by Loti | Sep 9, 2013 | Birds, Flowers, United States
North Carolina. I had forgotten how wonderful hummingbirds are to watch so I was delighted to see one yesterday. They are the smallest bird in the world and the only ones that can actually hover in midair, fly backwards, sideways and upside down. Now that is cool! Memories come back of the hummingbirds arriving at my Grandparents house when I was young. They always came on the same day in April and left at the beginning of September. But I never thought about where they live all winter. So where do they go? While not all hummingbirds migrate, most of the ones living in the US do. The map shows sightings this fall of hummingbirds who are just starting their migrations to Mexico, the Yucatan, Panama or the Southern US. Since hummingbirds are solitary birds, they generally travel alone (how sad) so we don’t know much about their migratory patterns. Maps like this rely on citizens to report sightings thru organizations like Northern Journey and The Audubon Society (all you have to do is register on their website and record a sighting, which of course I did). And how does the tiny bird know when it is time to migrate, sometimes thousands of miles? They rely on the amount of daylight and the angle of the sun to tell them. Loading up on insects and nectar in preparation for their trip, often gaining twice their weight for the long journey, they head south for the winter and north for the summer. Pretty smart birds for being so small (and cute!) ...
by Loti | Aug 31, 2013 | Food, Health, Plants, Uncategorized, United States
North Carolina. Spotting these cool orange mushrooms on a recent walk in Tryon, NC, I wonder are they are edible? What is their name and do people actually eat mushrooms they find in the wild? With over 14,000 species of mushroom, I may never figure out what these mushrooms are called (an hour searching on the Internet produced no similar pictures). But I do learn over 3,000 species can be eaten with some being very nutritious. However, if you plan on foraging (hunting) mushrooms, you better know what you are doing as over 1,400 mushroom varieties are poisonous. Some deadly. Wow. I had no idea there were that many kinds. And apparently there are numerous mushroom clubs throughout the world and US where people learn about mushrooms, go foraging to collect mushrooms and then gather to cook meals from their forays. A mushroom club? How interesting. So next time you go for a walk, pay attention to the ground. Just since I spotted these mushrooms, I have seen 3 different species. A fascinating wild plant found in urban and rural settings, I look forward to learning more about them. And who knows, I just might send off for a kit to grow some at home and join a local club. Now that is...
by Loti | Aug 5, 2013 | Animals, United States
Florida. Pretty cool to walk out your door and see not one, but two red foxes. In Palm Beach? Next to my house? But are they vixens (females) or reynards (males) or one of each? What neat names and even better scrabble words! I never knew a female fox was called a vixen, also the name for a quarrelsome, shrewish or malicious woman. Interesting that a woman can be referred to as a real fox or quiet a vixen with totally different meanings. Foxes are known as clever and cunning while also able to run 30 miles an hour and climb trees. Really! And historical records show foxes have been around since at least 350 BC when references are made to Alexander the Great hunting them. So I was surprised to learn foxes are listed as one of the top 100 worst invasive species in the world, right up there with malaria mosquitos and the yellow crazy ant (the what?). Hard to believe these cute guys or gals could make such a list as they are welcome in my neighborhood any...
by Loti | Jul 17, 2013 | Flowers, Food, United States
Savannah, GA. A cool plant that you can eat (according to most websites although a few sites caution against ingesting it), keeps rodents and deer away from your landscaping, repels ticks and mosquitos, and will protect you from vampires. Why doesn’t everyone have one, I wonder? In South Africa, they are even planted around houses to keep out the deadly mamba snake (if you remember the skulls and crossbones snake rating used at the Serpentarium in Wilmington, the mamba gets 5 skulls indicating the most dangerous of all snakes). And as an added benefit, they attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Way cool. Society garlic, a perennial from South Africa, has a garlicky odor and taste with a pretty lavender flower that can decorate any salad or plate of food. The leaves can be eaten in place of chives and they are easy to grow. While they are not tolerant of really cold weather, this particular plant has thrived in Savannah, GA which gets pretty chilly. So what is not to love? Especially the vampire part. And why do vampires stay away from garlic? Well apparently vampires have an increased sense of smell so the odor of garlic keeps them at bay. Works for...
by Loti | Jul 3, 2013 | Animals, United States
Palm Beach, FL. I wasn’t sure what this was when Gibbs, my Havenese, and I came across it on the beach until a friend pointed out it was a homeless hermit crab. Homeless? If I had only known, I would have tried to find it a new home/shell. Hermit crabs are decopod crustaceans which simply means they have 10 legs (deca is Greek for 10) who live in shells made and abandoned by other animals. As the crab grows, it must find a new, bigger shell. And sometimes there is intense competition for new shells. Crabs will sometimes gang up on a crab who is perceived to have a better shell (gee that sounds like human behavior) but they also form queues in what is known as a vacancy chain. When a bigger shell becomes available, hermit crabs will line up from largest to smallest. The biggest crab takes the new shell and then they each swap shells for the newly vacated one until they all have new shells. Kinda like musical chairs, but more civilized! And hermit crabs make wonderful pets according to an ad on Petco’s website which describes them as lively and cute. I wouldn’t go so far as cute, but you need to really like your hermit crab since they live 20 + years if properly cared for. Ah, if I had only known. Gibbs might have a new playmate!...
by Loti | Jun 21, 2013 | Animals, Art, United States
Boston, MA. I just can’t get enough of the glass models created by the Blaschka’s back in the late 1800’s. In addition to the thousands of flower and plant models they made, there is a whole series of jellyfish, octopuses and other invertebrates made from glass by the father and son. > This glass octopus is in The The Harvard Museum collection and is stunning to view. So what exactly is an invertebrate? Well, 97% of animal species alive today are invertebrate, meaning they have no backbone. Really! I had no idea. > This includes insects, crabs, snails, starfish, and of course octopus. With 8 arms equipped with suction cups, 2 eyes and a beak much like a bird’s beak (the only hard part of their body), the octopus is a highly intelligent animal. They use both short and long term memory to solve mazes and problems and are the only invertebrate to use tools. In one study, they were given a coconut shell which they took apart and reassembled as a shelter. And they make great designs on pants. Take Billy Horschel in the last round of the U.S. Open. While he didn’t win, everyone was talking about his Ralph Lauren octopus pants. A brilliant marketing strategy on the part of the Ralph Lauren folks. Now how cool is that! > > > > > ...
