Nature's Corner

Wily coyotes cause dog and cat owners to fear for the lives of their pets. 'Nature's Corner' columnist Eve Quesnel delves into the unfortunate times when coyotes kill, giving practical advice for learning how to live with them.

Why do we often think of Alvin and the Chipmunks when we think of chipmunks? Movie stars trump nature? As much as celebrities take over the limelight, there’s much to learn about the real striped speedy mammal.

The Douglas squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii), aka the chickaree, aka the animal that “Peterson Field Guide Mammals of North America” calls “the noisy little squirrel...

Lichen can’t be discussed without talking about cohabitation — two partners living in one space. In this case, it’s on the surface of rocks...

A note of caution: Being territorial, particularly during the breeding and nesting season, the sooty grouse female will aggressively chase any human in her path.

The Tahoe area has four animals that turn white in winter - a jackrabbit, hare, weasel, and bird.

Every spring for the past two decades, citizen scientists Ann McBride and Patty Evans have monitored egg counts in 50 bluebird boxes they had placed in Martis Valley and the Kyburz Meadow area. “You never know what you’ll find in the boxes — it’s like Christmas,” says McBride. While this labor of love requires tenacity and hard work, Evans wouldn’t have it any other way. She adds, “It’s magical every year.”

Think those are meat bees buzzing around your picnic? Thing again. They're wasps, and contrary to popular opinion, their presence does not predict a big winter.

It’s been said that the little acrobat Chickadee can cache up to one thousand seeds in one day with a potential range of 60,000 to 90,000 seeds in one fall season.

Every two to three years, pine and fir trees shed their needles, an event known as a needle drop.