Category: Natural History
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What, There are More of Them?
There is no story that can’t be improved by adding zombies. ~Kelley Armstrong Walking down the driveway this morning I noticed something on a twig that was propped up against a tree trunk. When I leaned in for a closer look, I said to myself, “you gotta be kidding me, another one?” It looked like Read more…
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Zombie Fungus
Of course life is bizarre, the more bizarre it gets, the more interesting it is. The only way to approach it is to make yourself some popcorn and enjoy the show. ~David Gerrold I have a program coming up in a couple of weeks on things to look for in nature as winter approaches. So, Read more…
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Strange Beauty
There is no exquisite beauty…without some strangeness… ~Edgar Allan Poe I came across this strange spider the other day as I walked through the back gate. I noticed its striking white abdomen moving slowly around its web with a small up and down motion, accompanying a slight twist of the body as it moved. The Read more…
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Cute Jumper
I always like jumping spiders. They’re just so darn cute. ~Cheryl Hayashi As I neared the end of my hike along the Haw River last week, I noticed a slight movement on a tree trunk along the trail. I stopped and looked, and, at first, saw nothing. So, I placed my hand on the trunk, Read more…
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Hiking the Haw
A river is the most human and companionable of all inanimate things. It has a life, a character, a voice of its own, and is as full of good fellowship as a sugar maple is of sap. ~Henry Van Dyke Fall color is starting to peak here in the Piedmont of North Carolina so I Read more…
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Leaves Aren’t The Only Fall Colors
Now is the time of the illuminated woods…when every leaf glows like a tiny lamp. ~John Burroughs Autumn creeps into these woods slowly. I notice it more at sunset, when the light streaming across the ridge now has a distinct yellow tint that it lacks in the heat of summer. On still afternoons, a close Read more…
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The Lost Coast
The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place. All through the long history of Earth it has been an area of unrest where waves have broken heavily against the land, where the tides have pressed forward over the continents, receded, and then returned… The shore has a dual nature, changing with the Read more…
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Land of the Giants
Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. ~John Muir The original plan for the recent California trip was destination Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks, in part to see the Giant Sequoia trees. With the fires, partial closures, and air quality issues, Read more…
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Last Larva?
…one’s first impression might be that this creature has somehow lost its way out of an Amazonian jungle. ~David L. Wagner, describing the Crowned Slug caterpillar in Caterpillars of Eastern North America When I returned from our California trip, I looked around the yard and saw what lies ahead – lots of yard work. Seems Read more…
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Munchies
A caterpillar is basically a flexible tube…it is designed purely for eating and growing. ~Michael Chinery, in Butterflies and Day-flying Moths of Britain and Europe Eat, poop, eat, poop…such is the life of a caterpillar. After BugFest, I kept a few of the specimens for a couple of days before releasing them back into the Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 