by Laurie D. Morrissey HOPKINTON, N.H. – Here come real stars to fill the upper skies, / And here on earth come emulating flies, / That though they never equal stars in size, / (And they were never really stars at heart) / Achieve at times a very star-like start…[Read More…]
The Outside Story
Of Dewdrops and Spider Webs
by Rachel Sargent Mirus DUXBURY – On a foggy morning walk, it may seem as if the spider webs on your path have turned into jeweled wonders, every thread a string of gems as smooth as pearls and as sparkling as diamonds. Each of these jewels is a drop of[Read More…]
How to Rescue a Baby Bird and When to Leave it Alone
by Anna Morris QUECHEE — This is the time of year when my yard feels bursting with life, as the neighborhood welcomes eastern phoebes, ruby-throated hummingbirds, and broad-winged hawks back from their long migrations. At the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, where I[Read More…]
The Early Bird Gets the Jumping Worm
by Jen Weimer HILLSBOROUGH, N.H. — We’ve all heard the idiom, “The early bird gets the worm.” When it comes to invasive jumping worms, unfortunately, there are more than enough to go around. These invasive worms can consume excessive amounts of organic matter and leaf litter in a garden or[Read More…]
Meet the Chestnut-Sided Warbler
by Susan Shea RANDOLPH – While planting the vegetable garden last May, I heard a repeated bird song emanating from the adjacent raspberry patch: “Pleased, pleased, pleased to MEETCHA.” Finally, the small songster perched near the tip of a raspberry cane, its tail cocked. The bird’s yellow crown, black mask,[Read More…]
Queen Season: Bumble Bees in Spring
by Kenrick Vezina LOWELL, Mass. — Hear ye, hear ye! The queens have emerged! We’re talking about bumble bees (genus Bombus). For several weeks each spring, any bumble bee you see is a queen – and very hard at work. She must construct her kingdom. Her mother (the previous queen),[Read More…]
The Carpenters Arrive in Spring
by Jen Weimer HILLSBOROUGH, N.H. — Why do ants suddenly appear every time Spring is near? Just like bees, they long to be close to you – especially if your home is made of wood. Carpenter ants (genus Camponotus) and the eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) both nest in wood[Read More…]
Is Clover a Flower or Weed?
by Laurie D. Morrissey HOPKINTON, N.H. – Call it a flower or call it a weed, clover is a plant everyone knows. Who hasn’t idled away an hour hunting for a four-leaf clover, hoping for good luck? A member of the legume family, clover is common in lawns and fields,[Read More…]
Lessons Learned from Raising a Baby Opossum
by Susan Shea BROOKFIELD – Years ago, when I worked at a nature center in Connecticut licensed to care for injured and orphaned wildlife, a baby opossum was brought to us. It was found lying on a golf course, and was too young to be on its own. We named[Read More…]
The Amazing Bird Egg
by Laurie D. Morrissey HOPKINTON, N.H. – I’m often tempted to peek at the eggs inside a phoebe’s nest when the parents leave it to forage for food. I’ve picked up a fallen robin’s egg shell and admired its delicate color and smoothness. I’ve marveled at the primal determination of[Read More…]
Bring in the Bird Feeders – and Other Ways to Avoid Bear-Human Conflict
by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul FRANCONIA, N.H. – It is a question I face each year as March winds into April: when to take down the bird feeder. Our avian feeding station is basic: a single run-of-the-mill hopper, which I fill with a local mix of seed that seems to keep[Read More…]