Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

Just what is "geocaching"? It's one of those new outdoor hobbies that has sprung up in the 21st century alongside flying remote controlled drones or bow hunting Asian carp ( Hypophthalmichthys molitrix ) from a speeding motorboat. Well perhaps it isn't as crazy as the last one, but it does involve searching for Tupperware containers in the woods containing a logbook and small tradeable objects that can only be located by using a GPS unit. That's the basic gist of it anyway. I first learned how to geocache while working as an intern at the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association in Pennington, NJ. My fellow teacher naturalists would go out with local girl scout groups on our 930 acre property to look for the various caches which could range from the size of a shoebox to a test tube or even smaller. I've even seen some artificial caches that are modeled to look like rocks, pine cones, and even a golf ball. After using the GPS unit to get close to the cac...

Well, I was about to go to bed and what unexpected noise did I hear, but a coyote ( Canis latrans ) calling in the dead of night. The wooping, yowling call of a coyote or two can send chills down anyone's spine, especially to those that aren't used to hearing them that often. So, keen to investigate, I alerted my housemate (who despite the late hour was doing dishes) to investigate the sound. We donned headlamps and headed outside into the cold night air. We pointed our headlamps towards the back parking lot near where the entrance of the Four Seasons trail begins. We heard pacing footsteps that resembled that of a dog as opposed to a deer. Deliberate and pacing as opposed to stiff and dainty. As we looked into the gloom, my housemate called to the coyote with a howl. It stared right at us. Its green eyeshine glowing in the beams of our headlamps. We moved in closer. It backed away into the brush, but didn't leave the area. We backtracked and it came loping back, but re...

A Palm Warbler ( Setophaga palmarum ) feeds among fading Goldenrods ( Solidago spp. ) and New York Asters ( Symphyotrichum spp.). A Song Sparrow ( Melospiza melodia ) plays hide and go seek while giving alarm calls all the while. This Brown Thrasher ( Toxostoma rufum ) proved to be a tough cookie to ID. I thought I was looked at an inverted color jay or even a late cuckoo, but the shape didn't seem right. I've been lucky to see so many this year. A Field Sparrow ( Spizella pusilla ) looks on as I watch it from the trail. Wary, but ubiquitous birds of the fields and meadows on the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed property. A towhee's eye view along one of the trails at SBMWA. The ground is just littered with hickory nuts at this time of year attracting the attention of squirrels and children alike. A recently molted American Wigeon ( Anas americana ) was floating around the pond. It was pointed out to me by my roommate and his girlfriend. Plenti...

While I haven't gotten out much this week due to my schedule, I just wanted to take the time to share some great photos I've taken recently around the Watershed Preserve in Pennington, NJ. So far I've listed 40 species where I'm staying and I'm am so excited for spring migration! I hope you enjoy what the wilds of New Jersey have to offer. An inquisitive Carolina Chickadee ( Poecile carolinensis ) peeks upward. A male Red-bellied Woodpecker ( Melanerpes carolinus ) in mid hop as it scales a snag. A Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler ( Setophaga coronata ) skips around the branches looking for running sap and fleeting insects A female Downy Woodpecker ( Picoides pubescens ) drinks sap drizzling from a tree trunk. Bluebird houses abound on the property. They might be used by docile bluebirds and Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor ), or by the more aggressive House Wren ( Troglodytes aedon ). Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) and Ring-...