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
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 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
During this period of returning “social distancing”, leisure activity options have the potential to be reduced again. Crowded venues are being discouraged, whether wearing a mask or not. As such, the lesser utilized sites in the great outdoors are now being considered as ideal vacation get-a-ways, even by those who do not normally venture far…Read more
For two weeks in May I was excited beyond belief. My bluebird pair had returned to the nest box — and they had brought one of their chicks with them! I had read that this occasionally happens and was delighted that it was happening to me, especially at this time when everything had been shut…Read more
The branches and boughs of deciduous trees offer a welcome reprieve from the intense August sun in north Florida. The temperature can drop over ten degrees in the shade under the canopy of greenery, but there is no relief from the insipid humidity. Behind the leafy labyrinth a variety of activities are obscured from observers…Read more
Kudzu, Old World climbing fern, and tropical soda apple are all widely known as invaders which were introduced into the region from faraway and exotic locations. Each has its own story of how it arrived here and escaped into a welcoming environment. Once established, these and other alien plant interlopers have aggressively pushed out native…Read more
After the abrupt and sad end to the 2019 nesting season, I was eagerly looking forward to 2020, although I was not sure if the bluebirds would return. In the interim I had built a second nest box using the dimensions of the box I’d used the previous year but with a few minor modifications. …Read more
Examples of horticultural foul play are evident all around. Some are in private landscapes and can possibly be excused due to the lack of gardening knowledge by the homeowner, but many occur on public property that is maintained by paid “landscape professionals.” A far-too-common sight around North Florida are ‘mulch volcanoes,’ formed when mulch is…Read more
Summer in panhandle Florida is primetime for outdoor fun. The heat and sunshine make water related activities, either salt or fresh, first rate in the local paradise within easy driving distance. However, there is a serpent in this area-wide Garden of Eden. The calendar indicates the approach of the hurricane season’s peak is four weeks…Read more
