Wild Things
The birds that bounced back
Pileated woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus)arethe largest woodpecker in North America — nearly the size of a crow — with a black body, white facial stripes, and a red crest. Pileated comes from the Latin pileatus, meaning “capped,” a reference to the red crest that looks like a cap atop its head. If the bird seems familiar, […]
Resilient red-tailed hawks face new threat
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is the most common hawk in the United States, with about three million breeding birds residing in North America today. They are also one of the largest North American birds: up to 24 inches long with a wingspan of nearly four feet. Their excellent eyesight helps them spot movement of […]
Lobsters are smart, except the ones you eat
There’s a good reason lobsters and New England go hand-in-hand. Their presence in the Atlantic waters off our coast goes back millions of years, and the fact that they helped many early European settlers survive means these critters are an essential part of New England history. Read more Cambridge Jazz Fest aims to play it […]
Lobsters are smart, except the ones you eat
There’s a good reason lobsters and New England go hand-in-hand. Their presence in the Atlantic waters off our coast goes back millions of years, and the fact that they helped many early European settlers survive means these critters are an essential part of New England history. Read more Existential philosophy with Jell-O: A recipe for […]
Alpha-gal is in the headlines. It’s no superhero
Ticks, at least here in New England, are synonymous with summer. And now that summer is in full swing, so is the need to be vigilant. The current tick forecast is of particular concern because of a tick-derived syndrome that’s making the rounds: alpha-gal. Read more Is Beacon Hill thinking about nixing single-family zoning? Alpha-gal, […]
A different kind of book-worm
Way back in 1665, Robert Hooker wrote of the “small, Silver-coloured Book-worm” that chews through books and papers. He was writing about silverfish, which despite its name is a silver-grey cockroach-like insect you may have seen scamper across a dark bathroom or basement floor when you switch on a light. Read more Copper Mill developer […]
Herring and herons: signs of the Charles River’s vast improvement
From Boston’s Museum of Science to the Watertown Dam, the Charles River this spring was rife with river herring swirling in the water like scores of baby sharks. Near the dam, dozens of the aptly named herring gulls perched on rocks and plunged for the fish, while great blue herons waded out into the shallows […]
‘A blimp with wings?’ Whatever you call a chimney swift, it’s in decline
Chimney swifts (Chaetura pelagica) are called that for good reason. These birds fly with great speed and roost and build nests in chimneys. Or at least they used to until the 1960s, when chimneys began to be capped or lined with metal, making them too smooth or inaccessible for chimney swift roosting sites. Read more […]
Don’t fear the garter snake
Do you have questions about birds, bugs, bees, butterflies or other wildlife? Send your questions to Wild Things and we will try to find the answers. Snakes have a bad reputation. Calling someone a snake or a snake in the grass is an insult. Declaring that someone speaks with a forked tongue means the person […]
Pesky rabbits and jumping spiders
A reader asks:Why do rabbits eat plants in my garden but not my neighbor’s garden? Read more Four new films explore war, gender, and crime true and comedic This is an excellent question, but unfortunately there is not an easy answer. It could simply be that you grow plants that are more attractive to rabbits. […]