Shoo-fly / Nicandra physalodes

On 16 September 2015, I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after my volunteer shift. There seemed to be more flowers in bloom than on my previous visit.

Shoo Fly, Shoofly or Shoo-fly, Peruvian Bluebell, even Apple of Peru ... take your pick, lol. It is native to Peru, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It is also kept as an ornamental plant, as at the Reader Rock Garden, where this photo was taken. This plant is a member of the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. The green or black-mottled calyces have always fascinated me. Branches of the mature Chinese lantern-style fruits can be dried and used for winter decoration.

There were also quite a few distant small birds flitting from tree to tree at one point. They were impossible to see well enough to get photos or IDs - - a little Hermit Thrush was the only bird I managed to photograph.

I also noticed a Jack Rabbit in the Garden and then, when I drove through the adjoining cemetery, it or another one was running in among the gravestones. When it saw my car coming, it froze and waited till I had moved on.