American Dippers: swimming songbirds
Standing on an almost-submerged rock in the mountain stream, the chunky gray bird waded into the fast-flowing water and stuck its head underwater. Snorkeling, the…
Tag: Animal Anatomy
Turkey vultures picky eaters of rotten meat
The ruckus of magpies and ravens caught my attention as I walked up the road. As I approached, the magpies, ravens and eagles flew off…
Wasps prolific this year with dry weather
Warmer, drier weather this spring not only helped gardeners and farmers but also stinging insects. Cold, rainy weather in April and May can reduce nest…
Bats only mammal capable of true flight
As twilight faded, all eyes watched the bat houses mounted on the side of the building. Slowly, the bats flew one by one from the…
Golden-mantled ground squirrels often mistaken for chipmunks
Scampering among a rock pile on a high-alpine ridge, the golden-mantled ground squirrel stops to survey its surroundings from the highest rock. At first glance,…
Toad warts not contagious, just toxic
Movement in the garden soil caught my eye as I was preparing to plant seeds. Larger than the spiders, grasshoppers and other insects I had…
More exceptions than rules when distinguishing moths and butterflies
Black and yellow patterned wings with a small ‘tail’ flutter between flowers, an identifiable characteristic of the tiger swallowtail. Certain butterflies are easily identified by…
Wandering painted turtles seeking place to lay eggs
Western painted turtles typically don’t wander far from their pond unless it is time to lay eggs. Finding two turtles on the West Side Road…
Crab spiders ambush prey
Stopping to smell a wildflower–particularly a yellow or white one–may bring you eye-to-eye with a crab spider. Perched motionless with legs outstretched like a miniature…
Bird talk: Music to our ears
The “cheer up, cheerily, cheerio, cheerily” of the American robin fills the air at the crack of dawn. A musical chorus ensues and tapers before…
Busy as a bee no understatement
From the moment they pupate into an adult until they die, honeybees are constantly working. Truthfully, it is the females who work constantly. Three types…
Crane flies look like big mosquitoes
Mosquito eaters, skeeter eaters and mosquito hawks are a few names for the gangly crane fly that looks like an over-sized mosquito. However, these names…
Turkey vultures picky eaters of rotten meat
The ruckus of magpies and ravens caught my attention as I walked up the road. As I approached, the magpies, ravens and eagles flew off…
Wasps prolific this year with dry weather
Warmer, drier weather this spring not only helped gardeners and farmers but also stinging insects. Cold, rainy weather in April and May can reduce nest…
Bats only mammal capable of true flight
As twilight faded, all eyes watched the bat houses mounted on the side of the building. Slowly, the bats flew one by one from the…
Golden-mantled ground squirrels often mistaken for chipmunks
Scampering among a rock pile on a high-alpine ridge, the golden-mantled ground squirrel stops to survey its surroundings from the highest rock. At first glance,…
Toad warts not contagious, just toxic
Movement in the garden soil caught my eye as I was preparing to plant seeds. Larger than the spiders, grasshoppers and other insects I had…
More exceptions than rules when distinguishing moths and butterflies
Black and yellow patterned wings with a small ‘tail’ flutter between flowers, an identifiable characteristic of the tiger swallowtail. Certain butterflies are easily identified by…
Wandering painted turtles seeking place to lay eggs
Western painted turtles typically don’t wander far from their pond unless it is time to lay eggs. Finding two turtles on the West Side Road…
Crab spiders ambush prey
Stopping to smell a wildflower–particularly a yellow or white one–may bring you eye-to-eye with a crab spider. Perched motionless with legs outstretched like a miniature…
Bird talk: Music to our ears
The “cheer up, cheerily, cheerio, cheerily” of the American robin fills the air at the crack of dawn. A musical chorus ensues and tapers before…
Busy as a bee no understatement
From the moment they pupate into an adult until they die, honeybees are constantly working. Truthfully, it is the females who work constantly. Three types…
Crane flies look like big mosquitoes
Mosquito eaters, skeeter eaters and mosquito hawks are a few names for the gangly crane fly that looks like an over-sized mosquito. However, these names…