January 10, 2014 Birds Stay Warm This latest weather blast has me thinking of winters gone by, particularly those of my childhood. Back then, girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school unless it was winter and you lived a mile or more away from the school. Since we lived just across the street, I
Bird, Feathers, Fly
January 3, 2014 Treecycling “Deck the Halls” is one of those infectious Christmas songs that tells you exactly what you need to do to make your holiday festive—besides boughs of holly, you don your gay apparel, troll ancient Yuletide carols, strike the harp, join the chorus, etc. etc. But what happens when all your decking,
Christmas, Recycle, Tree
December 27, 2013 Snowy Owl Not only do I remember where I saw my first white owl, I also remember when. I was four years old, poking around my grandmother’s basement, when I spotted it: A serious-looking bird, staring out at me from the label on the inside lid of a cigar box. I was
Bird, Fly, Owl, Snowy Owl
December 20, 2013 Chickadee Well, it happened again the other day, just as it does every year about this time: The realization that Christmas is less than a week away. A smattering of hours to accomplish all the tasks I’d vowed, last year at this time, to have finished by Thanksgiving “at the latest.” And
Bird, Chickadee, Fly
December 13, 2013 Nuthatch Every grade school has one. You know what I’m talking about – the kid who could climb onto the monkey bars and, in one or two deft maneuvers, defy gravity. At our school, it was a boy named Danny. He’d flip and spin; he’d hang upside down; he’d swing with ease
Bird, Fly, Nuthatch
December 6, 2013 Bittersweet Readers of this column have no doubt noticed, I’m not much of a plant person. Sure, I can point out our more notable natives, and I can lament non-native buckthorn, honeysuckle and garlic mustard with the best of ’em. But for the most part I feel better leaving the commentary on
Berries, Bittersweet, Plant, Vine
November 29, 2013 Coopers Hawk If you sat down to a turkey dinner this week, count yourself in the majority. According to a Turkey Quiz recently circulated by Kane County Audubon (thanks Bob Andrini!), 90% of American homes serve turkey on Thanksgiving Day. These folks, present company included, help account for the 45 million turkeys
Bird, Cooper's Hawk, Fly
November 22, 2013 Roaches It’s the season for gratitude, a time of year when people make a special effort to list the things for which they are thankful. As much as I wish this attitude would extend throughout the year (just like I wish folks would make every day an Earth Day) it’s still good
Bug, Insect, Roach
November 1, 2013 Winter Wren I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really thought of the TriCities, or even the greater Chicagoland region, as a hotbed for cave dwellers. But what do I know? Turns out I’ve actually seen three this year, so far. Each time the encounters were brief, so much so that
Bird, Fly, Winter Wren
October 25, 2013 Beavers When it comes to conversation, and newspaper columns, certain topics are bound to cause a stir. Religion is one; politics is another. And then there are rodents. These furry, gnawing critters, famous for their ever-growing incisors and often impressive reproductive rates, never fail to provoke a response. Folks either say “Yay!”
Beavers, Critter, Dam, River