It took a lot of organisation to ensure that the first snowfall of the winter came yesterday, just one day before our first weekly duty session at the MBO (bird banding station). Along with a couple of friends who do the same on another day of the week, we will be regularly visiting [...]
Earlier this year, just in time for spring, I completed an early version of my book 1001 Species: A Natural History of a Small Town and offered it to the public as free PDF download. It enjoyed moderate success in the very small and rather niche market it was offered to and [...]
Welcome to our Garden ... On the eve of what may be the hottest and most humid weekend of the summer we thought to invite our friends to a "virtual open day". Welcome all ... Five years ago this was a suburban garden with a lawn. Plenty of shrubs and native plants [...]
I have mentioned before that I am writing a Natural History of the town I live in, and a few nearby places within a short distance. A friend who we met ten years ago on a wildlifing trip of north-western Newfoundland and Labrador pointed out from some early draft pages that I don’t [...]
Happened across this little fairy fungus on the edge of a wood-chip path at the Fritz Garden this morning. Later in the day it will already have 'deliquesced' and turned black and slimy - hence ink cap - but it was lovely around 8am. (Apologies for having to admit it was taken with [...]
To help with the Nature Conservancy Of Canada five nation; "Bioblitz" we spent some time in Arboretum identifying species ... this was one of the stars. Their caterpillars grow on wild violets on the edges of woodland.
500 days ago I set myself the daily challenge of identifying and then sharing at least one different species of bird, insect, plant etc that I could find locally. Yesterday the number reached the 500 mark. My intention is to double that and reach at least 1000 species but no longer will I [...]
Ostrich Ferns Just past their best if you like eating 'fiddleheads'
As the snow finally melted away, there was still a considerable amount just to the right of this, the morning air was filled with 'snowiest' as the temperature rose. Auguries of good things to come.
How time does fly — just over a year ago I was inspired by a fine naturalist from England (thanks Tom) who had set himself the challenge of identifying 1000 UK species — birds, grasses, spiders, whatever. I had a couple of exchanges with him was assured that the concept was not trademarked, [...]