The house wren is a tiny (0.4 oz) bird with a big personality. It nests in cavities around houses and can be in competition with other hole-nesting species. In annual surveys of two dozen nest boxes I have found […]
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Although you might think that southern Florida is in a state of perpetual spring-time, such is not the case. There are very distinct summer wet and winter dry seasons with associated changes in the prevailing temperatures. The onset of […]
When I go walking on our beautiful local beaches I am on a mission- sort of an Easter egg hunt for bling- but in this case to find shorebirds that are banded. Only a small fraction of birds we will […]
Although we all enjoy visiting nature preserves, sometimes it is possible to see very exciting animals right in our own backyards. The chances of this can be improved considerably if you manage your yard plantings and ground litter specifically […]
It is well known that animals may often reveal things that are wrong with the environment as bioindicators; thus recent observations of bird behavior are some cause for alarm. While it is of course normal for birds to migrate […]
There have been amazing numbers of butterflies in our yard lately. Yet winter in Florida can be highly variable weather wise. There can be stretches of very warm temperatures and blue skies interrupted by periodic cold fronts that punish […]
One of the major natural wonders of summer-time is the profusion of butterflies. Some call them flying flowers which is very appropriate given both their beauty and their association with flowers as a source of nectar. Although their variation […]
While the northern states are beginning to enjoy their spring flowers, those of us in Florida can also appreciate the special beauty of flowers and the insects that feed on them and pollinate them. It is indeed intriguing that […]
There is nothing more therapeutic to the mind and body than a walk among nature’s glories. Since my jogging days are in the past due to unforgiving knees, I find that a quiet walk in a natural setting to contemplate […]
A central tenet of the Christian faith is that Jesus was born of a virgin mother and at Christmas many celebrate this event. You may think that this would have to be considered miraculous, and it is true that […]
Although beaches are generally thought of as a place for summer recreational swimming and general relaxation for humans, they are also a remarkable place to observe the special adaptations of the creatures that are able to live in this […]
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to tell the head from the tail of many caterpillars? Anatomically it is often difficult to see the actual head and the differences in the fore and hind legs are similarly often […]
Careful observations of flowers will yield many surprising ideas concerning the possible functions of their widely varied colors and shapes. Remember that flowers in nature exist only to propagate the species and not to please us. Therefore their primary […]
What defines beauty- the eye of the beholder or perhaps our genes? A sunrise photo elicits pleasure for most of us and we can agree that it is beautiful. This is not so for most insects even though they […]
One of the great pleasures in seashore living that I learned when we spent time in the Chesapeake Bay area was catching blue crabs with a hand line. In SW Florida this is not such a popular past time since […]
There is a common misconception in some quarters that anything “natural” is healthy and beneficial. Nothing could be further from the truth! The dominance of humans on planet earth is primarily linked to cultivation and domestication of a small number […]
The weather has been extremely warm both in this area and nationwide so we know for certain that we are in the throes of summer. Of course the seasonal appearance of some plants and animals would tell us that […]
Spring is the time for many creatures to make love and have lots of babies. The rapid flush of plant growth and emergence of prey in spring makes circumstances especially suitable for reproduction. Two flower beetles mating on a […]
In mid August natural signs tell us without looking at a calendar that the end of summer is coming. Nights are cooler here at the farm (55F this morning), few birds are singing and some have left us on […]
We human snowbirds are rapidly deserting Florida to return to northern retreats to escape the summer heat. Our 107 acre farm near Galax, VA, in the Blue Ridge mountains serves this purpose well but also allows us to engage […]