Volume 23 Issue 3, Fall 2018 by Sharon Plummer We see them at parks and in our wooded backyards. Just like with the Redskins, people are either fans or enemies or never give them any thought. They bound gracefully across roadways, though unfortunately they don’t always make it across. For some city dwellers, this may be the only wildlife they […]

Volume 22 Issue 4, Winter 2017 by Marion Constante Some of us root for Peter Rabbit on his tales of adventure while many others side with Mr. McGregor, as he tirelessly tries to protect his garden from Peter and his family. Regardless of which side you are on, cottontail rabbits are abundant in our literature and […]

Vol. 21 Issue 4, Winter 2016     Photo by Katherine Daniels By John Griffin, Director, Urban Wildlife for The Humane Society of the United States Many articles about the red fox begin by introducing readers to the fact that they are the most widely distributed of any wild carnivore, and this is certainly true, […]

Vol. 20 Issue 3, Fall 2015 By Lynsey White Dasher As the weather turns cooler and fall approaches, ghost tours are a common activity for Halloween enthusiasts in Loudoun County. Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park is rumored to be haunted with the ghosts of soldiers who lost their lives during Loudoun County’s largest Civil War […]

Vol. 19 Issue 3, Fall 2014 By Lindsey Brookbank Groundhogs (Marmota monax) are gentle, often times comical, vegetarians. They are celebrated on February 2, but may not be as welcome in your garden later in the year. Conflicts with groundhogs usually occur over who gets to eat the vegetables. Despite their attraction to what grows […]

Vol. 18 Issue 3, Fall 2013 By Liam McGranaghan Eek, it’s a mouse…or wait, is it a vole or a mole? Hmm, perhaps it’s a shrew? For many people, the difference does not matter. These small, rodent-like animals are often thought of as creepy pests that should be avoided, or better yet, exterminated. To this […]

Here’s an exciting sighting from Joe Coleman from last week.  What a great encounter! From Joe: A Long-tailed Weasel with a bad case of mange on its rump just walked through the woods in front of our house.  At one point it pursued a squirrel up a tree but didn’t catch it.  Unfortunately, I did not have […]

Vol. 15 Issue 1, Spring 2010 By Nicole Hamilton Almost every spring, we have reports of Black Bear sightings here in Loudoun, and it’s always quite exciting!  In the last few years they have been seen in Aldie, Leesburg, Round Hill, Purcellville, and even Ashburn. Black Bears, the only species of bear in our area, […]

Vol. 14 Issue 2, Summer 2009 By Joe Midolo In the early spring, the little critters that weathered the winter months emerge from their slumber to greet the spring. One of the most endearing of these small creatures is the chipmunk, who, unlike many of his fellow mammals, does not enter a state of slumber […]