MIKE JACOBS
ALWAYS IN SEASON: ‘Lark woodpecker’: A trickster in the bird world 
A long-delayed and very compressed migration is now at full tide. The first barn swallow of the season showed up at my place west of Gilby, N.D., on Thursday evening.
By Mike Jacobs , May 12, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND:: An ugly session in N.D., but we’re grateful
Regarding the North Dakota Legislature’s 2013 session, blessedly adjourned in the wee hours of the weekend: Remember that it’s good to be grateful.
By Mike Jacobs , May 05, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Ibis sightings liven up spring
Valley wanderings put birds beyond northern range
By Mike Jacobs , May 05, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Spring comes, and with it come the birds
Spring has arrived, and with it the birds — both all of a sudden. The rapid influx of birds has made it almost impossible to keep track, but for me, two species stand out.
By Mike Jacobs , April 28, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND: Bill Guy stands out among N.D. political figures
North Dakota produced an abundance of colorful political figures during the 20th century, but Bill Guy was not one of these.
By Mike Jacobs , April 28, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Slowly, winter birds give way to spring species
It’s tempting this week, with this weather, to write only about winter birds.
By Mike Jacobs , April 20, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND: How the N.D. legislature is like a snake in the grass
Watching the legislature in its waning days is a little like watching a snake moving through the grass. The creature lurches from side to side, but it still makes forward progress.
By Mike Jacobs , April 14, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: If these are American kestrels, it must be spring
Paul Kannowski often chided me for thinking that birds were reliable signs of spring. Plants are better indicators of the passing seasons, he said. Insects better still.
By Mike Jacobs , April 14, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND: N.D. university system needs rigor
North Dakota’s person-of-the-winter was in Grand Forks on Thursday. Hamid Shirvani was the keynote speaker at the Economic Development Commission’s annual meeting. Shirvani is chancellor of the North Dakota University System.
By Mike Jacobs , April 07, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Crows entertain, challenge and remind us of bygone days
The crows show up about St. Patrick’s Day every year. This is no coincidence. St. Patrick’s Day occurs just ahead of the spring equinox, when days and nights are equal in length.
By Mike Jacobs , March 24, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND: Lack of legislative harness gives zealots free rein
Watching the 2013 edition of the North Dakota Legislature makes a body pine for the days when Earl Strinden was in charge.
By Mike Jacobs , March 24, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND: Modest proposals for a stronger North Dakota higher ed board
In an earlier controversy, the board bowed to pressure from the president of North Dakota State University and fired its own chancellor. In this instance, the board seems intent on deferring to a strong chancellor, even it means breaking the law. What’s needed is a stronger board.
By Mike Jacobs , March 09, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND: Reconsidering presidential impact on N.D.
In Washington, D.C., last week, I popped into the National Portrait Gallery, one my favorite indoor places. I was there to apologize to James Monroe. I left Monroe off my Top 10 list of U.S. presidents who’ve had an impact on North Dakota. I stopped by the portrait of Chester Allen Arthur, too.
By Mike Jacobs , March 02, 2013
MATTERS AT HAND: The higher ed debate we should be having
So far no one has confronted the question at the heart of the issue. So let’s do it here. Is the chancellor system a failure?
By Mike Jacobs , February 24, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Several species make news in the bird world
The week brought a lot of news from the bird world: About shrikes: I’ve had several reports of Northern shrikes haunting feeder operations.
By Mike Jacobs , February 24, 2013
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