Maryf Willson News Today

An early November stroll on the dike trail was uneventful until I met some Real Birders, who were there in search of some unusual sightings. They’d seen a spotted towhee, up from Washington or thereabout, and seldom seen here. There was also a palm warbler, likewise ranging northward, and this one I eventually saw too. But I missed the brambling, a rare visitor from Asia. It’s always fun to see the rare birds, although I seldom go searching for them. But one has to wonder how they ha...

With a piece of good luck, despite the forecast of yet more rain, blue skies appeared one morning in mid-September. That called for a walk in the sun, so a friend and I headed for the Boy Scout Beach trail to see what we could see. We were not disappointed.

A walk at Eagle Beach Rec Area often yields something to think about. Here are two examples, unrelated to each other except for the location.

Summer came, with the colorful blooming of tall fireweed. Hermit thrushes were still singing and, on two different trails, juvenile hermits lingered on the open path even when approached by large bipeds. Lincoln’s sparrows sang along the edges of wetland meadows; I’ve had a hard time learning to recognize their little burbles, but I’m slowly getting it. Sometimes they share this edge habitat with savannah sparrows that nest in the grassy meadows and song sparrows that nest in t...

Local news and opinion coverage surpassing larger cities elsewhere

Plants such as roses and devil’s club aren’t the only prickly ones…

Dead wood is an important basis for many new uses.

I noticed two uncommon things that this beaver did…