Winter Gold
It’s so refreshing to find a bit of color in all the grays and browns of winter. I loved the gold moss on this old cottonwood (at least I’m assuming it’s a cottonwood) in the Sandy River Delta. TweetShareRead More
Moving Rattlesnakes Humanely
We don’t bother the Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes that live on the wilder parts of our property. It’s easy enough to walk around them. But when they appear near our yurt and garden, it’s a little close for comfort (…)Read More
Paw Prints
On this day of global action for climate change, I’m once again too busy on the land — preparing garlic beds, planting cover crops, taking stock of what we need to do to manage our ponderosa pine forests and weed-infested pastures — to participate in group events (…)Read More
Douglas Fir: Species of the Week
I’ve spent most of my life among Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga sp.) Although I love other trees and plant communities, Douglas fir forests still speak to me of home. In the Pacific Northwest, they’re ubiquitous from the Cascades to the coast. Douglas fir and other conifers of the region are why I’ve never felt at ease in the deciduous forests of eastern North America (as lovely as they are), where bare branches in winter make me especially homesick….Read More
Local Communities Promote Vultures
For International Vulture Awareness Day, I highlight some exciting community initiatives on two endangered vulture species I posted on last spring: The California Condor and White-Rumped Vulture….Read More
Wild Elderberries
I’m excited to try my new steam juicer on this first crop of wild elderberries. Mixed with a little honey, the juice disappears pretty fast in our home. But later batches may make it into jelly, wine, or apple pies. TweetShareRead More
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake: Species of the Week
I had originally planned to post on another species this week. In fact, I have a backlog of species that have been inspiring and distracting me. But rattlesnakes have a way of making themselves heard above the din of all else [...] Read More
Hello Rattlesnake
I haven’t seen a rattlesnake all season. Then yesterday, down by our spring, I saw three. I ran back to the yurt…for the camera. I’ve been wanting to get some good rattler photos. I’ll need to keep working on it. This photo doesn’t do justice to the snake’s beauty. Even when I closed in to [...]Read More
Bat in the Closet
My nephew – an expert critter finder – has been visiting this week. He was exploring the old homestead on our property in northeast Oregon and found this gorgeous bat in the closet. The ears are amazing. I snapped a few photos and then left it alone. I don’t have a good mammal field guide [...]Read More
More Chipping Sparrows
Last week, I mentioned a late nest of chipping sparrows in a small tree near our parking area. Now I have some pictures. You can see how tiny the tree is in the photo below. The nest is about two-thirds of the way up the tree. Soft-hearted Jerry put up the fence to protect the [...]Read More
Chipping Sparrow: Species of the Week
A number of small, brown songbirds have enlivened my spring and early summer on a daily basis. One is the chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) [...] Read More
Mystery Eggs Hatched
The eggs hidden in the rusty tool box have hatched. Hatchlings hoping the camera will feed them. Haven’t been able to spot the parents yet. If anyone knows what species this is, please leave a comment and let me know. Perhaps they’ll develop some more identifiable features before they fledge. TweetShareRead More
Cougar: Species of the Week
In three months of writing this series, I have yet to cover a mammal, or any species with big teeth or claws. So this week, I ponder a mammal with both. It’s the land animal with the largest range in the Americas, from southern Canada to to the southern tip of the Andes: Felis concolor, more commonly known as cougar, mountain lion, catamount, or puma.Read More
White-Rumped Vulture: Species of the Week
About a month ago, I wrote a post on California condors, birds that had been haunting my imagination for some time. While browsing information for that post, I learned about the plight of carrion-eaters once common in the plains of Nepal, Pakistan, and India.Read More
I lived in the plains of Nepal for three years in the late 80s and early 90s and also traveled through India during that time. I remember seeing parakeets, egrets, mynahs, and many colorful songbirds. But even though I must have passed by them hundreds of times, I don’t remember seeing Gyps bengalensis, the White-Rumped Vulture (also referred to as the Oriential White-Backed Vulture). Nor do I remember associated species, such as G.indicus (Long-billed vulture) or G.tenuirostris (Tender-billed Vulture). And they were all probably abundant….Read More
Trilliums in the City
I craved trilliums yesterday but didn’t have the energy to drive far. And with 92,000 acres of green space in Portland, Oregon, I didn’t have to. I drove ten minutes across town and entered 645 acres of trillium heaven in Tryon Creek State Park. A washed-out footbridge detoured me onto a horse trail, but I [...]Read More
California Condor: Species of the Week
For writers, the birds inside the head can sometimes be as lively as the ones outside the window. I’ve had a twenty-two pound bird with a ten-foot wing span squawking and flapping in my imagination for awhile now…Read More
A Wordless Wildflower Day
Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon TweetShareRead More
Pacific Tree Frog: Species of the Week
Right on schedule for the spring equinox, Pseudacris regilla arrived several days ago in my backyard pond here in Portland, Oregon. I haven’t seen him yet, but I hear him every night inviting females to join him in his half wine barrel. Read More
Introducing “Species of the Week”
I grew up an introverted, only child. With my cat or rabbit stretched out beside me, I spent many evenings curled up in some cozy corner, thumbing through animal books…Read More
Bringing in the Wild
Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. Photo: Maxim Zakhartsev I need inspiration to get back to my book. Last year during this time, I pulled out of winter hibernation and began a strong spurt of writing by bringing the wild indoors. I tempted my muses – various species of Saccharomyces – with some flour and pineapple juice. For [...]Read More
