Tag Archive | Nature Story
Hooded Mergansers in Winter
When I worked at Connetquot River State Park Preserve on New York’s Long Island, I looked forward to seeing the many species of ducks that came from the freezing lakes and rivers of the north. The Island, being surrounded by water and bordering the Atlantic Ocean, usually had a moderate winter making it an ideal […]
Sleeping in the Snow
It is 2018 and the winter is brutal with temperatures hovering around zero degrees and snows blanketing much of the U.S. People survive this weather in heated shelter with ample food supplies and when they do venture out, coats, hats, gloves all help protect them from the cold. Wildlife also adapt to the harsh winter […]
The Hummingbird Imposter
At first glance it appeared to be dozens of tiny hummingbirds getting nectar from a large flowering bush in my neighbor’s front yard. Excited, I darted in the house to grab my camera. Once I got closer to the shrub it became apparent that these were not hummingbirds, but hummingbird moths. These moths have plump […]
The Carolina Chickadee
When I moved from New York to Florida, I was a bit homesick. I found comfort in the chickadees that came to my backyard feeder. Up north the black-capped chickadee frequented our sunflower feeders. Here in Florida the Carolina chickadee, a bird that is almost identical, comes to our backyard feeders to eat sunflower seeds […]
Sleeping Bee
I came across a wild aster this morning and found a bumblebee clinging to one of the small flowers, motionless as if frozen in time. Was it dead? Was it sleeping? Did you know that bumblebees sleep in flowers? If the bee does not find its way back to its nest before the cool evening […]