Hummers and Bugs Tooling Around Town
The title of this month’s column might lead older readers to expect a treatise about old cars being used for an afternoon outing.
Read MoreThe title of this month’s column might lead older readers to expect a treatise about old cars being used for an afternoon outing.
Read MoreWhen an unusual avian visitor turns up locally, birders tend to get excited. Many birders keep “life lists,” records of all the different bird species that they have seen worldwide…
This year, National Forestry Week took place from July 12th-18th.
This past May, I had the opportunity to experience both wonder and awe when observing two interesting insects busy with life events. While not many people aside from entomologists….
As spring progresses, we’re seeing more mammals on the move. Those whom we unfortunately see dead alongside — or on — roads often include members of the rodent group: groundhogs…
The Brumley Nature Reserves (North and South) are popular recreation sites for walkers, hikers, nature observers and birders. Springtime is especially nice when the birds fill the air…
Not only the emerging daffodils, crocuses, irises, camellias and hellebore flowers are announcing that spring has arrived. The birds returning from their…
The change of seasons “officially” begins on March 20, and we’re still waiting to see whether the continuing cold rains will make this the wettest winter on record in our area.
As mentioned in my last column, not only the evening grosbeaks came to North Carolina during this season’s migratory “irruption.”
If you know birders, you may have heard that this 2020-21 winter season marks an “irruption” year — a period when large numbers of different bird species migrate to places where they’re usually not seen.
Many people who love watching birds focus their attention on nest boxes in the spring and summer in the hope of seeing avian parents bringing food…
Among birders, people who are extremely focused on identifying as many species of birds as possible in their lives — and who will travel great distances to do so — sometimes are known as twitchers. The term is used more often in Europe than in the USA, but the behavior is known here, too. Twitching has a bit of a bad reputation…
The morning temperatures this past week have indicated that winter really is arriving, and we’re saying goodbye to autumn. It’s been a very beautiful season with vibrant yellow, orange and red hues.
Despite the last few mornings of freezing temperatures, we’ve been having some rather warm autumn weather overall. And judging from photos I see posted online, people are still seeing snakes and turtles moving about.
If you follow news about nature, you may have come across warnings that the monarch butterfly has been in dire straits for many years now. These lovely orange and black butterflies migrate in a multi-generational process between Canada and central Mexico in the spring and fall. The last generation to emerge in late summer can live up to eight months…
People who are “into birding” are excited when they see a new bird for the first time. Many keep “life lists” — an account of each different species they have actually seen worldwide…
Autumn has arrived with somewhat cooler temperatures. That seasonal change bodes well…
If you’ve been spending time walking in natural areas or visiting parks like the NC Botanical Garden, have you noticed an increase in the number of hummingbirds that are around? The female birds have raised their young and they, the adult males with beautiful red gorgets (throats) and young…
While we are now well into summer, some avian neighbors were still mating recently and expanding their families. Several bird species have more than one brood each season…
Since 2015, it has been my privilege to participate in a citizen science project run by the Smithsonian Institute called Neighborhood Nestwatch.
When out taking nature walks, our attention is often drawn to the easily visible wildlife around us, such as birds flying by, squirrels scurrying up tree trunks and chipmunks dashing across fields and grassy areas.
Springtime is now in full swing and we can see the signs when we look around as we walk outdoors, especially if we pay attention to the avian life around us. The birds are busy with different phases of their life cycle.
As we hunker down in our homes and shelters to deal with the current viral epidemic, practicing social quarantine and distancing is essential. Keeping away physically from those outside our households can protect them as well as ourselves.
During our recent, brief snowfall, many bird lovers made sure to replenish food supplies for our feathered friends.
Many of us visit garden centers and nurseries to find new plants to beautify our natural surroundings or we receive cuttings and seeds from friends and neighbors.
Our town is fortunate to have county workers who collect yard debris, Christmas trees and leaves during the autumn and winter seasons. The county then sells the processed vegetative material as yard mulch. But rather than buy mulch from them or from stores, it’s worthwhile if we just participate in leaving the leaves on neighborhood and town properties.
In June 2019, the Town of Chapel Hill initiated a voluntary Tree Committee to help “engage the entire Chapel Hill community in enhancing and protecting the town’s tree canopy and urban treescape.”