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Blogs

Urban Animals

Apr 5, 2019 | Don Scallen | Notes from the Wild

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

Tree Cavities

Mar 8, 2019 | Don Scallen | Notes from the Wild

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

Barred Owls

Feb 5, 2019 | Don Scallen | Notes from the Wild

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 | Notes from the Wild

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 | Notes from the Wild

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 | Notes from the Wild

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

Autumn Salamanders

Oct 2, 2018 | Don Scallen | Notes from the Wild

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 | Notes from the Wild

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 | Notes from the Wild

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 | Notes from the Wild

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 | Notes from the Wild

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

Chorus Frogs

May 14, 2018 | Don Scallen

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