I saw this turquoise colored mushroom on a dead oak leaf in early spring. I looked it up and it is called the green elfcup (scientific name chlorociboria aeruginascens). Normally, it is found on dead trees and sticks. Don’t eat it. Very poisonous. Despite the scientific name the blue-green coloring does not come from chlorophyll… Read more »
Science
Summer Hail Storm
We recently had bad weather with and I remembered that I had taken this video of large chunks of hail falling into a swimming pool last summer, making the water dance.
Whoot! A Juvenile Barred Owl
My cousin, Natalie Maxwell McDonald, took this photo of a juvenile barred owl. You can just barely see the stripes under the owl’s neck and on the back. In fhe first photo, notice how camouflaged the bird is.
Mountain Chickadee
This is artwork by Dorothia Rohner, author/illustrator of “A Wish for Twins” and author of “I am Goose!” She drew this picture while visiting Montana.
Barred Owl
My son, Levi and his fiance, Sabrina, have a 2023 project where they are going to photograph every bird native to Iowa. They got this beautiful picture of a barred owl. The barred owl makes many different sounds, but the bird’s most recognizable call has four hoots repeated twice and sounds like “Who cooks for… Read more »
Alligator
I held an alligator for the first time while in Florida. His belly was as soft as a baby. Notice his rounded snout. Alligator snouts are round on the end and their bottom teeth don’t stick out of their mouth. Crocodiles have v-shaped snouts and their bottom teeth stick out.
Praying Mantis
I saw this gal on a trash can in Chicago. Praying mantis is the only insect that can move its’ head from side to side. They eat other insects and could be called “preying” mantis. This is a female which has a large body but no large antennae. The female cannabalizes the male after mating…. Read more »
Luna Moth Cocoon and Pupae
I found a large cocoon lying on the ground which I later identified as a luna moth cocoon. I kept it for a few months but nothing hatched. I opened it with scissors. The cocoon was made of fibers/silk. Inside was a pupae that had died.
Yellow Globelet Snail
I have not seen a terrestrial (land) snail since I was a kid. We used to call them wood snails. I picked up a board off the ground at my daughter’s home in Arkansas and discovered a Yellow Globelet Snail (Mesodon clausus) on the underside of the wood. The snail was crawling on the board…. Read more »
Fungus Schmungus #4
I saw these mushrooms growing on a dead tree while walking the dog. They are called Dryad’s saddle or pheasant back mushrooms. They are edible. Here are two links to videos: Foraging for Dryad’s Saddle/Pheasant Back Mushroom How to cook Pheasant backs & Ramps (Dryads Saddle & Wild leeks)
Shelley Jones Clark
