Tag Archive | Nature Story
Hunting for the Elusive Pyxie
In the spring of 1976, I drove two miles on dirt roads to a remote area of Connetquot River State Park Preserve in New York where I was a biologist. The purpose of my trip was to rediscover a rare plant called Pyxie Moss (Pyxadanthera barbulata). Despite its name and looks, the plant is not […]
Who’s That Sleeping in My Feeder?
Anyone who has ever fed wild birds shares the same frustrations as I, when the entourage of neighborhood squirrels wreak havoc at the backyard bird feeding station. The squirrels spill seed, chew feeders, and scare birds away. They are clever creatures and it seems that no matter how well you try to discourage them, they […]
A Small Dove in North America
When I fill my bird feeders, I always scatter seeds on the ground for those birds that forage on the ground. This persuades a dull colored, but cute little bird called the common ground dove. This dove is easy to tell from other doves because it is small (the size of a large sparrow), has […]
Red-bellied Woodpecker at Our Feeder
Anne and I enjoy watching birds come to our backyard feeders. We get quite a few varieties of birds eating the assortment of seeds offered to them. One of my favorite visitors is the red-bellied woodpecker. It often flies in to eat sunflower seeds from the feeders. It looks very awkward as it dangles practically […]
Horror in the Milkweed Patch
Anne walks out the front door into our yard to look for caterpillars on the milkweed. She has seen some Monarch butterflies recently and thought they may have laid eggs on the plants. A few minutes later, she knocks on the dining room window and tells me to come quick with my camera. As I […]
naturechirp 