Now in the second week of May it is about six weeks before the official start of summer. It remains cool at night often near 50 F, and warm after midday in the middle 70’s F. Plants are growing at […]
Nature Notes by Bill Dunson
Nights are getting warmer and daytime highs are definitely increasing so we are in that time of year when spring is beginning to transition towards summer. Spring ephemeral wildflowers are almost finished blooming as the tree leaves are out, blocking […]
This is my fourth spring in the Piedmont of N Carolina but due to a family event is the earliest I have returned from winter in FL. Middle March is still early enough to enjoy the spring ephemeral flowers but […]
As I write this on March 5, official Spring is just a few days away on March 20. We see very little ecological indicators of Spring here in SW FL since the rains are still about two+ months away and […]
After some very cold weather in January, conditions have warmed up considerably in February. A great blue heron observing a sunrise from Chadwick Park on Manasota Key seems to be contemplating the upcoming day and opportunities to catch fish. […]
You might think that winter would be brown and bleak but such is not the case in SW Florida. Aside from the coastal damage to many plants caused by hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024, and the generally dry weather […]
The weather in middle January in SW Florida can be periodically cool even down into the 40’s F at night but generally is sunny and warm by midday. A view of my beloved Haw River in NC shows a […]
I am writing this between Christmas and New Years so all is very much in a holiday mood. But of course here in SW FL our weather is definitely not in the […]
As I write this in the first week of December it has been about 7 1/2 weeks since hurricane Milton sent a devastating salt water storm surge across our beautiful barrier island of Manasota Key. Of course we take […]
As I write this 40 days after hurricane Milton devastated my home on Manasota Key, FL, the long difficult job of recovery among the human population is well underway but will continue for years. The animals and plants […]
As I began to make preparations to drive from my NC Haw River Preserve to FL, ominous reports about hurricane Milton hitting SW FL on Oct. 9, 2024, were in the news. The predominant natural event at our NC […]
In late September many interesting changes in natural history are underway signaling the end to summer and the upcoming fall and winter. The fancy word for such changes with plants is “phenology,” the seasonal variation in flower […]
Although some people prefer not to revisit a place they have been before I find that repeated visits to the same natural areas are almost always interesting. Weather conditions vary as do the seasons, and animals and plants undergo […]
After a massive flood following tropical storm Debbie in early August, it has been a relief to have the river return to its base flow level around 2-3 feet. But the mud and debris extending far up into the flood […]
When you live on the banks of a sizeable river the paramount determining factors in its local flow are generally the upstream river height stage and seasonal factors that influence it. Recently a tropical storm (Debbie) came roaring out of […]
I always tell people on my nature walks that they should strive for two things in studying the overwhelming biodiversity of our complex habitats. First they should attempt to learn the basic species of plants and animals (a difficult job […]
Well the heat and humidity are really settling in now that June is over and summer is here for real. Outdoor activities are best carried out in early morning and early evening but the oppressive weather does not seem to […]
June is somewhat of a transition between Spring and Summer. Here in the Piedmont of NC the nights are still cool and the midafternoons can be hot, but as the sun sets the temperature is cool again. As I sit […]
I continue to be intrigued and intellectually challenged by the natural events transpiring in our 48 acres of woodlands along the Haw River in the Piedmont region of NC. The middle lot of three I bought was kept uncut for […]
We arrived back in NC from our six months stay in SW FL the end of April. Early Spring nature happenings are long finished but there are many interesting ecological events in process. The river itself at a low base […]