Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road

Author: Mike Dunn

  • Some Days You Get Lucky

    I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. ~Thomas Jefferson Today was one of those days. Coming back home after a doctor’s appointment, a motion caught my eye while driving past a small roadside vernal pool. I slowed and saw it was a Barred… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Still Hanging On

    Your growing antlers, Bambi continued, are proof of your intimate place in the forest, For of all the things that live and grow only the trees and the deer shed their foliage each year and replace it more strongly, more magnificently, in the Spring. Each year the trees grow larger and put on more leaves.… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Island Solitude

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    The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place. ~Rachel Carson Last week was another first for me – a canoe camping trip to Masonboro Island. Masonboro Island is one 10 sites that make up the NC Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve. This 8.4 mile long island reserve was protected in… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Day-tripping

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    I just take it one day at a time, and it always leads you to the right place. ~ Kyle Massey My two recent trips to Pungo were two day trips, leaving home before dawn and leaving the refuge after sunset. While not the ideal way to do this, even a day trip can yield… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Those White Winter Birds

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    Twenty thousand birds moved away from me as one, like a ground-hugging white cloud… ~Michael Pollan I managed a couple of trips to my favorite NC winter place recently and was rewarded with some wonderful scenes of wide colorful skies, masses of birds, quiet moments of watching wildlife, and some surprises. I’ll cover much of… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Frosted Feathers

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    It’s not that I like ice Or freezin’ winds and snowy ground. It’s just sometimes it’s kind of nice To be the only bird in town. ~Shel Silverstein This final post on our January Yellowstone trip shares a few highlights of the birds we encountered. There are certainly way fewer birds in this frozen land… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Moose Magic

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    Hunters will tell you that a moose is a wily and ferocious forest creature. Nonsense. A moose is a cow drawn by a three-year-old. ~Bill Bryson For many years, Moose have been one of the more difficult of Yellowstone’s large mammals to find. The best place was usually at the Northeast entrance or in the… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • How Old is Your Ram?

    The wild ram embodies the mystery and magic of the mountains… ~Jack O’Connor In honor of today’s contest between formidable members of the animal kingdom, I offer this short meander into the world of rams. Methinks the choice of a ram as a team mascot is a wise one – they are sure-footed, brawny, and… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Octo-Ungulates

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    Ungulates. The most boring animals on earth. All they do is stand around and chew their cud. ~Hal Brindley It seems there are not a lot of quotes out there about ungulates (hoofed mammals) but I found this one in a clever blog post by someone that I know through social media. I agree with… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Canid Capers

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    Let me tell you something about wolves, child. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. In winter, we must protect one another, keep each other warm, share our strengths. ~George R. R. Martin One of the best things about Yellowstone in winter is the enhanced… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn