Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

As I was driving home from work this evening, exhausted and glad to be done, I saw a bird flying over my car. It was large with long, black wings, a thick bill, and a wedged tail. It soared and looped on wide wings seeming to test each breath of air, each bank, each twist, as it lazily, yet masterfully trailed my car before disappearing behind the trees along Harris Road. I was being trailed by a raven. This seemed unusual given the time of year. Ravens are birds associated with Norse mythology, birds of the frozen north and mysterious ones at that. While New York is home to four species of corvids (which is the collective name for members of the crow and jay family). One species you are going to see in Central New York in the summer months are the mild-mannered families of American crows ( Corvus brachyrhynchos ) that hop from branch to limb while you walk down a trail or speed past along the road. The parents watching warily, cawwing warnings to their children to get out of the w...

As the end of the year draws close, I'm increasingly drawn to the idea of combining my nature blog with my birding blog. I came to this conclusion as I don't tend to update either in a timely manner, that having one blog to worry about would be easier than coming up with content for two. So I'll be posting other nature-based stuff from this account as well. Another announcement I wanted to make was that I'm restarting the Babe Ruth of Ornithology tournament. I felt that I didn't leave it off on a good note (considering I didn't even finish it either) and that I didn't learn what I wanted to in order to complete the goal. The format I'm pursuing this time around is one of multiple sources, as well as inquiring the input of others rather than my own biased opinion. Most of all, I'm curious to see where my quest will take me. My parents have mentioned multiple times that this idea should be published and I'll admit, I have thought about it. First ...