Month: September 2021

Alone Among its Neighbors: Florida’s Only Native Bamboo

Standing above one’s peers has several advantages. In most cases, the tall individual will be immediately noticed and usually recognized, hopefully for positive and refined qualities. The elevated individual eventually attracts those with similar attributes in both altitude and other features. This collection has been referred to by a variety of terms. If a positive…Read more

The Third Brood of 2020: A Good Start Would Lead to a Wonderful Ending

After the disappointing second brood that never materialized, I was hoping the bluebirds would come back in time for a third brood before the end of this year’s nesting season.  On June 30, the female appeared at the nest box and immediately began building her nest. Mom laid a total of four eggs. On July…Read more

The American Goldfinch: Flying in From the Cold

Labor Day 2021 is soon to be in the rearview mirror and the kids are going back in school, either in classrooms or virtually. Life is settling into the early autumn routine, while it is still technically summer. Even though the solar equinox is about three weeks away, the residents to the north are reacting…Read more

The Great Garden Pest

The middle of summer, late July and August, is the time north Florida residents see the largest numbers of adult eastern lubber grasshoppers. The females are seeking appropriate places to lay their eggs, and their large size and distinctive markings make them easily visible.  The eggs from which these grasshoppers hatched were deposited in the…Read more