Roads End Naturalist

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


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  • Birds Galore

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    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

  • Snakes on a Plain (Coastal Plain, that is)

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    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

  • Falcon

    What appeals to us most in this daring little falcon is its lightness and quickness. ~Winsor Marrett Tyler A friend told me about a pair of American Kestrels hanging out in a particular field in Raleigh. I had to run into town for an errand the other day and decided to run by the field… Read more

  • Celebrating Parks – January

    The creation of a park establishes that sense of a special place. When you enter a park – you think differently. You pause and it takes you a little bit out of the rush of time and I think that is why so many families take their kids back and why those kids will take… Read more

  • One Wet Bird, Two Wet Birds…Four Wet Birders

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    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

  • Yellowstone this Summer

    …you will remember these fine, wild views, and look back with joy to your wanderings in the blessed old Yellowstone Wonderland. ~John Muir, 1898 Join me, June 2-9, 2016, for an unforgettable experience in the world’s first national park, Yellowstone! Next summer will mark 100 years since the creation of the National Park Service, and… Read more

  • Appreciating a Place

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    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

  • Another Winter Season, Sort Of

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    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

  • Sky Watching

    There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them. ~Jo Walton I had a trip to Pocosin Lakes and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuges with a great group this past weekend. The birds have arrived (well, maybe not all the birds as yet) and it was… Read more

  • Web Design

    Each of us is a unique strand in the intricate web of life and here to make a contribution. ~Deepak Chopra It seems like all of nature can make a contribution to our well-being, often in surprising ways. I awoke on two mornings this week to dense fog here in the woods. The fog revealed… Read more

Roads End Naturalist

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

Copyright Mike Dunn and Melissa Dowland