Tag: river otter
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Mustelid Moments
We need the tonic of wildness, — to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground. ~Henry David Read more…
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Millpond Meander
This is everybody’s dream swamp… ~A.B. Coleman (the man who donated Merchants Millpond to the state for a park) Over a week ago, Melissa and I managed a two night get-away to one of our favorite state parks, Merchants Millpond. I think Mr. Coleman was right, this may be everybody’s “dream swamp”. It combines an Read more…
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Day-tripping
I just take it one day at a time, and it always leads you to the right place. ~ Kyle Massey My two recent trips to Pungo were two day trips, leaving home before dawn and leaving the refuge after sunset. While not the ideal way to do this, even a day trip can yield Read more…
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Refuge Ramble, Part 2 – Pea Island and Alligator River
Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. ~John Muir This is the last in a series on my wanderings last week in eastern North Carolina and is about the middle of my trip when I visited the coast. After Read more…
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Refuge Ramble – Pocosin Lakes and Mattamuskeet
Our public lands – whether a national park or monument, wildlife refuge, forest or prairie – make each one of us land-rich. It is our inheritance as citizens of a country called America. ~Terry Tempest Williams Last week was another of those times I really appreciate our public lands. I spent four days on the Read more…
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1 Bird, 2 Birds, …and some cool other stuff
Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own. ~Charles Dickens This past Thursday was our annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count at Pettigrew State Park. As usual, Melissa and I covered our part of the count circle, much of the Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. We had planned to Read more…
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Return to Merchants Millpond
Paradise is just a paddle away. ~Author unknown When I worked as a District Naturalist for the state park system oh-so-many years ago, one of my favorite parks was Merchants Millpond State Park in northeastern North Carolina. It is a true natural gem of our state and remains one of my favorite spots to spend Read more…
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Refuges as refuge
For every day of loneliness we endure, we’ll spend a day in communion with the life around us until the loneliness passes away. ~Richard Louv If you have read previous posts on this blog, you know that we are lucky to live in a beautiful wooded setting with abundant wildlife from insects to birds. But Read more…
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Otterly Fantastic (and more)
The heron and the otter are my friends And we are all connected to each other In a circle, in a hoop that never ends! ~Carl Binder A few days after our virtual program outing, I decided to make a day trip to the refuges for some quiet time watching wildlife. I headed out last Read more…
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Another Winter Season
We are not the only species who lives and dreams on our planet. There is something enduring that circulates in the heart of nature that deserves our respect and attention. ~Terry Tempest Williams I ended my winter tour season last weekend, a little earlier than usual, but it finished on a spectacular note. I had Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 