A Drop of Water
Gordon Morrison
Language: English
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0618585575
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
larger relative of the crow. Living in wilderness areas of mountains, coasts, or plains, they nest on cliffs or in tall evergreen trees. Excellent fliers, ravens often soar like hawks. Pages 10–11. Spruce and fir forest: A dense growth of fir and spruce trees covering a large mountainous area. Spruce trees have stiff, sharp needles that curve toward the twig tip. Its cones hang down. Fir trees have soft needles that curl up and away from the tip. Its cones grow up and crumble on the twig,
fox: Found throughout most of North America. Active year round, they live in dens located on slopes. Three to five kits, or young foxes, are born in the spring. The male feeds and protects the female and the kits. By fall the young foxes are on their own. Interrupted fern: Leaflets curled up against the stem, near the middle of the leaf, give the leaf an "interrupted" look, and its name. Mountain laurel (spoon wood): Once used to make wooden spoons. Many animals find protection in its dense
growth and evergreen foliage, especially in winter. Page 14. Pitcher plant: An insectivorous plant. The leaves' slippery inner surface and downward-pointing hairs force insects to fall or move down into a pool of liquid. There they are slowly liquefied and absorbed. Sphagnum moss: Also called peat. Millions of small moss plants form a mat on the water around a pond's edge. In time it spreads and grows thick enough to support shrubs and trees. Alder flycatcher: Inhabits pond edges and bog
21. Barred owl: Its name comes from the barred feather pattern across its chest. On silent wings it hunts, mostly mice, but also frogs, insects, weasels, ducks, blackbirds, and smaller owls. Page 22. Marsh wren: This bird weaves its ball-shaped nest from cattail leaves lashed to cattail stalks. If other marsh-nesting birds bother the wren, it may destroy or eat their eggs. Cattail plants: Thousands of tiny seeds from each cattail are spread by the wind. Blackbirds, wrens, ducks, and deer eat
small beak and large gaping mouth for scooping flying insects from the air. It often nests on a barn beam. Page 26. Farmer: An adult human who works a farm where he or she raises plants and animals, such as grass and cattle, to feed people or other animals. Pages 26–27. Timothy grass: Named after Timothy Hanson, the first farmer to use it for hay, in 1720. It is good for grazing cattle and as hay for winter feed. The meadowlark finds food and shelter in it. Page 27. Painted turtle: The red and