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Birding app called Merlin helps identify birdcalls

As long as I can remember, I have held a deep fascination for the outdoors. Although hunting and fishing have always been my main attractions, so many other aspects and diversions related to the natural world have often consumed my attention as well. And each new facet of the natural world seems to unlock its own special niche in the grand scheme of things. When I developed an interest in fly-fishing as an eager 12-year-old, for instance, that pursuit soon progressed into the desire to tie my own flies. The need to understand what the bugs that I was trying to imitate actually ...

US gears up for Olympics

Both the United States Women’s National Soccer Team and the under-23 men’s team are preparing for play in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games between July 24 and Aug. 11 across seven stadiums in France. The ladies have a tough bracket to get through as the team will face either Morocco or Zambia on July 25, Germany on July 28 and Australia on July 31 in Group B play. Germany is currently ranked No. 5 in the world and Australia No. 12. “Every draw in a world championship tournament is challenging, and we have a great respect for all three of our opponents,’’ interim U.S. coach ...

High water hurts early trout season

Anyone in our area who has ventured out for trout so far this season doesn’t need to be reminded that we have had streams running bank high and dirty a great many days. The opening weekend was a complete bust after heavy rains swelled the streams to flood stage. Just as that troublesome deluge began to subside, another batch of rain pushed most creeks to bank full again. Long ago, I learned not to make broad predictions about upcoming weather patterns as they are almost certain to be wrong, but I would like to be hopeful water conditions are soon going to get back to more normal ...

There’s nothing like Olympics on the mat

There usually is no in-between when it comes to the Olympics. Fans are either hooked on the Games for two weeks, or they probably don’t care to watch much of it at all. I was part of the people that really didn’t care to watch any of it. Until this past weekend. In my 12 years of covering sports, the Olympic Trials was probably the most unique event I’ve ever covered. In a world where collegiate athletics aren’t much different than any professional sport, the very best current and former college wrestlers gather for the purest form of amateur athletics. And it happened ...

Skenes limited for a good cause

Much will be made how Paul Skenes has been used during his time in the Pirates organization. He pitched two games with Altoona last season after a promotion from Bradenton and this season has appeared in four games in Indianapolis. In those four games, he’s been one of the most elite pitchers in all of Triple-A. He’s accrued 27 strikeouts, walked only four hitters, allowed five hits and has yet to yield a run. Why is he still in Indianapolis? In those four outings, he’s thrown a total of 9ª innings and the Pirates have Skenes on a restrictor plate nearly as big as one ...

New doe license process unveiled

At their regular quarterly meeting last weekend, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners approved the antlerless deer license allocations for 2024-25. Last year, of course, was the first time hunters could purchase their antlerless deer licenses directly, either in person or online, through the electronic licensing system rather than the cumbersome mail-in process to a county treasurer’s office, which had been prescribed by state law for generations. To alleviate some of the problems that occurred early on with the new system last year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has ...