Brad Smith of Paulina Springs Books went out among the stars on May 20 of this year. But if reincarnation works, he’ll be back; not as Brad Smith but—as he wanted, believe it or not—as a thorny devil stick insect. If that goes as he planned, however, we’ll have to visit the Solomon Islands to […]
Jim Anderson
Posted inOutside
Butterflies, Butterflies and More Butterflies
You’ve seen them on the front of your car this week. Here’s what they are
Yes, good people, those are butterflies you see smashing into the front of your car as you drive over the highway from Sisters to Redmond or Bend, and especially in the Cascade foothills. They are NOT monarchs or moths, and they are not migrating; they’re just undergoing a huge population explosion as a means to […]
Posted inOutside
Natural World
The beetle with headlights
It was a young and eager naturalist in Sierra Vista, Ariz., Leonard Taylor, who brought this bioluminescent click beetle into my life, on a night I’ll never forget. My wife, Sue and I were running Ramsey Canyon Preserve, just outside of Sierra Vista, Ariz. in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Ramsey, in those glorious […]
Posted inOutside
The Robber Fly
An experience of a lifetime!
Please forgive me for being redundant, but the magnificent specimen pictured here came right to me and landed on my hand! It just wanted someone to tell its story, and because I love to do it, so here it is… Last Thursday, as I was leaving Tumalo, I approached the junction of Gerking Market Road […]
Posted inOutside
Wildlife and Diseases
Following a local death due to Hantavirus, a primer on how to handle rodents in or near your home
“Never let a mouse live in your house; they will steal the breath of your children.” That’s a saying I’ve heard came from the people of the Hopi Nation—and also an accurate description of the symptoms of Hantavirus. The Hopi people apparently recognized the role wild rodents play in the spreading of diseases among the […]
Posted inOutside
The World of Lizards
And how grandkids can bring some spirit to your backyard
If you want to know (and would like to see up close) what kind of wildlife you have on your place—either in town or out in the country—just turn your grandkids loose and they’ll find it/them. I have a particularly inquisitive grandson, Daxon, who can find a needle in a haystack. He started seeking living […]
Posted inOutside
The Lighter Side of Banding Eagles
When monitoring wildlife, the “call of nature” is just part of the game
Just having turned 90, it occurs to me that I’ve been working with golden eagles over 60-plus, years and it continues to be an adventure. I started reading about them in William L. Finley and Herman T. Bohlman’s great bird books in the late ’30s. I also recall back in the ’50s, when the U.S. […]
Posted inOutside
Natural World
Bring On the Butterflies
I am one of those fortunate people who married into butterflies. When my wife, Sue, and I tied the knot I didn’t have a clue, until one day I discovered this beautiful woman was head over heels in love with those gorgeous, six-legged gossamer-winged insects and started dragging me out to meet them. Today, I go […]
Posted inScout
The Nature of Bend
Welcome to eagle, big pine, juniper and sagebrush country!
Central Oregon has the perfect habitat for eagles and other natural treasures. Here are some sites to check out the local flora and fauna. The American bald eagle—once almost extinct in this part of the U.S.—has returned, and can be seen just about any place in the state. There are now over 400 active nests […]
Posted inOutside
Hjelp humlene med bolplass!
Or how to help native pollinators in Central Oregon
I never know what my wife and I will come home with when we go out on our seasonal look-see at the 150+ golden eagle breeding sites we’re responsible for watching over. Sometimes we’ll come home with only one American badger sighting for the day, or none, which is very sad. Other times we’ll witness a […]