The Curious Naturalist: Nature's Everyday Mysteries

by Sy Montgomery

Overview

Boston Globe nature columnist discusses the lovelorn messages sent by singing insects on autumn evenings, the messages contained in spiderwebs, the effects of winter snow on the way sound travels, the way all life depends on the unusual structure of water, and much more. Most fun is the author's description of ways to interact with other creatures (e.g., teaching wild birds to eat out of your hand).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608934348
Publisher:	Down East Books
Publication date:	01/01/1991
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	655 KB

About the Author

Known for her books that illuminate the wonders of nature for both children and adults, Sy Montgomery "is a modern miracle," says Book magazine, "bawdy, brave, inventive, prophetic, hellbent on loving this planet."

Hometown:

Hancock, New Hampshire

Date of Birth:

February 7, 1958

Place of Birth:

Frankfurt, Germany

Education:

Syracuse University: B.A., Newhouse School of Public Communications, 1979; B.A., College of Arts and Sciences, 1979

Table of Contents

	Foreword	11
	Introduction	13
	Spring
	Phantoms of the Woods	17
	The Mysterious Partnership of the Lichen	21
	The Beloved Robin's Alter Ego	24
	Early Spring's Subtle Splendors	28
	The Blackfly	31
	The Secret Lives of Worms	35
	Birds' Nests	38
	A Porcupine's Private Life	42
	Athletics and Ardor	46
	Nature's Lacework	49
	Croak of the Wild	52
	Mud-Luscious	55
	Eating Wild	59
	Summer
	Jellyfish	65
	Sex and the Single Dragonfly	69
	Herring Gulls	73
	Going for the Gold	76
	Bats	79
	Messages in Spiders' Webs	83
	Never Sleep With a Skunk	87
	Following Firefly Flashes	91
	Tide Pools	94
	The Sting	97
	History in Stone	100
	Alien Invasion	103
	Nature's Fireworks	107
	Autumn
	September's Insect Chorus	113
	Neither Land Nor Water	116
	Pods	119
	Black Bear	122
	Hand-Feeding Wild Birds	126
	For a Plant, It's a Galling Experience	129
	Cougars Stage a Comeback	132
	The Magic of Mushrooms	136
	In Praise of Flies	139
	Animals on the Move	143
	Competing for Color	145
	Leave It to Beavers	148
	Chipmunks and Squirrels	152
	Return of the Wild Turkey	155
	Winter
	Sounds and Silences of December	161
	Flying Squirrels	164
	Pines	167
	When Deer Last in the Dooryard Browsed	170
	The Ordinary Miracle of Ice	173
	A Whole Lot of Hooting Going On	176
	Fox Tracks in Snow	179
	Birches in Winter	182
	Cannibal Athletes	185
	Tales of the Tree Trunks	188
	A Community of Crows	191
	Tidal Treasures	194
	Arctic Visitors	198
	Stories Written in Snow	201
	Cold Facts	205
	Heaven Under Our Feet	208
	Selected Bibliography	211
	Index	215