Roads End Naturalist

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

Author: Mike Dunn

  • The Spirit of Spring

    April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. ~William Shakespeare Things have been so busy at work that I have failed miserably at getting outside with camera in hand to document some of the beauty around me. I made amends Saturday afternoon, and spent a few hours just wandering around the yard, observing and… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Spring Things

    Now is the time of the illuminated woods… when every leaf glows like a tiny lamp. ~John Burroughs Things happen so fast this time of year… it is the time of change. Old things moving on, new things appearing. Many of the birds of winter are heading north and are being replaced by bright and… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Changing Weather

    Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin We have had a variety of “good weather” lately, including a brief return to winter white yesterday morning. It had been predicted for several days,… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Party Surprise

    I put 100 hickory nuts on my bureau at dusk one fall evening…by midnight, she had stored them all. At midnight…counted another 100 hickory nuts and spread them. The next morning, every nut was gone. She had picked up and stored 200 in one night. ~John Terres, on how many nuts his captive flying squirrel… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Barking Up the Right Tree – Part 2

    Here are the answers to yesterday’s tree trunk quiz. How did you do? One of the largest trees in Eastern North America. The white, mottled upper trunks and branches make it one of the most recognizable of our trees, especially in winter. I have always called this distinctive tree, ironwood, due to its dense, hard… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Barking up the Right Tree

    Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. ~Hal Borland Melissa and I try to test each other as we walk any trail this time of year with a tree trunk quiz – we try to identify trees by just looking at the trunk at eye level…no fair looking up, unless we are stumped.  I… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Birds in the Garden

    Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes. ~ Abram L. Urban This garden (NC Botanical Garden) is anything but poor if the birds are any indication. Bird activity seems to have increased dramatically the past few weeks. Many seem to be thinking of the coming nesting season…bluebirds singing from atop nest… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • New Beginnings

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    Native plants give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours. ~Lady Bird Johnson You may have noticed a slight reduction in the number of posts the last few weeks. A major reason is that I have been busy with a new chapter in my life, a new adventure. It… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Joy in Parting

    What Joy Can There Be In Parting? ~A poem by Melissa Dowland; images by Mike Dunn The bluebird perched on the branch right in front of me. I could see his sharp beak, his rusty breast, his snow-white belly. Then he turned And became a dazzle of blue as he flew between the trees and… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Another Winter Season

    We are not the only species who lives and dreams on our planet. There is something enduring that circulates in the heart of nature that deserves our respect and attention. ~Terry Tempest Williams I ended my winter tour season last weekend, a little earlier than usual, but it finished on a spectacular note. I had… Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn