Gillian Martin September 2020 Since cavity-nesting birds obviously nest in low light conditions, it is curious that they produce eggs with wide color differences. Of course, diversity in egg coloration is true of birds in general. What we have learned from paleontologists who’ve studied bird coloration helps us understand more about this interesting topic. A […]
Photo by Sandrine Biziaux Scherson Palms are nesting and roosting sites for birds and other wildlife. In the western region of the United States, orioles, Cassin’s Kingbirds, Barn Owls, American Kestrels, woodpeckers, egrets, herons and a variety of small mammals use them regularly. Because of their height and crown configuration, and because skirts of dead […]
By Acer Ventura Ditching the defect The word ‘Defect’ no longer appears in any of VALID’s Tree Risk-Benefit Management Strategies. Even though it was there in the qualified form of ‘Obvious Tree Defects’, the tree defect issue has been knocking at the door of reasonable, proportionate, and reasonably practicable tree risk-benefit management for a while now. […]
by Gillian Martin ‘Pruning to Harm Trees’ seems like an alarming title for a training program for arborists, doesn’t it? But this was the title of a presentation by Johan Ostberg Ph.D, Professor at the Swedish Institute of Agricultural Science in the City of Malmö, Sweden. He recently stepped up to the podium at the […]
by Gilllian Martin Photo by Peggy Honda The remote, two-lane Modjeska Canyon Road in Silverado, California curves through grand old oaks and sycamores that splatter it with dappled light. Engineers appear to have contoured the road to accommodate a few of them; a commendable recognition that this territory is long held by Nature and deserves […]
Gillian Martin You may already know that a dead tree is a nursery for more than eighty birds in North America, but have you observed its usefulness to birds in other ways? Thanks to our wildlife photographer partners, now you too can see a dead tree for all its untold virtue. Well, that’s not true […]
Orioles and arborists could wholeheartedly concur on one thing. Planting palms in the wrong location can be a tragedy waiting to happen. This is particularly true in suburban areas where some palms pose safety and liability risks. Let’s spell out the complexities. Palm owners often hire tree pruners annually for a number of reasons. Dead […]
Ever wonder how parent birds choose where to nest? Not surprising, birds and humans share some common considerations when seeking a place to call home. See if any of the following sound familiar. Is there a sufficient supply of the right kind of food nearby? Are there may dangers lurking? You see, birds take stock […]
We tend to think that all dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago. That’s when a large asteroid or comet (scientists don’t know which) hit the planet and triggered a global cataclysm of climate and temperature change, acid rain, earthquakes, tsunamis and wildfires. This event marked the end of the Cretaceous period. Though non-avian dinosaurs did […]
Golf courses are criticized for reducing valuable natural lands and for their high-water consumption. Some are making an effort to “give back.” We want to spotlight Coto de Caza Golf Course in Southern California for its commendable efforts to protect and enhance the habitat value of its property. Recently we had the opportunity to conduct […]
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