FAUNA

Fauna

Insect Chorus Returns

The nighttime chorus of insects that started in late July or August and continues through September with increasing intensity is one of those things that people either love or hate. I fall squarely in the first category; like many people, for me the sounds are synonymous with warm late-summer nights. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no better way to fall asleep than next to an open window with the sounds of the night insects pouring in. My wife, however, is one of those people in the other category: for her the insect chorus, while something she’ll admit can be pleasant sounding, is more importantly something that keeps her awake. So our bedroom window stays firmly shut this time of year.

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Fauna

Wonders of Woodpeckers

One of the great joys of being a naturalist is to marvel at the countless adaptations, hiding in plain sight in the natural world surrounding us, that enable living things to survive and prosper. The tendrils of a catbrier, allowing the vine to attach and grow; the arching base of an earth star fungus to assist in spore dispersal; the burs of common burdock to facilitate the spread of seeds; and the sandpaper-like bottom of an osprey’s feet so it can better hold onto slippery prey, are but a few examples that come to mind of the hundreds of adaptations on display in the plant and animal species that share our island home.

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Fauna

There’s No Such Thing as a Seagull?

It’s a term you’ve used a million times before, but … there’s no such bird. There’s not even such a family of birds. The term “seagull” is a colloquialism used to refer to a group of generally white-gray-and-black birds that are found (commonly, but not only) near coastal waters. Here are six of the most common on Long Island…

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Fauna

A Reassuring Hum

One of my favorite sounds of summer is the rhythmic hum of bees as they move from flower to flower. I love to watch these industrious insects as they dance on the pink florets of Joe Pye weed or dive into the hairy throat of penstemon. I marvel at the variety of buzzing visitors on blooming goldenrod and the constant taking off and landing on the face of a sunflower.

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Fauna

Fabulous Fireflies!

Mark Twain once said that the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. His point is well made. But it leaves us with the question of what is the right word for the insects that make our summer nights sparkle? Twain referred to “lightning bugs,” but many of us call them “fireflies.” So which is the right word?

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Fauna

Fox Cache Showdown

Former Seatuck educator, Jessie Comba, captured this fascinating sequence a few years ago of an encountered that ensued as one fox tried to recover a cached carcass. 

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