Take a second look …
The yellow eyes of the Saw-whet Owl are so startling, their gaze so steady, that we tend to ignore everything else. It’s easy to miss the trace of blood just below the owl’s bill, a smear of something that changes the way we look at the bird, that deepens our understanding of it. What discoveries might we make if we took that second look more often, if we trained ourselves to see?
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A Photographic Atlas of North American Birds
“Let’s face it, pictures of birds are boring.” Or so said the American author and devout birder Jonathan Rosen in one of the many articles he has published in the New York Times. Some of us would disagree with such a blanket statement. We find pictures of birds, whether they be paintings or photographs, quite exciting, and we spend almost as much time contemplating them as we do tracking down the real thing. Anyone who doubts the ability of a fine bird photograph to mesmerize the viewer should have a look at a recently published text from John Hopkins Press, … Read more
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An Apology for the Adverb
At first glance, the adverb may not seem like the most fascinating subject under the sun. In fact, this part of speech has sparked many passionate debates among editors, writers, and those of us who simply like to read. The current controversy is easy to summarize: Should writers avoid using the adverb entirely, or should they embrace its use enthusiastically? I have published my thoughts on this matter in the online magazine The Journal of Wild Culture. You can link to the article here. I certainly hope you enjoy the read.
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Butterflies of Manitoulin Island: An Informal Survey
At the end of July, my wife and I left Toronto to spend a week in a cottage on Manitoulin Island. The largest fresh-water island in the world stretches across the top of Lake Huron for 160 kilometers (100 miles). It takes the better part of seven hours to drive there from Toronto, so I had plenty of time to think. The question that nagged at me was simple: Why do we travel? The only answer that occurred was that we wish to see things we cannot see at home. It may seem trivial to some, but the main reason … Read more
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