The herring are in, the herring are in! There’s activity at the Cape Cod canal herring run as well as in Brewster. Despite the snow and sleet they have determined it is time to venture into fresh water. Maybe they were moved by the “Super moon” of March 19. That day (or night) the moon […]
Archive for the ‘Interesting’ Category
Super moon and more harbingers of spring
Posted in Interesting, Rants & Raves on March 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Killer on the loose
Posted in Fauna, Guest blogger, Interesting on March 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
A few weeks ago, I was taking my pet to the vet and noticed a rather odd looking bug crawl out of the pet carrying case. Before I could ascertain what it was it had slipped under the car seat. My impression was that it sort of looked like a tick, if only because it […]
Here we go!
Posted in Flora, Interesting on March 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Things are stirring in the natural world. Every day we add two or three more minutes of light. The birds are gettting more than a little excited, and plants are pushing their way up through the soil to the sun. Other yards are way ahead of mine – purple and yellow crocuses are flowering on […]
Getting Mushy Over Mushrooms
Posted in Guest blogger, Interesting on March 2, 2011 | 1 Comment »
I first became fascinated with mushrooms while reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma where author Michael Pollan describes them as a mysterious third kingdom species theorized to get their energy from the moon instead of the sun. This is one of those strange scientific stories that always makes me want to learn more. In Colin Tudge’s The Tree: A Natural History […]
More Bobcat Banter
Posted in Fauna, Guest blogger, Interesting on March 2, 2011 | 7 Comments »
A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing Jonathan Way speak at the Brewster Natural History Museum. During his lecture about coyotes, or coywolves, some of the attendees brought up the return of wild animals to Cape Cod such as bears and fishers. Recalling this story to a friend, I tried in vain to remember […]
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Posted in Fauna, Interesting, Rants & Raves on February 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
It is still cold out there, with weather systems still bringing occasional snow, sleet and rain. However, Punxsatawney Phil did predict an early Spring this year, and maybe others in the animal kingdom agree. For the last week or so I’ve observed a flock of Regulus calendula (ruby-crowned kinglet), mostly females and an occasional male, […]
Felines, welcome to Cape Cod.
Posted in Fauna, Interesting on February 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Is a bobcat roaming the Outer Cape? This question appeared in today’s Cape Cod Times. The clue to this animal roaming the woods in Eastham seems to be some unusual scat that was found in the woods. I understand that the Times needs to be tentative and report on facts and “hard” evidence, but rumors […]
Deer trivia
Posted in Fauna, Guest blogger, Interesting on February 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Two and a half million years ago, creatures that sort of looked like humans ran from the same predators as creatures that sort of looked like deer. As we humans grew into our new skins and created cultures, deer became part of our religion and way of life – from our creation stories to the […]
The Spider’s Maid Service
Posted in Fauna, Guest blogger, Interesting on February 17, 2011 | 1 Comment »
The Pholcus phalangioides and I have a pretty good arrangement, they eat the bugs that come into my house and I clean up after them. I suppose they probably don’t “care” that I clean up after them. Although the way they leave their trash behind makes it seem like it’s almost intentional, like “Here, I’ve […]
Catastrophe, or Cause for Celebration: Coyotes on Cape Cod
Posted in Fauna, Guest blogger, Interesting on February 8, 2011 | 3 Comments »
When I decided to write about coyotes for this blog post, I had no idea how strongly people felt about them or how prolific they have become on the East Coast. Whether on Cape Cod or in the Boston area, the presence of coyotes in people’s suburban backyards elicits either awe or outright hatred – and rarely indifference. I am […]