UP Nature Notes (Blog)
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Ugly and Beautiful Simultaneously - UP Nature Notes, No. 24
September 12, 2024
Is there a word that describes things that are both ugly and beautiful at the same time? One might feel ambivalent when seeing such things, but that describes your response rather than the thing itself. Apparently the English language does not have a term for things that are simultaneously ugly…
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Dragons and Damsels (Insect Order Odonata) - UP Nature Notes, No. 23 Notes,
September 10, 2024
Growing up as country boys, we called them darning needles and warned each other they would sew up your lips if you told a lie. These days, dragonflies are popular designs for jewelry and other decorative items. Whereas dragonflies have huge eyes and hold their wings stylishly out to the…
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Hummingbird Migration Begins - UP Nature Notes, No. 22
September 6, 2024
At the end of summer and beginning of fall, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds start migrating south toward their wintering grounds. Adult males are the first to leave. Adult females are the next, followed shortly by juveniles. By Labor Day in the Upper Peninsula, most of the adult males appear to have headed…