a flock of birds standing on top of a sandy beach

WILD THINGS: SHOREBIRDS, SOLID GROUND AND TREACHEROUS MUCK

I was about to head out on my road bike when my future wife said, “Put a helmet on. I’m not changing your diaper.” That...
an owl is sitting in the tall grass

WILD THINGS: OWL BE THERE

The owl looked straight at me over his left shoulder, then swiveled his head about 350 degrees and looked straight at me over his...
a couple of birds that are standing in the sand

WILD THINGS: AN ORNITHOLOGICAL DEBACLE

I was hearing a red-winged blackbird but seeing a common grackle. Which was fine. If I wasn’t excessively comfortable with cognitive dissonance I wouldn’t...

WILD THINGS: POETRY & SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION IN BLACK AND WHITE

I vacillate in my opinions about bird names. Sometimes I like the names that are clear and technically descriptive. Sometimes I like the ones...
a black and white bird sitting on a wooden post

WILD THINGS: CLASSY & ROYAL BIRDS

I know it is anthropomorphic, and therefore wrong, to think of terns as classier versions of gulls. In the proper scientific sense, class should...

WILD THINGS: IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK AND QUACKS LIKE A DUCK…

There is a semi-old adage that says if something walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably...
a black and white photo of a man standing in front of a small building

WILD THINGS: DOVE HEADS & OLD-SCHOOL ORNITHOLOGY

William Earl Dodge Scott and John Wyley Atkins must have had some interesting correspondence, as evidenced by a letter Atkins once sent to Scott. “I...
a crab is eating an orange on the beach

WILD THINGS: THE SECRET LIFE OF HERMIT CRABS

I was lucky enough to spend some time on a backcountry island a few years ago. There was a house, but it was pretty...
a seagull standing in the grass near a body of water

WILD THINGS: ASK THE BIRD GEEK

Why aren’t there any blue jays in the Lower Keys? — Paul Z. Bandit It’s pretty hard to avoid blue jays in the eastern half...
a close up of a bird with red feathers

WILD THINGS: DUCKS: RUSSKIES, OKIES AND OTHERWISE

The things that freak people out about Muscovy ducks are the caruncles, sometimes called wattles – the prominent, bright red, fleshy bits on their...

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get Keys Weekly delivered right to your inbox along with a daily dose of Keys News.

Success! Please check your email for confirmation.