Connecting Lake Simcoe's Community

By David Hawke -- The country lane looked peaceful enough, the first true warming rays of springtime sun easily splashing down on the still damp gravel. The snow had gone, with a few small puddles of melt water all that remained to remember the winter snows. As I wandered along, little did I know that this was a scene of great anxiety, as I had just intruded on the butterfly wars.

By David Hawke -- While the name 'timberdoodle' may sound wacky, it somehow seems to fit the bird whose moniker it is.

By David Hawke -- Buffleheads and ringnecks. Goldeneyes and bluebills. Hoodies and woodies.

By David Hawke -- The snowbanks are melting, tree sap is running, puddles are ripe for splashing and the annual springtime mess under the bird feeders is once again revealed.

By David Hawke -- I have a challenge with otters.

By David Hawke – At the end of each winter, usually mid to late March, there comes a time when the snow conditions are ideal for walking, just about anywhere, without the aid of snowshoes or skis.

By David Hawke -- While reading through an agricultural newspaper last week, I came upon a short article about bees and apple orchards.

By David Hawke -- Maybe it's just the time of year, but each March many people, myself included, get a tad melancholy. Each day passes looking much the last... and tomorrow is shaping up to be a lot like today. Ho-hum. Is it just us, or are we missing something?

By David Hawke -- You don't see them very often, but when you do it's a moment to remember. With their bright scarlet top-knot and striking black-and-white plumage, the pileated woodpecker is a bird that looks quite “dressed-up.”

By David Hawke - As a nature-loving kind of guy I like to think that a report of a species strengthening its population is a good thing.

By David Hawke -- About the only time a chickadee remains still is when it's dead, sleeping, or about to become dead.

By David Hawke -- "Art is where you find it. Art is all around us, always."

By David Hawke -- "Cause and effect" is a term that is well known in the scientific community (and I imagine it's just as well known in the social community).

By David Hawke -- The pattern of holes in the snow revealed where a red squirrel had come forth from the distant spruce trees.

By David Hawke -- Just as the temperature slides up and down the thermometer, so too does the level of activity around our bird feeders.

By David Hawke -- As one studies the natural environment, trying to understand the inter-relationships of many species, the exercise can become a bit overwhelming. I say this as one who has had the privilege to work in and for our environment for several decades. Concepts once considered simple and straightforward have become very complex.

By David Hawke -- Snow insulates, ice not so much. This little fact comes into play in a big way if you happen to be a deer mouse, meadow vole or, occasionally, a ruffed grouse.

By David Hawke -- As I hauled garbage bags and blue bins out to the end of our lane, the neatly laid pattern of fox tracks in the snow caught my eye.

By David Hawke -- According to TV advertisements, this is the season of magic.

By David Hawke -- Every eight or 10 years, the woodlots and backyards of our region erupt in rabbits. Rabbits on the lawn, rabbits in the garden, rabbits crossing the road, dead rabbits laid at your feet by the family cat, and well, just rabbits everywhere. This is a natural cycle with the realm of nature, and peaks within a fairly regular period.