I’ve been snooping on cavity nesters of late. Thank goodness a bit of their nesting lives takes place where humans can relish the action. To wit, a nest box in the yard where a black-capped chickadee ...

Ms. Renkl, a contributing Opinion writer, reports from Nashville on flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. Of all the nest boxes in our yard, the Carolina chickadees always choose ...

To nest or not to nest? That is the question. The days are hot and muggy; the nights only a bit cooler. In the morning when the barred owl hoots to its partner, I check the temperature. If, at 5 a.m., ...

The thunder rolled and lightning danced among the jagged peaks as a summer rainstorm soaked the alpine meadows of California’s Sierra Nevada. Our parkas were zipped tight and heads down as we plodded ...

Wrens are little brown birds that can easily be distinguished from most other birds by observing their high energy, upright tail, loud chatter and bold behavior. House wrens are spunky little birds ...

Ms. Renkl is a contributing Opinion writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. NASHVILLE — The drama started the first time a house wren showed up, nearly a decade ago ...