One of the major features of the natural history of summer is the progression of breeding in which some species breed once and then stop at various times of the summer, and some reproduce all of most of the summer. […]
Author Archives
Every season and every place has its unique qualities of natural beauty. Although you would not normally think that the very hot and humid weather of August would be a good time to observe the natural wonders of a […]
Summer is a time of remarkable abundance in nature. There is a veritable explosion of life in all its amazing forms. There is so much of interest to a naturalist that there is never a lack of animals and […]
This might be your response when seeing this shed exoskeleton of a larval dragonfly, in this case a green darner, on the stem of a plant growing in a pond. We have a lot of these around our pond […]
The wood nymph butterfly is very cryptic when the wings are closed despite the presence of a few rather inconspicuous spots on the outside of the wings. But there are two dark eye spots with white centers surrounded by […]
Generally when we think about harvest-time it would normally be in the fall of the year. However the first significant harvest in this area of Virginia where cattle-raising is predominant is the first cutting of hay which is often in […]
As I make my way through the fields and forests in late July, I can feel a definite change in the air. It is much hotter and more humid of course, and many plants have fruit on which the […]
Milkweed is a plant that stimulates very different emotions from the farmer and nature lover. It is poisonous to livestock and is thus a detrimental presence in hayfields and pastures. Yet it has beautiful flowers and provides a home […]
This time of year our various farm out-buildings which are made out of untreated/unpainted wood receive some unwelcome visitors, the carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa based on the Greek name for wood cutter). These large bees (not the same as […]
After a two months absence from Florida it was a treat to return for a short time and visit one of my favorite places, Wildflower Preserve (WF) near Englewood. There had been a protracted drought so water levels were […]
While on Palm Island, FL, I got an up close and personal look at a nighthawk that I have never had on our VA farm where thousands of nighthawks migrate southwards in late summer. The cryptic coloration of this young […]
During my strolls through nature I often think about the different scales of events that we observe and marvel at. Sometimes these are large- perhaps looking at fall colors of a mountain or at the expansive sweep of a […]
On a recent beach walk at Don Pedro and Palm Islands I enjoyed seeing a number of beautiful birds that feed on different portions of the beach and which have become tame due to familiarity with beach-walking humans which do […]
Those who are not familiar with Florida winters and flowers might assume that there is no spring-time in such a warm climate. But this is definitely not the case. While our friends up north are grateful for the emergence […]
While driving north in spring (in this case to our VA farm in mid March) I like to stop occasionally to judge the progress of the seasons. One such regular stop is at a bridge on A1A just north […]
One of the most important but least appreciated aspects of a good yard wildlife habitat is the ground surface. Most people would consider this the proper place for grass or to be kept swept clean of debris. However to […]
It is remarkable how flowers that so appeal to the human senses really have nothing to do with us. They are simply structures that evolved to allow plants to reproduce in an efficient manner, often via attracting insects, birds or […]
When we watch insects and birds foraging on flowers we hardly give any thought to the motives of the beautiful relationship between the pollinator and the flower. However things are not always as they seem! Animals likely have only […]
Although walks targeted towards specific animals or plants (bird, butterfly or wildflower walks) can be a lot of fun and educational, the ultimate nature walk in my opinion is the “ramble” designed to discover what nature has to offer […]
Even in Florida it can be a challenge to find many of my favorite critters while on walks in late winter, since repeated frosts have decimated the flowers and more cold-sensitive plants. For example the wonderful beauty berries have mostly […]