If you want to strike terror into the heart of a developing birder, shout "Peeps!"

Conifer diversity is great in our region, and I'll bet many of you have stopped along the highway to gather foot-long sugar pine cones. Cones often are used as decorations, and we have a tremendous variety to choose from.

The light was fading fast on a winter-shortened day, and the frost that never quite melted was already repairing its losses.

In January, it was time to drag out the ladder and prune the apple trees. It may have been cold, but the chore has its rewards. The property looks different from the top of a ladder, and the slow pace of winter offers a different perspective.

Golden-crowned sparrows arrive in my yard each year on Sept. 18 plus or minus two days. I buy my black oil sunflower seeds the week before in anticipation of their arrival, and they never disappoint. There are always about 20 that line up for breakfast. Two weeks later, a modest collection of about 10 dark-eyed juncos descend from the hills to join them. Again, I can set my calendar by their arrival. These are predictable events.

Have you ever wished you had special powers, say the ability to leap tall buildings or X-ray vision? Most of us have had such daydreams, but this only happens in comic books. Right?

Snow is beautiful, if you don't have to drive. Snow is beautiful, if you are inside a warm, cozy house looking out. For the more adventurous, snow is beautiful standing upon a pair of skis, just as long as there is a warm, cozy house waiting at the end of the outing.

A Douglas fir grows in my yard. It's one I planted soon after moving to the property years ago. Now it's more than 30 feet tall and doing quite well.

I like birds. This is no surprise to anyone who knows me. There are limits, however.

First, you have to understand that I am a biologist. Biologists see the world through a slightly different lens. We find fascination in things that others either don't notice or, perhaps, would rather not notice. My children thought some dinner conversations perfectly normal that many might find inappropriate.