Just posted: a new article about the role that Hoverflies play in pollination and how they will (and do) help to balance the work of
Category: Field Guide to Nature
Up close: Two Snails & a Slug
1. Roman Snail Spotted during the rainy days of April, this gastropoda snail is called Helix pomotia (Family: Helicidae) and is apparently edible as a
Bug-Hunting on a Cold Mid-Spring Afternoon – They need shelter too!
We just got past the three days of the “Ice Saints” and the polar vortex still lingers for several days. It feels as though Spring
Macro shots: 5 Ladybirds of SW Germany
7-Spotted Ladybird The biggest feature of this lovely ladbybird is the heart shape pointed towards the heart, held up by two white half-circles as though
Macro shots: Butterflies & Moths of SW Germany
Pieridae Butterflies Orange Tip – Anthocharis cardamines LHPs include: Cuckoo FLower (Cardamines pratensis); Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata); Tower Cress (Arabis turrita); Honesty Plant (Lunaria annua);
European Nettles & Look-alike Friends
Stinging Nettle & Protein Soup The most familiar Nettle known among children is the dreaded Stinging Nettle. Whether walking along a path with ankles exposed,
Macro shots: 30 Bugs from SW Germany
Ladybugs 7-Spotted 14 Spotted Hyaline Grass Bug This bug somewhat looks like a stinkhorn; however, it is distinguished by its thickly tipped antennae and the
A Visual tour of Bees, Wasps, & Hoverflies in SW Germany
In the last two months, I’ve regretted every moment that I went outside without a camera. It’s since become a permanent feature on my head-swiveling
Kid’s Book Review: “How the Goldfinch got his Colors”
Reading about real world Goldfinches has only made me appreciate our latest children’s book about how the rainbow colored Goldfinch got it’s colors. As I
Guide to Nature Identification Apps: Part I
“PictureThis: Identify Plant, Flower, Weed, and More.” As an amaeuter naturalist, I am constantly scanning the surrounding area for birds, plants, insects, mushrooms, and more.
European Blue Tits
#macrophotography #birding #nature No, this isn’t a raunchy post–it’s about the birds that live in my backyard. However, they were incredibly difficult to ID with
Comparing 4 Types of Eucalyptus Trees in Jerusalem
Growing up in Southern California, I remember the spicy aroma in the air when the Eucalyptus trees dropped their leaves, leaving them to decompose in
Four easily spotted Birds in Israel
1. Hoopoe I was walking along the beach in Tel Aviv when a stunning bird caught me by surprise. It had a hammer-like plume on
How much Humidity is needed for Houseplants and Health?
Preventing the Common Cold Shortly before reading an article on the health benefits of raising the humidity of the air, a colleague of mine mentioned
Himalayan Blackberry Brambles – Invasive Tip Layering and Sturdy Root Balls
Himalayan Blackberry bush – or another name by which I like to call it – The Great Bramble. In my rural village in the Rhineland
10 Mushrooms of the KMC
Located in Hermersberg, Germany, the first week of October, 2019. 1. “White Dapperling” – Leucoagaricus Leucothites I originally mistook this for an highly poisonous Amanita
Waunder 