I was driving north on 235 the other day and passed a small church along the side of the road. As is common these days, the church had a marquee… [Continued]
Outdoor Notes
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Spotted Turtle
April 29, 2013
There are only about thirteen species of turtle in Pennsylvania, maybe nine of those are found in the Central Ridge and Valley. Of these, perhaps the hardest to spot is… [Continued]
Cherish the Ladies
February 4, 2013
Long ago I served in Hawai’i. When I left the islands, I bought a wildlife painting to commemorate my tour. The painting shows an Old World flycatcher named the ‘Elepaio… [Continued]
Critter of the Year, 2012
January 1, 2013
April is usually a little early for dragonflies. I pick up a few Green Darners (Anax junius) throughout the month, but that is a pretty unmistakable dragonfly. In fact, I… [Continued]
Jamaican Shovellers
December 23, 2012
Ever wonder about scientific names? Me too, especially ones that seem easy to translate, but hard to understand. I offer for your consideration, Oxyura jamaicensis, the Ruddy Duck. When Superstorm… [Continued]
The Dying of the Year
October 28, 2012
As October fades and November approaches, there is always a sense of loss. Certainly there is still much to see in the late autumn hills, but much of what we… [Continued]
Like a Butterfly
September 20, 2012
Like most critters, butterflies are not indifferent to the promptings of l’amour. It is not uncommon to see a pair flopping through the air, hooked together in passion’s embrace. In… [Continued]
Of Ignorance and Affirmation (2: Affirmation)
September 5, 2012
When last we met, I was still slogging confused and uncertain through the mire of my entomological and botanical ignorance. Shortly thereafter, I turned a corner, literally turned a corner,… [Continued]
Of Ignorance and Affirmation (Part 1: Ignorance)
August 31, 2012
I think it says something good about my strength character that I have not given up on trying to identify Skippers. For those of you who are not cognoscenti of… [Continued]
Red-footed Cannibals
August 18, 2012
One hates to dispute with the Bard. He is dead, after all, and cannot defend himself, but I’m not sure he’s right about names. In my experience our words often… [Continued]