Nigella

This gallery contains 3 photos.

My sister gave me some Nigella seeds a couple years ago. I didn’t know what nigella was at the time, but I was not going to turn down the opportunity to find out. The seeds I was given grew into … Continue reading →

A Fungal Oddity

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Decomposition is a quiet and mostly hidden process. Those organisms involved in the business of decomposing generally tend to their job without a lot of fanfare. And yet these ecological heroes play an important role in the natural cycle of … Continue reading →

My Painted Lady Makes the Big Time

This gallery contains 6 photos.

In the middle of August of 2014, I took some photos of a painted lady butterfly feeding on the nectar from a Buddleia plant (butterfly bush) in our yard. Many of the pictures were out of focus, too far out … Continue reading →

My Redwood Experiment

This gallery contains 10 photos.

  Several years ago–I can’t say exactly when, I planted a small tree just off my deck in the back yard. It was situated on the edge of a man-made pond I had constructed a couple years before. The tree … Continue reading →

Red Cup Fungi – Where did they come from?

This gallery contains 2 photos.

I often post new things I discover in the one acre wooded area behind my house. And I am constantly amazed by what presents itself in the small place I have explored so many times before. When I think back … Continue reading →

Build an Outdoor Reed Screen for Around $90

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Due to a broken pump, my backyard ponds have sat idle for the past five years. If it wasn’t for the goldfish in the lower pond, I probably would have filled in the ponds and streams a couple years ago … Continue reading →

Another Look at Bird’s Nest Fungi

This gallery contains 10 photos.

It always fascinates me to see how many creative ways different organisms have found to not only survive, but flourish. Some do this using clever schemes to extend their range. Although many fungi live within narrow environmental parameters, their spore … Continue reading →

Hammock Webs

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Many of us get a little freaked out when it comes to spiders–But it’s hard not to be amazed by their skills as web-makers. Without the use of tools or materials they are able to manufacture the raw materials on … Continue reading →

The Hoverfly

This gallery contains 5 photos.

This hoverfly is backlit through a grape leaf. It was kind enough to stay still while I moved my camera within inches of it to capture these images. For the most part, hoverflies are camera shy as they flit from … Continue reading →