It’s Only Natural: Parenting, common loon style
Common loon parents take turns feeding their young chicks. At first the adults hold the fish until the chick grasps it, but soon the…
It’s Only Natural: About the birds and the bees—and bears
During May and June most black bears have an extensive courtship and mating season following their emergence from hibernation in April.…
It’s Only Natural: Namesake of a one-eyed Cyclops
Moths, unlike many other insects, experience complete metamorphosis. The larva often looks so unlike the adult that, unless you knew differently, you would probably…
It’s Only Natural: Wild ginger—one of spring’s early wildflowers
The design of wild ginger's flower, like that of all flowering plants, has more to do with attracting pollinators than putting on a show…
It’s Only Natural: A head like a swine and a tail like a rat
Although there are few outward signs of such activity, the woods and fields are alive with mammals giving birth this month.…
It’s Only Natural: Recycling in nature
Although humans might like to take credit for the practice of recycling, we lag way behind other creatures when it comes to not wasting…
It’s Only Natural: Insects that overwinter as eggs
There are subtle signs to be found, left by creatures smaller than deer or foxes, or even mice or voles, which can be found…
It’s Only Natural: A tale of two nuthatches
One quick glance at a white- or red-breasted nuthatch, and its dapper appearance is unmistakable.…
It’s Only Natural: Monarch migration to Mexico
Prior to the mid-1970s the disappearance of monarch butterflies in the fall and their reappearance in the spring was a phenomenon not entirely understood.…
It’s Only Natural: Yellow jackets—just looking for a little sugar
Yellow jackets—yellow- and black-banded members of the wasp family—make their presence known most dramatically in the fall.…
