Roads End Naturalist

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

Category: Natural History

  • Naming Nature Part 2

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    Here is the answer to yesterday’s quiz along with things to note as you make your observations. The snake is a Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata). It is a small snake with adults ranging up to about 12 inches in length. They are fairly common, but somewhat secretive, in wooded areas and edges of old fields. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Jack… or Jill… in the Pulpit?

    The Lord chose to reveal his power and his love through two human faces: the face of his divine Son made man and the face of a creature, a woman, Mary. Women make their contribution to the Church in a way that is properly theirs, by making present the tender strength of Mary, the Mother… Read more…

    Written by

    Melissa Dowland

  • Blue-gray Silk Snatcher

    Its nest is composed of the frailest materials, and is light and small in proportion to the size of the bird. ~John James Audubon on the nest of what he called the Blue-grey Fly-catcher A friend and co-worker of Melissa says the wispy call of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  (Polioptila caerulea) sounds like a faint “Steve”. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Day-flyers

    We are all naturally seekers of wonders. We travel far to see the majesty of old ruins, the venerable forms of the hoary mountains, great waterfalls, and galleries of art. And yet the world’s wonder is all around us; the wonder of setting suns, and evening stars, of the magic spring-time, the blossoming of the Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Nice Eyes

    The eye is the jewel of the body. ~Henry David Thoreau I hope you are enjoying Melissa’s wildflower observations. She will have more in coming days. But this morning I wanted to share something I found a few days ago and finally took the time to go photograph yesterday afternoon. We have a nest box Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Flower Parts Part 2: Our State Flower

    Whereas, the Dogwood is a radiantly beautiful flower which grows abundantly in all parts of the State; and Whereas, there is a great demand from all parts of the State that this Legislature adopt an official flower; Now, therefore, The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact: That the Dogwood be, and it is hereby, Read more…

    Written by

    Melissa Dowland

  • Pale Green

    Pay attention to what gets your attention. ~Gina Mollicone-Long First, the answers to yesterdays Attention to Detail post… I’m sure many of you already knew the answers, but, just in case, here is what each of the images in yesterday’s post depicted: Sensitive Fern – the spore-containing capsules are round in this species. Foamflower – Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • The End Result of Butterfly Courtship

    Paying attention to the world around you will help you develop the extraordinary capacity to look at mundane things and see the miraculous. ~Michael Mikalko Last week I did a post on the courtship behavior and egg-laying by Falcate Orangetip butterflies in our yard. I watched a female lay two eggs on two different plants Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Haw River Saunter

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    …whenever I felt emotionally overwhelmed, I would take a walk in the woods. Being in the stillness and grandeur of trees had always calmed me. ~Brenda Strong We hiked (I suppose sauntered is a better word, really) along a short section of the Haw River with some good friends on Saturday (practicing social distancing, of Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Outside Our Door

    …it places its nest at a great height, sometimes fifty feet, attaching it to the twigs of a forked branch. Here the nest is small, thin but compact, composed of the slender stems of dried grasses mixed with coarse fibrous roots and the exuviae of caterpillars or other insects, and lined with the hair of Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn