During spring we welcome the Say’s phoebe, a grayish-brown flycatcher with a light orange belly and black tail. It favors open dryland habitats and is not afraid of humans, often nesting on buildings. Our phoebes like to sleep on our porches — on an electrical outlet, a door frame, a barbecue grill, or a protected …
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Tip-top Roughleg
I am especially fond of birds of prey. And why not? They soar on magnificent wings, see with the keenest vision, and are laser- focused hunters. They inspire and symbolize freedom. Any cold winter day gets better when seeing an eagle, hawk, or falcon. Winter draws a favorite raptor to our region – the rough-legged …
Drum Roll Please
Drum Soloist, the Northern Flicker As the days lengthen I listen. The breeding great horned owls have been at it for weeks. A few nights ago, I heard four separate owl voices from my piney woods. Another bird will soon join the ensemble. A percussionist. Although they winter here, they’ve been pretty quiet. Until they …
Single Parenting and Black-chinned Hummingbirds
Single parenting and black-chinned hummingbirds. Archilochus alexandri. Mesmerized by his moves, she watched from a branch as he ascended 100 feet above her, plunged earthward, and then moved quickly from side-to-side in a U-shaped pattern. The sun caught his shimmering green crown, back, and sides and the iridescent purple strip at the base of his …
Tuning In To Bird Radio
Tuning In to Bird Radio Up early with those first-to-sing robins, warbling their “cheerio-cheerup” phrase, I gathered my gear, including strong black coffee, and headed to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, a dozen miles from home. How lucky I am to live so close to this public land, southwest of Spokane. As one of about seven …
Bone Stories
I think about bones routinely. Bones are essential and exquisite. They tell our stories and give clues to our pasts. They form and strengthen us and provide surfaces for muscle attachment. Bones reveal our health, age, and gender. They chronical past trauma and separate us from other genera and species. Bones also color our language …
Christmas List from Wildlife Refuge Manager
Dear Santa: Many people make Christmas wish lists that include a world of desires. Christmas lists from my past often included the latest doll. One year I knew I was getting a Chatty Cathy™ because my parents and their friends played with it while I secretly watched from the stairwell. I heard Cathy say, “Let’s …