Our Natural Places

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Header Image: White-tailed Deer Avian fall migration brings out the worst in me. Years of conditioning to be a better “birder” forces me to peruse local birding reports and to visit locations which have historically proven to be “hotspots” for our annual autumnal visitors. This is not necessarily a bad thing. However, in the past few years I have discovered other interests in the natural world. I blame the inexorable advancement of… Read More

Header: Great Blue Heron At Sunrise An Osprey called as she flew over my head while I was getting out of the car. She was followed by a flight of several White Ibises heading from their nightly roosting area to some spot they knew would provide an adequate breakfast. A nice paved path led from the parking lot to the dock which jutted a short ways into Lake Crago. Boat-tailed Grackles cranked… Read More

Header Image: White-tailed Deer At Dawn The early morning mist was light and the woods were just waking. Rude Blue Jays did their best to ensure no one slept in. Nature did not provide them with a “snooze alarm”. Over the path, drops of water rained down from an overhanging oak tree limb as a squirrel scampered to another branch as though late for her breakfast meeting. In a clearing of scattered… Read More

Header Image: Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) A definition of a “timeline” might be: a sequence of related events arranged in chronological order and displayed along a line. Therefore, “Nature’s Timeline” could be as simple as: Spring  > Summer > Autumn > Winter Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Seasonal change is caused by the axial tilt of the Earth, which creates climatic differences due to greater or lesser exposure to solar radiation.  —-Reference.com,  Characteristics of… Read More

Florida. The Sunshine State. Our climate is sub-tropical with an average annual rainfall of around 55 inches (140 cm). Mild winters range from the low 50’s F (10 C) in north Florida to the mid 60’s F (18 C) in the south. Throughout the state, average summer temperatures in the hottest month of July are in the low to mid 80’s F (29 C). High humidity levels are due to the fact… Read More