Notes from the Wild
Otters
Mar 9, 2020 |The reappearance of otters in our hills is a hopeful sign that the capacity of our rivers and landscapes to support wildlife is improving.
Animal Tracks
Feb 6, 2020 |Tracks inscribed on snow by unseen animals offer tantalizing multilayered puzzles.
Insect Engineers
Jan 10, 2020 |Football-sized bald-faced hornet nests, hanging from branches, are prominent in the winter landscape.
Burls and Trees on Stilts
Dec 5, 2019 |The reasons burls grow on trees are still not fully understood, but infection by viruses, fungus and bacteria are likely causes.
Tree Co-operation
Nov 12, 2019 |The research into the co-operative nature of trees is in its infancy.
Night Creatures
Oct 8, 2019 |Most of the nocturnal critters my friends and I find are insects, but spiders, millipedes and amphibians also appear in our flashlight beams.
The Flight of the Mayflies
Sep 14, 2019 |The annual emergence of mayflies, wherever it occurs, brings predictable responses.
Amazing Beavers
Aug 6, 2019 |This serendipitous meeting with a near-sighted beaver was my favorite type of wildlife encounter!
Benthic Invertebrates
Jul 3, 2019 |The abundance of these aquatic larvae in our streams and rivers is a good thing.
Spring Songbirds
Jun 14, 2019 |May and June herald the arrival of a trio of supremely beautiful tropical migrants: indigo buntings, Baltimore orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks.
The Return of the Salamanders
May 9, 2019 |This year I managed to take video of the underwater breeding of spotted salamanders.