Notes from the Field
Interesting Nature Facts #141 – Downy Woodpecker
The smallest woodpecker in North America? That would be the downy woodpecker, which barely weighs over one ounce, and can be found in every state and province of the continental United States and Canada. Interesting note: this tiny woodpecker has special feathers...
Interesting Nature Facts #140 – Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane! Welcome to the next installment of a new series of nature photos that will be short & sweet, and all about the native and naturalized wildlife that is all around us with just one or two interesting nature facts that you might not know about. If you...
Interesting Nature Facts #139 – Bison
The American bison stands more than six feet tall and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, with a massive head and large, humped shoulders. Even at this size it can run up to 35 - 40 miles an hour, for short distances. MORE PHOTOS OF BISON, GOATS AND SHEEP MORE INTERESTING...
Interesting Nature Facts #138 – Honeybees
If a honeybee keeps-waggle dancing in favor of an unpopular nesting site, other workers will head-butt her in an attempt to help the colony reach a consensus. VISIT THE INVERTEBRATES GALLERY MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the...
Interesting Nature Facts #137 – Spider Silk
A single strand of spider silk is thinner than a human hair, but also five times stronger than steel of the same width. A rope just 2 inches thick could reportedly stop a Boeing 747. MORE PHOTOS OF SPIDERS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a...
Interesting Nature Facts #136 – Green Lynx Spider
The green lynx spider has an appetite for insects belonging to the Lepidoptera family (moths and their larvae) that are known to be enemies of crops like corn, cotton, cabbage, etc. Although their importance in the controlling of pests is counteracted by their...
Interesting Nature Facts #135 – Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
If you ever see one of these large 2 to 3-inch, slow-moving grasshoppers impaled on a thorn or barbed wire fence and can't possibly figure out how it got there then here's your answer: The loggerhead shrike often catches them and pins them in place until some of the...
Interesting Nature Facts #134 – Sunflowers
Sunflowers are known for their charm and brightness, and their name is actually very apt. Sunflowers love the sun, and their heads change direction to point toward the sun as it moves from east to west each day. MORE PHOTOS OF WILDFLOWERS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS...
Interesting Nature Facts #133 – Gladiolus
In Ancient Rome, a scientist was struck by the gladiolus' resemblance to the swords gladiators used in battle. He named the bloom gladiolus after the Latin word for sword, "gladius". MORE PHOTOS OF WILDFLOWERS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is...
Interesting Nature Facts #132 – Horseshoe Crabs
Horseshoe crabs are more closely related to arachnids (spiders & scorpions) than crabs. Among oldest animals on earth, spot them in shallow soft-bottom areas on the beach. Help upside-down crabs found by gently turning them over, picking up both sides of the body...
Interesting Nature Facts #131 – Tread Softly
Can a plant me any more badass than tread softly (Cnidoscolus stimulosus)? It has stinging hairs like nettle, sticky latex and spiky leaves that release cyanide when damaged, and nectaries on its leaves that attract protective ants to their sugary sweetness. MORE...
Interesting Nature Facts #130 – American White Ibis
When baby white ibises hatch their bills are straight. Ibis bills don’t start to curve downward until they are 14 days old. MORE PHOTOS OF BIRDS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the flora, fauna and places that make North...