Meleagris gallopavo
With the arrival of the holiday season, many folks will enjoy celebratory feasts with family and friends. The centerpiece for many merry meals will undoubtedly be a turkey; indeed, Americans will consume nearly 50 million turkeys on Thanksgiving and about half as many on Christmas. Given that the average American consumes over 15 pounds of turkey each year, I thought it would be interesting to explore the natural history of this ubiquitous bird. The domestic turkey that you buy in the grocery store is the same species as the wild turkeys that you might see strutting through a local field or...
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Festive Song Sparrow
This is one festive Song Sparrow…even though it didn’t know it. The reds and greens in the background are Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) that can linger through the fall and into the winter, providing very late nectar for anything that needs it.
Read MoreNature Store Gifts
It may be hard to believe but Thanksgiving is this week! As we enter the holiday season don’t forget about RTPI’s Nature Store which features an array of books and other products that are unique to this area. Visitors to our store will find the newest and most popular Peterson Field Guide titles, signed, limited-edition Peterson prints, Peterson notecards, bird-friendly coffee, faire trade jewelry, children’s books, and more. Recently added items include Droll Yankees bird feeders, Wild Republic plush animals and a wider variety of folding field guide titles. Purchases from the Nature...
Read MoreSpangled Skimmer
Here is a male Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea) which felt very appropriate for the Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day to all! We hope you are enjoying the holiday outside with our natural friends.
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