Author Archives: taconia

“He is, without exception, the wildest animal I ever saw,—a fiery, sputtering little bolt of life, luxuriating in quick oxygen and the woods’ best juices.” Naturalist John Muir, The Mountains of California, 1894 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/10012/10012-h/10012-h.htm#chap09 This small squirrel, about half the … Continue reading →

The years that I have spent here watching fishing birds has shown me that to be very good at one survival task requires sacrificing other powers. Loons, like other fishing birds, have large webbed feet for underwater propulsion. Unlike most … Continue reading →

Humans often detest the roof rat, a variety of common black rat, for the very traits that have enabled both humans and the rat to spread worldwide. Rats are exceptionally adaptable, eat a wide variety of food, and travel well … Continue reading →

When visitors see tan or white clumps of foam riding the tides in the slough or on the bay, they often ask “Where did that come from?” They are thinking of pollution. Maybe someone was washing a car by the … Continue reading →

The Band Tailed Pigeon of the West Coast An early European traveler to Oregon wrote, “This species is most numerous near the mouth of the Columbia River, where immense flocks were seen from May to October 1865, which fairly rivaled … Continue reading →