Cobra Lilies From a boardwalk above a bog, I look out to a conclave of cobra lilies. Their bulbous hoods are chartreuse, green globes set on tall stalks. Heads nodding in wisps of wind, these carnivorous plants—Darlingtonia californica—appear to be in conversation. My husband, David, and I have zipped by this spot many …

    I. Black-Naped Oriole, Singapore, July 1990 I was drawn to the open window in the dining room by the tutti-frutti trill of a bird. It was early morning. I was on my first cup of coffee. The air was cool. Looking down from the fifteenth floor, I scanned the treetops and saw a …