Puma, cougar or mountain lion? Even the name “panther” is sometimes used, but the only panther we have in United States is the Florida panther. It is a subspecies of the mountain lion that is found only in Florida. It is endangered, with only 50 large cats left. I was always surprised to hear the...

The cedar waxwing is the only bird I know that gets drunk. How does this happen? About 85 to 90 percent of their diet consists of fruits and berries. They descend on the tree or bush and really gorge themselves until they are all round-bellied and satisfied. They eat voraciously, sometimes feeding on...

I have often seen coyotes on my street early in the morning or even in the late afternoon, and I always thought it was a gift to be able to observe nature in action so close by. The thought crossed my mind also that it was unusual to see this animal in daylight, and that food or water must be scarce....

Let’s start with a little quiz: Do you think a spider always catches insects with a web attached to branches? Do you think a spider can build a tunnel? Do you think a spider is an insect? Let’s start with the last question. A spider is not an insect. Insects have six legs and spiders have eight....

Its blood is used in witchcraft. You will die if one flies over your head. It is a bad omen. It is really a ghost, not a bird. All of this is superstition – but throughout history, the barn owl has had a spooky reputation. Its white face and its fixed black eyes staring at you can be intimidating. Because...

How is honey made? I know bees make it, but what do they do, exactly? My husband popped this question while we were driving on State Route 126 next to the orange, lemon and avocado groves, and we were passing a few groups of bee hives placed in the orchards. Beehives … honey … bees … all of this...

Monarchy is not taking over. No king, queen or emperor is in Coronado; I am referring to the large, migratory orange and black butterflies that are spending the winter there in the eucalyptus grove. I try to keep my articles about nature in Santa Clarita, but this is such a wonderful experience. It’s...

Sometimes children from the inner city come off the bus with some apprehensions. They have no experience with wilderness and aren’t sure what they’ll see on the trail. “Are we going to see bears?” We reply, “You will see a bear, but it is in the classroom. It is a real bear, but it...

January and February are times for adventure and special freedom on the trail. Because of the cold weather, you’re unlikely to meet the two enemies of the hiker – rattlesnakes and poison oak. Consequently, hikers who do not want to follow a trail – who want to investigate a new area –...

A teacher asked her class to list the seven wonders of the world. There were a few differences, but most votes went to the Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, the wall of China and so forth. While she was collecting the papers, the teacher noticed that one student had not handed in her...