So far in this new year of 2018 we have had some long stretches of cool weather, including light frost inland, interspersed with warm temperatures. I was surprised to see that some plants such as sea grape had brown leaves […]
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As naturalists in SW Florida we are fortunate to be able to enjoy seeing flowers, butterflies and birds active for most of the winter despite occasional cold fronts that can deliver temperatures close to freezing even along the coast. It […]
During some winter cold waves I find myself hunkering down in our house and yard and not venturing out to local natural areas as much as usual. This provides an opportunity to more closely observe natural events in our little […]
Dec. 17 was the designated day for the Venice Audubon Christmas Bird Count in 2017 and my territory was the Myakka State Forest, an 8592 acre piece of old Florida made up of hydric flatwoods, unusually pure freshwater ponds, […]
Although you do not generally think about late fall as a time for beautiful flowers, there are indeed some very interesting native and exotic flowers in bloom that are attractive to butterflies and other insects. On the beach you typically […]
If you walk outside with a keen eye for observation you will never lack for something interesting to see. As I hiked to Stump Pass along the beach I was struck by the beauty of this stump of a dead […]
As approaching winter is beginning to extend its icy grip across the northern states, on the Gulf coast shoreline of Charlotte County in Florida we still experience some very warm days interspersed with the occasional passage of a cool front. […]
We arrived back in Florida the last week of October after establishing a new summer base in Boone, NC. It is interesting to look for natural clues to the time of year in a place such as Florida which is […]
Although now in early October we are still awaiting full fall color in the forest leaves, there are many other interesting natural phenomenon to be observed. For example fruit ripening is well underway and there are many variations in […]
After 14 years of reporting natural events from our beloved Galax, VA, farm, we have moved to a smaller summer home on two acres. We were fortunate to find a spot that has a great deal of natural […]
During the past few weeks in August I have been centered in the Blue Ridge mountains near Boone, NC but have sallied out to Galax, VA, and briefly down to the Piedmont in Gastonia, NC. The nights have been getting […]
After Margaret and I sold our 107 acre wildlife farm near Galax, VA, last November, we have been “homeless” during the summer escape from Florida heat. We are slated to close soon on a home with two acres […]
If you are an environmentalist you rarely have a day that lifts your spirits up if you think too much about the future, with massive increases in human population and over-utilization of planetary resources. However there is a feel-good story […]
Since we are “homeless” during the summer after selling our VA farm, we have been alternating trips to northern cooler climates with stays in Englewood, FL. We have been exploring the possibility of buying a summer home near Boone, NC, […]
We had a very exciting spring migration of neotropical birds through our Manasota Key yard in mid-April to early May, and when it was over we definitely yearned for more. Since we were scheduled to attend a grandson’s high school […]
Most things in nature intrigue and often mystify me. I like to paraphrase the saying that nature is not rocket science, it is far more complicated ! In addition to the intrinsic beauty of flowers, biologists find evolutionary meaning in […]
Many birds that have spent the winter in Central and South America migrate directly across the Gulf of Mexico. Strong northwest winds on April 24-25, however, brought an abundance of these birds to the yards and parks of the Florida […]
If you are near the coast or a river you will have recently noticed osprey nests with the adults flying around and making a lot of noise. In some cases you cannot see babies in the nest because it […]
In April, birds that have been wintering in Central and South America and southern states such as Florida are now flying north to areas of the US and Canada where they will breed. In our region of Florida we get most of our migrants when […]
In late March and early April there are many natural signs of the changes that occur during spring. Flowers bloom, some animals breed and bird migration increases. I was pleased to see a young sweet bay magnolia plant blooming at […]