Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)

Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Many people consider Magpies to be nuisance birds -- and indeed, they can be aggressive and annoying sometimes -- but they also are very beautiful creatures.  I photographed this individual in a parking lot at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Interesting factoid about Magpies:  They are one of only four American songbirds whose tail makes up half or more of the bird's total body length (according to Wikipedia).

Sahara Wind Hibiscus

'Sahara Wind' Hibiscus

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This brilliantly colored tropical hibiscus variety is called Sahara Wind.  It grows in our garden in Hawaii.  It features golden-yellow petals and dark red in its throat, shading to a sort of magenta.  The blossoms usually last just a day, but as each one dies and falls to the ground a new one opens to replace it elsewhere on the shrub.