Category: Trip report
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Birds Galore
It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility. ~Rachel Carson I had two groups scheduled for trips over the last week, one a group of photographers, and one some friends from my museum world. The… Read more…
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Snakes on a Plain (Coastal Plain, that is)
For hibernating rodent and hidden turtle, what dreams, I wonder, come on such a day of spring in January? ~Edwin Way Teale I just returned from several days down at Pocosin Lakes and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuges. The weather started off beautiful, then wet and warm, then cold and windy – quite a variety of… Read more…
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One Wet Bird, Two Wet Birds…Four Wet Birders
The best thing one can do when it is raining is to let it rain. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Unlike most years, I was dreading this year’s annual Christmas Bird Count. The weather forecast had been calling for more rain, 80% most of the day. We have already had so much rain and I anticipated the… Read more…
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Appreciating a Place
Sense of place…it is a combination of characteristics that makes a place special and unique. ~the Art of Geography I am lucky. I have several wild places that give me that feeling of a sense of place, of completeness, of peace. I think almost any location can become such a place given time to experience… Read more…
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Another Winter Season, Sort Of
What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck It is time for another season of winter wildlife watching. Now, if only the weather would catch up and cooperate. I will have to admit, my group seemed to enjoy the warm conditions as we explored Mattamuskeet… Read more…
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Thankful for Public Lands
Life wants you to have gratitude for the gift of living. Treasure every second. ~ Bryant McGill I am a believer in the value of our public lands. I worked for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation the first 8 years of my career and am still a supporter of that fine organization… Read more…
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An Eye for Eagles
Its soaring flight, with its pure white head and tail glistening in the sunlight, is really inspiring; and it adds grandeur to the scene as it sits in a dignified pose on some dead tree, its white head clearly visible against the dark green of the forest background. ~Arthur Cleveland Bent, 1937 Interestingly, the famed… Read more…
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The Lost Coast
The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place. All through the long history of Earth it has been an area of unrest where waves have broken heavily against the land, where the tides have pressed forward over the continents, receded, and then returned… The shore has a dual nature, changing with the… Read more…
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Fern Canyon
Only spread a fern-frond over a man’s head and worldly cares are cast out, and freedom and beauty and peace come in. ~John Muir The first campground on our recent trip to the redwood forests was at Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. It is a beautiful setting on the beach with… Read more…
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Land of the Giants
Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. ~John Muir The original plan for the recent California trip was destination Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks, in part to see the Giant Sequoia trees. With the fires, partial closures, and air quality issues,… Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 