Tag Archive | Nature
What do Squirrels do in Winter?
If you are an eastern gray squirrel you bulk up in the fall by eating acorns, seeds and nuts. This results in increased fat reserves to insulate you from the cold and acts as energy reservoirs during long, harsh winters. These squirrels also cache acorns and other nuts by burying them in the ground. They […]
Winter Survival Strategies of White-tailed Deer
White-tailed Deer do not hibernate for the winter. They do not migrate to warmer climates. These deer weather the frigid winter temperatures and storms through adaptations that took thousands of years to develop. One adaptation is one that all animals developed to survive the cold. In the summer and fall, when food is plentiful, deer […]
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 […]
One of Our Largest Woodpeckers
And my favorite woodpecker is the large pileated woodpecker, a bird of mature forests. This crow sized bird is mostly black with a bright red crest. When I lived on Long Island New York, it was extremely rare there. Yet it is a common species just across the Long Island Sound in New England and […]
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