Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
Zero to Eighteen in Two Weeks Two years ago, a pair of Cassin’s vireos 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 Cassin’s Vireo 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
There might be moose. North Idaho News posted these photos and cautioned hikers and climbers to be wary. “How is this not an invitation?” I thought. To me, it falls under the “don’t publicize wildlife sightings so as not to draw a crowd.” However, Q’emiln … Continue readingQ’emiln Park
What scares a moose? A bigger moose? A bear?A mountain lion? I’d heard that moose are ornery. Many experienced outdoors people say they’re more afraid of moose than anything else out there. When I spotted a young cow moose at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, I … Continue readingA Moose Encounter
Plunging into a cavernous ravine from atop the Columbia plateau, Palouse Falls descends 200 feet into the Palouse River in southeastern Washington. The canyon scoured by this water is almost 400 feet deep and has sheer basalt walls. Like most geology in the inland northwest, … Continue readingPalouse Falls
They said to see the sea turtles, get in the water by 9 am. When I went to bed last night, I thought, I’ll go in the morning, but not by 9 am. I’d just arrived in Culebra, Puerto Rico, this morning after traveling fifteen … Continue readingSnorkeling Culebra: Tamarindo Bay
How have I lived this long without knowing about needle ice!? Late last fall, I was on a hike when I first saw it. When it’s intact, it camouflages with the surrounding soil. Footfalls crunch over the top of it like ordinary frozen ground. Yet, … Continue readingNeedle Ice
Two miles, two hours. That’s a good wander. It’s hazy, with a strong breeze off the Gulf of Mexico pushing the waves further up on the soft sand of Surfside Beach. Although the thermometer reads 72°, this cool wind necessitates a sweatshirt. I roll up … Continue readingSurfside Beach Wander
Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. accidental discovery Planned In October, I went to Estes Park, Colorado, the hotbed of elk activity, to photograph the rut. There weren’t many elk around, and Moraine Park was empty. Unplanned Later, I was in Northern … Continue readingTule Elk Rut
The Search Begins In December, I came to northern California to commune with bobcats and bask in blue skies and warm sunshine. Rain was forecast for parts of the first two days (the trailing end of an atmospheric river bringing snow to my mountain home). … Continue readingDate with a Bobcat