The Meaning of Spines on Holly Leaves
Spines on holly leaves are a defensive tactic. The harder a plant is trying to defend itself, the more spines we find on its leaves.…
Tag: animals
How to Find Your Way Using Horse Dung
For thousands of years humans have been riding horses (possibly as much as 5,500 years). This of course means that horse tracks and dung can…
Why Do Animals Stop Moving and Freeze?
This morning I was walking into wind and surprised a deer. After a couple of quick hops away it then froze and stood motionless. This…
Predicting Animal Behaviour
It is much easier to predict animal behaviour when we learn certain simple patterns. Most animals see the world in terms of basic things like:…
Fish Frenzy at Water Surface – Predator Sign
Early this morning I saw an interesting sign in the water, a clue that fish were trying to defy a predator. At about 6am, I…
Wind Against Tide – A Sign of Choppy Water
The yacht is on a ‘swing mooring’ and will swing with the tide. This shows us that the water is flowing from right to left.…
Analysing Deer Behaviour: Flight, Refuge and Jink
I was looking over one of the local hills from the cover of some undergrowth, when I spooked a herd of fallow deer. They were…
Sounds Make a Map
A Guide to Exploring Soundscapes Sounds make a map. Here is an easy exercise to help you hone your understanding of sound maps. It is…
Weather, navigation and hunting in Oregon
An interesting email exchange with Gary from Oregon, shared with permission: Tristan, I am very much enjoying your new book, “The Secret World of Weather”. …