Hawk Watching with Galax High School
Mahogany Rock Hawk Watch with Galax HS Biology Students. On September 24th, BRDC hosted this year’s final Avian Adventures program at Mahogany Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Teachers Emily Brown and Sam Starkey brought 12 kids for a day of hawk observations and discussions on migration.BRDC guides William Roberts and Scott Jackson-Ricketts began the program with a focus on a map, compass and questions about migratory patterns and the dynamics of energy saving flight techniques.
September sightings
I had several interesting visitors to my moth sheet and porch during September. The first was an American Toad that was obviously looking for a meal.
BRDC's Blue Ridge Expeditions Launches its First Foray
Blue Ridge Discovery Center is proud to welcome Roald Kirby to our team of naturalist explorers and guides. As program director of our new Blue Ridge Expeditions, Roald brings years of outdoor experience and love of our Blue Ridge to the public through a series of walks, guided hikes and nature lore.
Painful garden encounter
For the first time in nearly five years, I have been able to garden again. It became crucial to create a deer free zone, not an easy task...combining hard work and the cost of fencing.
What moths do at night
Because we see moths at lights or resting quietly somewhere during the day, it's easy to forget that many of them sip nectar just like their butterfly cousins. Here are two that visited my butterfly bushes on August 31.
Orange-striped Oakworms
This is the wandering season for oakworms. They come down from the trees and look, sometimes at considerable distances from the trees, for places to pupate in the ground. My wife found one and later I found two more on the back porch. Here's the caterpillar.
In Memory of Gale Kuebler
Gale Kuebler was an avid butterflier and, to say the least, a wonderful person. All of us who knew her will miss her. Here's an American Lady, a way to remember a real lady.