by don | Aug 7, 2013
Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Dallas. And I’m sure that if you like big, hot, crowded cities the big “D” has lots to offer. But when I met my guest, from Dallas, on the Blue Ridge Parkway last Friday morning, with the temperature in the 60s, she...
by don | Jul 25, 2013
Purple martin “scouts” are some of the earliest harbingers of spring. I recorded one in February at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana during last year’s Great Backyard Bird Count and it’s not uncommon for them to show up in Florida in January. The...
by don | Jul 18, 2013
Carolina birder Matt Daw from Raleigh was videoing a least bittern last week as it foraged at Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. In an interview, Daw said he was looking through the viewfinder at the bittern when suddenly, an interloper...
by don | Jul 11, 2013
The regional environmental group Wild South has a hike planned for July 13 into the heart of, what they hope will soon be, one of the wildest national scenic areas in the country. Wild South and its partners and supporters have been marshaling support for the proposed...
by don | Jul 4, 2013
And ye elf and sprite lovers and lovers of the Bard whose words have seeped so deeply into the fabric of our language that even those who’ve never seen them toss them out with a knowing nod – get thee soon to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater at 100 Gay Street in...
by don | Jun 26, 2013
I’ve written about these small nocturnal hang gliders before but I posted a pic of a group from my home, on Facebook, the other day and it produced more than 70 likes in one day (and I know it wasn’t the quality of the photo,) so I thought I would share our little...
by don | Jun 25, 2013
Every year as summer approaches and the days begin to heat up I marvel at the beautiful orange explosion that protrudes from an unkempt patch of daylilies and Queen Anne’s lace that was once (BC – before children) a more kempt flowerbed. The butterfly weed (Asclepias...
by don | Jun 10, 2013
As we turn to bask in the full glow of the summer sun, mornings begin to heat up quickly and as they heat they become quieter. The Neotropical migrants that arrive in waves in April and early May filling forests, glades, parks and backyards with the lustful music of...
by don | May 19, 2013
What could be more fun than a weekend of fellowship and great birding? Maybe setting a new record for total number of species recorded during the annual Great Smoky Mountains Birding Expedition? This year was the 29th installment of the Great Smoky Mountains Birding...
by don | May 5, 2013
We’ve had a good run in the watershed. The Town of Waynesville has sponsored spring and fall guided hikes in its 8,000-plus acre watershed since 2007. The hikes provide a great way for residents and other interested parties to see this wonderful resource that has been...
