Category: Observations
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Trees are Tree-mendous
I used to live next to a little patch of woodland. Recently, the land was sold and the underbrush and old trees were cleared. Here on Chincoteague Island, most undeveloped […]
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Do Waterfowl Need Raincoats?
Rain or snow, sleet or drizzle, no problem: waterfowl are built for foul weather. Their outer feathers have interlocking barbules that hold together like Velcro, blocking out wind and rain. […]
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Chincoteague Bird Walk Gets Them Asking for More!
“My ambition is to see a kingfisher. That would really make my day,” a beginner bird watcher said. And as if on cue, there was the distinctive rattle of a belted […]
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Bald Eagle Returns to Wild
Dr. Meg Gammage-Tucker pulled on a long leather falconer’s glove and pulled back the orange cloth printed with the word Freedom. The bald eagle batted its body against the sides of the crate. Gammage-Tucker slipped the latch. The door swung open. A white head. The bird reared upward […]
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A View from the Course – Late October
Information is ridiculously easy to obtain. Which honeysuckles are native? What time is low tide tomorrow? What is the species name for cordgrass? To make information meaningful, though, we have […]
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Sleek Minks and Rolling River Otters
(Featured Image: Young mink on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge by Tom Koerner, USFWS) Minks and river otters are semi-aquatic mammals that live throughout our diverse Virginia, including our Eastern Shore […]
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How Flounder Eyes Evolved
One of the earliest criticisms of the theory of evolution was about flatfish eyes – how could one eye migrate to the other side of the head? Darwin tried to […]
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The Joy of Oyster Gardening
There are not many opportunities in this world to confidently say that an investment you make is both low cost, minimal time and effort, yet high reward and FUN! Well, […]
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Fern Seep Observations
Fern Seep is located on Occohannock Creek where the creek’s brackish salinity continues to freshen as it bears north towards its origin close to the Virginia Tech Extension office in […]