-
Why do leaves change colors before they fall?
Why do leaves change colors before they fall?
Last week’s column about ticks drew a quick response from many readers, including a great tip about a simple, inexpensive tool to remove engorged ticks. Rod Groomes, M.D., director of the emergency department at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital in Kittanning, Pa. for 27 year, wrote, “I’m an ER doc in rural Pennsylvania, and I have [...]
If personal experience and reader reports are reliable indicators, this summer could be a bad one for ticks and Lyme disease. Since early April, I’ve removed countless ticks from my clothing, and several have been attached at the base of the hairline on my neck. Likewise, I’ve heard from many readers since late winter who [...]
It goes by many different names — life jacket, life vest, life preserver, personal flotation device, or PFD. Regardless the name, its purpose is to keep you alive until help arrives when you’re involved in a boating accident. But it cannot work if it’s not worn. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 651 people died [...]
During spring migration, warblers get lots of attention. Most are brightly colored and sing loud distinctive songs. Yellow warblers, for example, are common, beautiful, and easy to find. But other, less spectacular groups are equally interesting. Vireos, for example, are less brightly colored and usually more difficult to see. Often they are heard before they [...]
At about 7:15 Monday morning I settled into a comfy spot about 20 yards from the edge of the woods. My intent was to experience the migration, by sight and sound, from a single spot. It was chilly, about 42 degrees, but I was dressed for it — polar fleece jacket and wool cap. With [...]
Finally, spring has arrived. Forsythias, hyacinths and daffodils are blooming, lilacs are budding, and the grass soon needs mowing. And of course, spring migration is under way. And my email box is filled with notes from readers who love warmer days, blue skies, and sunshine. Let’s compare notes, and see how our observations compare. Typically [...]
When the Cabela’s store in Wheeling, W.Va. opened in 2004, it was billed as a “destination.” Give it a few months, I thought, and it will be just another outdoors store. I could not have been more wrong. Four million shoppers. According to Cabela’s retail marketing manager, Bud Forte, four million shoppers visited the Wheeling [...]
Their tiny size, acrobatic flying ability, and eagerness to use nectar feeders make hummingbirds one of America’s favorite backyard birds. This fascination always triggers a flurry of mail, so let me anticipate the most common hummer questions I will get over the next month. Q: How many species of hummingbirds live in the east? A: [...]
Vertebrate animals are those with backbones — fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. As a group, they are much less abundant than invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and mollusks. But there is one vertebrate that occurs in stunning numbers, often quite close to home. Among common vertebrate species, chipmunk population densities can range from 10 [...]
Thanks to cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, the rabbits we see in our backyards, eastern cottontails are familiar to almost everyone. And yet I suspect most people think they are rodents. They are not. Rabbits and hares are lagomorphs, members of the mammalian order Lagomorpha. The confusion is understandable. Both groups are herbivores, and [...]
According to statistics from the National Surveys of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, which are published every five years, the number of anglers in the U.S. is in a steady decline. Over the last 20 years the number of anglers has dropped from 35.6 million in 1991 to 33.1 million in 2011. Fishing trends Though [...]
In his classic, A Sand County Almanac (1949), wildlife biologist Aldo Leopold described the male American woodcock’s courtship display as a “sky dance.” I call it my favorite harbinger of spring. A few nights ago, as I watched the February full moon rise in the east, a familiar sound caught my ear. “Peent!” A few [...]
Last week, a day after the morning low temperature plunged to nine degrees, the sky cleared and the thermometer rebounded to 45 degrees. That balmy afternoon, bluebirds, chickadees, titmice and Carolina wrens sang with spring-like enthusiasm. It reminded me to get my nest boxes ready because all four species use boxes within 100 yards of [...]
It’s common knowledge that wildlife breeds in the spring. When it comes to medium and large mammals, however, common knowledge is often wrong. Mating season peaks in mid winter for many mammals, and some species actually mate a year in advance of giving birth. Baby fisher The fisher, for example, is a large member of [...]
Last week I described the wary nature of the wily coyote. I hear coyotes often, but very seldom see them. The same can be said of red and gray foxes, though they are even more elusive. I never hear them, and only occasionally do I see a red fox trotting along the edge of the [...]
It truly is ‘survival of the fittest’ when it comes to coyote populations. A few nights ago at 9 p.m., the thermometer on the back porch read a spring-like 60 degrees as I stepped out to listen for a few minutes.No owls on this night, but soon I heard a “yip.” And then another The [...]
In April, chimney swifts will return, but every year there seems to be fewer. One reason chimney swift numbers are down is we cap chimneys to keep them out. No one wants a chimney full of birds, nests and droppings. And no one wants live birds flying around the living room. A recent study in [...]
Over the last two weeks, we have had 13 inches of snow, and winter has just begun. I consider this good news. I love snow. A fresh snowfall makes the world pristine and quiet. It brings serenity to my busy life. Favorite spot A few days ago, with 5 inches of snow already on the [...]
Everyone has special Christmas memories. This is one of mine. It first appeared in 2008. It was the night before Christmas about 20 years ago. Nora was barely 10 years old, and Emma was still dreaming of kindergarten. We had just arrived home from a Christmas Eve church service. About two inches of snow had [...]
A week ago, Vonda Poole of New Wilmington, Pa. emailed me and worried about “a female hummingbird that has not gone south for the winter. It’s now December 9th,” she wrote, “and it’s still here. Was I wrong to leave a feeder up? What will happen when freezing weather hits?” I explained that keeping the [...]
Toll-Free 800-837-3419
Local 330-337-3419
Farm and Agriculture News, Local Market Prices and Crop Reports, Columns and Commentary.
Hundreds of Auction Advertisements for Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Featuring Specialty Antique Auctions, Stores and Shows
Hundreds of Classifieds, Autos & Real Estate Listings
