While it is generally still winter-like up north in February, things are quite different in SW Florida when signs of spring occur in February. The seasons are not so much set by astronomical events as they are by biological […]
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– I regularly check the local beaches on Manasota Key to look at the birds to see what interesting species might be present. Strangely enough the public beaches often have considerable numbers of resting gulls and terns; my theory is […]
As I was heading home after my three mile morning walk I stopped by Englewood Beach to see what birds might be there. To my complete shock and surprise there were NO BIRDS on the beach except one. Since […]
When a housing development is created, it is rarely good news for wildlife. But something amazing has happened on eastern Cape Haze where one good wildlife habitat has been substituted for another as the land was cleared. The areas sometimes […]
Life along the beach in SW Florida has been difficult in 2018 with persistent red tide brought on shore by westerly winds. The resultant mortality of fish and invertebrates plus airborne toxins very irritating to the eyes and […]
Something amazing is happening in Rotonda West. A former golf course is being changed into Broadmoor Park. One of the simple but profound changes that is occurring to transform this formerly bleak mowed landscape into a natural […]
For those who are interested in nature study it is intriguing to consider what areas are the “hottest” in terms of biodiversity. You might think it would be the official nature preserves, but this is often not the case. Sometimes […]
Fall and the approaching winter have finally gotten my attention with a low temperature of 38 F on our back deck the second week of October. The leaves have hardly changed due to an extended period of cloudy/rainy and warm […]
Although temperatures are still relatively mild in late September in the mountains of NC, there are many changes that indicate that Fall is well underway and that winter is coming. The cool mornings often cause formation of fog in the […]
As summer progresses into early Fall we can see additional signs of the changing seasons. From my bedroom window I observe that the whitetail deer “twins” continue to grow although they still have their spots. Their grazing in our wildflower […]
As the summer season progresses into the infamous dog days, which are historically associated with the rising of the dog star Sirius, nature undergoes some profound changes. Spring bird migration is over as is most breeding, fall migration has begun […]
One of the little known secrets of southern Sarasota County, FL, is the presence of a large piece of Old Florida within the Myakka State Forest ( https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Myakka-State-Forest ). This massive 8593 acre tract along the tidal Myakka RIver is […]
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a marvelous linear necklace of natural attractions. One of the gems in this necklace is Price Lake, near Mile Marker 297. We enjoy walking the 2.3 mile loop around the lake and watching for seasonal […]
Some areas with great natural beauty and lots of wildlife are rarely visited because they are in an out of the way location. This is certainly true of South Venice (FL) Lemon Bay Preserve (SVLBP). It is on the mainland […]
Too often we think that we have to go to a far country to see fantastic animals. However if you extend your gaze towards the insect world you may find a remarkable menagerie right in your own backyard. Here are […]
Most who live in SW Florida will have noticed in their yards a very common small lizard, the brown or Cuban anole. It is an exotic species which has long been established here. The males extend a colorful orange/red dewlap […]
Although Wildflower Preserve in Englewood, FL, has in the past been one of my favorite areas for nature study, it has been in an extended hiatus for visitors during ecological restoration, and is only now in the […]
My wife and I visited Grayson Highlands State Park (GHSP) in VA recently and marveled at the diversity of life at high altitudes and how it differs from that at lower elevations. Conditions are much harsher as one […]
Hundreds of people use the beautiful Boone, NC, Greenway Park daily for recreation and likely do not think about the myriads of small predatory interactions that occur there among the resident animals. Indeed if you were the size […]
Lemon Lake within Amberjack Preserve in Charlotte County, FL, is a most unusual body of water. It is a natural and thus very shallow FL lake with a tenuous tidal connection via Lemon Creek to Lemon Bay through Wildflower […]