That early fall nor’easter we had recently brought up the question:  How did critters survive days of wind and rain? Consider some of the creatures we frequently encounter in our neighborhoods: the birds in our trees and at our feeders, the squirrels and chipmunks in our backyards, the earthworms underfoot, and the bees on our […]

If you see something, squash something

The birds who mimic even more than mockingbirds

What do armyworms and Vincent van Gogh have in common?

American goldfinches (Spinus tristis), also called “yellow birds,” are small sparrow-sized birds with black wings. In summer, the males are brilliant golden yellow with a black forehead, and, despite the name, females are olive-yellow below and olive above. Most songbirds nest and raise youngsters in the spring when there is a great bounty of caterpillars […]

Common nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) are crepuscular birds that eat flying insects. You’ll spot them swooping and wheeling like aerial acrobats to catch bugs in mid-air. They are closely related to whippoorwills with the same teeny beaks that open wide into surprisingly enormous insect-catching mouths. Common nighthawks are famous for two sounds. The first is a […]

A reputation for unintelligence is belied by its foraging tricks and its ability to run mazes. But it faces serious population declines.

Of the more than 300 species of dragonflies in North America, none are more interesting than the black saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea lacerata), so named because of the black patches on its hind wings. When viewed from above, the patches look to be resting on each side of the abdomen, resembling saddlebags draped across the back […]

We all know that moths are common at night, but there are a few species of moths that fly during the day. One of these is the hummingbird clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe).  The name is fitting: This large moth might be mistaken for a hummingbird because it hovers and beats its wings rapidly while unfurling […]

Over a century after the ban on hunting pileated woodpeckers, these birds have pecked their way out of endangerment

After surviving vengeful farmers and DDT, the birds now are suffering from rodenticides.

Once incredibly along our shores, now a vulnerable delicacy, lobsters are deeply intertwined with the history of the region

Tick bites can cause an allergic reaction in certain people.

The only kind of book worms most people like to see are the human ones

Chimneys are less accessible, but their biggest problem is a great drop in the number of insects.

They may be snakes in the grass but they present no threat to humans and are sociable with each other.

Otherwise known as the pill bug, roly poly, or doodlebug, wood louses are decomposers, recycling dead matter from nature's floor.

These nimble arachnids vary from their web-wizard counterparts. They're flexible, have excellent hearing, & can hurdle two to three times their body length.

From songbird to gourmet delicacy, the bobolink fights for survival in a world increasingly determined to capture it.

On Armed Forces Day, people gathered to honor those who served in the military, Memorial Day and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.