Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
I haven’t seen a junco since mid-April. It’s hard to mark the day they leave except to note when some has time gone by since I’d last noticed one. Here, they mark the beginning of winter and the promise of spring. As the juncos leave, … Continue readingChanging Seasons: Spring
As we pulled into the empty parking in the early morning sun, a red-tailed hawk flew by in dogged pursuit of a raven. I wonder what raven mischief raised the hawk’s ire. It’s a windy, windy day and they seem to get blown past us … Continue readingCougar Bay Hike in Coeur d’Alene
I arrived in the dark rain at 5:15am to meet the local coordinator for the annual midwest spring survey of Sandhill and Whooping Cranes. He was there to unlock the gate and let me into this state park that doesn’t open until dawn. When I … Continue readingAnnual Midwest Crane Count
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
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
Predicting the fleeting bloom of spring ephemerals takes some work. A photographer friend had been scouting Messenger Woods in Lemont for the spring bloodroot bloom for a couple of weeks. Each bloom only lasts one day, so there’s only a small window of time to … Continue readingSpring Wildflowers and More
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