Speed of lightning incomprehensible
Flash, boom, rumble. The night sky lights up for an instant before the booming thunder overpowers all other noises. Again and again, the lightning and…
Tag: Nature
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…
Insects instigate abnormal growth on plants
Odd growths on plant leaves or stems ranging from tiny bumps to red, spiny growths to pinecone-like growths on willows are a unique plant/insect relationship.…
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…
Mountain Goat in the Selkirks
Today I saw my first mountain goat in the Selkirk Mountains. I knew that a few mountain goats lived in the Selkirk Mountains and I’ve…
Long Canyon Parker Ridge hike filled with surprises
Four miles and 52 leg-burning switchbacks to reach the trail junction below the ridge. A few more switchbacks through the transitioning forest and I’d be…
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…
Killdeer protect eggs by faking injury
The loud piercing “kill-dee” or “dee-dee-dee” call of the aptly named killdeer alerts all to the presence of predators or a disturbance. The noisy vocal…
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…
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…
Insects instigate abnormal growth on plants
Odd growths on plant leaves or stems ranging from tiny bumps to red, spiny growths to pinecone-like growths on willows are a unique plant/insect relationship.…
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…
Mountain Goat in the Selkirks
Today I saw my first mountain goat in the Selkirk Mountains. I knew that a few mountain goats lived in the Selkirk Mountains and I’ve…
Long Canyon Parker Ridge hike filled with surprises
Four miles and 52 leg-burning switchbacks to reach the trail junction below the ridge. A few more switchbacks through the transitioning forest and I’d be…
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…
Killdeer protect eggs by faking injury
The loud piercing “kill-dee” or “dee-dee-dee” call of the aptly named killdeer alerts all to the presence of predators or a disturbance. The noisy vocal…
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…