Browsing: Qu’est Que C’est

Sometimes the tiniest of organisms in our world evoke memories we hold dear. Such was the case when I recently shared a few photos of one of the smallest of our regional flowering plants, a Tiny Bluet, Houstonia pusilla. As many of you know, I share tidbits about nature daily, through my Cajun Daily Dose of Nature post on Instagram and Facebook. The post about the Tiny Bluet reminded me that many of my friends also share my passion for nature, big and small. 

It has been three months or so since the last of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds flew south for the winter. A few do seem to stay with us along the northern Gulf Coast, but most of our winter hummers are western species. Ruby-throated hummers are intrepid birds that fly a long way each year between their breeding grounds across the eastern U.S. and Canada and their winter homes in Central America. 

The middle of February in coastal Mississippi is early spring. OK, late winter, but that’s if you are looking backward, not forward. We deep southerners are not fond of cold. So yes, spring it is! It is also when our earliest blooming trees and shrubs begin to break their dormancy and flower – including the most dramatic of them – Swamp Red Maple, Acer rubrum.

Late winter and spring along the coastal areas of the northern Gulf can be pleasant – until the no-see-ums start to bite. Aptly named, these tiny little demons can become so numerous, they can make a sane person scream, holler, and use bad words. Of course, only the females bite – just saying.

There are three common species of large pines that live within the so-called pine belt of the southeastern U.S. This swath of land stretches from the coast of North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, westward to eastern Texas. Of these, Longleaf historically dominated this landscape. It evolved to not only tolerate fire but depend on it. In many ways, it is also one of the most elegant.

From the comfort of our warm homes, it is easy to worry about how our feathered friends can handle cold…

OK, I may be opening a proverbial can of worms or Pandora’s Box, but I am going to do it anyway. Should be fun. Here goes. What burning questions do you have about something in or about nature that I may be able to write about? In other words, what are your Qu’est Que C’ests.

Finding the motionless, rigid body of an insect covered with odd spiky protrusions is certain to get anyone’s attention. My friend Shawn Harris had a typical reaction when he asked me about his recent observation – “What the Frankenstein is this!?! My response – “Why, that is just your typical Zombie Wasp. Cool!”

How about starting out the new year with a resolution that you may actually keep for longer than a week – and enjoy. Here goes – resolve to pause a minute each day to pay attention to nature around you. One minute, that is it! And if you think that is too short a time, try it and you will realize just how much you can see and hear in 60 seconds.

Recycling a good story is a good thing, right? Well, I think so, and this story from Christmas Past is worth repeating. The theme remains, with some new twists, if you are adventurous – why mess with perfection? This challenge begins on Christmas Day. Yes, the twelve days begin on Christmas Day (when Christ was born) and end on the Epiphany in the Christmas tradition (when the Magi visited the newborn Jesus). Try to keep up!

Feeding wildlife in your yard can be pleasing and, at times, entertaining. And if you are thinking about what to get your yard critters for Christmas, consider native plants that feed them throughout the year and add value to your landscape.

Some of the more colorful and active spiders in our world are Jumping Spiders – members of the family of spiders known as Salticids. The Tan Jumping Spider is an exception, at least at first sight, if you can spot it to begin with. But why is it so shy?

Do you have a child or grandchild that loves nature? Would you like to inspire a child to love nature? Well, Christmas is coming, so get them something that inspires them to explore the natural world around them. Here are a couple of suggestions.

Our first encounters with living things in our lives started with Mom or Dad telling us what it was called – its common name. And for me, those are the ones that I remember best. But, for other folks, those names may not be the same as mine. The shrub I call Mamou is Coral Bean to others. Same plant, with one scientific name, Erythrina herbacea

Five years have passed since the grass covered lot in Moss Point began its journey toward restoration to a mature natural wetland. To look at it now, it can appear to untrained eyes to be a mess – a tangled thicket of weeds and shrubs that, well, looks messy. Let me tell you why it is not and what it will look like as it continues its journey to a mature Bayhead Swamp that it is meant to be.

For many of us, an unhurried walk in nature is medicine for the mind and soul. Whether strolling through a local park or a nature trail, the sights and sounds can provide a respite for life’s stresses. There is always something new to discover, even on a trail or path that we have walked a hundred times.