Note: This is one of the first stories I had published as an outdoors writer back in May 2011. Since then, Roger Masse has gone on to successfully complete his doctoral degree. “Mr. Big-eyes.” That’s the nickname the 1917 volume Birds of America gave this evening’s quarry. Such whimsical monikers may be frowned upon in today’s no-nonsense field guides, but somehow the title fits the tiny bird that URI PhD […]
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No Comments Introduction: This is a story I wrote for 41°N, Rhode Island’s Ocean and Coastal Magazine, a publication of Rhode Island Sea Grant and the Coastal Institute at the University of Rhode Island . It revolves around an impact of sea level rise that may surprise some: the destruction of salt marshes. These are a vital part of the ecosystem, and this tale explains and explores the issue. http://issuu.com/41n_rhodeislandseagrant/docs/41degreesnorth-winter15/30
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For more photos, facts, and stories about the outdoors, “follow” Science and Nature for a Pie on Facebook: www.facebook.com/scienceandnatureforapie. They’re at the water: large, black and white birds soaring a hundred or more feet in the skies. Suddenly, they appear to hover in midair, five-foot wings changing to a scooping motion that allows them to pause and look. Then, the long wings tuck close to the body as they plunge […]
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If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to “follow” Science and Nature for a Pie on Facebook. You’ll get photos, facts, and updates on the natural world: facebook.com/scienceandnatureforapie. It’s been the kind of winter where following statement will seem ludicrous: there was sunshine at Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge for a recent Audubon bird walk. Not only that, but there was no wind. None. A coastal location […]
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No Comments Note one: Unlike my other stories, none of the photos here were taken by me. I have noted sources of each. Note two: This story originally appeared in the Winter 2015 edition of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Report. Along the Seekonk River, the wind sweeps bitterly cold air into the cloudy day. If it was chilly and breezy inland, it’s downright windy and freezing here. This is an […]
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Science and Nature for a Pie is on Facebook! Visit www.facebook.com/scienceandnatureforapie and click “follow” for photos, facts, and notices about new blog posts! Though winter is here, plenty of animals are still active. And not just the ubiquitous squirrels or sparrows, either. Fox. Owls. Turkeys. They’re still around, hunting for food, making a living; just trying to survive. They prowl the night, or hunker under a bush for shelter […]
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No Comments Last week, we covered bird feeder topics including choosing a feeder, what seeds work, and where feeders should be placed. If you missed it, check the archives. And don’t forget to follow SaNfaP on Facebook! 4. BREAD IS NOT GOOD FOOD FOR BIRDS. Sorry, but it’s true. Bread comes with several problems: it gets moldy, which is not good for birds at all. Second, like bread for humans, it’s really […]
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No Comments Science and Nature for a Pie is on Facebook! Click the “Follow” button for photos, facts, and other goodies. http://facebook.com/scienceandnatureforapie . Local winters can seem like a photo of a parade from a century past: long lines of gray, slightly out of focus, and vaguely depressing. Leaves are long gone, flowers are a memory. Is there any life outdoors in winter? The answer is yes. One of the best ways […]
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No Comments At 65 mph, the car is zipping too quickly down route 95 to observe much, and overcast skies obscure most color. The car passes beneath a light pole. At the top, a bird roughly the size and shape of a football perches, eyes fixed on the grass below. There’s a black line, a “belly band”, across its middle. Nearby is an open patch of grass. Is it a pigeon? A […]
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(Photo: http://naturallycuriouswithmaryholland.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/wattles-caruncles-snoods/) I don’t know how that turkey ended up dead on the side of the highway. It’s possible that his tiny mind was occupied with the pursuit of a female. (Human males are prone to similar, sometimes fatal distractions, of course, but that’s another story.) Perhaps he was particularly despondent and, lacking easy access to a nearby bridge, leapt out in front of a tandem trailer. Or perhaps, […]
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