Sense of Place

Tag: wildlife

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: January in the Piedmont

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    by

    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsIn the depth of winter, as you walk through quiet woods, you may come across a lone thrush standing at attention, its delicately speckled throat exposed. The Hermit Thrush is a gifted songster, but its voice is mostly muted here; it saves its ethereal song for spring, when it returns to its breeding grounds in…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: October in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    Birds.− October marks the beginning of food-caching — a food storage strategy developed to sustain year-round avian residents throughout the lean winter. Caching strategies vary by species: red-bellied woodpeckers might store acorns in holes high up in the cracks and cavities of trees, while American crows might simply thrust a left-over meal into the loose soil…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: July in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsThis month, lucky birdwatchers may catch a glimpse of uncommon visitors such as Common Mergansers, Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons, and Snowy Egrets. Sandpipers also begin returning to the Piedmont. As summer deepens, the melodious songs of many birds fade, though Indigo Buntings can still be heard singing from high perches. Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: June in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsThis month, watch for sunning birds. Common backyard species—like Northern Cardinals and American Robins—may perch with feathers fluffed and bills agape, soaking in the sun. This behavior may help with molting and may also reduce ticks, lice, and other parasite loads. Fledging season continues, too. Second broods of Eastern Bluebirds often fledge in June, and…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: March in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
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    BirdsAs spring arrives in the Piedmont this month, we begin to see profound changes in the composition of our avifauna. Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal (local breeders), Double-crested Cormorants, and Ospreys become more abundant. Expect to start seeing vireos, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Purple Martins, and other swallows as well. Lucky observers may even spot a Snowy Egret,…

  • Pump Station Trail, Eno River (Durham, North Carolina)

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in

    This morning—before the sun had fully thawed the crisp air—we hiked along the Eno River on the Pump Station Trail in Durham, North Carolina. About thirty feet off the trail, beyond the crumbling remains of a towering stone dam, sits a small pond carved into Carolina mud by spillover from the old structure. In spring,…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: December in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
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    BirdsBy December, fall migration has decidedly ended, and the brief celebration that follows the arrival of winter juncos, kinglets, and creepers has faded. Woods and brush can feel eerily quiet, punctuated by the sharp warning calls of Northern Cardinals and the quick flitting of sparrows. The most common sparrows that visit the Piedmont in winter—often…

  • Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area (Hillsborough, North Carolina)

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in

    OverviewOcconeechee Mountain State Natural Area, located in Hillsborough, North Carolina just off I-85, is widely appreciated for its geologic uniqueness and its unusual plant and animal communities. Occoneechee Mountain is one of North Carolina’s classic monadnocks—an isolated mountain rising above the Piedmont peneplain. Its elevation and relative isolation create conditions suitable for a number of…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: May in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
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    BirdsMigration season continues this month. Many of the brilliantly colored warblers are just passing through, but some migrants stop and stay to breed in North Carolina. Local breeders include Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Ovenbirds, and Prairie Warblers. May may also be your last good chance (at least for a couple of months) to catch some…

  • Turtles Time at Goose Creek State Park (Beaufort County, North Carolina)

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    Nicolette Cagle
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    Here is all you really need to know: it was May 2007. We arrived at Goose Creek State Park—and “turtle time” began. My trusty companion (my husband, Mark) and I pulled into the primitive campground in our reliable blue Jeep. I jumped out before Mark even turned off the ignition, my feet landing on coarse…