Royal Catchfly catches a Butterfly
It's not always easy to get advice on growing a native plant species. Since I'm crazy about hummingbirds, I searched for Missouri natives that specialize in hummingbirds for pollination. Royal...
View ArticleNew Helper in the Garden; A Guest Post by Chunk
It's a good thing I came along, because Anne really needs help in this garden. Case in point… She put some wonderful, smelly fruit in the compost pile. I had to get it out. Then I ate it. Ahh! It's...
View ArticleWhen Animals Attack— Plastic
Ever wonder if those plastic owls that are supposed to scare birds away from buildings actually work? Chunk and I saw a test of this Batesian mimicry strategy on an evening walk this week. The Cooper's...
View ArticleColor Variation in a Butterfly
I snapped this pic while talking with my neighbor because the butterfly was close and appeared to be different. When I uploaded it to my computer, I found that this female Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus...
View ArticleWhat is she doing?
As my garden renovation proceeds, I removed a Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora) from one of my witch hazel trees. Nasty work in this heat, but I'm finally getting serious about removing the...
View ArticleHow to Keep Cool; Another Guest Post by Chunk
That's what I'm talkin' about! You might also enjoy: New Helper in the Garden
View ArticleEmma Peel as a Butterfly
Tiger Swallowtails are more beautiful, but when I spot a small, dark butterfly, I run for the camera! Small, dark butterflies include some of the most challenging identifications in our area,...
View ArticleA Rabble of Ruby-throats?
I love my hummingbird plants, but when I read that hummers may need up to 1,000 blooms a day, I knew I was going to need feeders! A little more investigation into hummingbird calorie requirements at...
View ArticleJuice from a Thousand Flowers
So many hummers! This is my goal! Thanks to Teddy Llovet for the photo. If you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, keep in mind that hummers may need up to 1,000 blooms a day. As I mentioned in...
View ArticleA Bird Bath for Hummingbirds
Anna's Hummingbird photo by randomtruth On a particularly anxious day some years ago, I glanced out the kitchen window, looking at the viburnum leaves, covered with with rain drops. Movement caught my...
View ArticleHigh Praise from a Prairie Vole
When Chunk and I take our walk through the neighborhoods and down to the park, I sometimes keep count of the number of species we see: 12-22 birds (depending on how long the walk; highest number in...
View ArticleLast Kite of the Season
Mississippi Kite's keystone-shaped tail shows in this silhouette composite photo by George Thomas I may have seen my last Mississippi Kite of the year yesterday. My puppy Chunk and I visited...
View ArticleBack to the Blogosphere
It's been almost 4 weeks since my last post, so a few words of explanation might be in order. It's been perfect storm of obstacles to getting online: minor accidents that befell a family member...
View ArticleNighthawks
We could call it a "kettle," if they were hawks--a pretty good description of a flock where the individuals seems to boil from the top to the bottom over and over again. In that sense, I watched a...
View ArticleWe Love Squirrels
I knew that all St. Louisans were bird watchers--specifically, Redbird watchers, but who knew they were squirrel watchers too? The yard art pictured above was created by one of my neighbors. It...
View ArticleThe Very Very Late Ruby-throat
I I strolled around the turrets of Hogwarts Castle, enjoying the sweeping views of tropical foliage. From the ravine below, a hummingbird came into view. It was large--something along the lines of a...
View ArticleChristmas Bird Counts on TV
I had a chance to talk about Christmas Bird Counts on local TV today. Dan Zarlenga, of Missouri Department of Conservation, set up the interview with John Fuller of KPLR-TV Channel 11 in Saint Louis...
View ArticleBreakfast with Mrs. Claus
Everybody loves breakfast at a diner, so no one is surprised when Mrs. Claus drops in with a basket of candy canes to give away. It's Christmas Eve morning and the place is packed so my friend Debbie...
View ArticleThe Not-So-Common Common Ground Dove of Weldon Spring CBC
Truman was President, Muddy Waters sang "Rollin' Stone," Lefty Frizzell sang "If You've Got the Money,""Sunset Boulevard" took the Golden Globe, and the Webster Groves Nature Study Society counted...
View ArticleThose Terrible Pterosaurs
Notice the fearful claws & and the murderous look in his eye? Black-capped Chickadee photo by Eric Bégin. Yesterday, as I pulled out of the garage, something in the driver’s side view mirror...
View Article
