Birds of the Field and Forest
Discover the Wonders of Nature Through the Eyes of a Biologist
Did you know that millions of dragonflies migrate each fall? Did you know that shrews traverse their underground tunnels using echolocation? Did you know that some plants need fire to survive? These are some of the fascinating discoveries I reveal about the plants and animals found along the Connetquot River on Long Island in New […]
What Happens to Birds When a Tornado Strikes?
About 1,200 tornadoes slam the U.S. yearly. These tempestuous storms flatten homes, schools, and businesses, toss trucks, and hurl cars. People seek shelter to survive the ferocious and destructive winds, but what do birds do to live through tornados? We do not really know. Birds’ keen sense of hearing detects the hum of a tornado […]
Beautiful Blue Jays
One of my fondest memories as a 10-year-old child was seeing these brightly colored birds in the wild when my family moved to a rural area from a suburban post World War II development where rows of cape cod houses and strip malls took the place of potato farmland. I was accustomed to seeing the […]
Red-Winged Blackbirds are Home Again
When I lived in New York, I always looked forward to the return of the red-winged blackbird as it was a sign that spring was coming. The males returned first, set up breeding places, defended these territories from rival males and awaited the return of the females. I often saw them at the tops of […]
A Small Dove in North America
When I fill my bird feeders, I always scatter seeds on the ground for those birds that forage on the ground. This persuades a dull colored, but cute little bird called the common ground dove. This dove is easy to tell from other doves because it is small (the size of a large sparrow), has […]
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