.

Cucurbits: The Squash family. 

Vigorous tricksters, humble and efficient. Possibly the smartest plants in anyone's yard. 

Squash derives from askutasquash (which means "a green thing eaten raw"). NA first nations language.
Wikipedia.

HUMMINGBIRDS of Southern British Columbia

It is late August in Southern British Columbia which means that most of the hummingbirds have left the deep valleys of the Interior British Columbia. They spent some four months here, courting, fighting, raising the young, terrorizing spiders, chasing mosquitoes, pollinating flowers, visiting the hummingbird feeders and making people smile.

A ton of work for the smallest birds.

"Do you still have the hummingbirds?"
"No, they are gone."

And, so is the summer.

Black Chinned Hummingbird, female, was the last one to bid farewell on August 22nd.
It did not matter that the garden flowers were still in bloom.

But all of us here know that we can count on them being back in April. 

April 16th, maybe the 20th. No later than that! The feeders will be ready, new flowers planted.

Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus, male.

The feisty Rufous males arrive first. The ruby flash of their throat brings everyone to their feet. 

Welcome back!

They immediately get down to business which means that May is a month of high male-related activity.

Their throats, normally dark and nearly black light up with metallic ruby red that is visible quite a long distance away.

MY TERRITORY!!!

But the Rufous must put up with more than their own kind. 

It does not take long and the small but fearless Calliope arrives. Males first, females a week later. They too start patrolling their sites.

     NO! MY TERRITORY!

Calliope Hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope, male

Then, of course, any dispute needs to be settled! They fight and fight and fight. They fight with the males of their own species and the chase away everyone else.

They fight over the territory, over the feeder, over the ... who knows what.

But then, the ladies arrive!

Hummingbird females show up later than the males. Without delay, they start checking out the nesting sites.




It is always a bit difficult to recognize who is who ... a  Rufous female or a Calliope?


I believe that this was a Rufous female.

Now the males become really active.
Aside from chasing their opponents and competitors they must to show off for the females.

Their courting strategies depend on species:
Rufous fly high up and then hurtle down kamikaze style while Calliope shoot up, only to come to an abrupt stop in mid-air and hang there like an evening star. 

The amount of energy spent is enormous but hopefully it will pay off.
The colours are flashing and the wings are buzzing and the feeder needs to be replenished twice daily.

And the ladies?

They watch from their secure spots, making their decisions.
And groom, of course. One has to be presentable at times like these!

Except... it is a bit difficult to have a good scratch with legs so short. 

Oh well, it will have to do.

Calliope female.

And while this Calliope male flies high and, like a gymnast on still rings, hovers in one place for quite a while, the female pays attention (hopefully).

9.5 out of 10. Not too bad!


Seriously, the boys don't have it easy at all.

As if there were not enough fighting and courting for the two, the 3rd hummingbird species shows up. 

Black-chinned hummingbirds!

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, male.

These guys do arrive the latest but then they stay a bit longer while the others have gone. Smart strategy.

They are slimmer than the chunky Rufous and larger than the tiny Calliope.

Their courtship flight reminds of a pendulum swinging from side to side not too high off the ground while the female watches from a safe spot.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, female.

But when the courting and young rearing is done, the males disappear. They fly to the wild mountain meadows to enjoy their bachelor life. And as July draws to its end the females follow, then the young ones. By mid-August only a couple of introvert loners remain. The hummingbird year in the valley reaches its end. 

And those who did not manage to record the ruby, dark red or a purple flash of the feathered jewels have to wait for another year.

Hasta la vista!

Flying South, have a good winter and see you next Spring!






PS: 
There is one more hummingbird species in Southern BC, Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna .
Unfortunately it is more common by the Pacific Coast and still has to make an appearance in our backyard. 
But then, Calliope took its time to call our place a summer home too.