Fall Vagrants in the Milwaukee Harbor

November morning in the Milwaukee Harbor

I added two new birds to my photo life list on Sunday.  Was quite surprised to find this juvenile King Eider hanging out amongst a few Scaup.  Thanks to the fellow bird watcher who pointed him out for me!  King Eiders belong on the Eastern seaboard this time [...]

I’m an Eco-Redneck

Good article on the decline of hunting and its impact to preservation, http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/2011/10/hunting.htm#1

I too am an eco-redneck.  I really don’t want to save Bambi, but rather I care passionately about protecting species and habitats.  I grew up bow hunting.  I haven’t hunted in a few years, but am still an avid fly fisherman.  Hunting [...]

Birthplace of the World’s Skipping Stones

Angel’s Landing is a hike in Zion National Park that is both exhilarating and dangerous.  Being only an occassional naturalist, I didn’t have the guts to climb up it the first time, but then went up the second time I was in Zion.  Its worth the trip.  Its been given the name “Angel’s Landing” [...]

Hiding in Plain Sight

While on a bike ride today in suburban Milwaukee, I saw this 10 point buck in Elm Grove, WI.  This is largest white-tailed deer I had ever seen and it was about 30 feet off a suburban road bedded down in someone’s wooded front yard.  Came back an hour later with my camera and he [...]

You are now entering a National Park

Finding the entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica was more difficult than I ever imagined.  There were lots of signs, pointing in all different directions in the adjacent town, but chances are none of these were official signs.  All the signs seem to lead to private parking lots that charged you for [...]

Monkeys of Manuel Antonio National Park

I was woken every morning to the sound of Howler Monkeys but never had a chance to see them. I did, however, see the othe two species in the park. The highly endangered Squirrel Monkery and the White-headed Capuchin Monkey. Our guide, Henry, was able to call in the Squirrel Monkeys, or Mono Titi, as [...]

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

I had a few hours to kill before a flight home from Florida and managed to get in a 5 mile hike in the Merritt Island NWF with a brief stop at the Cape Canaveral National Seashore.  The confluence of the ocean, fresh and saltwater marshes and mudflats make these places a birders paradise.  During [...]

Dumb as a Stump

I never thought I’d see the phrase ‘dumb-as-a-stump’ used in an academic paper.  This is until I had the opportunity to speak with Professor Zygmunt Plater of Boston College Law School.  He has a unique way of infusing his intelligence and prose into a common, matter-of-fact style that hits home.  In his essay, Dealing with [...]

Kettle Cove State Park, Maine

A pair of Surf Scoters

Kettle Cove is a rather small Maine State Park, but close to Portland and on the state’s birding trail.  Took a cold winter walk this morning found a killdeer looking rather frigid in the icy surf along with this pair of Surf Scoters which were a first for me.  [...]

Restoring our Forests

Courtesy cnn.com

Here’s a nice article from CNN on the opportunity that exists to restore the world’s forests.  As the article states over three quarters of the world’s forests have been degraded, however, the article highlights the work by the World Resources Institute, South Dakota University and IUCN, to identify the global opportunities for [...]