As I walked along the harvested cornfield a small flock of light-colored birds took rapid flight. These were one of the smallest winter visitors to our area, the Snow Bunting. Sometimes described as an Arctic specialist, this is the most northern breeding song bird on Earth. The birds are lovely all year, but the breeding… Read more
Some people find the winter months a bleak time for watching local birds because most of the colorful songbirds have fled to warmer climes. Fortunately, our warming winters mean we can enjoy Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, and a few other pretty faces but all those showy warblers are long gone. I enjoy this time of… Read more
Mike could hardly believe his eyes as he stalked as close as he dared to the apparition on the stony beach. If you are persistent and patient, long hours of searching sometimes pay off in unexpected moments. Mike settled into position and began taking shots he had hardly imagined would come his way. The focus… Read more
To call this iconic bird “common” seems an insult but it distinguishes one of our favorite birds from other loons in the Gavia genus, such as the red throated, Pacific and Great Northern loons. But any Maine tourist worth her salt can spot these stunning black and white, red eyed birds at a distance. I… Read more
The bass gave an audible gulp as it broke the water in front of the boat. I assumed Lew had hooked another smallmouth, since he had out-fished me handily most of the morning. When I turned to see if Lew was into another good fish, I noticed that his line was nowhere near the circles… Read more
“Yeeeah!” John again, from his seat in the front of the drift boat. I turned just as a good fish somersaulted out of the river, John fighting to retrieve line so the fish could not throw the tiny fly on the next leap. “Woohoo” shouted John as the landlocked salmon cartwheeled, splashing water as it… Read more
On April 24th this year, NBC’s Today show featured a report from Rockport, Massachusetts. The story related a rash of damaged vehicles with over 20 owners reporting smashed side mirrors, and possibly one windshield. It takes a lot of power to break modern auto glass with its vinyl reinforcing. Was this a terrorist incident or… Read more
Beavering On! At a snail’s pace, I belly crawled down the bank toward the beaver pond. Pushing the fresh aspen branch in front of me, I screened my approach as much as possible. The big male eyed me from the water, clearly uncertain how to respond to this unusual visit. Nearly breathless with anticipation, I… Read more
It was cold in the dark October woods, thank goodness for my down jacket. As dawn crept slowly over the horizon behind me a faint glow began to light the trees. My eyes picked up movement just in front of me but not a whisper of sound. Frozen in my seat I sensed a patch… Read more
People sometimes ask where I find ideas for my monthly columns, as if I might soon be running out of story lines after more than 12 years. It occurred to me that they might be gently suggesting it is time for me to cease and desist, fading away like an old soldier. The simple fact… Read more