Time to watch eagles at Smithville Lake

  Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation. For those wanting to watch big aggressive birds, the 19th annual eagle days at Smithville Lake are Jan. 4 and 5. Outdoor viewing stations will offer opportunities to view eagles and ...

Bugs, birds and salamanders – learn about them on Troost Avenue

Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation The bug that has killed millions of ash trees as it worked its way west from Michigan is now in the Kansas City area. On Oct. 15, Wendy Sangster, conservation department forester, will talk ...

Watch live right now, peregrine falcon chicks

Last time we checked in on the peregrine falcon nest at the downtown Commerce Tower building, there wasn’t much going on. But today, you can see at least three falcon chicks on live streaming video. The eggs hatched late last week, according ...

Small controlled prairie fire burns on Troost Avenue

Prairie fires are a natural part of the growing cycle, but it’s rare to see one in an urban setting. Yesterday at the Missouri Department of Conservation Discovery Center at 47th and Troost, foresters set a small controlled fire on an acre ...

Backyard Bird Count Feb. 15-18: send us your best photos

The Midtown KC Post and the Hyde Parker newsletter are sponsoring a photo contest in conjunction with the 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count Friday through Monday. The count is a nationwide effort to document bird populations and is led by ...

Can beetles find true love…on a carcass?

Burying beetle. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons. Romance starts with a caress for some, for others it takes a carcass. Valentine’s Day is approaching and it is time to consider the admirable love life of the endangered American burying beetle. Unlike ...

Discovery Center offers exhibit on the rapidly disappearing grouse

The grouse mating ritual – fanned tail feathers, struts and charges, puffed air sacs and booming sounds – is unforgettable but few will ever see it. Birds once as common in North America as buffalo are disappearing in Missouri and elsewhere. But ...

ShortTrips: Eagle Days at Squaw Creek

For Midtowners and others who might want to pause from urban bliss to ogle eagles, this weekend is a good time. The annual Eagle Days events run from Friday through Sunday at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. The formal Friday events are ...