Category: Natural History
-
Oh Yeah, It Must Be Spring
The incredible but annually commonplace change that is life eternally renewed has begun to stir. ~Hal Borland My last post dealt with the rapid changes in weather from the first spring wildflowers in our yard to the switch to bitter cold and time for chopping more firewood. The vagaries of “spring” weather really hit home… Read more…
Written by
-
Snow at Last
Oh winter! One never, never loses the surprise and wonder of new fallen snow… ~Emily Carr And surprise it was….they predicted it, and it actually snowed! That has been an unusual happening in these parts for over 450 days (I believe I heard the last measurable snow fall in central North Carolina was about 469… Read more…
Written by
-
Natural Art
All nature is but art unknown to thee. ~Alexander Pope Earlier this week, I accompanied some friends on a stroll through one of my favorite local natural areas – Johnston Mill Nature Preserve in Orange County. This area is managed by the Triangle Land Conservancy and is one of their more popular sites. I love… Read more…
Written by
-
Another Caterpillar Season
Look closely at nature. Every species is a masterpiece, exquisitely adapted to the particular environment in which it has survived. Who are we to destroy or even diminish biodiversity? ~E.O. Wilson Yes, it is finally crawling to a close, another season of caterpillar searching, wrangling, and releasing. This one a bit less productive than some… Read more…
Written by
-
Moth Jets
If you examine a butterfly according to the laws of aerodynamics, it shouldn’t be able to fly. But the butterfly doesn’t know that, so it flies. ~Howard Schultz I’m not sure anyone could use that quote when describing the sphinx moths. They certainly look like they were made to fly and I have always been… Read more…
Written by
-
Caterpillar Countdown
Beauty can come in strange forms. ~James Dyson I thought about not saying anything else in this post other than the quote above, because it really does sum up what we found one night this week. Yes, it is that time of year again when we caterpillar-lovers are out and about searching for something cool,… Read more…
Written by
-
Grubosaurus Update
You always end up getting involved in things because of, you know, the strange things your life brings you into contact with. ~Edward Norton I have had a couple of unusual “pets” these past few months. You may recall in an earlier post, I reported on receiving some orphaned Eastern Hercules Beetle grubs one day… Read more…
Written by
-
Camp Critters II
Children should be encouraged to watch patiently and quietly, until they learn something of the habits and history of bee, ant, wasp, spider, hairy caterpillar, dragon-fly, and whatever of larger growth comes in their way. ~Charlotte Mason Summer camp at work has been over for a week now. The decks of our building are quiet,… Read more…
Written by
-
Surrounded by Swallowtails
Tremendous beauty can be found in the tiniest of things… for who has ever thought to rival that of a butterfly’s wing. ~Kristen D’Angelo Every few years, we have a population high of swallowtails here in our woods. This year has been exceptional with the greatest numbers of these large butterflies that I have witnessed.… Read more…
Written by
-
Moth Week Plus
I’ve always preferred moths to butterflies. They aren’t flashy or cocky; they mind their own business and just try to blend in with their surroundings and live their lives. ~Kayla Krantz National Moth Week ended yesterday and I managed to miss most of it for a variety of lame reasons. But, even though I failed… Read more…
Written by
Roads End Naturalist 