tales from the wild metropolis
Whenever I see a Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) at this time of year I'm reminded of my days as Executive Director of the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, back in the late 1990s. For a few weeks every winter, the waxwings would appear by the cardboard box-full and the clinic would turn into… well, a different... Continue Reading →
How can one small voice cut through the cacophony of modern metropolitan life? A recently published study, combined with some earlier work, suggests that contrary to what you might assume, the secret to city communication isn’t shouting. Urban background noise is heavily weighted toward the lower sound frequencies of 20 to 200 Hz—think diesel engines... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Most years, snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus*) are homebodies, satisfied to stay put in the sweeping, flat, treeless tundra, even as calendar pages flip past the holidays and into a new tax season. Most of their snowbird neighbors take off each winter to visit second homes in warmer... Continue Reading →
The holidays are well behind us now. Shorter days and Jack Frost nipping at your nose have lost their novelty. It’s the start of a more serious season, filled with snowplows, tire chains, and 10-pound sacks of litter that will never feel a kitty’s caress. In many parts of the northern hemisphere, it’s a long... Continue Reading →
Old Man Winter finally blew into my town earlier this week. I like sleeping with the window slightly open and he slipped silently past the softly snoring mini-blind sentry, fanning out across the bedroom carpet as a layer of gelid air ready to catch my bare feet off guard as they carelessly kicked back toasty... Continue Reading →
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans throw out 34 million tons of food each year—an average of 93 thousand tons per day, and some experts estimate the amount triples on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Food for thought, while making another trip to the garbage can following our national day of feasting. Waste not,... Continue Reading →
Could there be a holiday more representative of the true nature of American culture than Thanksgiving? Considered the least commercial of our national holidays, yet the true theme of the day is consumption. Family, food, and football are all available in quantities large enough to cause a bit of indigestion. Moreover, the entire event is... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you just need to shut out the world for a while, you know? If you can’t relate, I know the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) certainly can. Whether the threat is carnivores or towers of cardboard boxes and a demanding career, there are times when nothing beats a little self-imposed solitary confinement. Carrying... Continue Reading →
Next-Door Nature 