Tracking the year with full moons
A full moon rising over the eastern horizon is a magnificent sight especially on a clear winter night. For millennia, humans have watched the full…
Tag: Outdoor Column
Nuthatches: The upside-down bird
While woodpeckers search for insects by spiraling up a tree, the nuthatch zig-zags down the trunk head-first. Foraging upside-down may seem unnatural to us but…
Ice: A truly unique substance
Ice skating. Ice fishing. Skiing. Sledding. What would winter be like without snow and ice? When the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit the landscape…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
How do deer survive winter eating twigs?
A deer munches on the tips of young trees, ripping the leafless twigs from the plants. Surviving the winter on twigs isn’t very nutritious but…
Blister rust decimated white pine forests
The western white pine was the most abundant forest type in the Inland Northwest 50 years ago. Long, clear trunks skyrocketed to heights of 200…
Did you know? Daddy longlegs are not spiders or venomous
As a child I remember daddy longlegs in the basement bathroom, especially in the shower. Not liking spiders, I never got close and took quick…
25 turkey facts to gobble up
Thanksgiving brings turkeys into the spotlight which usually is detrimental to them. So here are 25 turkey tidbits to ponder while your turkey is cooking…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Chickens of the woods not always easy to tell apart
When a grouse flushes from the brush, my heart skips a beat before I scan to see who made the noise. Was it a spruce…
Recent swarms of insects are woolly aphids
During the past few weeks, swarms of tiny blue and white insects have pelted windshields like raindrops and stuck to the clothing of anyone walking…
Nuthatches: The upside-down bird
While woodpeckers search for insects by spiraling up a tree, the nuthatch zig-zags down the trunk head-first. Foraging upside-down may seem unnatural to us but…
Ice: A truly unique substance
Ice skating. Ice fishing. Skiing. Sledding. What would winter be like without snow and ice? When the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit the landscape…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
How do deer survive winter eating twigs?
A deer munches on the tips of young trees, ripping the leafless twigs from the plants. Surviving the winter on twigs isn’t very nutritious but…
Blister rust decimated white pine forests
The western white pine was the most abundant forest type in the Inland Northwest 50 years ago. Long, clear trunks skyrocketed to heights of 200…
Did you know? Daddy longlegs are not spiders or venomous
As a child I remember daddy longlegs in the basement bathroom, especially in the shower. Not liking spiders, I never got close and took quick…
25 turkey facts to gobble up
Thanksgiving brings turkeys into the spotlight which usually is detrimental to them. So here are 25 turkey tidbits to ponder while your turkey is cooking…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Chickens of the woods not always easy to tell apart
When a grouse flushes from the brush, my heart skips a beat before I scan to see who made the noise. Was it a spruce…
Recent swarms of insects are woolly aphids
During the past few weeks, swarms of tiny blue and white insects have pelted windshields like raindrops and stuck to the clothing of anyone walking…