Wood Storks: Peculiar-Looking Birds

In contrast to the fresh pink of the spoonbill, the wood stork appears oddly prehistoric. A close relative of the spoonbill and the ibis, this is the only stork native to North America. Fossils of a wood stork (or a “sister” stork—one that is very...

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Everything Needs to Eat, Including the Mink

Stan Tekiela encounters a mink when checking on his purple martin colony. Find out what happened! The other day I was working with my purple martin colony. I have 16 gourd nesting boxes that house 16 families, and at this time of year the babies are...

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Fall is a Glorious Time for Hiking

Ladona Tornabene, coauthor of Gentle Hikes of Minnesota’s North Shore, talks about the importance of hiking this Fall and addresses concerns about falling when hiking. Fall is an absolutely glorious time for hiking. However, for some people, concern over a different type of fall emerges. According...

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This Fall, Make Memories on the Trail

Ladona Tornabene, coauthor of Gentle Hikes of Minnesota’s North Shore, invites us to make memories on the trail this Fall. The season is upon us—when green yields to gold and red-hot, well, just yields to red. Summer’s blooms will soon bow to autumn’s hues, and I find...

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About Birdsongs, Calls, and More

In his book Bird Trivia: Funny, Strange, and Incredible Facts about North American Birds, naturalist and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela talks about mysterious and amazing birdsongs. Here are some excerpts for you! The Most Prolific Songster Birds are well known for their amazing songs. The Brown Thrasher is the...

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