We now have four baby bluebirds flitting from treetop to treetop as their busy parents move them around. I didn’t  know until two weeks ago that the hen was even on the nest. Last year, bluebirds were on their nest before the first of April. This year I saw the male going in and out of the box, but the female would show up only periodically. I wasn’t sure if she was ready to … [Read more...]

There is a good reason why there are fewer whitetail deer in the National Forests west of the Blue Ridge. Fire, or the lack thereof.  It’s the same reason California endures horrendous wildfires each year – it’s due to the lack of controlled burning. According to the biologists of Virginia Division of. Wildlife Resources, we’ve been conditioned to think of fire as solely a destructive force, … [Read more...]

  What’s a sure sign of spring - that winter is in the rearview mirror? Jonquils? Robins? Groundhogs and shadows? Well, yes, but the best sign of things to come are worms in the driveway. I went out to get the paper a few days ago and saw that wonderful sight. There was a worm in the driveway after an evening’s rain. That’s a good sign. That means spring is not far away when both lawns … [Read more...]

I have heard of passenger pigeons, now extinct, but I had never hear of a passenger hawk – until recently. A friend told me of a strange experience that happened to one of his friends. The man was driving on the interstate when the car in front clipped a hawk, which fell to the side of the highway. The man got out to check on the fallen bird. It seemed to be alive, but knocked unconscious. Being … [Read more...]

If it’s not too late, don’t drag your Christmas tree to the curb for trash pick-up. Recycle it. There are lots of great uses for a needle dropping tree. For starters, if you have a fireplace or burn wood, nothing makes a better fire starter than a dry Christmas trees. You can snap off the branches and twigs to get a quick blaze going and the main trunk burns hot and emits a great fragrance. If you … [Read more...]

So what if you happened upon a bear in a den? The Wildlife Division folks advise that you leave it alone. Oh really? Like I would climb down in a den with a 400 pound bear and try to wake it up? Hardly. But you never know if you’re out and about in the woods and might stumble upon a bear’s den. As cold weather approaches, animals, especially bears, feed heavily and put on extra fat to be … [Read more...]

I like to feed and watch the birds and I’m not alone. There are about 60-million of us according to a recent survey. In fact, the overall market for wild bird products is projected to reach $2.2. billion by 2021. That’s a lot of birdseed. This cursed Covid mess has actually stimulated bird feeding and watching. Compared to tending and caring for household pets, it’s relatively inexpensive and … [Read more...]

They call a group of whales a pod. A gathering of  rattlesnakes is a rhumba and a bunch of crows flocking together is a murder.  Last week I witnessed a murder -  a murder of crows. For much of the year, crows keep selected company, usually 3 or 4 birds together, often family members. Young crows stick around several years before leaving their parents as they help in babysitting chores. But for … [Read more...]

It was the middle of the day. My wife Nancy was putzing around the house when we had a visitor. A young male deer was on our carport peeking inside. “Well, hello,” Nancy said. “Can I help you?” The deer said nothing, just turned and walked away. He had one thing and one thing only on his mind. Ladies. This, you see, is the the rutting season for deer. It’s a time that hunters savor and … [Read more...]

It’s that time of year. Cricket time. The little fellows which normally find refuge beneath leaves and garbage cans somehow manage to sneak inside. If you see one, you have to catch it and let it free outside. It’s bad luck to kill a cricket and in this year of the China Virus, who needs more bad luck? Crickets are second cousins-once-removed from grasshoppers, but there are almost a thousand … [Read more...]