Porcupines have always been such an elusive creature to me. While hiking, more often I see signs they are nearby like scat, bark missing on trees, or wood chips scattered on the ground instead of the real creature. They always seem to evade detection, which is interesting seeing as they ...
People keep asking if we’re going to skip winter this year. I don’t know. There have been a few snowstorms here and there; rain and high winds have replaced snow and frigid temperatures in many places. Here in Western North Carolina at an elevation of 2,000 feet, I’ve only recorded one low temperature below 20 degrees, and that was 18 degrees on Nov. 13. One result of the mild winter thus far has been a dearth of activity at backyard bird feeders. If you need a feather fix until cold winter weather really sets in, I’ve got some suggestions. With a computer and an internet ...
There is a large contingent of the hiking community that lives for hiking fast. Often I am also one of those people. Pushing your physical limits and testing that mental stamina to keep your legs moving, to climb that mountain or to make it through those next few miles focuses me and ...
On a cold March afternoon in 1983, I sat in a blind on the banks of the Platte River near Kearney, Neb. and watched seemingly endless lines of sandhill cranes, Canada geese, snow geese, and many species of ducks descend into the shallows to roost for the night. The parade continued well past dusk. I could not begin to count them all, but there had to be hundreds of thousands of waterfowl. The scene is as vivid in my mind today as it was at the time. Huge flocks of birds, the kinds that darken the sky, have inspired awe and wonder for centuries. Ornithologist and artist John James ...
For outdoor adventurers, the list of places to go is usually long. New discoveries, experiences and challenges, mountains to climb, rivers to paddle, and sights to see. Or secret spots to come across and relax. I count myself as one of those adventurers. I love to go new places, but ...
On a recent episode of Jeopardy, the correct question to an answer was, “What’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker?” My ears perked up because I notice when birds get favorable attention on national TV. And it’s a great question. To the uninitiated, yellow-bellied sapsucker may sound like a whimsical creature. “Is it in the field guide?” they ask. “Right next to the ‘bleary-eyed bedthrasher,’ I’ll bet?” “No,” I say. “It’s a woodpecker.” Four species of sapsuckers live in North America, but only the yellow-bellied is found here in the east. Williamson’s, ...
