Roads End Naturalist

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

Author: Mike Dunn

  • The Sweet Smell of Milkweed

    Its flowers are very flagrant and when in season, they fill the woods with their sweet exhalations and make it agreeable to travel in them, especially in the evening. ~Peter Kalm, Swedish scientist, on Common Milkweed, 1750’s I don’t really remember how long ago it was that I spread some Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) seeds… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Frills, No Frills

    It is almost impossible to think of something no one has thought of before, but it always possible to add different frills. ~Isaac Asimov Friday morning when I went out the basement door to fill the bird feeders, a fuzzy blob on the window caught me eye. I leaned over and saw this strange-looking moth.… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Day 1

    There is beauty to be found in the changing of the Earth’s seasons, and an inner grace in honouring the cycles of life. ~Jack Cornfield A recent post discussed the eclosure of several Cecropia Moths that had spent the winter with us as cocoons. There was a mated pair when I found them that morning.… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Posing

    Good bug and bad bug Holy pose or killer strike Survival instinct ~G.S. Romero I was working in my shop yesterday when I saw something skitter across one of the work tables. I went over and looked, and found two baby mantids. I carried them outside and released them. A few minutes later, a couple… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Eclosure

    You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process. ~Rupi Kaur Eclosure = the emergence of an insect from the pupa case, or of a larvae from the egg… Nature is always providing examples of remarkable survival and transformation. Witnessing eclosure is one of those magical things to me (must… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • First of Season

    Camouflage is the most interesting of all the arts. ~Kris Saknussemm I sometimes feel like we live in the jungle. Looking out across the small sunny area around the house you see a green wall of vegetation before the tall trees of the forest begin. The yard itself is a tangle of all sorts of… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Not a Feather

    Wide, curved, tall or long, so many shapes but none are wrong. ~Hermione Little It is a little harder (or at least less pleasant) to explore our yard and woodlands during a deluge like we have had the past few days. But, I was out filling bird feeders in the rain when a light-colored shape… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Discoveries

    The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. ~Mark Van Doren Melissa was producing a short video on trees as part of her museum educational offerings for teachers when she made a fascinating discovery. While filming the segment, she was encouraging folks to observe trees in their neighborhood and look for interesting things… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Red and Black

    Without black, no color has any depth… ~Amy Grant A simple post this morning of something I rarely see, a top side view of a male Scarlet Tanager. They are still visiting the mulberry tree out back and have consumed all the easy to reach berries, so they are exhibiting some impressive acrobatics to snag… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Still Hanging

    Red is the ultimate cure for sadness.  ~Bill Blass I’ve been working in the shop on a project and, as was the case last week, the tanagers are still at it, although the mulberry supply is dwindling fast. I am surprised at how tolerant they are as I walk to and from the shop door,… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn