American robins in winter
A robin eats from a sumac tree. (Photo by Mary Holland) Editor’s note: This column by longtime former Harvard Press contributor Mary Holland first…
It’s Only Natural: Praying Mantis
European Mantis, also called a Praying Mantis (Photo by Mary Holland) Picture this: you take a cockroach and give it enlarged, muscular front legs…
It’s Only Natural: Giant silk moths
A luna moth (Photos by Mary Holland) Cecropia moths emerge from their cocoons in June, and live just long enough to mate and…
It’s Only Natural: Castoreum
After establishing a territory, beavers construct scent mounds around its perimeter. Scent mounds act as sentinels and sign posts, alerting beaver passersby that the…
It’s Only Natural: Cavity-nesting birds and the black-capped chickadee
A young black-capped chickadee about to fledge. This nestling is seconds away from fledging. Judging from the intensity of the look in its eyes,…
It’s Only Natural: Mourning Cloak Butterflies
A Mourning Cloak butterfly suns itself on a bed of leaves. (Photos by Mary Holland) A Mourning Cloak butterfly rests with its wings…
It’s Only Natural: A tree’s shape tells a story
White birch growing in the open. (Photos by Mary Holland) It would be nice if the shape of each species of tree was so…
It’s Only Natural: Ruffed grouse overcome winter challenges
Ruffed grouse. (Photos by Mary Holland) Dispersal, finding food, and survival on their own are three of the main challenges that ruffed grouse, also…
It’s Only Natural: Rodent abundance linked to nut production
Red squirrel (Photos by Mary Holland) It has been fairly evident since last spring that New England’s rodent population is booming. Eastern chipmunks and…
It’s Only Natural: How treefrogs survive the winter freeze
Wood frog. (Photos by Mary Holland) Winter’s freezing temperatures pose a particular challenge for cold-blooded, or ectothermic, animals in New England. Amphibians, reptiles, fish,…
It’s Only Natural: Coastal egrets occasionally venture inland
Great egret with fish. In addition to fish, great egrets dine on frogs, snakes, small mammals, crayfish, and a variety of insects. (Photos by…
