Skip to content

Notes from the Wild

Tree Cavities

Mar 8, 2019 | Don Scallen

Squirrels, racoons, owls, chickadees, and many other creatures find safety and shelter within trees.

Barred Owls

Feb 5, 2019 | Don Scallen

Barred owls, like all owls, exercise a mysterious hold on our psyches. Birders and non-birders alike are drawn to their expressive faces and large liquid eyes.

Boreal Birds

Jan 4, 2019 | Don Scallen

Over 300 species, totalling billions of birds rely on Canada’s boreal forest as breeding grounds.

Seeds on the Move

Dec 5, 2018 | Don Scallen

A great many seeds tap into the mobility of birds and animals to spread themselves around.

CSI: Natureworld The Case of Burying Beetle Bob

Nov 2, 2018 | Don Scallen

A CSI probe into Bob’s disappearance has revealed damning evidence linking Sam to the incident!

Autumn Salamanders

Oct 2, 2018 | Don Scallen

Small wonder so many salamanders are active at this time of year, seeking last suppers of grubs and spiders, crickets and millipedes.

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

Sep 4, 2018 | Don Scallen

I’ve written about our remarkable caterpillars before, but so many interesting ones inhabit our hills that another look is warranted.

Flight of the Butterfly

Aug 3, 2018 | Don Scallen

To the casual observer the flight of a butterfly appears haphazard and inefficient, something like the bobbing of a cork on turbulent waters.

Birdsong – Brought to You by Bugs

Jul 4, 2018 | Don Scallen

I recently had the pleasure of watching a pair of house wren parents feed their babies in a backyard nest box.

Yellow Lady’s Slippers

Jun 5, 2018 | Don Scallen

These botanical wonders sport whimsical – you guessed it – slipper-shaped blossoms.

Chorus Frogs

May 14, 2018 | Don Scallen | Blogs

Chorus frogs are vulnerable to a who’s who of predators from ground-foraging birds, to shrews, to big spiders to small snakes.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbits

Mar 30, 2018 | Don Scallen

Cottontails conceal themselves in dense thickets of shrubs and brambles.