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Notes from the Wild

racoon in tree cavities

Tree Cavities

Mar 8, 2019 | Don Scallen

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

Barred owl streamside in a hemlock. Photo by Don Scallen.

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.

Evening grosbeaks feeding on sunflower seeds northeast of Shelburne

Boreal Birds

Jan 4, 2019 | Don Scallen

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

Common milkweed seeds.

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!

red-backed salamander

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, snake mimic. Photo by Don Scallen.

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.

Tiger swallowtail. Photo by Don Scallen.

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 are even smaller than spring peepers. They can perch comfortably on the ends of index fingers.

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 rabbit.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbits

Mar 30, 2018 | Don Scallen

Cottontails conceal themselves in dense thickets of shrubs and brambles.

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