Size matters in the bird and publishing world
Bigger is always better, right? Cities and countries compete to build the tallest buildings. Gardeners vie to raise the biggest pumpkin. Anglers long for...
White deer; not just a myth but a reality
Shortly after my wife and I moved to the ridge back in the summer of 1985, we began exploring the surrounding woods. On one...
Great horned owls offer great entertainment
A few nights into the new year, three different species of owl sang within earshot of the back porch. It began shortly after 9...
2011: New Year brings new reading possibilities
As we head into a new year, nothing beats a good book by the wood stove on a cold winter night. Here are some...
Don’t feed deer this winter, doing so causes harm
Back in February, as a brutal winter unfolded, I explained that feeding deer in winter is a bad idea. I quoted experts from the...
Feral cats not family or environmentally friendly
Hunters and birders may seem unlikely allies, but they share many of the same conservation goals. One is maintaining healthy populations of birds and...
Day with Smithsonian birds was dream come true
Last month I wrote about Marcy Heacker, a research associate and forensic ornithologist in the bird division of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History....
These nature books make great holiday gifts
I’ve got a bookshelf of titles to recommend as holiday gifts this year, so each gets just a thumbnail description.Suffice to say, if it’s...
A winter roosting box for chickadees is a tight spot
Recently, at a wild bird trade show in Missouri, a women approached me and thanked me for “a great idea.” She said she had...
Notice the small trees, they yield the best surprises
Late October brought the first hard frost to the ridge, and now the temperature dips to the low 30s most mornings. Frosty temperatures send...