For those who have noticed a dearth of notes, let me say that I only post a note when I learn something, and there is...
Gentille Alouette
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Outdoor Notes
Enjoy some of my most recent notes or search to find something in the archives.
Out on a Limb
I normally like to be fairly certain about the identities of the critters I post in these notes, but sometimes I just...
Hurricane Sallies
Outdoors folks get excited, and rightly so, about vernal pools. Vernal, of course refers to springtime, and one...
Early Goldenrod
What a difference 600 feet makes. In my back yard, the Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is just breaking into bloom....
Considerate Lilia
No, this note is not about a considerate lady named Lilia. The title is in Latin (considerate sorta rhymes with “a cup...
Shootin’ Dragons
There is a small pond nearby that hosts great numbers of dragonflies. It is large enough to pull in the bigger...
Common Ringlet
Last year I was up in Centre County on 16 May, and I saw a butterfly that I had never seen before. I only managed to...
Almost
I almost missed it. It was right in front of me, and I almost missed it. I was even looking down, looking for...
A Good Day
I try not to do this, try not to inflict one of those self-absorbed, egotistical chronicles about “what I did on the...
Voice of the Turtle
I was driving north on 235 the other day and passed a small church along the side of the road. As is common these...
Spotted Turtle
There are only about thirteen species of turtle in Pennsylvania, maybe nine of those are found in the Central Ridge...
Cherish the Ladies
Long ago I served in Hawai’i. When I left the islands, I bought a wildlife painting to commemorate my tour. The...
Critter of the Year, 2012
April is usually a little early for dragonflies. I pick up a few Green Darners (Anax junius) throughout the month, but...
Jamaican Shovellers
Ever wonder about scientific names? Me too, especially ones that seem easy to translate, but hard to understand. I...
The Dying of the Year
As October fades and November approaches, there is always a sense of loss. Certainly there is still much to see in the...
Like a Butterfly
Like most critters, butterflies are not indifferent to the promptings of l’amour. It is not uncommon to see a pair...
Of Ignorance and Affirmation (2: Affirmation)
orner, literally turned a corner, into a sunny field and, at the nadir of my poor, battered self-esteem, I came across...
Of Ignorance and Affirmation (Part 1: Ignorance)
I think it says something good about my strength character that I have not given up on trying to identify Skippers....
Red-footed Cannibals
One hates to dispute with the Bard. He is dead, after all, and cannot defend himself, but I’m not sure he’s right...
Murder ‘midst the Mint
It was a sultry hot summer’s day in late July. The air was redolent of the spicy cool odor of spearmint that filled...