Bolide with Tau Herculid meteor shower and fireflies. Photo © Cheryl Shank. I didn’t know birds talk in their sleep, but they surely must. About 12:30 a.m. an Ovenbird began to talk. Before long, a...
Articles & Stories
Ophichus
M12. Photo © Scott Rosen. Ophiuchus is a large constellation that lies high in the southern sky on midsummer evenings. This constellation lies just north of the constellation Scorpius and just west...
How to Till No-till Gardens
Photo © Dreamstime.com. Is our title an oxymoron? It appears to be a contradiction. Actually, to grow and maintain health, soil needs tillage. It just doesn’t need to be done with steel, iron, or...
In Search of Ducks!
Floating waterfowl blind. Photo © Dogwood Ridge. Oh no, I thought, I didn’t put the flippers on my boots. I will have to wade back to the shore.After some awkward minutes trying to figure out...
The Big Catch
Great Blue Heron eating Northern Pike. Photo © Lelund Shaum. The morning was beautiful as Mr. Heron made his merry way to the swamp called “Shining Waters.” He was hoping to satisfy his growling...
When Lions Attack
Thompson's Gazelles. Photo © Dreamstime.com. The dry tawny-colored grass twitched ever so slightly. It had barely moved, but it caught the ever-watchful eye of a mother gazelle. Her head jerked up,...
Wondernose: Which of the antelopes spends most of its time in water?
Lechwe herd. Photo © iStock. Maybe this question comes as a surprise to you, Wondernose. When you think of antelope, you picture fleet-footed, horned mammals racing across Africa's dry savannahs....
Poisonous or Venomous?
Flying Dragons?
Common Blue Damselfly. Photo © Dogwood Ridge. “What is that fluttering bug?” Kimberly asked.“That's a damselfly,” I answered. “Let's follow it to see if it will land in the sun. They are iridescent...
The Little Jewel in Our Yard
Juvenile Rufous Hummingbird. Photo © Mikaela Innes. A sharp peep sounded in my ears. What was that? I wondered, as I hurried into the kitchen to investigate.At the kitchen window, my two younger...
Dusty, Milky—Beautiful
Milky Way over Matterhorn. Photo © iStock. Our home galaxy is called the Milky Way because people have long had the idea that it looks like spilled milk drifting across the sky. It’s believed the...
In Our Skies, July 2022: Planets
Moon. Photo © Shaphan Shank. This month, nearly all the bright planets are strung across the early morning sky. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are all easy to find, thanks to their brilliance....
Wildflower Arranging
Fireweed in Rocky Mountains. Photo © Dogwood Ridge. The scenarios are endless. A slope covered with goldenrod and daisies…the first autumn olives opening…a dogwood in full bloom…a facet of my brain...
Build a Floating Blind for Waterfowl Photos
Waterfowl blind. Photo © Nathan Leinbach. One brisk morning at dawn, I drove toward the spot where I like to float my floating blind in the creek. I slipped on my waders and set my “ship” afloat.My...
Solarization and Tarping
Photo © Dogwood Ridge. Plastic sheeting is a valuable tool for managing garden beds without tillage. There are two different types that we can use depending on the need. One type is clear plastic...
