Monthly Archives: September 2015

I have enjoyed watching ants since I can remember. When very young I was convinced I had trained ants to respond to my commands, a veritable ant whisperer. In my travels to the tropics studying primates I was captivated by the amazing habits of rainforest ants. Leafcutter ants gather vegetation […]

I’ve had a fascination with ants since childhood. Over the years I’ve recorded them both with microphones and cameras, exploring their tiny hidden worlds. In the tropics I’ve been enchanted by leafcutter ants, alternately charmed and attacked by army ants, and experienced the pain of a bullet ant bite, among […]

This is a green frog on the move. After spending his summer in a breeding pond, he is now in search of deeper waters to spend the winter. I think we were both equally surprised to encounter each other in the woods of my backyard.  He can be identified as […]

Here in the mountains of North Carolina once the fall foliage season begins there are many chances to see the annual show. Living in a place of four seasons, there is always some excitement as the next season begins. Within 50 miles of Asheville there is a range of 5000 […]

This scene along my driveway is a tale of two seasons. In the foreground the summer flowers are still near their peak of bloom, visited by a bumblebee. In the background the leaves of a Virginia creeper are turning brilliant red, a harbinger of autumn just around the corner. I […]

Katydids are found on every continent except Antarctica, with their greatest diversity in the tropics. In my yard they bring an exotic jungle sound to summer nights. They call by rubbing their front wings together. They hear these sounds through their legs, which have specialized patches that serve as their […]

Years ago I lived in central North Carolina, the westernmost distribution of spotted turtles in the state. This is a post for throwback Thursday, since I now live in the mountains where they are not found. Though a few young or very old turtles have no spots, their name comes […]

In the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard is nature’s waterslide, as dramatic as any water park. This granite boulder has been eroded to a gentle waterfall, though with 11,000 gallons of water going down the rock every minute there is plenty of force to propel slippery sliding. It is about […]

To paraphrase Superman- Up in the sky, look. It’s a hummingbird. It’s a moth. It’s a hummingbird moth! These ethereal creatures are confused with bees, baby hummingbirds, and are even described in a clearly fanciful way as flying lobsters because of the way they flare their tails out when they […]