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These seabirds left the sea to take a freshwater bath. At Loch Clift, naturalist Richard Kearton described two streams: birds flying in from the sea to bathe, and birds returning. After washing, they shook off water in flight and preened on a nearby hillside, facing the wind....
ViewA boatman spotted what looked like a man coming toward him in a boat. He paddled closer. The object was a bottle cork, floating with the tide. That is the story George Butler told the naturalist Frank Buckland about a morning off the Spit. Butler was used to taking his small, battered boat out to f...
ViewThree female argonauts lost the air from their shells in a research test. All three returned to the surface and captured more. Take away the air. What happens? Researchers removed shell air from three female argonauts—octopuses with delicate, open shells. All three went back to the surface They capt...
ViewBingo fetched the cow—and took her straight home By Adapted from Ernest Thompson Seton Bingo had learned a job on the Manitoba prairie: fetch the yellow cow. At the command, the dog would race out across the grass and drive Dunne home to her stable. He did it with much more energy than anyone needed...
ViewWebcams that make video calls look better Choose fixed 4K, affordable tracking, or tracking in 4K. Buying guide · Researched October 7, 2026. Stock and regional availability vary. Based on published specifications, not hands-on testing. Start here A better webcam can improve calls when lighting and ...
ViewThe roots grew outward on an upright wheel, and outward plus downward on a horizontal one. Orientation changed the result. Which way will the roots grow? Seeds rode on two spinning wheels: one upright, one flat. The roots took different directions. Upright wheel: roots point out Roots grew away from...
ViewClouds are collections of tiny water particles suspended in the air. In Loudon’s 1848 account, thin clouds reflect much of the sunlight that strikes them and look white; clouds holding more water absorb more of that light, making the sky look dark. She says rain falls when the water in a cloud becom...
ViewThe butterfly held still by a passing shadow By Adapted from Richard Kearton Two brothers were looking for a bird’s nest when they came across a group of small tortoiseshell butterflies. A cloud crossed the sun. The butterflies stayed where they had landed and spread their wings. One was resting on ...
ViewBuilders working under João Aracú’s direction widened a hollowed log with heat and careful spreading, then held its shape as it cooled. A wider canoe from the same log The shell was already hollow. The next task: open it wider without splitting it. Heat. Spread. Watch for cracks. The slit faced down...
ViewComing home can become a gentle transition into slower time through one simple, optional arrival ritual: pausing to drop your everyday essentials into a dedicated spot and stepping away from digital overload without demanding a complete room overhaul. You can support this shift using what you alre...
ViewThe wasp that found the right bush and still lost its food By Adapted from Thomas Belt In a garden in Nicaragua, the naturalist Thomas Belt held out a caterpillar on the tip of a stick. A brown and yellow paper wasp flew over and seized it. It worked its jaws down the caterpillar until it had a soft...
ViewCreature movement Henson’s account: Henson and Froud developed 3D characters with advanced movement; an international team worked five years. To my eye, movement gives creatures presence....
ViewA glass hive offered a view until the bees covered it. Hinged frames gave observers a different way to see the comb. A window the bees could close A glass hive let people watch the bees. The bees could block the view with resin or a curtain of workers. Open it like a book. Hinges on alternating edge...
ViewThe beetle ran around the pail, then tucked itself beside a clod. The moment it stopped, a red snout poked up directly beneath it. The beetle vanished. The naturalist Richard Kearton had put a mole in a zinc pail full of soil. It burrowed out of sight. At dusk he heard its claws against the metal a...
ViewBoth parents brought food to the same nest. Two short counts show how much faster they were visiting in the evening. Six trips to the nest in five minutes ONE PAIR OF BLUE TITS NEAR NOON 2 visits in 4 minutes 6 P.M. 6 visits in 5 minutes How much faster? Put both on the clock Near noon: 0.5 visits/m...
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