Song Birds
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 […]
Goldfinches Prepare for Winter
Winter is fast approaching and many birds are preparing for its arrival. Many song birds have already started their journey to the southern U.S., Central and South America where insects abound. The birds that remain behind to face the winter must bulk up on as many seeds as they can find to form a fat […]
The Curious Mockingbird
It is a fall November day in Florida and as Anne and I enjoy the last days in the swimming pool before the cold weather moves in, we are accompanied by a northern mockingbird that sits on a fence post of a cyclone fence that surrounds the pool. The bird is unusually quiet and complacent, […]
Snatching Bugs!
“Feeebe, Feebe,” calls a bird from nearby woodland. Anne and I are in the community pool and when I hear the familiar call. I tell Anne that it is an eastern phoebe. This flycatcher flies from the woodlands and perches on the cyclone fence enclosing the pool. It flies up five feet, then lands back […]