BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD [FYI… Feathered Feature is switching to a winter schedule of every-other-week posts. There are still plenty of birds in the park during the colder months but with everyone (that includes me) extra busy over the holidays, it seems like a reasonable time for semi-hibernation.]  . “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for […]

BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD It seems to happen once each century. In 1775 the Redcoats showed up in Boston, the Beatles made a big splash about 200 years later in 1964, and in the sweet-spot in-between the House Sparrows (Passer domestics) arrived. It’s difficult to believe, given current controversies and political grandstanding, but for a long time […]

BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD Rushing out the door, I went over the list in my head: Shorts and a breathable tee—check. Running shoes—check. Baseball cap, sunglasses, and sunblock—check. Keys and ID—check.  Workout playlist queued up on the smartphone in my pocket—check. Everything was in order as I stepped out of my building. Or so I thought. […]

BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD Arrrggghhh!  I can NOT get that song out of my head!!  I don’t know where I heard it, maybe on the grocery store’s Music to Inspire Endcap Impulse Purchases station. It’s familiar but definitely not a favorite. I have eclectic musical tastes that span eras and genres, so why is it that […]

BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD It’s a fine world, though rich in hardships at times. ~ Larry McMurtry   There’s a sweetness in the lament of a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) that makes the sorrow bearable, and believable. Theirs isn’t an pop tune about a hookup with a hook, or a power ballad tale of infatuation, thrill, […]

BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD JAY!  JAY!  JAY! Uh oh… I’ve been spotted! The Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) on guard have ratted me out. Halt! Who goes there? Thought you could just slip past, did you? Not on my watch. Hey everybody—look! Look! Over there!” Now every non-human ear in the neighborhood knows I’m here. It feels […]

BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD Heat and Humidity have resumed their annual one-upmanship contest here in Arch City. Being outdoors mid-day can be unpleasant, so my canine companion and I have been trying to beat them to the starting blocks by heading out for our daily constitutional as early as possible. We stroll two blocks, past grand Italianate […]