|
Come back to this page each day to read another entry from Frederick R. Gehlbach's almanac of suburban natural and unnatural history, "Messages from the Wild," which chronicles the world of a forested ravine in central Texas.
|
 |
A clear blue sky gives way to shifting cirrus clouds, strong south winds, and flocks of foraging songbirds. Kinglets, titmice, and chickadees demolish clusters of hanging dead leaves, looking for secreted insects. A hermit thrush finishes off Indian cherries and moves to American beautyberries but contends with mockingbird ownership. I'm watching as I rake leaves from our driveway into the woods. Underneath the leaves I uncover earthworms. No wonder screech owls dive into the leaves when they hear hidden crawling food. Overnight, a cold front drops the temperature fifty-four degrees, unleashes the season's first cedar pollen, and deposits purple finches at my door. |
Frederick R. Gehlbach is Professor Emeritus of Biology and Environmental Studies at Baylor University. His ecological studies have taken him from New Zealand to Slovakia and, in the Americas, from Alaska and Newfoundland to Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. His research interests include the life-history strategies of small owls, small burrowing snakes and urban wildlife ecology.
From MESSAGES FROM THE WILD: AN ALMANAC OF SUBURBAN NATURAL AND UNNATURAL HISTORY by Frederick R. Gehlbach, Copyright © 2002. Courtesy of the University of Texas Press.
|
