Browsing: Qu’est Que C’est

The world lost one of the most influential conservationists of the past century with the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall. Her love of the natural world and subsequent call for us to champion a balance in the way we view nature began with her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in the forest of Tanzania, Africa. She was a household name, right up there with Mr. Rodgers, and Big Bird. She carried herself with dignity and was a forceful voice for the creatures and places she loved.

Sadly, slugs are hard to love. Between the slime, their odd shapes, and for some species, a taste for flowers and vegetables, they are unwelcomed. But as with all creatures, they are just trying to survive and mind their own business.

Of all the owls in the eastern U.S., the prize for cutest goes to the Eastern Screech Owl. As with all owls, these small birds are well camouflaged, helping them blend into the woods where they live. But once you spot one, it is hard not to say Wow! And they come in two colors – the more prominent gray phase and my favorite, red phase birds, accounting for about one third of the population.

Of the many common small mammals that we encounter in our lives, Red Foxes always seem to invoke the most excitement. People are quick to report sightings, especially in urban settings, where most of us think they must be lost. But foxes are smart and cunning and have long found refuge and comfort living next door to us.

Next to biting flies, love bugs can be the disdain of our existence. Anyone that drives highways in the early fall cringe as mating pairs spatter across the windshield, hood, and grill of the car, adding anxiety about the scrubbing to come – to save the paint job! In years when they are most numerous, they can also clog the air spaces in radiators, causing engine overheating.

Loving, or at least appreciating, Lubber Grasshoppers is hard for many folks. Gardeners are not fans. In some years, it appears that they show up as small armies, chewing up everything in sight. So, where are their predators? Can we get more of those? The short answer is no.

Everyone has a favorite green space to enjoy. A local park, nature trail, or even our own backyards are places where many of us find peace in just seeing what is going on. What is always interesting to me are the seasonal changes in these places, like which plants are blooming, or which sweet fruit treats I may be able to snack on. And just so you all know, I do not share locations of dewberry patches with anyone!!!

Even casual bird watchers are acquainted with our larger wading birds that are easily seen stalking prey along ditches, beaches, and other wet places. Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and even Little Blue Herons are out in the open, sticking out like statues. But one of the smallest of our wading birds lurks in the shadows, if you know where to look.

As a child, I was intrigued when I found perfectly round balls under the trees in the woods that I wandered through. Sometimes they were smooth and red-speckled. Other times they were brown and wrinkled. They looked like what I imagined a brain might appear to be without a skull, so brain balls they became. I had no clue how they came to be. But these galls are only part of a larger story about the insects that cause them to form on oaks.

Apparently, human teenagers are not the only critters that like to beg and whine to their parents. Young fledgling birds are adept whiners, especially after leaving the nest. Of course, this is a bit of anthropomorphism on my part, but if the “shoe fits”.

Yellow Passionflower may not have as large and obvious a blossom as its purple flowered relative, but it has its own way of standing out in our landscape. For me, the smaller flowers and leaves of this common vine are far less overwhelming than many other vines, adding a bit of elegance.

Galls that form on plants often stick out and draw our attention. For Red Bay, the bright green galls stand out against the dark green leaves and are part of a natural relationship between a tiny insect and its host plant. Rarely seen, the galls are the only obvious evidence that these insects exist. Here is their story.

As a child of the sixties, I listened intently as Smoky the Bear shared the message that “only you can prevent forest fires”. It made perfect sense. But not all fires are bad as we have learned over the past half century, especially in the fire-adapted, pine forests of the southeastern U.S. It turns out that small, periodic fires help keep the forest healthy and safe from destruction that we often see in western forests. Here is the story.

Southern Magnolias help define the deep south landscape. Their large, prominent white flowers are hard to miss and are a favorite subject for artists and photographers. Southern Magnolia is the state tree and flower for Mississippi, the Magnolia State, and the state flower of Louisiana. And although the flowers are the main attraction, the plant offers other equally prominent features.

I am not a fan of mowing grass. I cut more than my share of lawns in my youth. Mary and I live on a wooded lot, so I have been liberated, at least at home. But, for those of you that still maintain a lawn, there is hope for your liberation as well. Bear with me as I proposed reducing lawn care through “no mow” and “less mow” options. 

This time of year, I almost always get asked the same question: where have all the pelicans gone? For many of us that frequent beaches and coastal bayous, we enjoy watching pelicans and the many other coastal birds that live there. It wouldn’t be the coast without the sounds and sights of Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls that are hard to miss most of the time.