Fire flag has huge leaves, delicate purple flowers, and is found in our
wetlands.
Fire flag provides cover as well as food for our
wetland birds.
This
Purple Gallinule is
perched on the slender flower stalk snacking on the flowers. It's fun to
watch them reach the end of the stalk and flap their wings as it bends
under their weight.
I've seen
Common Moorhens and
Green Herons nest in
the cover of the Fire flag plants.
These two
Least Bitterns fly in and
out of the Fire flag a lot, and I saw a chick nearby recently, so I'm
guessing that they're nesting in there too, but they are very secretive
birds and tend to stay mostly out of sight.
These little
bugs were hanging out together on a fire flag stalk:
I coaxed them onto my hand for a better picture because the fire flag
was waving in the breeze. Then I put them back on it.
This young
Palm Warbler, at least that's what
bird I think this is, is
going for something in the fire flag. I'm not sure if it's after the
plant or a
bug, but it's sure determined to get it: