Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

Today was a busy day. Firstly being John James Audubon's birthday (over 229 years ago), I felt I needed to pay a proper tribute to a man that inspired not only myself, but many others to get to know the natural world a bit better. It was also an important work day for volunteers to come out and help with maintenance projects on the property where I work (and live for the time being). In order to escape the slew of volunteers that were to descend, I decided to head out to a local birding hotspot to try and find some spring migrants. The night before, I looked up Norristown Farm Park and Evansburg State Park and eventually decided to travel to the former because it was slightly closer and seemed to have a more diverse range of habitats than the State Park. As I arrived I heard the clear chipping notes of a Chipping Sparrow ( Spizella passerina ) in a nearby spruce. His rufous crown and dark eyeline were immediately noticeable as he continued to chatter away as I got together my bag a...

This Saturday past, I participated in my very first Christmas Bird Count with my girlfriend Alison, and was excited to get many photos of some of the birds we spied. Our first stop was to a local woman's farm in Dartmouth. We helped out by covering ground that had yet to be covered by the owners, a mother and son team with a tenacity for birding and listing. Mystery moss growing on many of the trees above. I would like to know what it might be... A late female Eastern Towhee ( Pipilo erythrothalmus ) hiding out in some briars near some old farming equipment. Milkweed ( Asclepias spp. ) was a common sight throughout the property. Their importance is paramount not only in healthy meadow ecology, but also to that of the Monarch butterfly ( Danaus plexippus ). Despite looking wet, this Woolly Bear Caterpillar ( Pyrrharctica isabella ) might yet survive to become a moth in the spring. As prevalent as another bird with "house" in its name, these western finc...