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 […]
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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 […]
In SW Florida we start having some very warm weather in late March and early April, but there is still very little rain. Bird migration is in its early stages and we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of neotropical migrants […]
I “ramble” a lot at the new Wildflower Preserve in Charlotte County, FL, while I am building new trails through the tangle of Brazilian pepper and salt bush that covers much of the old golf course that was abandoned […]
One might think that nature would not lie, but it can sometimes be difficult to discern truth from what is essentially falsehood in nature. The reason for this is obvious- a bluff can be as succesful in avoiding predation […]
There are a number of special wetlands where marsh birds rarely seen elsewhere may be commonly observed at close range. Most of these are impounded, constructed, and/or restored wetlands that are shallow with lots of emergent plants and receive […]
During our annual early spring visit to our farm in the SW VA Blue Ridge mountains, one of my main goals is to enjoy the sights and sounds of breeding amphibians. Since we usually go in mid-March the wood […]
After the “long hard winter” it is definitely Spring at Wildflower Preserve. There were some unmistakeable signs of warmer weather this first week of March. The most significant change was that lots of dragonflies were present flying around up […]