natureswondersbyclyde

     Not so many years ago, I entered woodlots surrounded by farmland here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to roll over small, moss-covered logs lying on dead-leaf covered floors of those small woods.  I did that to find red-backed salamanders living in dark, damp recesses under those logs.  Usually those salamanders quickly crawled under whatever remaining cover they saw and disappeared.  I always put the logs back carefully so as to not injure the salamanders.      Red-backed salamanders are tailed, two inch amphibians that are slender and dull-red on top.  They live in moist, dark niches under logs, lichen-covered rocks, and carpets of dead leaves on woodland floors in the eastern United States.  There they keep their skins moist to live, and prey on small invertebrates.  If the skins of frogs and salamanders dry, they will die.  They only move out of their damp, dark homes during rains and on dewy nights to search fo...

      Dandelion and white clover plants have much in common, besides being abundant on many regularly mowed lawns, both kinds together on most lawns, in southeastern Pennsylvania, and elsewhere.  Both these hardy, adaptable plants are originally from Eurasia, and aliens in eastern North America.  Both adjusted to mowing, in different ways.  They both have pretty flowers, and are edible to certain kinds of interesting wildlife, adding life and intrigue to lawns.  Although many people try to eliminate them from lawns, these plants are tough to eradicate, and costly in time and money.  And dandelions and white clovers are prolific, spreading rapidly across lawns, and carpeting them in yellow and white respectively.      In May, some dandelions produce golden blossoms on long flower stems, while other dandelions have blooms on short ones.  However, the long flower stems get cut off during lawn mowing, which kills their blooms befor...

     Several great natural events happen in southeastern Pennsylvania, each in its own time every year, including snowfalls, tremendous hordes of migrating snow geese in March, dandelions and buttercups covering many lawns and meadows in cheery yellow in May, millions of flashing male fireflies in June and July and an overwhelming abundance of colored leaves in October.  But to me the greatest of the great nature happening every year is the mundane greening of grass on lawns, alfalfa and red clover in hayfields and growing foliage on trees and shrubs early in May.        Although most of us take the greening every year for granted, the beauty of new, fresh green plants in May miraculously happens almost overnight.  The landscape is suddenly green as if by magic, because the vegetation grows so fast.  And it is lovely and refreshing in sunlight or during rain.  To me, the greening and sunlight together is the presence of God....

      Buffleheads and common goldeneyes are duck species in the same genus.  Adult drakes of these related kinds of ducks have similar black and white feather patterns that demonstrate their sharing a common ancestor.  And these ducks have other characteristics in common.        Both species dive under water from the water's surface to get food, which includes aquatic insects, crustaceans, molluscs, seeds, bulbs and greens.  They swim under water with their feet only.        These related ducks nest along lakes and ponds in the forests of the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the goldeneyes around the globe and the buffleheads only in Canada and Alaska.  And hens of both kinds lay clutches of eggs in tree cavities, including abandoned woodpecker holes.  The small bufflehead females rely a lot on hatching ducklings in deserted flicker nurseries.         Upon hatchin...