Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road

Author: Mike Dunn

  • Transformation

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    In all works on Natural History, we constantly find details of the marvelous adaptation of animals to their food, their habits, and the localities in which they are found. ~Alfred Russel Wallace, 1853 It is that time of year again…yep, the museum’s annual BugFest event is tomorrow, Saturday, September 17. Join us for an incredible… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Humming Along

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    One minute poised in midair, apparently motionless before a flower while draining the nectar from its deep cup—though the humming of its wings tells that it is suspended there by no magic—the next instant it has flashed out of sight as if a fairy’s wand had made it suddenly invisible. ~Neltje Blanchan, 1923 It seems… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • What a Way to Go

    Nature is so much worse than science fiction. ~Quote attributed to a student in an introductory entomology course We discovered a small caterpillar last week that was adorned with some unusual accessories, and that usually isn’t a good thing if you are a caterpillar. I think it was either a variable oakleaf, or a double-lined… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • From Beast to Beauty

    It has to get ugly before it gets pretty. ~Nicholas Sparks Well, that is certainly the case for at least one species of butterfly here in the woods… the red-spotted purple, Limenitis arthemis astyanax. This common species is probably not considered beautiful by most observers during its pre-butterfly stages. It is a bird poop mimic… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • In an Instant

    Nature taking its course – hunter and prey, the endless circle of life and death. ~Stephanie Meyer Melissa found some cool caterpillars on a Viburnum this weekend while we were walking in a city park in Richmond. I walked over to take a look and saw a beautiful hummingbird clearwing larva, Hemaris thysbe, in the classic… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Leading a Double Life on the Edge

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    There is more both of beauty and of raison d’etre in the works of nature- than in those of art. ~Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) The adaptations of insects in our yard are both beautiful and incredible. Here is a little more on some leaf edge caterpillars discovered the past few days… One of the most… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Life on the Edge

    In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment. ~Charles Darwin I shared some images last week of one of my favorite moth larvae, the unicorn caterpillar. Their shape, coloration, and behavior allow them to blend in remarkably well… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Unicorns Are Real

    I guess there are some unicorns out there somewhere. ~Tedy Bruschi Indeed there are, and I have several in my back yard right now. In my last post, I mentioned I periodically check the leaves on a young wild cherry tree in the yard to see what might be using it for food or shelter.… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Seeing the Wild in Wild Cherry

    The most beautiful gift of Nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see. ~Albert Einstein There is a wild cherry (Prunus serotina) sapling just outside our screen porch that is a favorite spot for all sorts of natural events. Wild cherry is a great host plant… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Kayaking in Columbia

    I seemed to have reached a new world, so wild a place…far away from human society. ~Henry David Thoreau, on swamps Columbia, North Carolina, that is. We spent several days in this beautiful little town last week, part vacation, part getting out to see some of the region for the trails project I am working… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn