Posts by jbird24
Time to Fly
Remember those three big, awkward raven babies? Well, the ravens brought into our care back in April are now full-grown and ready to go. Watch a video of the ravens flying in our flight cage! These young birds were brought to us after a logger disrupted their nest when he cut down their tree. A…
Read MoreLook For It Now: Forget-me-nots
Like birds, flowers make their way into literature in all its forms. In one of my favorite poems, Longfellow’s “Evangeline,” the stars in the “meadows of heaven” were said to be “the forget-me-nots of the angels.” “True” forget-me-nots (Myosotis scorpioides) — found growing wild in Vermont — have a small blue flower with a yellow…
Read MoreTeen Owls
The teen years can be the toughest. You’re kinda feeling like an adult, but you’re still very much a kid. Independence seems just within your grasp, and yet — although you hate to admit it — you still want Mom and Dad by your side. Watch a video of these fledgling owls in their outdoor…
Read MoreLook For It Now: Red-spotted Newt
This little fellow was running around the peas in my garden the other morning. What a sight to see! He is a red-spotted newt, also known as a red-spotted eft or eastern newt. This particular newt has three life stages, including the aquatic larva or tadpole stage, the red eft or terrestrial juvenile stage, and…
Read MoreA Bird’s Best Friend
VINS’ volunteer carpenter, Peter Mitchell, has done it again. He’s volunteered his hard work and time to build us brand new enclosures for our wild bird patients. His dedication to making Wildlife Services, our rehabilitation department, the best it can be has made him a bird’s best friend (and ours, too!) This spring, Peter constructed…
Read MoreLook For It Now: Yellow Lady’s Slipper Orchid
Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium pubescens) is blooming in Vermont. Look for this wild orchid in bogs, shady swamp areas and wet woodlands. The plant may stand 12- to 30-inches tall, and flowers with a yellow, slipper-like blossom in May and June. Each flower is held above the foliage on the stalk, with a single leafy…
Read MoreOwlet Love
Wild owls are a fierce bunch. With knife-sharp talons and flesh-ripping beaks, these birds of prey are high in the food chain and not to be messed with. Watch a video of one of our baby owls getting his bandage changed! As babies, however, owls look like soft, fluffy balls of innocence. Sure they’ve still…
Read MoreAs the borers approach, should we cut the ash?
By Chuck Wooster for “The Outside Story“Illustration by Adelaide Tyrol Early May is a gut-wrenching time for those of us who love ash. The trees take their time leafing out, appearing stone-cold dead for weeks after the maples have flowered and put on their fine show. Even the recalcitrant oak comes to life before the…
Read MoreFill Summer with Adventure, Learning
By Beth Roy Camp and School Programs Manager As the days grow longer, the trees’ leaves mature and turn a dark green and migratory birds arrive for nesting season in New England, it’s time to plan family vacations, outdoor excursions and summer camp for kids! VINS is offering an exciting array of brand new nature…
Read MoreA Little Bliss For You
It’s a beautiful weekend here in Vermont, and I’m going to add to your bliss by sharing this video of a gosling currently in our care. He’s just about the cutest thing around. Watch the video of our little gosling! The baby Canada goose (a.k.a. gosling) was found orphaned a few days ago, and was…
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