7/1/12 Note: For Redlands area residents, adaptations of my columns will appear each Monday in the Redlands Daily Facts e-edition There are so many stories out there about bird intelligence but I thought I would share a few things I've read or experienced that illustrate the intelligence of our …
Medicinal and Edible California Natives
My husband and I often test berries from native plants that we know are safe, especially after seeing birds and other wildlife eat them. Some of the past grazings have included native currant berries or hollyleaf cherry berries - both bright red and pretty good tasting. Sometimes it's non-natives, …
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Tips for Taking Care of our Baby Wildlife
Spring has quickly moved into summer and baby birds are getting fed by their parents, the orb (and unfortunately black widow) spiders on our property are growing in size and we see other critters busy raising their young. Some tips to help them make their transition as smooth as possible: …
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Protect Birds from Dangerous Open Pipes
Please get this info out to your friends: Open-topped pipes for vents or site markers can be deadly to birds. Two organizations, Audubon California and the American Bird Conservancy, found that single pipes can contain more than 200 dead birds (and 45 species! which have included kestrels, …
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Wake Up! Nature is Calling for Our Attention
Once in awhile, I can't ignore writing about significant news about our Earth's woes, which are caused by we humans. The occasion is yesterday's publication of a article Approaching a State Shift in Earth's Biosphere in the journal Nature. Before you stop reading, I do include some positive …
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Great Hikes: Steep but Satisfying Frankish Peak (Upland CA)
Note: I've started a new category "Great Hikes" which features especially good hiking experiences in native habitat and wildlife (for now in Southern CA.) I tend to prefer hikes where I have the place to myself. Frankish Peak north of Upland CA satisfies that need, and a recent May late afternoon …
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