Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
The Black Skimmer’s Latin name is Rynchops niger Ryn = Nose or Beak Chops = Cut off They leave a lasting impression – these comical, gregarious shorebirds. Black skimmers gather in large social colonies on flat, sandy Atlantic beaches. … Continue readingBlack Skimmers
Once I notice one pair of golden eyes glaring back at me, I see them throughout the grasslands here. How did I not know there are burrowing owls here!?! A lot of burrowing owls. I’ve explored Antelope Island State Park in Utah twice before. Antelope … Continue readingBurrowing Owls at Antelope Island
I was heading for the Vermillion Cliffs condor release site in northern Arizona. An internet search indicated this is a good place to see critically endangered California condors in the wild. When I’d mentioned to locals in Kanab, Utah, that I was going looking for … Continue readingCondors in Northern Arizona
Zero to Eighteen in Two Weeks Two years ago, a pair of western flycatchers nested above a light under the eave of our garage in North Idaho. After the chicks fledged, Rob removed the nest. Our research suggested that songbirds prefer not to use the … Continue readingA Western Flycatcher Nest
Question what you think you know. Grebes I thought, “I don’t need binoculars to identify that bird.” Nobody’s got a bill like that but a Northern Shoveler. The drab, dull brown feathers mean she must be a female, and she’s kinda far away for a … Continue readingBirds! Birds! Birds! at Fernan Lake
The Gulf Coast It’s a place of contrasts. “Is it pretty?” people ask. “It depends where you’re standing and which way you’re looking,” comes the response from a long-time resident. There’s no better summary of the topography. Industrial chemical plants comprised of steel pipes, metal … Continue readingBrazoria, Texas
A Pictorial On the rolling hills of Point Reyes National Seashore, gophers drive the ecosystem. In addition to sustaining coyotes, foxes, weasels, and bobcats, this makes for happy hunting for all manner of raptors: kestrels, red-tail hawks, great horned owls, white-tailed kites, northern harriers, and … Continue readingThe Birds of Point Reyes National Seashore
When we moved into our house, the previous owners had left a metal water trough. Our five acres border over 100 acres of public forest land in a place where even private land is pretty wild. I’m excited to see the “backyard” wildlife we have. … Continue readingThe Water Drip
The Scenic Byway A Washington State scenic byway twists and turns following a 25-mile stretch of the Yakima River through the Yakima Canyon. The sheer cliffs rise 2000 feet above the river, providing ideal nesting habitat for raptors, home to the state’s densest nesting … Continue readingYakima Canyon Scenic Byway
In north Idaho, osprey are ubiquitous. They are migratory fish hawks who winter along the southern US coasts and summer primarily along the eastern US coast, around the Great Lakes, northern Canada, and in the Pacific Northwest. Nesting platforms are common. These tall posts with … Continue readingOsprey Nest