New Site! - About Insects

It's been a long time since I've posted here, but I've had a good reason. I've got a new site - About Insects - on About.com. I've just joined the About.com family, and will be publishing articles and photos on insects, keeping an insects blog, and running the insects forum. I also send a weekly email newsletter through the site.

The new site is part of About.com's Education channel, so teachers will find lesson plans, activities, and other resources for teaching with and about insects.

For nature articles and ideas that aren't insect related, keep this site bookmarked. More new posts are coming soon.

Why Do Birds Migrate?

During the cold winter months, many birds simply can't find enough food to survive in Northern habitats. Insect-eating birds, and some that rely on certain berries or seeds, will head to warmer climates where food is always plentiful.

So why don't birds that live in the warmer climates just stay there all year?

In summer, those same Northern areas offer an abundance of plant and insect food for birds. Remember, birds forage during the daytime and rest when it is dark. Breeding birds take advantage of the longer daylight hours of temperate zones to feed, and to gather food for their hatchlings.

Hoarders Prepare for Winter

Most people have seen squirrels hoarding acorns and other nuts as winter approaches. But did you know that many birds are also hoarders?

The White-breasted Nuthatch, seen in these photos, is an accomplished hoarder. Birdfeeders are emptied quickly in the fall, as hoarders remove one seed at a time and stash it for a winter meal. Nuthatches are known for walking up and down tree trunks, so it is no surprise that they like to hide seeds under bark or lichen.

Nuthatches aren't the only birds that hoard supplies. Blue Jays, chickadees, and Tufted Titmice are all saving seeds, too. Blue Jays will stash several thousand acorns, burying each one within its territory.

Birds that cache food have excellent spatial memory, and are quite good at retrieving their stored seeds when needed.

Why Do Autumn Leaves Turn Red?

Fall color has been attributed to the amount of sunlight, the air temperatures, and the pigments in the leaves. Now, scientists have discovered another variable that affects our fall foliage displays.

ScienceDaily (2007-10-29) -- Soils may dictate the array of fall colors as much as the trees rooted in them, according to a forest survey out of North Carolina. By taking careful stock and laboratory analyses of the autumn foliage of sweetgum and red maple trees along transects from floodplains to ridge-tops in a nature preserve in Charlotte, N.C., scientists found that in places where the soil was relatively low in nitrogen and other essential elements, trees produced more red pigments known as anthocyanins.

Find out more at Science Daily.

Cricket Invasion!

Around this time every year, you probably notice black or brown crickets sneaking into your home and school. Sometimes, your only clue that crickets are in your house is the incessant chirping from the basement. A few days later, you find cricket carcasses in corners and under boxes. So what drives these insects into buildings each fall? Warmth! Field crickets of the Genus Gryllus react to the falling temperatures by seeking warmth - in your home or school. Unfortunately, indoor environments don't have the moisture field crickets require to live, and in a few days they usually dehydrate (or starve) and die.

Field crickets overwinter as eggs in the soil. The adult crickets do not survive the winter cold, so there is no need to feel bad about the demise of crickets in your basement. As for the chirping, which is pleasant to hear (for a really short time), it's only made by males in search of mates.

Photograph - Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org

Why Birds Fly in "V" Formation

Scientists believe the "v" formation gives large birds an aerodynamic advantage that helps them conserve energy. French researchers measured the heart rates of great white pelicans, and found their heart rates slowed when flying in this formation. They were also able to glide more often. The birds can flap their wings in unison, and draft behind one another, much like cyclists do in the Tour de France. It's also believed that a close group formation improves communication between the birds.

Five Things for Kids to See Outside This Month

Give students time outside to notice the changes taking place in October. Five things to observe this month:

1. Leaves changing color. How does this happen?
   
2. Birds migrating (waterfowl in formation!). Where are they going?
   
3. Monarchs on their way to Mexico. How long is the journey?
   
4. Leaves falling. What makes the leaves fall off?
   
5. Fall flowers blooming. How many kinds of flowers can you find in bloom this month?