On a family vacation this summer, we were out for an evening stroll when my husband saw a baby bird hopping along the sidewalk. The bird looked to be in rough shape, at least to our untrained eyes. Its brown feathers were ragged and patchy, its movements clumsy and...
I’ve always been a bit obsessed with birds. When I was growing up, I loved teaching our pet cockatiels to say, “Pretty bird! Want a kiss?” As a newlywed living in Boston, I convinced my husband we should keep two zebra finches in our small condo. They were messy...
Last week, on the same day that several kids at my older daughter’s Wisconsin soccer camp were ill from heat exhaustion, I had a phone call with my stepmother in California, where the Dixie fire had been spreading. Though it wasn’t yet close to where she and my father...
Yesterday, the Ides of March, was a dreary, cold day, the type that reminds any Midwesterner why it’s foolish to stow away the snow shovel prematurely. As I took our dog for a walk, Lake Michigan roared in the distance and the sun hid behind a cloak of clouds....
I am a nerd for birds. Though I can’t claim much official birding knowledge, I purchased a backyard feeder a few years ago and have learned some of the patterns of the feathered beauties who swoop in for a snack. The tiny chickadees are the most numerous, visiting frequently...
