Walk in the woods provides Christmas Eve to remember
It was the night before Christmas, 1993. Nora was barely 10 years old, and Emma would not start kindergarten for another eight months. We had just gotten home from an early Christmas Eve church...
View ArticleAnimal tails are fascinating and vital
Animal tales often occupy this space. As the year comes to an end, thoughts of animal ends also come to mind — their tails. So, here’s a tale of tails. Animal tails are fascinating appendages that come...
View ArticleWhat’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker?
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...
View ArticleWonder why birds of a feather flock together?
On a cold March afternoon in 1983, I sat in a blind on the banks of the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska, and watched seemingly endless lines of sandhill cranes, Canada geese, snow geese, and many...
View ArticleNo binoculars in computer birding
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....
View ArticleHow wildlife escapes winter’s worst weather
In temperate areas, late January usually brings the coldest weather of the year. When temperatures plunge below zero as they do some winters, wildlife must adapt to survive extreme weather conditions....
View ArticleGroundhogs not first predictors of spring
As nocturnal creatures, most mammals hide under the cloak of darkness. Squirrels are one exception to that rule. Even young children recognize gray squirrels, fox squirrels, and chipmunks that frequent...
View ArticleSkunk cabbage: aromatic, early sign of spring
Early signs of spring put smiles of anticipation on the faces of nature lovers. Longer days, warmer temperatures and lawns slowly turning from brown to green are hard to miss. But the very first...
View ArticleThe ‘raccoon’ frog can’t wait to sing its spring song
It may seem a bit early to be listening for frogs, but wood frogs rush the season. They emerge from beneath forest leaf litter in late winter, and as soon as the ice melts, they sing. A wood frog’s...
View ArticleScott Shalaway offers a final farewell to loyal readers
It has been more than nine months since my last column, so I owe my readers an explanation. Back in February, I had major back surgery and was told my recovery and rehab would take at least 10 months....
View Article
