Juneau Independent

When a new bumblebee queen emerges from her natal nest in late summer or early fall, she makes a so-called ‘nuptial’ flight.

The insect order Hymenoptera includes wasps and bees. Bees evolved from a waspish ancestor a long time ago and constitute a separate lineage, which is not the focus of this essay, although some comparisons are quite interesting.

Some time ago, I wrote about animals preening, mostly emphasizing the physical and social functions of that activity. Now I focus on how the digits (fingers and toes) are used for grooming and preening.

A horde of capelin swept into Auke Bay this winter, happily feasted on by seals and sea lions and diving birds. Seeing a video of that horde prompted me to learn more about those little fish; here’s a small summary.

The word "whiskers" covers a variety of structures, stiff or soft, and most mammals have them. What we often call "whiskers" in humans are facial hairs grown chiefly for adornment, although they may sometimes have minor ancillary functions, and this essay does not deal with them.

A male wood duck tends to his plumage. (Matt Goff Sitka Nature photo) By Mary F. Willson Birds typically take good care of their feathers, preening them frequently. This behavior is partly innate, but some of it is learned, by watching others or from experience. They commonly use their bills or their feet, maybe occasionally rubbing on a branch or a rock. This self-maintenance practice has several benefits for the individual. For instance, it may remove ecto-parasites and deb

The weather was dismal on the day I ventured out onto the floats in Auke Bay — rain with a cold wind. But I went there anyway, with a friend, just for something different from my usual haunts.

A rather common but seldom seen denizen of our forests is the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). They are strictly nocturnal and rather small (about the size of our more familiar red squirrel).

Jays are perhaps the songbird most familiar to Juneau resident. They are known by their bright blue plumage, with black head and crest.

The outer bark of trees evolved chiefly to protect the trees from pathogenic microbes, fungi, and some insects, and it may provide some incidental protection from damaging forces such as ice or falling branches. It is structurally and chemically resistant to damage and invasion, a set of adaptations that take different forms in different species. We observe some of the external differences along our trails — the ridged bark of hemlock, the scaly bark of spruces, and so on.

For other animals that live here, the snow can mean lots of different things.

Ants?? Why think about ant when the outside temperatures at my house haven’t been over zero degrees (F) for days? Well, thoughts about ants are one kind of nice change from mentally feeling the cold (even in my warm house). And I was prompted by receiving two messages about some interesting ants.