After our 18 days in Texas this spring, I submitted 79 different checklists to eBird, the citizen science website administered by the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where anybody anywhere in the world can record their bird sightings. During those 18 days, I saw an astounding-to-me 210 different species of birds, even though more experienced … Continue reading On the Road–More Texas Birds
Next to birds and flowers, I probably pay closest attention to butterflies and moths. These are fascinating creatures with winged scales (which is reflected in the name of their order, Lepidoptera, or lepidopterans, from Greek lepis, meaning “scale,” and pteros, meaning “wing”). An estimated 180,000 lepidopteran species exist on this planet which is a formidable … Continue reading Beauteous Butterflies
It is only thanks to Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, which awaits me each morning in my e-mail inbox, that I know that I am an ailurophile (from the Greek ailuros for cat, and -phile for lover). To read the entire online dictionary entry, or to sign up to receive a free daily word in … Continue reading To My Fellow Ailurophiles
So little divides utter joy from abject sadness. Like many Colorado bird lovers, I made a September pilgrimage to a Denver suburb, where a perspicacious birder had discovered an uncommon avian species. As the rare bird reports poured into my Email inbox for four successive days, I tried to suppress the little voice in my … Continue reading Birding Highs And Lows
One of the most striking paintings I have ever laid eyes upon graces a wall at Denver International Airport, where my husband and I revisited it recently, before our flight to Germany. Its title seems perfect at first. Picturesque sceneries, vibrant colors, adorable animals, and beaming faces bespeak the peace and goodwill between different beings … Continue reading In Harmony with Nature?
tanja britton 