Spying Snowbirds
Typically when we think snowbird, we think of our grandparents heading to Florida for the winter. They escape the cold and fly south to the sunny shores of the Gulf of Mexico. But did you…
Saying Farewell to a Great Parks Legend
Earlier in the summer, we at Great Parks said goodbye to our old friend and co-worker, Missy. Missy was responsible for training nature interpreters to work with birds of prey and teaching children the importance…
What Are Those Big Birds?
If you’ve spent any time at Winton Woods Campground this summer, you may have witnessed a rather unnerving site. Just as the sun is setting and daylight begins to fade, large birds with a six-foot…
Whoooo Wants to Meet Me?
The newest addition to our Great Parks’ animal ambassador team is an eastern screech owl (Megascops asio). As such a new member to our team, she doesn’t have a name yet. However, this particular owl…
Saving a Hummingbird
Recently I was witness to a ruby-throated hummingbird’s (Archilochus colubris) seemingly miraculous recovery from an onslaught of attacks from another territorial hummer. When I came upon the tiny feathered creature it was laying in the…
Walk On, John Audubon
“During all these years there existed within me a tendency to follow Nature in her walks.” John James Audubon and Ben Forkner. Selected Journals and Other Writings. Penguin Books, 1996. For anyone who has visited…
6 High-Flying Facts about Bald Eagles
Our national symbol, the bald eagle, begins to think spring earlier than some other animals. This is a great time of year to put your eye to the skies for an opportunity to see this…
45 Years of Counting Birds
“There are two northern cardinals and three dark-eyed juncos on the trail!” Julie yelled back at me. I faithfully recorded the sightings into my log while the 14 kids between us all jostled to get…