One of the most beautiful birds in North America, which migrates to the neotropics in winter, is the Baltimore oriole. The bright orange and black colors of the male, its habit of living around houses and farms, plus […]
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I always advocate going into nature with an open mind to observe everything of interest. A small point and shoot optical zoom (40-60 x) camera is of great assistance in identifying your finds since you will need to examine the […]
After a sweaty morning working in the woods I sat down on the porch to catch a few breezes. I took my soaking wet shirt off and hung it up to dry on the steps. To […]
In late spring some migrant birds continue to amaze and delight those who are carefully observant of the new birds in their trees and shrubs. These neotropical migrants are moving northward to their breeding grounds and are sometimes diverted […]
April is a time of great excitement among birders since migration of a vast army of birds begins from South and Central America to the US. This predominantly occurs northerly from the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula across the Gulf […]
One of the animal groups that people have the most difficulty in appreciating must be spiders. Even snakes seem to have more admirers than these creepy arachnids with their eight hairy legs. Why is this? Could this be […]
Those of us who are snowbirds in Florida generally avoid heading north until the weather is pretty warm in the mid-northern latitudes. However family business took me to NC/VA in mid March and I had a pleasant if somewhat chilly […]
Humans are mainly appreciative of the delicious taste of crabs, and not particularly of their importance as ecological kingpins. But the numerous crabs present in saline habitats are often extremely important in their food webs. Fiddler crabs are often used […]
Various coastal communities and parks may remove, kill or ban the planting of Norfolk Island Pine (NIP). This is due to their being non-native, because of the potential hazard in storm-prone areas, and to results of the hard freeze […]
One of the most rewarding activities that a naturalist can enjoy along the local FL gulf beaches is to observe birds. The avian life is diverse and many species have become familiar with non-threatening human activities and can […]
Occasionally I am fortunate enough to find marked shorebirds on the beach and get photographs clear enough to identify them. Today (Feb. 9, 2014) was one such lucky day when I spent several hours hiking the beach at the northern […]
A popular TV show details the exploits of a Kentucky legend the “Turtleman,” who attempts to save snapping turtles and other animals from troubles with modern society. One of my former students at Penn State sent me an interesting […]
Many animals will perch or climb onto floating logs in ponds, protruding rocks, or sticks that hang out from the bank of ponds. In the case of reptiles such basking behavior is an important part of their maintenance of […]
Much of human life in Florida revolves around beach activities and we tend to forget that it is a habitat for many animals. We think of the beach as a happy place to relax and enjoy the sun and surf. […]
Whenever I am in the vicinity I always stop by Amberjack Preserve (Charlotte County, FL) to see what birds are on Lemon Lake. There can be large numbers or not, depending mostly on the depth of the lake which varies […]
Yard plantings are a very effective way to attract birds since they provide cover and food; birdseed can also be useful in moderation. For example our prized painted bunting is fond of white millet presented in a “jail bird” feeder […]
My Christmas present arrived one day late this year. While walking on the beach at Knight/Palm Island on Dec. 26, I encountered a flock of 32 red knots feeding in the surf just after dawn. I scanned them carefully since […]
Our most important and complex sense organ, the eye, serves as a window to the world around us, but in many animals it may be the primary means by which predators recognize and subsequently direct their attack of prey. Thus […]
Young butterflies and moths are of course caterpillars which eat and grow rapidly, pupate, and then emerge as adults. This total metamorphosis is very familiar to us and we sometimes fail to realize how remarkable it is. It enables […]
So much of our ability to learn about nature is due to perception. Thus the large showy butterflies receive a lot of attention because they are obvious. On a recent walk at Wildflower Preserve I certainly noticed some very […]