Keeping your community covered. We're committed to producing high-quality, fact-based news and information that gives you the facts in this community we call home. If our work has helped you stay informed, take action, or feel more connected to Windham County – please give now to help us reach our goal of raising $150,000 by December 31st.
Keeping your community covered. We're committed to producing high-quality, fact-based news and information that gives you the facts in this community we call home. If our work has helped you stay informed, take action, or feel more connected to Windham County – please give now to help us reach our goal of raising $150,000 by December 31st.
Conk-a-reeeee!
Nine inches of black feathers, he stretches his neck skyward, opens his pointed bill, and pours forth nasally, gurgling phrases, sounds that could only be called a “song” by another of his species.
As he sings, his wings open in flightless display, and red epaulets flash with sun-drenched brilliance even on the grayest of days.
The Red-wing Blackbird has returned.
I was asked recently what my favorite bird is. Before I could answer, the interrogator said, “My favorite bird is the chickadee.” Implicit was a challenge that dared me to disagree. I always dance around that question, even if no one is challenging me. There are just too many...
On a cold Saturday in December, cars crept along the dirt roads of Windham County. Periodically, they disgorged their occupants. Bundled against the cold, these people then craned necks as they studied the treetops. They peered into thickets, stared at cornfields, and searched ponds and rivers. They were participating...
Owls are birds of the night. Their nocturnal vigilance, often associated with the studious scholar or the wise elder, made them symbols of wisdom and learning. The Greek goddess of wisdom and learning was Athena; one of her symbols was the owl. The ancient coins of Athens carried the image of an owl as a sign of the patron goddess who vigilantly watched over the city. The owl was the Little Owl; in an attempt to increase their wisdom, some...
I enjoy standing on the top deck of the parking garage in Brattleboro and watching the pigeons swirl over the downtown buildings. These masters of urban adaptation thrive in the barren habitats of cities and towns. As I walk down the stairs to Flat Street, I pause to watch the pigeons' activity in the rock retaining wall beneath Elliot Street. Like the ancient cliffs that gave them their name, Rock Pigeon, they build their simple nests in the wall and...
Hurricane Irene ripped apart the tiny village of South Newfane where I live. I was in Philadelphia when she struck. The village was physically isolated, with every road washed out in multiple places and many bridges reduced to rubble. Communication was severed. It was three days before I could make contact with any neighbor. When I was finally able to return to South Newfane, I found my home safe, but the leach field for my septic system was gone, along...
