tales from the wild metropolis
It's a fine world, though rich in hardships at times. ~ Larry McMurtry There's a sweetness in the lament of a mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) that makes the sorrow bearable, and believable. Theirs isn't an pop tune about a hookup with a hook, or a power ballad tale of infatuation, thrill, and transitory heartbreak. When... Continue Reading →
I found a blue jay feather this morning while I was out walking my dog, Dash. That isn't remarkable — jays are a common species here, and because the color blue is relatively scarce in the natural environment (except for the sky) it's eye-catching. I've started an informal collection, compiled on some shelves near my... Continue Reading →
Supermarket tabloids love just-like-us features so they pay paparazzi top dollar to catch somebodies acting like nobodies. Today I'm focused on the Towhees. They like to keep a low profile but I'm a pro and I know how to find them. First Rule of Papping: Ya can't tell the players without a scorecard! It also... Continue Reading →
Terrier-boy transformed into a velociraptor before my very eyes! We were walking along, minding our own business, when a momentary ruffling of leaves on the side of the pavement captured Dash's attention and instinct took over... head periscopes right... ears swivel forward, nostrils flare... field of vision narrows, eyes become lasers... muscles tense into compressed... Continue Reading →
But never met this Fellow, Attended or alone, Without a tighter Breathing, and Zero at the Bone. Unlike Emily Dickinson, ophiophobia isn't an issue for me. I like snakes and know them to be upstanding ecosystem citizens... umm, ok, upstanding probably isn't the best descriptor for creatures without legs but you get my drift. Of... Continue Reading →
Identifying songbirds by their calls is not my forte. Sure, I can distinguish most common backyard residents with distinctive voices, including mourning doves (Coo.... coo, coo), Carolina chickadees (Fee-bee-fee-bay or chickadee-dee-dee), American robins (Cheerily, cheer-up, cheer-up! Cheerily, cheer-up!!), red-winged blackbirds (Conk-la-ree!), and the northern cardinal (Birdie, birdie, birdie! Cheer, cheer, cheer! — no wonder the... Continue Reading →
African elephants (Loxodonta africana) aren't usually considered an urban wildlife species but I'd come a long way and wanted to see them while I was in South Africa. The built environment just doesn't have the amenities Earth's largest living terrestrial mammal needs to feel at home. Africa's elephants prefer dense forests, woodlands, deserts, and even... Continue Reading →
My flight into Cape Town landed early last night, just before 9p. That was fine by me since, by that point, I'd been on the plane about 11.5 hours, and in transit from Blacksburg, Virginia for about 31 hours. For the next 10 days I'll be co-leading an international field experience for some of my... Continue Reading →
Next-Door Nature 