Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
Over the nine years that I’ve lived here, I’ve been gradually creating habitat and homes for native wildlife. It’s a slow, but rewarding, process. We’ve left the lawn immediately adjacent to the pond unmowed since we arrived. I’ve been planting native species and pulling weeds … Continue readingPond Life
People say that we are like our pets. My dog, Bridger, has been exploring these woods with me since puppyhood. As a Vizsla, he is hard-wired for searching and finding. It’s amazing to watch him grid-search a field, nose to the ground, at a full … Continue readingFinder of Things: My Dog and the Coyotes
There’s eight inches of snow on the ground with another four expected as the snow is continuing to fall. The roads are slushy, snowy, slippery and dangerous. Work called a snow day – stay home, stay safe. The wind periodically gusts blowing the snow sideways, … Continue readingSnow Day
One of my favorite things about winter is seeing the tracks in the snow of all of the animals that share these woods with me. The snow faithfully documents all of their comings and goings. Since my dogs “see” with their noses, they always know … Continue readingRevealed in the Snow
Cooper’s hawks appear in our yard, from time to time, scoping out the bird feeder action. They are medium-sized hawks that prey primarily on smaller birds. Years ago, I watched one pluck and eat a mourning dove at our old house. Since then, I haven’t … Continue readingOur Hunting Hawk
As the seasons change, so do the birds that frequent my backyard feeders. The regulars are always around – the ubiquitous house sparrows, the happy house finches, and the daily morning visits of blue jays looking for their peanuts, always announcing their arrival. The jays … Continue readingFall at the Feeders
It’s an unseasonably cool fall day but the sun makes it feel warm. After a lot of rain and even some snow flurries yesterday, the blue sky is a welcome sight. As the sun started to dip low in the sky, I went out for … Continue readingTree Stories
The war against the Japanese beetles starts every June. They cluster on the leaves of their preferred plants, my raspberries. They can defoliate and kill young plants. Mostly, they just eat my berries. On this comfortable day, the sky is blue dotted with puffy white … Continue readingLife on a Spicebush
Sunday morning, my dog, Bridger, was particularly interested in two spruce trees at the edge of our yard. With all of the wildlife that comes and goes, I was curious to see what he’d found. I went near where he was and cautiously looked under … Continue readingResident Ducks
Everything is greening up after a gray, gray winter. Our summer visitors are returning. This pair of geese has been nesting somewhere near our pond for many years now. Despite the small size of the pond, we’ve never been able to find their nest. Each … Continue readingSpring Around the Yard