The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD, hosts a Project Owlnet bird banding station as part of a project studying Northern Saw-whet Owl migration. I was allowed to participate as a volunteer last year, which gave me a truly memorable experience, seeing the Northern Saw-whet Owl for the first time.

As each November rolls around, I try to review the past year in order to acknowledge and honor the many things for which I am thankful. 

One of the perks of editing the Potomac Flier is access to National Audubon Society’s photo archive, which includes years’ worth of images from the photography awards.

Fall migration is starting! I saw that someone had reported a Tennessee Warbler in northern Virginia just the other day, which got me musing about this migration season -- the challenges the birds face, how to make it safer for migrating birds and how to enjoy the spectacle of migration.

I have been admiring the fireflies in my backyard recently. I didn’t see them there for many years, but I’ve attracted them by making several simple changes.

As the sun slowly sank into Belmont Bay, a full moon rose behind us, lighting our way down Kane’s Creek. We paddled our kayaks back to the launch site with only the splash of our paddles to disturb the quiet of the evening.