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586 Search Results for "george ellison"
Wild mountain boars
Published: 2009-04-29 16:54:00Numerous non-native plants have been introduced into the southern mountains during the last century or so. Many of these are now classified by wildlife biologists as “exotic pests.” Few would argue that kudzu does not fall into that category. And wit...
Read MoreAncient chemical warfare
Published: 2009-04-22 16:38:00I’m sometimes asked if the prehistoric Cherokees used any sort of poisons on their blowgun darts. These darts (slivers of black locust, hickory, or white oak) were from 10- to 20-inches long with thistledown tied at one end to form an air seal in the b...
Read MoreDogwoods in the mountains
Published: 2009-04-15 16:14:00In the Smokies region, there are three species of dogwood. Everyone is familiar with flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), which is starting to flower this week, but the others are less well known. Alternate-leaved or pogada dogwood (C. alternifolia) is th...
Read MoreOld stone walls redux
Published: 2009-04-08 15:42:00( Author’s Note: While running random Internet searches, I occasionally am confronted from out of the blue, as it were, with something I wrote years ago that I’d absolutely forgotten I’d written and failed to store in my computer files. Most of the...
Read MoreBluebirds continue to fascinate
Published: 2009-04-01 15:11:00My oh my what a wonderful day Plenty of sunshine in my way Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Zip-a-dee-eh Mr Bluebird’s on my shoulder It’s the truth, it’s actual Everything is satisfactual Through the years, I’ve written more than a few columns about eastern bl...
Read MoreMaking friends with an injured crow
Published: 2009-03-25 20:40:00According to the current Ornithological Union listing, the appropriate non-scientific name for a crow is “common crow.” How apt! Like most commonly observed objects, crows, for the most part, flit across our field of vision unheeded. Cawing, they fla...
Read MoreUplifted by the flight of birds
Published: 2009-03-18 20:15:00Lately, I’ve been writing a lot about birds. I guess I have them on my mind, in part, because the spring migration season is underway. I heard my first Louisiana waterthrush (a warbler) of the year this past Sunday morning. But then again, birds are al...
Read MoreThe curious habits of birds
Published: 2009-03-11 19:45:00The curious lifestyles and distinctive habits one can observe in the bird world are continually fascinating. Some things you can count on to occur with regularity. Each year, in late spring or early summer, blue jays will gather into communal flocks that...
Read MorePopeyed pleasures
Published: 2009-03-04 15:46:00Many people who spend some time walking the woodland stream banks and other wet areas here in the Smokies region have had the memorable experience of flushing a woodcock — that secretive, rotund, popeyed, little bird with an exceedingly long down-point...
Read MoreCowbirds a favorite to despise
Published: 2009-02-25 19:42:00Some folks can’t stand house sparrows (a native of north Africa and Eurasia) while others detest starlings (a native of Europe). Both species were introduced into this country in the 19th century. While I don’t especially admire house sparrows and st...
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