Starlings are often dismissed as an annoying, muddy brown bird, barely a notch above vermin. In the right light or with binoculars, I can discern their true, radiant colors — golds, purples, sea-greens, with touches of iridescent blue. In winter, these canny birds are thrilling to watch in synchronized flight above the stubbled farm fields. […]

A pale light streams into my bedroom. I’ve been tossing and turning for hours. I sit up to witness the weeping willow glowing in the ashen light beyond the glass doors. The moon hovers above the fence line, drawing me in, as a few clouds skuttle across. I fumble for my notebook on the nightstand […]

Eons ago, birds perfected a survival strategy for the winter chill, short days, and dwindling supply of insects. Migration, the mysterious and marvelous journey of birds seeking warmth, food, and suitable breeding grounds. It seems like in one day, all the swifts and swallows disappear from the sky. Instead, we hear the crisp honks of […]

The molecule on which life on earth depends is chlorophyll, not carbon. As I stare into the water, I realize that trees and plants have come closest to a kind of perfection, converting sunlight into energy, storing our toxic breath, and sustaining the fleeting lives of animals.

In Ireland, there’s a very old custom that was shared by rural folk, many of whom kept bee hives. Whenever there was a death in the family, someone had to go out and tell the bees about their loss. Some think that this tradition stems from a Celtic belief that bees were the link between […]

A French wise saying: Des ponts plutot que des murs. Bridges, rather than walls.