By Lee Emmons On frigid winter evenings, the hooting of a barred owl (Strix varia) serves as a reminder that the darkened forests of the Northeast are still very much alive with activity. Owls’ nocturnal calling emanates from favorite forest […]
Category: The Outside Story
Column, The Outside Story
Wood turtles are rare (and threatened) beauties
By Michael J. Caduto Last June, my wife Marie and I encountered a mature wood turtle while walking through a forest near our home. We admired the intricate topography of its shell, inspiration for this species’ scientific name: Glyptemys (“carved […]
Column, The Outside Story
Where are our summer birds?
By Susan Shea Mornings are quiet now. Gone is the loud chorus of bird song outside my window that I awoke to in spring and summer. While we brave the cold, snow, and bitter winds of winter by donning extra […]
Column, The Outside Story
Hair ice and frost flowers, ephemeral frozen forms abound
By Laurie D. Morrissey If you are out walking on an early winter morning, you might be lucky enough to see some of nature’s most beautiful and ephemeral sights: hair ice and frost flowers, both snow-white and delicate against the […]
Column, The Outside Story
Common redpolls: Coming to a feeder near you?
By Tyler Hoar As winter settles in, people watching their birdfeeders hope to catch a glimpse of something out of the ordinary – perhaps a visitor from the Far North. Nothing satisfies this desire like the bubbly and charismatic common […]
Column, The Outside Story
Tufted Titmice flock to feeders
By Lee Emmons As winter approaches and snow coats the ground, the tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) will again become a ubiquitous backyard visitor. Familiar to even the most casual observers of nature, titmice readily come to feeders, especially those filled […]
Column, The Outside Story
Mighty oaks of the Northeast
By Susan Shea Rat-a-tat-tat. Showers of acorns hit the ground and tapped our heads as my husband and I hiked the Appalachian Trail. Thousands of acorns strewn across the path atop multi-colored leaves made for treacherous passage. We were hiking […]
Column, The Outside Story
Life goes on in hollow trees
By Tami Gingrich I can’t seem to pass a hollow tree without stopping to snoop. If there is a cavity within reach, an investigation is in order. Wear and tear around a hole, evidence of food items on the ground, […]
Column, The Outside Story
The skinny on voles
By Susie Spikol Bent down in an apple field searching for a lost earring, I found a different treasure: a stout mouse-like animal, with a short tail and stubby ears. It gave me one quick look, then disappeared through a […]
Column, The Outside Story
Life within the brush pile
By Lee Emmon For nearly a decade, I’ve been adding to a brush pile in the woods behind my home. A depository of pruned branches, dead flowers, discarded logs, old leaves, and an occasional Christmas tree, the pile is a […]