Someone spots a Monarch butterfly feeding on New England aster. We watch the magnificent creature as it probes the yellow centers of purple blue daisies for nectar. It is a perfect specimen, wings immaculate, colors vibrant in the sunshine. Perhaps it is newly hatched…
With wolves eliminated from the park elk populations flourished. Their abundance wasn’t such a good thing for the park’s vegetation though, especially in the richer, low-lying areas along rivers, creeks, and other wetlands where they overgrazed the vegetation, destroying habitat and creating erosion problems.
This attractive tree goes by a few names: shadbush, shadblow, serviceberry, and Juneberry. The reference to shad stems from more ancient knowledge of recognizing patterns of nature. Many years ago shad, a species of anadromous fish, was significantly more abundant than today…
As an example let’s take the blue jay, a bird just about everybody knows since it’s a common species in suburbia, often frequenting backyard feeders and making jay! jay! sounds as pairs and packs fly about the neighborhood. Blue jays are wonderful examples in better understanding bird coloration…
If you visit just about any salt marsh fringing Long Island’s interdigitated coastline, you’ll experience the fiddlers – they simply can’t be avoided. And while you won’t hear fiddle music, despite the fact there are many hundreds if not thousands of fiddler’s ceaselessly “rosining up their bows”…
One of the many joys of summer in Suffolk County is spending time in the backyard relaxing with a book, swimming in the pool, gardening, or enjoying a family meal together. I’ve come to realize that during these backyard experiences we’re often not alone.