Field Note: Eagle!
Published: October 18, 2024

Rise early in the morning and head out to a nearby national wildlife refuge, and you’ve got a good shot of being rewarded with the sights and sounds of all kinds of birds. And on this birdwatching trip, you might be watched back.

Field Note: Tree Swallow Funnel
Published: September 27, 2024

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender elaborates on the huge airborne gatherings of tree swallows called "murmurations."

Field Note: "In Defense of Little Foxes"
Published: January 26, 2024

Living on Earth Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on how experience and anthropocentrism color our perceptions of other species and how much we care about their well-being.

Field Note: "Oh, Say Can You See?": Kingfisher on Long Island Sound
Published: June 30, 2023

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender provides some context for his essay, "Oh, Say Can You See?" about a kingfisher on Long Island Sound.

Field Note: Cliff Hanger
Published: March 6, 2023

Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender expands on his essay about cormorants and explains how the remnants of war can create refuges for wildlife where no humans will venture.

Field Note: I’ll Take Menhaden
Published: December 16, 2022

Menhaden fish once gathered in schools several miles long and were a common food for predators like sharks, sea birds, and bass. But after humans turned them into everything from supplements to fertilizer their numbers plummeted by roughly 90 percent. In Long Island Sound they’re finally bouncing back and Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender, witnesses their return.

Field Note: Wishful Thinking - Leopards of the Olare Oruk River
Published: October 21, 2022

Young leopards have a lot to learn. In the Maasai Mara, on the banks of the Olare Oruk River, Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender followed one such Young leopard progress along the learning curve.

Field Note: Captive Audience
Published: August 30, 2022

Cooperative hunting among birds is rare but Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender shares an unexpected instance among yellow-billed storks in Kenya.

Field Note: Big Dog, Soft Mouth
Published: July 25, 2022

Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on how our limited perspective influences our perception of nature.

Field Note: Gotta Getta Fish!
Published: June 24, 2022

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender elaborates on the singular moment when a young osprey first leaves the nest.

Field Note: "Trust" - Great Blue Heron
Published: May 27, 2022

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence muses on the importance of communication and trust between a great blue heron couple as they share equally the duties of raising their young.

Field Note: Beautiful Mountain Bluebird
Published: May 23, 2022

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender explains mountain bluebirds' willingness to nest in human-made nest boxes.

Field Note: The Impala Imperative
Published: March 11, 2022

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender provides additional insight on how impala markings help confound predators and buy the antelope crucial extra time to escape.

Field Note: “To Fly, To Live:” Osprey of Long Island Sound
Published: January 28, 2022

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender shares a reflection on how the availability of prey shapes the lives of young ospreys.

Field Note: Adiós Al Color - Elk at Great Sand Dunes National Park
Published: January 7, 2022

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender witnesses a changing landscape as snow and elk transform great sand dunes in Colorado.

Field Note: Vultures in Love
Published: October 29, 2021

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender comments on how vultures are typically under appreciated, and their unique kind of mutual grooming he observed in Kenya.

Field Note: King Penguins Entering Surf
Published: October 22, 2021

Living on Earth's Explore-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender muses on the constant danger penguins face from leopard seals and other predators when they venture out to feed at sea.

Field Note: The Agreement - Maasai Giraffe in the Highlands of Kenya
Published: September 30, 2021

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender recalls the first time he saw a giraffe in the wild, and comments on the value of their wildness and the threats they face.

Field Note: Sea Lion Cave
Published: August 6, 2021

Photographer and Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender takes us behind the scenes of his encounters with sea lions, at sea and behind the lens.

Field Note: Mother and Son: Sea Otter Bonding
Published: July 6, 2021

At Elkhorn Slough in Monterey Bay, California, an attentive mother sea otter grooms her young pup's thick fur, and grooms him for the independent life he will someday lead. Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender observes and explains.

Field Note: Coyote On The Beach
Published: July 1, 2021

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender shares field notes from listening closely to the nuanced calls of herring gulls.

Field Note: “Fight Card” -- Elk at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada
Published: May 22, 2021

Elk are big, potentially dangerous creatures, yet they usually give numerous warnings before they charge. Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender explains.

Field Note: Horse of a Different Color
Published: March 26, 2021

Why do zebra and wildebeest often herd together in a "Razzle-Dazzle" of stripes? Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender ponders and shares his insights.

Field Note: Bottlenose Whales in the Arctic
Published: February 12, 2021

Living on Earth's Explorer-in Residence Mark Seth Lender ponders the big questions that might be shared by species beyond our own.

Field Note: Vista - A Break in the Storm
Published: January 29, 2021

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender elaborates on the emotional impact of witnessing the dramatic light playing upon the Antarctic Peninsula as a storm breaks.

Field Note: The Road to Darwin
Published: December 4, 2020

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender shares the backstory of an entirely unanticipated encounter with an elusive Australian black panther.

Field Note: The Dark
Published: November 27, 2020

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender considers how embracing the natural world at night opens up a whole new kind of connection to it.

Field Note: Scylla and Charybdis on the Zambezi River
Published: October 2, 2020

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender muses on danger and perspective in an encounter with wild hippopotamus and Cape buffalo.

Field Note: Crab-Eater Seals Take a Break
Published: July 24, 2020

Living on Earth's Mark Seth Lender shares a brief reflection about the crab-eater seals he observed enjoying a well-deserved rest.

Field Note: Eye Contact with a Wild Elephant
Published: June 26, 2020

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on an unprecedented, bewildering encounter with a wild elephant.

Field Note: The Farmer The Grain The Miller The Sea
Published: May 6, 2020

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender, takes a moment to reflect on seeing the food chain of the Atlantic Ocean at work.

Field Note: Sap-Iens: Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers
Published: May 3, 2020

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender expands on his observations of yellow-bellied sapsucker parents making a comfortable home for their young.

Field Note: Barren-Ground Caribou
Published: January 4, 2020

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender shares reflections on the warming Arctic, oil and gas development there, and the impacts on caribou and the Inuit people.

Field Note: Winter Wolves on the Move
Published: November 22, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender describes the necropsy of an elk taken down by Yellowstone wolves, and remarks on how predation has changed the landscape and inhabitants of the iconic National Park.

Field Note: Good Housekeeping
Published: November 15, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender contemplates a seemingly human gesture made by two Gentoo penguins as they test out promising nesting sites.

Field Note: Arctic Fox Hunting
Published: October 18, 2019

Living on Earth’s Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on his experience of watching an Arctic fox on the hunt.

Field Note: Pronghorn Antelope
Published: September 13, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender remarks on the ramifications of relative size when it comes to staying warm in cold climes -- and staying cool in the presence of an intimidating animal.

Field Note: Monarch Migration
Published: July 26, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender muses on the multi-generational migrations of monarch butterflies and on their remarkable return after a hurricane.

Field Note: Camels at the Henbury Craters
Published: July 18, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender, comments on the relatively minimal habitat needed to support the dwindling populations of non-native dromedary camels now living in Australia.

Field Note: Get the Lead Out!
Published: May 31, 2019

Living on Earth’s Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender muses on an encounter with one of Earth’s most impressive birds: the California Condor.

Field Note: Leopard Seal Says Hello
Published: May 15, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender was astounded when a huge leopard seal swam right up to his small Zodiac boat on a trip to Antarctica. He muses on the rare close encounter.

Field Note: Fearsome Bull Elephant Musth
Published: April 12, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on witnessing a bull elephant when he comes into musth, and becomes a force of nature that demands respect.

Field Note: Baboon, "The Observer"
Published: March 22, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on the exercise of trying to see the world through the watchful eyes of a species not unlike our own: the baboon.

Field Note: A Great Egret's Mating Dance
Published: March 1, 2019

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender remarks on the scene that inspired his essay about a Great Egret's mating dance.

Field Note: Climate and the Majestic Gyrfalcon
Published: January 28, 2019

"In the Arctic, there is no such thing as bad luck when it comes to good stories," writes Living on Earth's Explorer In Residence, Mark Seth Lender. In this Field Note he explains why a series of unfortunate events on a recent trip turned out to be a blessing that brought a rare gyrfalcon sighting, the inspiration for an essay.

Field Note: Red-Tailed Hunter
Published: November 2, 2018

Living on Earth’s Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender shares this field note with his thoughts on the predatory habits and special adaptations that make a Red-Tailed hawk a skilled and stealthy hunter.

Field Note: Night Moves
Published: October 12, 2018

Our Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender elaborates on the huffing sound African lions make, as depicted in his essay "Night Moves", and on how alternative forms of communication can contribute to a social group's success.

Field Note: Walrus Changes His Mind
Published: October 5, 2018

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on the risks of photographing an imposing -- and approaching -- walrus in Svalbard, Norway.

What the Osprey Overheard
listen / download
Published: July 19, 2018

As new osprey parents feed and care for their young, even the faintest of sounds – like a distant plane – seem a threat to the youngsters. Living on Earth’s resident explorer Mark Seth Lender watches as the ospreys keep a watchful eye, and ear, on their surroundings, and muses on how loud our anthropogenic world must be to them.

Field Note: Fishing Line Endangers Birds
Published: July 5, 2018

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender, reflects on his tangle with a tern and fishing line on the 4th of July.

Field Note: Eagles At Play
Published: April 13, 2018

In this field note, Living on Earth’s Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender remarks on the powerful hold the American Bald Eagle has on our collective awe, and on how severely we have decimated their numbers in the centuries since Europeans landed on North America’s shores.

Field Note: Stealing Dirt
Published: March 23, 2018

Living on Earth's Resident Explorer Mark Seth Lender reflects on the overcrowding of a gentoo penguin colony on Carcass Island, of the Falkland Islands.

Field Note: Sea Lions at Play
Published: February 23, 2018

Living on Earth's explorer-in-residence Mark Seth Lender writes on the impact of a changing climate and warming seas on California sea lions.

Pelicans at Pismo Beach Field Note
Published: January 24, 2018

Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender muses on the unlikely grace of the pelican, and their surprisingly crafty nature.

Snapping Turtle: Mark Seth Lender
Published: December 30, 2017

Living on Earth's Resident Explorer Mark Seth Lender sometimes explores his own corner of Connecticut. Walking on the bank of the Waterhouse Brook, he happened by the nest of a Snapping Turtle, just as the hatchlings were scrambling out of the soft soil to face the perils and opportunities of life.

Field Note: Fish Dinner
Published: December 8, 2017

Living on Earth Resident Explorer Mark Seth Lender shares a brief field note on his story from the Sea of Cortez, "Fish Dinner."

Field Note: Big White Dog Wants to Play!
Published: October 31, 2017

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender describes how plastic is common even in the Arctic, where he met a playful polar bear.

Field Notes on the Cheetah's Need for Open Space
Published: October 31, 2017

Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender shares his thoughts on the Cheetah's need for open space.

Close Encounter with a Tabular Iceberg: Mark Seth Lender
Published: October 31, 2017

Living on Earth's Resident Explorer Mark Seth Lender describes an encounter with a tabular iceberg similar (though much smaller) to the one that recently broke off of the Larsen C ice sheet.

Back to the series and features homepage