It’s an afternoon in late April along the Clark Fork River near Missoula, Montana, USA. The song of the tall dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) isn’t obvious, […]
A soft-winged world: why moths matter
What do moths have to do with owls? Just ask Mat Seidensticker. After nearly a decade spent studying owls across Montana and Alaska, Seidensticker focused his research […]
Mystery of the twilight: birds at dusk and sustainable agriculture
A simple whistle, ascending at the end, easy to imitate. It’s the hour when the light departs, converting the trees into silhouettes, and the evening […]
Of bitterns and bank swallows: Lake Helena, part 2
This story is the second in a series about Lake Helena and getting to know a place in nature over time. If you haven’t heard […]
A hopeful sign for a bird in decline: helping Montana’s tree swallows
The nest boxes haven’t been up for five minutes, and already a small cloud of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) is swirling around them. A dusky, […]
Connection, wonder, and the birds that span a continent
It was June in North Carolina, USA, the humid morning of a day that promised to be hot. The orchard orioles (Icterus spurius) sang sweetly […]
A portrait of nature along the Niobrara River
September 28, 2023 It’s a warm, still night in late September along the Niobrara River, flowing east through Nebraska’s sandhills prairie. The moon is nearly […]
Bizarre and vibrant: getting to know Montana’s cuckoo wasps
The tiny wasp shimmered between my fingertips, its hard exoskeleton glittering green and blue under the strong June sun. Nearby, along the base of the […]
A hidden community: mayflies and more in Rattlesnake Creek
November 6, 2022 A light snowfall blanketed Missoula overnight, and this morning my feet are feeling the approach of winter. They’re screaming gradually louder at […]
Amazed by insects: a day at the Rock Creek Confluence
September 10, 2022 From a distance, this sparse patch of sunflowers looks nondescript. You’d have no idea that it’s the stage for a gripping insect […]