Author: Mike Dunn
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They’re At It Again!
All nature’s creatures join to express nature’s purpose. Somewhere in their mounting and mating, rutting and butting is the very secret of nature itself. ~Graham Swift Rainy nights in January and February bring out the lust in our neighborhood…salamander lust that is. My last post highlighted the first major mating migration of the year for Read more…
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Celebration of Life
The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. ~Dolly Parton Melissa and I traveled to Damascus, VA, yesterday for a funeral service for one of my aunts. It was a lovely tribute to a wonderful woman. Even though it is about a 4-hour drive, we decided Read more…
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While She Was Away…
Take time to do what makes your soul happy. ~Unknown author I suppose I really don’t have to worry about this particular quote. I think I do a pretty good job of taking the time to do the things I enjoy. With Melissa leading a museum winter workshop in Yellowstone, I decided to get out Read more…
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Counting Birds Again
Christmas Bird Count data helps us better understand birds so we can better protect them! ~US Fish & Wildlife Service Here’s a quick report on our annual trip to Pungo for the Pettigrew Christmas Bird Count that was held last weekend. For a change, we had nice weather – chilly and windy, but sunny most Read more…
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South Africa – Days 1-4
Custos Naturae – Guardian of Nature ~The slogan formerly found on the logo of Kruger National Park, South Africa Last summer, a friend and former coworker, Andrew Torlage, asked me out for a beer to discuss an idea. Andrew was born in South Africa and moved to North Carolina less than a decade ago. He Read more…
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Trying to Understand Our Wild Neighbors
We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts. ~William Hazlitt And in some cases, we see nature with our trail cameras… This season seems to have fewer large buck deer than I have seen the past few years, but recently, a beautiful 8-pointer kindly walked in front of Read more…
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Making Time
The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it. ~Sydney Harris You may have noticed a lack of posts on this blog the past month. We have been dealing with my mother’s declining health as well as plenty of long-scheduled things here at home. Traditionally, we take a trip somewhere for our Read more…
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Gold in the Yard
The responsibilities of life seem to rest lightly on the Goldfinch’s sunny shoulders. ~Roger Tory Peterson It’s been a very good year for the American Goldfinches in our yard. I haven’t put out thistle seeds this year but the goldfinches seem quite content with the sunflower seeds in the other feeders and, more recently, with Read more…
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Moths and More
So much detail goes unnoticed in the world. ~Barbara Kingsolver After our moth party last month during National Moth Week, we have put out the moth lights and sheet a few more times to see what new species we might attract to our deck here in the woods. It has been pretty productive and we Read more…
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Perfectly Paired
I have learned from nature that all is equal… all is equal and in balance. I see everything as fitting together. ~Joseph Raffael Here in our home in the woods, I can look out our windows and see all sorts of interconnections – butterflies on Ironweed and Joe-Pye-Weed, American Goldfinches eating coneflower seeds, and birds Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 