A little over a year ago, just as Ohio’s governor was announcing stay-at-home orders, I was packing up my things to do the exact opposite. An unhealthy situation prohibited me from staying in my house any longer. And so, I said goodbye to my home for the past twelve years—the first house I had owned,… Read more »
You would be hard-pressed to find a nicer group of people than birdwatchers. Of course, as in any large group, you might find an occasional bad apple, a braggard, a know-it-all, a loudmouth. But for the most part, birders lean heavily toward the nice, kind, gentle end of the spectrum Especially when you compare them… Read more »
I had a bird dream the night before I set the world I’d known on fire. Two large owls of indeterminate species were in the upstairs room of my first childhood home (of course, being a dream, it both was and wasn’t the same structure). I was panicking about the safety of some kittens that… Read more »
Marietta College’s Institute for Learning in Retirement asked the editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest to teach a virtual course on birding for its Spring 2021 session. I was honored and excited! It was an offer I couldn’t refuse!! The course would meet for four consecutive Wednesday afternoons for two hours. I decided to offer the… Read more »
Two things have carried me during this difficult past year: my people and birds. And not much makes my heart happier than when I get to share birds with my people. So you can imagine my delight when a couple of my closest childhood girlfriends who are newer to birding wanted to plan a getaway… Read more »
On the afternoon of Saturday, February 6, I received the following message from my friend Kim: “Hey there! I have an injured owl question for you. There was an owl that a gentleman found hanging by his wing from fishing line at Antrim this morning and I’m not sure the little guy is ok. Do… Read more »
I’ve been in a funk for a while now. Do people even use the word “funk” anymore? It’s probably an antiquated throwback word, but it’s the best word I can conjure to describe the way I’m feeling. There are lots of reasons for my funk. I have some difficult anniversaries that circle ‘round this time… Read more »
Ultimately, this story is about birds. Trust me. For more than a decade I have been a dedicated composter. I don’t let a scrap of food go into the trash or garbage disposal. What doesn’t get eaten has gone into one of my two compost bins. Corn husks and cobs, citrus peels, avocado and peach… Read more »
At the time of this writing, the first purple martins migrating north from their wintering grounds have been spotted on the Gulf Coast. They bring with them the assurance that, in spite of everything, spring is coming soon. Two martins, however, aren’t making the journey. In fact, they’ve been in my kitchen this entire time. … Read more »
I don’t use my front door very much anymore. Perhaps I’ll pop in and out of it once per day during the workweek. My pale claws might emerge to pull in a parcel on the days some Gift from the Internet arrives. Before the pandemic, I would fill my two clear acrylic stick-on window feeders,… Read more »
