field guides

  • Woodpecker Wake-Up Call

    Before the calendar told me that spring had arrived, a familiar visitor announced it in a very bold way. Every spring for the past several years, a northern flicker woodpecker (Colaptes auratus) has pecked away on my roof during mating season in spurts of rapid, repetitive motion lasting several seconds. The sound of a jackhammer… Continue reading

  • Mushroom Mania

    Autumn in Seattle means rain and lots of it. While many Seattle residents are indoors moaning about the miserable weather, a few of us are rubbing our hands with glee as the drops fall. We are the wild mushroom hunters, and this is our favorite time of year. On any given fall day after it rains,… Continue reading

  • Pursuing the bird of a lifetime: Birders and birding resources

    We are a group not to be ignored. The numbers of birders in the United States totals approximately 48 million individuals who generate some $82 billion in expenditures toward equipment and trips near and far to pursue the bird of a lifetime. These figures come courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. One can… Continue reading