The fox, the bunny, and the eagle
If this were a fable, I’m sure there’d be a moral to the story. But I’m not sure what it would be, except that if you’re a fox, don’t mess with an eagle. But you have to admire this fox … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Nature
This is why they’re called “retrievers”
Retrievers retrieve: But how on earth does a deer get into the ocean? I’ve also seen retrievers nearly drown a person in their exuberant drive to retrieve that person.
Continue reading →Top 10 mosquito cities
The top 10 mosquito cities tend to be in the South, with Atlanta the perennial number one and various Texas cities not far behind. But I figured that New York City had to be among them, from the evidence of … Continue reading →
Botanical cultural appropriation
All hail the tree peony, as I did a few days ago in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It’s that time of year, and the Brooklyn garden has a huge display of these gorgeous plants, which feature enormous blossoms that look … Continue reading →
The rats of New York
No, that’s not a metaphor. This is about the actual rats that live in New York City—in particular, uptown vs. downtown. Surprisingly—well, to me, anyway—they are quite genetically similar and strongly resemble their European counterparts of the eighteenth century, having … Continue reading →
Another day, another blizzard
And I just hope the power doesn’t go out. We’ve had quite a few blizzards lately. And yes, this one isn’t technically a blizzard because the winds haven’t reached 35 mph. Mostly they’re calling it “blizzard-like,” although some headlines do … Continue reading →
Parrots are astounding
As you can see. I especially like the short sequence that begins around 5:35: Why do parrots parrot? See this. It turns out that not only do they have a well-developed vocal apparatus as vocal learners, but they also want … Continue reading →
Love among the finches
Of course, I’m not sure it’s appropriate to call it “love,” but on Valentine’s Day what else can I call it? Nature is absolutely extraordinary: Dr. Woolley’s lab has been looking into the acoustic systems of zebra, bengalese and long-tailed … Continue reading →
I’m going to step out into the storm…
…for a little bit. I happen to like winter, at least for a while—and as long as there’s no ice storm. Today the big question is if and when the storm might turn to ice. But in the meantime, I … Continue reading →
Earth pyramids
Ever hear of earth pyramids? I hadn’t. I thought it was some sort of spoof when I first saw these photos. Maybe an old April Fools’ prank? But they are real: At many places across South Tyrol, in northern Italy, … Continue reading →
The pup and the bird of prey
Here’s a story about a dog snatched by an eagle: Felipe Rodriguez says he thought he was hallucinating when an eagle snatched his sister’s little white dog from her yard, flapped its massive wings and disappeared over the trees. Did … Continue reading →
Let it snow
Well, we don’t have much choice, do we? It’s snowing, the wind is blowing (but not, I think, at blizzard level), and I have no reason to go out today. As for great blizzards of the past, I well remember … Continue reading →