tales from the wild metropolis
"Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?" With Thanksgiving less than 2 weeks away, that's the question on everyone's lips. Even those who don't have lips, like the barred owl (Strix varia)—a species that seems to be innately, and oddly, curious about kitchen staffing. If these owls had access to cable television I'm sure... Continue Reading →
Fright-night is lurking just around the corner. Frankensteins, mummies, zombies, ghosts, and golems will soon leave their lairs to roam freely through our cities and suburbs, searching for something to eat. Butterfingers, Baby Ruths, and brains—oh my! Reanimated but mindless creatures? HA! They don’t scare me. It’s the ones I’m not so sure I could... Continue Reading →
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. An astute observation by the Bard, but a bit misleading. Had Will but ventured beyond the Globe Theater’s door he may have realized that humans aren’t the only animals who have acting chops. I’m not talking about critters who pose in front... Continue Reading →
There’s been a marked decline in the number of sunspots over the past decade or so. That’s what NASA scientists say, and I have no reason to doubt their research findings. Luckily, I haven’t observed any reduction in the terrestrial version of this phenomenon. Hardly a day has passed lately when I’ve not been blinded... Continue Reading →
One of the things I like best about traveling is hearing different accents, turns of phrase, the variations in cadence and rhythms of speech unique to a specific place. Now that there’s a Starbucks on nearly every commercial district corner, and big box stores are shading out the retail undergrowth, it can be easy to... Continue Reading →
The melody seeped into my REM cycle, making me just lucid enough to believe someone was singing a cappella outside my window. But my sleep-clouded brain couldn’t make out the words and I didn’t recognize the voice either. Besides, who would want to serenade me? My sweetheart, perhaps, but he lives two hours away by... Continue Reading →
What has webbed feet, waterproof feathers, a broad bill… and nests in a tree? Don’t let that last clue fool you. While it’s true most ducks build their nests on the ground, the wood duck (Aix sponsa) aims a little higher. This species is easy to recognize, at least as adults. The male is a... Continue Reading →
The semester is winding down, so I can’t say I was all that surprised to hear a soft, kittenish mewing coming from the small wedge of remnant wooded habitat between my apartment parking lot and the highway. I’ve mentioned before that I live in a complex near campus and, sadly, it’s common for a new... Continue Reading →
Next-Door Nature 