Hoot’s Who Here: There are 19 owl species in North America. Four of these — barn, barred, eastern screech and great horned owls — are common a… Read Story
Chesapeake Challenge
A column by staff "puzzler" Kathleen Gaskell
Did you know that content weasels can purr like a kitty? Aww… And just look at those cute little critter photos. But don’t let those furry lit… Read Story
Puffers. Balloonfish. Blowfish. Blow toads. Bubblefish. Globefish. Swellfish. Sugar toads. Spiny boxfish. Read Story
Love them, love them not: Sunflowers (genus Helianthus) are part of the daisy (Asteraceae) family. Fear of sunflowers is called helianthophobi… Read Story
English colonists were quick to take advantage of whales visiting the Chesapeake Bay. Processing the carcass left a ton of whale blood and bit… Read Story
Humpback whales are occasional visitors near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. If you took a time machine back 10 million to 14 million years a… Read Story
Over the years, Bay Journal quizzes, columns and articles have often encouraged people to plant species that attract birds, butterflies, bees … Read Story
Going crazy trying to think of things for you and your family to do while riding out the coronavirus at home? Here are crafts made from everyd… Read Story
Striped bass live most of the year in the ocean, but migrate to freshwater to spawn. The word used to describe these fish is anadromous. Other… Read Story
Striped bass or rockfish? Call ‘em what you want, this fish is delish! Sink your teeth into this quiz. Answers are below. Read Story
Snow was reported on the ground of all 50 states for the first time on Feb. 12, 2010. Here are some snowy questions to ponder while shoveling … Read Story
Good things come in small packages. This adage certainly applies to what may be one of the Chesapeake’s most overlooked marine creatures: sea slugs. Read Story
Take this quiz to gather pearls of wisdom about oysters. Answers are below. Read Story
Many people will be stuffing their stomachs with oyster dressing this Thanksgiving. Here is an oyster quiz to stuff your brain. Answers are below. Read Story
Bat Week is celebrated the last week in October. The last night in October is Halloween. What do these two things have in common? Bats play an… Read Story
White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats in North America since it was first documented here in 2006–07. The disease has been particula… Read Story
Here are the names of some plants and animals that are fun to say out loud. Match them with their description. Answers are below. Read Story
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind… Read Story
Ever been in such a rush that you said, "After I eat, I have to fly?" These birds have you beat. They capture and eat their prey on the fly. H… Read Story
The ruby-throated hummingbird, which eats in midflight, is the most widespread of all hummingbird species. How widespread is your knowledge ab… Read Story
The mud flats, waters and shores of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers are home to more than 100 species of benthic or “bottom-dwelling” worms.… Read Story
Soil is home to thousands of organisms, ranging in size from microscopic bacteria to larger animals like the ones listed here. Can you match t… Read Story
Which is greater — the number of organisms in a handful of healthy soil or the number of people on Earth? If you said organisms, you are corre… Read Story
Oysters, which grow on reefs, play an important role in filtering the Chesapeake Bay's water. But oyster reefs also provide habitat for a larg… Read Story
Let’s call it a night. For many, this means the day’s activities are done and it’s time for rest. Yet for many of Earth’s inhabitants, activit… Read Story
Did you ever wonder what goes on in an animal’s brain or body while it is sleeping? Take this quiz to learn about a few animals’ sleeping habi… Read Story
If you want to learn more about the North American river otter — or test how much you already know — you otter take this quiz. Answers are below. Read Story
“Look” at the animal, plant or mineral in each of these lists. Three share a common trait that the fourth does not. Can you figure out which o… Read Story
For some, October is the month to dwell on the odd and unusual. In each list here, three of the items have at least one thing in common. You a… Read Story
Here are 10 scrambled words related to the bald cypress, along with a clue to their identities. Stuck? All of the information you need is in t… Read Story
The September Bay Naturalist column is about the bald cypress. How much do you know about this tree? Take this quiz to find out. Answers are below. Read Story
Several Atlantic bottlenose dolphins showed up off Cove Point, near Solomons, MD, at the end of April. Since its launch last summer, Chesapeak… Read Story
It’s summer, and humans aren’t the only mammal tourists visiting the waters of the Chesapeake. Will you be lucky enough to see an Atlantic bot… Read Story
How much do you know about orchids? Test your knowledge with this quiz. Answers are below. Read Story
It’s June, when prom dates and mothers of the brides and grooms are bedecked with spectacular corsages, many of them featuring orchids. The or… Read Story
The facts listed here are no flights of fancy. Each describes a bird found in the watershed at some point of its life. Can you match them up? … Read Story
When people say that someone eats like a bird, they usually mean that the person eats very little. But, in some ways, the assumptions behind t… Read Story
Did you know that water in a stream or river must fall at least 5 vertical feet to be classified as a true waterfall? Here are some other wate… Read Story
April showers bring… If flowing waterfalls popped into your head, you are correct! Perhaps matching each waterfall to its description will whe… Read Story
It is not unusual for the weather in early March to be “biting cold.” So what better month to celebrate teeth? In this first part of the quiz,… Read Story
Not all animals need teeth to eat. Here is a quiz about four of the Chesapeake watershed’s animals have adapted to capture and eat their prey.… Read Story
Celebrate the Chesapeake year-round! Get out your 2018 calendar and save these dates that mark activities and resources to help you get the mo… Read Story
Do you want to increase the odds of seeing some of these birds, and others, at your backyard feeder but are puzzled about what to feed them? I… Read Story
Here is a quiz about colors in the animal world. Will you pass it with flying colors? Answers are below. Read Story
For 75 years, (1850–1924) canal boats carried salt, salted fish, oysters, potatoes, bricks, salt and plaster upstream. Downstream loads includ… Read Story
George Washington knew that trade between the Eastern seaboard and the West — beyond the Allegheny Mountains, where roughly a quarter of the U… Read Story
Why be just a leaf peeper when these trails in Virginia and West Virginia offer you an opportunity to walk along the leaves themselves as well… Read Story
It’s a wild world out there and the Chesapeake Bay is no exception. Here is a list of species you might encounter while hiking in the Chesapea… Read Story
Some people won’t hike in an area where they fear they might run into a bear or snake. The chance of encountering one of these creatures is ve… Read Story
Last month’s Chesapeake Challenge featured hikes in Pennsylvania and Delaware. This month’s quiz explores hikes in the New York and Maryland p… Read Story