Tag Archive | Adaptation
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 […]
The Plant That Escaped the Garden
Native to Europe, north Africa and areas in Asia, the lesser celandine was introduced into the American garden landscape in the 1900’s for its beautiful shiny yellow flowers and glossy green kidney shaped leaves. The plant adapted so well to our gardens that it escaped into nearby native woodlands where it formed thick mats of […]
The Tick Terminator
Looking out my Florida room window into my backyard, I was pleasantly surprised to see North America’s only marsupial in my garden – the opossum. Normally, nocturnal, it must have been hungry to be out during the daylight scavenging for a bite to eat. There is plenty to munch on – frogs, lizards, snakes, large […]
The Noisy Hawk
Stepping out of my Florida home one morning, I hear the scream-like call of the red-shouldered hawk, a species known for its loud raucous cries and sharp whistles that can be heard from a mile away. I watch it fly over our homes and into a laurel oak tree where it rests briefly then flies […]
The Ubiquitous Moss
Mosses are primitive plants that come in many forms and grow in a variety of habitats. These plants produce spores, not seeds and the spores are so light that they are carried into the atmosphere and around the world. The haircap moss grows on nearly every continent on earth. Up close, it looks like a […]
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