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…
Tag: Seed dispersal
Waxwings flock to fruit year-round
By mid-summer most birds have finished nesting and the young have fledged, but one bird is a late nester compared to the rest–the waxwing. The…
Caching allows early nesting for Clark’s nutcracker
Laying eggs in March would be a risky venture for most birds because of the lack of food available to feed nestlings. But an alpine…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Carpets of moss similar to miniature forests
From five feet above cushions of moss look alike but down on my hands and knees I can see the intricacies of the inch tall…
Juniper species grow in tree and shrub form
Nestled on a rocky site north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, a juniper bush seems out of place. Could it be the same species…
Blue jays expanding their range into the northwest
A piercing “jay jay jay” call came from the yard. Could it be? Not hearing the familiar bird call since growing up in Minnesota, I…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…
Nature’s seed dispersal inspiration for Velcro
From the cuffs of coats to children’s shoes, Velcro has made our lives easier but it has existed in nature longer than we can imagine.…
Waxwings flock to fruit year-round
By mid-summer most birds have finished nesting and the young have fledged, but one bird is a late nester compared to the rest–the waxwing. The…
Caching allows early nesting for Clark’s nutcracker
Laying eggs in March would be a risky venture for most birds because of the lack of food available to feed nestlings. But an alpine…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Carpets of moss similar to miniature forests
From five feet above cushions of moss look alike but down on my hands and knees I can see the intricacies of the inch tall…
Juniper species grow in tree and shrub form
Nestled on a rocky site north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, a juniper bush seems out of place. Could it be the same species…
Blue jays expanding their range into the northwest
A piercing “jay jay jay” call came from the yard. Could it be? Not hearing the familiar bird call since growing up in Minnesota, I…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…
Nature’s seed dispersal inspiration for Velcro
From the cuffs of coats to children’s shoes, Velcro has made our lives easier but it has existed in nature longer than we can imagine.…