June, 2009
AWOL at the beach
Hello from the Atlantic seaboard! Have spent the last several days visiting family in Ocean City, MD, followed by a short excursion to Tangier Island, VA (in the Chesapeake Bay). I also chased after a rare bird–Roseate Spoonbill–in Delaware. Great weather, abundant scenery, and luscious coastal lighting made for some decent photography. More stories and [...]
Birding Mag Wants Your Birding & Conservation News
Here’s a good opportunity for conservation and birding organizations to promote their work and their causes (and hats off to ABA for this new feature!): Birding magazine, published by the American Birding Association (ABA), will soon be publishing regular compilations of very short (~150 words) announcements and summaries of news stories with broad interest to [...]
Day…ah,who’s counting, anymore?: Operation Rodentia Freedom
If you watched the scores drop in my battle with chipmunks and squirrels on Monday, you’ll understand why I’ve kept mum on the subject for a few days. I laid three traps in the yard, placing them snug against the house or barn. At first things looked good. I started off with a clear advantage: [...]
Five Reasons to Climb a Mountain This Summer
Another installment in my Adirondacks series: I want to show you five reasons you should climb a mountain in the Adirondacks this summer: And now I want to give you five easy Adirondack mountains to climb. So head on over to Rochester’s City Newspaper Summer Guide ’09, which just published my list of Five Easy Hikes [...]
Day One: Operation Rodentia Freedom
1:28 pm: Humans 3: Rodents 4 1:00 pm update: Humans 3: Rodents 3 11:40 am update: Humans 3: Rodents 2 “NO MORE” is the slogan around here. No more chipmunks burrowing tunnels in our flower beds and underneath the already-crumbling foundation of our pre-1880s barn. No more squirrels scurrying through walls and storing walnuts [...]
Solving Widget Problems after WordPress 2.8 upgrade
Alert: Techy post ahead! I dedicate this post to the subset of nature/bird bloggers who not only use the WordPress blogging platform, but who also use the “Thesis” theme as their premium design overlay (WordPress is just the background of the site, the design you see “over” it is called a theme). You’re out there! I’ve [...]
Good Reading: Quest for the Capercaillie
Victoria James’ description of her quest to see the elusive Capercaillie, a very large, rare grouse found only in the ancient Caledonian pine forest of the Scottish Highlands, begins simple enough: Right now, in pubs across the country, you will hear earnest knots of men – and maybe a few women – discussing lifers. They’re not [...]
Head on Over To “I and the Bird” #102
I want to point out that the long-running “I and The Bird” carnival organized by 10000birds.com is being hosted this week by Amber Coakley of The Birder’s Lounge. Amber added a touch of geo-tagging to each blog in this, the 102nd carnival. Nice addition, as I always wonder where in the world the wonderful pool [...]
Adirondack Bug Bonnet Helped Keep Black Flies at Bay
This is a Bug Bonnet, a handmade work of wonder by Adirondacker Marjorie Swift, a woman who lives with her family off the grid at the base of Whiteface Mountain. The hat is handmade from sturdy cotton has a band of tulle netting that can be lowered down over your face and neck and tucked into [...]
Another Adirondack Birding Festival, June 19-21
Hey there! Yet another Adirondack birding festival to report. Coming THIS WEEKEND, June 19 – 21, the 5th Annual Hamilton County Birding Festival will take place. Click here for a list of birds you might get to see during this festival. You won’t find a single traffic light in Hamilton County, which is the third largest [...]
