I recently saw a few photographs of some impressive walleye taken from the Missouri River this spring in the vicinity of Bismarck. Walleye are undoubtedly the most popular fish in North Dakota, in terms of angling interest and table fare. It mi

Chipmunks

May 29th, 2021 2m 33s

We have some chipmunks around our yard that are providing us with some great entertainment. They have been busy scurrying around, often cleaning up spilled sunflower seeds from our bird feeders. And of course, they occasionally crawl up to a pl

Prescribed Burning

May 22nd, 2021 2m 43s

Many of you probably heard the news about the wildfires in the badlands earlier this spring. Areas around Medora, the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and some other areas have burned. In all, a few thousand acres of native prair

Sandhill Cranes

May 15th, 2021 2m 44s

Perhaps like me you have heard those sounds from overhead during the spring and fall bird migrations and looked skyward to see what was causing it. But nothing was up there! But then it continued. Eventually a flock of birds was spotted up ther

Spring Woodland Wildflowers

May 8th, 2021 2m 48s

Every day is a great day for getting out and enjoying a little “Natural North Dakota.” But this time of the year is a real treat. The birds are active and warblers are moving through the area. Mammals and other animals are quite active as well.

American Robin

May 1st, 2021 2m 29s

I trust you are enjoying the song of the American robin this spring! It has been a long winter, and hearing their song makes spring official and gives us thoughts of warmer days ahead.

What Eats Bats

Apr 24th, 2021 2m 35s

My wife and I were recently discussing the Covid-19 pandemic, and the subject of bats came up. “What eats bats” she asked. Not much, I speculated. So I had to do a little checking up on bats.

Wanted: Dead and Dying Trees

Apr 17th, 2021 2m 42s

We are coming upon spring cleaning time if it has not started already. It is time to do some outdoor yard work and the like. But when it comes to clearing out those old dead or dying trees and branches, you might want to reconsider, unless ther

Sharp-tailed Grouse Dance Competition

Apr 10th, 2021 2m 31s

The sharp-tailed grouse have put on their dancing shoes! The males, that is. As dawn breaks across the grasslands over much of North Dakota from roughly April through May, the sounds of what can be described as the faint muffled hammering of a

Bird Longevity

Apr 3rd, 2021 3m

Some of you may have heard the news recently about the seventy-year-old albatross that hatched another chick. It got me thinking about the life span of our feathered friends. I have wondered for example if it is the same bald eagle I have been

Hood’s Phlox

Mar 27th, 2021 2m 54s

April is just about here, so that old saying “April showers bring May flowers” might come to mind. But we do not have to wait until May. The earliest of our flowering plants start coming into bloom in April, and Hood’s phlox is one of them.

March Full Moon

Mar 20th, 2021 2m 32s

The calendar tells us that the season is changing. But for many early cultures the change of seasons and annual cycle was marked by the occurrence of full moons, and we have a full moon coming up on the 28th. As most everyone knows, the full mo

Rabbits and Hares

Mar 13th, 2021 2m 49s

I have been seeing tracks of snowshoe hares during my outings in the Turtle Mountain forest, although I have yet to see one. It might surprise you, but they are native to North Dakota. Historically they could be found in Turtle Mountain, Pembin

The Power of Wonder

Mar 6th, 2021 2m 44s

It has been a long winter, and my thoughts are turning to spring. But I have been doing more reading this winter including rereading portions of Sigurd Olson’s Runes of the North, first published in 1963. For those of you unfamiliar with Sigurd

Moose!

Feb 27th, 2021 2m 27s

I had the good fortune recently to get a good look at eight moose, most with antlers! They were strolling through a harvested small grain field west of Bottineau. I bet they were not three hundred yards away. We pulled off the highway and watch

Underfit Rivers

Feb 20th, 2021 2m 40s

Coming down Minot’s north hill recently, I was again struck by the immensity of the Souris River Valley compared to the relatively small flowage of the present-day Souris River. How could that large valley have formed? The Souris River is an un

Red-Breasted Nuthatches

Feb 13th, 2021 2m 43s

The comings and goings at our bird feeders has been rather routine this winter. We are getting the usual chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, pine siskins, downy and hairy woodpeckers on a regular basis. But we are seeing a few red-breasted n

Great Backyard Bird Count 2021

Feb 6th, 2021 2m 41s

The Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up February 12-15. As some of you may know it is an effort between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada to help scientists better understand the population dynamics an

The Milky Way

Jan 30th, 2021 2m 48s

Clear summer nights are great for looking up at the heavens. But there is something about clear winter nights that makes the night sky even more awe inspiring. I am not sure why. Maybe it has something to with the cold crisp air. I was thinking

Winter Silence is Deceptive

Jan 23rd, 2021 2m 25s

It never ceases to amaze me how quiet the prairie, woods, and marshes can be during the dead of winter here in North Dakota. Oh, there are the occasional sightings, such as that of deer and coyotes, plus the sighting or calls of chickadees, nut

More Bison Than I Could Have Imagined

Jan 16th, 2021 2m 38s

If I had one wish, it would probably be time travel. And one of the first places I would go would be the Great Plains of North America before European influence to see for myself those immense herds of bison on their native range. There may hav

Mountain Removal Project

Jan 9th, 2021 2m 36s

Some of you longtime North Dakota residents may recall the old North Dakota tourism campaign, North Dakota-Mountain Removal Project Completed. That campaign, back in the day, was complete with highway billboards. But any knowledge of the presen

Longer Days Coming!

Jan 2nd, 2021 2m 34s

Happy New Year! I suspect that most of us were ready to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. Here is hoping 2021 is your best year ever. Things are getting brighter! Most of us might not have noticed it much yet, but the days are getting longer!

Pine Siskins

Dec 26th, 2020 2m 26s

The winter finch forecast predicted that the pine siskins were likely to stay up north to take advantage of a good conifer seed crop across much of western Canada. As some of you may know, they are one of our more adventurous and erratic winter

Muskrat Push-Ups

Dec 19th, 2020 2m 47s

As I drove down the highway past a pond shortly after ice-up a few weeks ago, I noticed a few small piles of what looked like mud and vegetation on the ice. I suspect that some of you may have noticed something similar. What is that all about?