Tag: tundra swans
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Grand Finale
The song is ended, but the melody lingers on. ~Irving Berlin After leading my last group over a week ago, we decided to make one more trip to Pungo last Friday (it appears letting go truly is hard to do!). Our friend, Meghan, was with us and we decided to do a day trip for Read more…
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My Last Group
Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. ~Dr. Seuss Last weekend, I had the privilege of co-leading a group of folks to two of my favorite NC places, the Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes NWR and Mattamuskeet NWR. It was for a program sponsored by the NC Botanical Garden and New Hope Bird Read more…
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Soundscapes
The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind. ~Carly Simon I was back in my favorite spot in North Carolina this past week – Pocosin Lakes NWR. A lot has changed on the refuge since my first visit back in the early 1980’s. Back then, you could walk almost anywhere this time of Read more…
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Those White Winter Birds
Twenty thousand birds moved away from me as one, like a ground-hugging white cloud… ~Michael Pollan I managed a couple of trips to my favorite NC winter place recently and was rewarded with some wonderful scenes of wide colorful skies, masses of birds, quiet moments of watching wildlife, and some surprises. I’ll cover much of 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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They’re Back and All is Right with the World
Birds have always had the ability to bring me out of a dark space and provide relief in bad times. ~Jason Ward You may have noticed I have fallen way behind in my musings on the natural world this past month. I still haven’t even finished posting about our last road trip back in October! Read more…
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They’re Baaaaack
The homing instinct in birds and animals is one of their most remarkable traits: their strong local attachments and their skill in finding their way back…It seems at times as if they possessed some extra sense—the home sense—which operates unerringly. ~John Burroughs, 1905 Last weekend we managed to escape for a couple of days and Read more…
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Refuge Renewal
In such surroundings – occasional as our visits may be – we can achieve that kind of physical and spiritual renewal that comes alone from the wonder of the natural world. ~Laurence Rockefeller It is the season of renewal for me, the season of experiencing some of the wild spectacles of this place I call Read more…
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Now, More Than Ever
A poem for the new year, accompanied by a short video clip of a sunrise with tundra swans at the Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge last week. May we all find peace in the coming year. The Peace of Wild Things, by Wendell Berry When despair for the world grows in me Read more…
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December Scenes
If we can somehow retain places where we can always sense the mystery of the unknown, our lives will be richer. ~Sigurd F. Olson Wildlife refuges, parks, open spaces – these are the special places I love. And we are lucky here in North Carolina to have an incredible variety of public lands to enjoy. Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 