Notes from the Wild

May and June herald the arrival of a trio of supremely beautiful tropical migrants: indigo buntings, Baltimore orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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