Birds
The Importance of Milkweed: Supporting Biodiversity Beyond Monarch Butterflies
When people think about milkweed, the monarch butterfly comes to mind. Monarch butterflies’ existence depends on this plant. It is a source of nourishing nectar; its leaves are essential for growing caterpillars. Without milkweed, monarch butterflies would become extinct. Common milkweed also hosts other living things. Walk into a milkweed patch, and you will find […]
Discover the Wonders of Nature Through the Eyes of a Biologist
Did you know that millions of dragonflies migrate each fall? Did you know that shrews traverse their underground tunnels using echolocation? Did you know that some plants need fire to survive? These are some of the fascinating discoveries I reveal about the plants and animals found along the Connetquot River on Long Island in New […]
What Happens to Birds When a Tornado Strikes?
About 1,200 tornadoes slam the U.S. yearly. These tempestuous storms flatten homes, schools, and businesses, toss trucks, and hurl cars. People seek shelter to survive the ferocious and destructive winds, but what do birds do to live through tornados? We do not really know. Birds’ keen sense of hearing detects the hum of a tornado […]
Have You Ever Seen a Grackle Fish?
During a recent trip to a restaurant on King’s Bay in Crystal River, Florida, I walked out on the dock where boat-tailed grackles were having their dinner too. I watched them strike the water to snatch small baitfish from the water and perch on the posts and railings of the dock where these birds and […]
Beautiful Blue Jays
One of my fondest memories as a 10-year-old child was seeing these brightly colored birds in the wild when my family moved to a rural area from a suburban post World War II development where rows of cape cod houses and strip malls took the place of potato farmland. I was accustomed to seeing the […]
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