Summer Sighting We have had a bird feeder for many years now in consonance with about 50 million other Americans. I can sit by my kitchen window and see who shows up as I drink my morning coffee. Whimsical Bird Feeder Robin eating Magnolia Seeds – Courtesy of Sura Jeselsohn Before the installation of the […]
Shofar and Rosh Hashana Rosh Hashanah will soon be upon us. Although there is a special lengthy prayer service for Rosh Hashana, the central observance of the holiday is the blowing of the shofar. Because of the significance of the shofar blowing, we tend to focus primarily on the auditory aspects of the shofar; that
A Naturalist Looks at the Shofar Read More »
I love butterflies and have been to many butterfly houses all over the world. Last week I was honored to have this garden visitor. There are many kinds of swallowtails including black swallowtails and spicebush swallowtails (which are also black). I believe that this is a male swallowtail. See Video Male Black Swallowtail – Courtesy
First there was “Einstein the Mouse”. Courtesy of Tiia Monto We had moved into our present home and we looked with wonder at everything around us – plenty of space for our family, a large garden. We were taken with the usual garden animals – squirrels, birds, even the occasional raccoon. Raccoon One day, it
Attractive but Dangerous Cuteness We automatically respond to babies both human and otherwise. We would probably not have reacted so forcefully against the fur industry if baby fur seals were not so cute. However, while such cuteness has no moral dimension, it is not always benign. Baby Fur Seal – Courtesy of John Solaro As
Cute but Destructive – Rabbits moving In Read More »
Expected Butterfly Visitors After years of gardening, it is easy to become routinized to the birds, insects and small mammals common to this area. Like so many of you I have always been entranced by our local butterflies. So far this year I have seen yellow swallowtails( Papilio glaucus – Family Papilionidae) and black spicebush
New Butterfly in our Garden Read More »
Aquaria Whenever, we vacation, if there is a beach, we go shelling. The same holds for aquaria. Some aquaria specialize in local fish and some are more zoo-like, containing a large number of beautiful and exotic marine animals from all over the world. One of my favorite aquaria, Underwater Observatory Marine Park, (https://coralworld.co.il/en/) is in
Nudibranch! What’s a Nudibranch?!! Read More »
Fall Foliage Entices Tourists Living in the NYC area, we usually enjoy a dramatic fall. The trees are bursting with colors and everywhere you turn there is a feast for the eyes. This year (2021) with unusually warm temperatures and poor rainfall, we were forced to take our own trip up to New Hampshire, in
Chlorophyll – Fall & Spring Color -V Read More »
Nature is never simple. We have discussed chlorophyll, the chlorophyll containing structures known as chloroplasts, and even animals that have incorporated chloroplasts into their cells. Today, we will move along to other pigments found in plants. Accessory Pigments – Carotenoids & Anthocyanins Carotenoids The carotenoids are divided into two classes based on their chemistry –
Chlorophyll has Colleagues-IV Read More »
So, just to be clear, chlorophyll powers photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is found in chloroplasts and chloroplasts are found only in plants. Well, not so fast. Nature is always surprising us. A Fascinating sea slug May I present the sea-slug ,Elysia viridis. Elysia viridis – Courtesy of Genet Their green color is really due to chlorophyll located
Where did all the chloroplasts go? – Part III Read More »