The present was an egg laid by the past that had the future inside is shell. ~Zora Neale Hurston This is a quick follow-up to my last post about the breeding congress of Spotted Salamanders two nights ago. I went out last night around 10 pm and checked both pools. In the murky pool (lots… Read more…

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…

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…

I am the hawk and there’s blood in my feathers, but time is still turning they soon will be dry. And all those who see me and all who believe in me, share in the freedom I feel when I fly. ~John Denver Melissa and I were gone on another truck camping adventure for a… Read more…

It is a sad truth, but we have lost the faculty of giving lovely names to things. ~Oscar Wilde I enjoy cold winter days as I tend to pay more attention to the little things in our woods like patterns, surprise colors, and living things that I sometimes pay less attention to in warmer months… Read more…

Ice has a social life. Its changeability shapes the culture, language and stories of those who live near it! ~Robert Macfarlane I went for a walk in our cold woods on Monday and came across some remnant ice patterns left from a combination of heavy rain followed by frigid temperatures while we were away for… Read more…

Many people think of winter as bereft of birds after autumn migrations, but in fact this can be a bountiful season for bird-watchers. ~Val Cunningham It is the time of year when I yearn to be with the birds of Pungo. There is something magical about their abundance, their flight, and their sounds. And the… Read more…

Wild is the music of the autumnal winds amongst the faded woods. ~William Wordsworth I’m trying to get into our woods every few days to see the changes that are occurring as autumn transitions to the bones of winter. The big change this week was the sudden accumulation of oak leaves on the forest floor.… Read more…

The trees will tell their secrets to those who tune in. ~Steven Magee I check the trail cameras once a week or so and am always anxious to see what secrets they uncover in our woods. The past few weeks it has mainly been squirrels chasing each other around and deer, lots of deer. November… Read more…