by don | Dec 6, 2017
Some time around mid-September I added tic number 207 to my 2017 bird list. It was a merlin I saw one afternoon along the Blue Ridge Parkway while I was watching migrating broad-winged hawks. Then – nothing; nothing for a long time. Not that there weren’t some great...
by don | Nov 8, 2017
Don’t you love the way it rolls off the tongue – “spec–mm-dsgt?” As in, “what time is it spec-mm-dsgt?” It’s a simple acronym that solves all the standard vs. daylight saving time acrimony. It stands for (you’ve probably already figured it out as it’s self...
by don | Oct 25, 2017
Two years in a row – for this Hendershot family that’s like a tradition. We pedaled the Virginia Creeper Trail again this year for my bride’s birthday. We did it last year and you can read about it here: http://www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/18877-creep-on....
by don | Oct 11, 2017
I had the pleasure of leading a birding trip for Alarka Expeditions on Friday September 29. I had been in the field the previous two weeks and migration seemed to be going strong, so I was expecting a pretty birdy outing. And things started well. We ran into a number...
by don | Aug 30, 2017
Two independent natural phenomena have occurred over the past few days that will be etched in the memories, minds and hearts of people across the country and around the world. A total solar eclipse sailed out of the Pacific Ocean and started its trek above terra firma...
by don | Aug 16, 2017
Friends and followers of “The Naturalist’s Corner” know I’m keeping a year-list of birds I see/hear this year. As I wrote in an earlier column, “I was just curious about how many different species of birds I normally run into throughout the year.” And I have a great...
by don | Jul 19, 2017
Issues surrounding the management of the country’s national forests have always been thorny. It’s easy to see why – there are numerous user groups that, on the face, often appear to be at odds regarding how national forests should be managed. The USDA Forest Service...
by don | Jul 7, 2017
There was much concern regarding the noonday globe snail, Petera clarkia nantahala, after the Tellico Fire burned through the Nantahala Gorge last fall. The noonday globe is a federally endangered species known only from a small region of calcareous cliffs in the...
by don | Jun 25, 2017
Another spring – another season of bird points in the can. Each spring brings its own unique set of adventures, dilemmas and logistical challenges. This season was tinged with poignancy, as it was the first season without long-time (long-time as in, since 2004 when...
by don | Jun 9, 2017
I was in Morganton over the Memorial Day Holiday chasing birdies in the Grandfather District of the Pisgah National Forest per my annual Forest Service point count contract. I was headed to my motel room after coming out of the woods when I began to notice trees...
