More to ferns than fronds
Thalli. Sporangia. Sori. Pinnae. Frond. As foreign as these words may seem, they refer to a plant we see all the time–ferns. You won’t find…
Tag: Life Cycles
Millipedes don’t really have 1,000 legs
While sweeping the garage last fall, I came across small carcasses that were c-shaped, hollow, white and smaller than a dime. I hadn’t seen any…
Duration of mates varies among waterfowl
Since the ponds have become ice free, pairs of mallards, Canada geese and other waterfowl have been swimming and preparing to nest. A pair of…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Recent swarms of insects are woolly aphids
During the past few weeks, swarms of tiny blue and white insects have pelted windshields like raindrops and stuck to the clothing of anyone walking…
What’s the difference between a bug and a beetle?
Often I find myself referring to any insect as a bug unless I know specifically what it is, such as a dragonfly, butterfly or praying…
Garter snakes most common snake in Idaho
Unlike southern Idaho, far north Idaho is thankfully devoid of poisonous snakes. Snakes living in the forested region of far north Idaho are harmless to…
Horsetails rooted in history
Long before scouring pads were invented for cleaning dishes, Europeans and American settlers utilized what was available in nature–scouring rushes and horsetails. The widespread use…
A hummingbird? An insect? What is it?
What hovers like a hummingbird, flies like a hummingbird but has antennae? A hummingbird moth. Aptly named, hummingbird moths can easily be mistaken for hummingbirds…
Calf survival dependent on hiding or following
On wobbly legs, newborn deer, moose and elk are a precious sight to us but a tasty sight for predators such as wolves, bears and…
Millipedes don’t really have 1,000 legs
While sweeping the garage last fall, I came across small carcasses that were c-shaped, hollow, white and smaller than a dime. I hadn’t seen any…
Duration of mates varies among waterfowl
Since the ponds have become ice free, pairs of mallards, Canada geese and other waterfowl have been swimming and preparing to nest. A pair of…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Recent swarms of insects are woolly aphids
During the past few weeks, swarms of tiny blue and white insects have pelted windshields like raindrops and stuck to the clothing of anyone walking…
What’s the difference between a bug and a beetle?
Often I find myself referring to any insect as a bug unless I know specifically what it is, such as a dragonfly, butterfly or praying…
Garter snakes most common snake in Idaho
Unlike southern Idaho, far north Idaho is thankfully devoid of poisonous snakes. Snakes living in the forested region of far north Idaho are harmless to…
Horsetails rooted in history
Long before scouring pads were invented for cleaning dishes, Europeans and American settlers utilized what was available in nature–scouring rushes and horsetails. The widespread use…
A hummingbird? An insect? What is it?
What hovers like a hummingbird, flies like a hummingbird but has antennae? A hummingbird moth. Aptly named, hummingbird moths can easily be mistaken for hummingbirds…
Calf survival dependent on hiding or following
On wobbly legs, newborn deer, moose and elk are a precious sight to us but a tasty sight for predators such as wolves, bears and…