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Notes from the Wild

Otters

Mar 9, 2020 | Don Scallen

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 | Don Scallen

Tracks inscribed on snow by unseen animals offer tantalizing multilayered puzzles.

Insect Engineers

Jan 10, 2020 | Don Scallen

Football-sized bald-faced hornet nests, hanging from branches, are prominent in the winter landscape.

Burls and Trees on Stilts

Dec 5, 2019 | Don Scallen

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 | Don Scallen

The research into the co-operative nature of trees is in its infancy.

Night Creatures

Oct 8, 2019 | Don Scallen

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 | Don Scallen

The annual emergence of mayflies, wherever it occurs, brings predictable responses.

Amazing Beavers

Aug 6, 2019 | Don Scallen

This serendipitous meeting with a near-sighted beaver was my favorite type of wildlife encounter!

Benthic Invertebrates

Jul 3, 2019 | Don Scallen

The abundance of these aquatic larvae in our streams and rivers is a good thing.

Spring Songbirds

Jun 14, 2019 | Don Scallen

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 | Don Scallen

This year I managed to take video of the underwater breeding of spotted salamanders.

Urban Animals

Apr 5, 2019 | Don Scallen

Raccoons, squirrels and robins adapted to urban life long ago.