Clik here to view.
Say's Mantidfly
As always, click the image to enlargeThis oddity is a Say's Mantidfly (Dicromantispa sayi). It's as if the thing was assembled by a mad scientist: part lacewing, with the body of a paper wasp, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nature: Cast-off crimes must be prevented in the wild
Barred Owl snared by fishing line. Photo by Dutch GordonNature: Cast-off crimes must be prevented in the wildColumbus DispatchJuly 21, 2024NATUREJim McCormacPeople love to fish, as evidenced by the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Juvenile Osprey expels a stream of fishy guano
A juvenile Osprey strikes a pose. A pose that can mean only one thing: an impending fecal effluvium. I've got nothing at all against kayakers but couldn't help thinking how cool it'd have been if one...
View ArticleTwo upcoming moth programs
Saturday, August 17. Startford Ecological Center, Delaware County, Ohio. 7 - 10 pm.My coauthor on the Gardening for Moths book, Chelsea Gottfried, will be giving her moth program, then we'll head...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A few random things from recent days, including a beautiful grass
A Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) strikes a pose on a wingstem leaf. Last night was hot, humid, with some showers and lots of the little frogs were out and about. This was at a recently acquired...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
The eastern "prairie dog", a Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) crouches at the entrance to one of its burrows. Like true prairie dogs, this species is a member of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Some juvenile birds: Tis the season
An immature White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) peeks inquisitively from a grape thicket. It was part of a family unit of 3-4 young birds and two adults. I have found this species to be quite curious;...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blanchard's Cricket Frog
As always, click the image to enlargeBlanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) can be tough to see. This is Ohio's smallest frog, measuring a wee 0.6 inches in length and weighing but a gram. They...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Epic caterpillaring results in many cool finds
Cherry Dagger moth caterpillar (Acronicta hasta)Shauna and I spent last weekend at the fabulous Highlands Nature Sanctuary in Highland County, Ohio, which is owned by the Arc of Appalachia. A bunch of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Camo caterpillars and the birds that eat them
A Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) in a characteristic hunting posture. The bird is searching for its major prey, the caterpillars of moths. It has its head cocked upwards, searching the lower...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mothing in a cave
Mothing in a cave. At our recent caterpillar safari at Highlands Nature Sanctuary, owned by the Arc of Appalachia, most of us were in the museum photographing caterpillar livestock on Sunday morning....
View ArticleClik here to view.
A motherlode of Lincoln's Sparrows
The inaugural Headlands Birding Festival took place last weekend, based at Headlands Dunes State Park. There were a number of breakout speakers on Saturday afternoon, and keynotes Friday and Saturday...
View ArticleClik here to view.
American Copper
I was pleased to stumble into a small population of American Coppers (Lycaena phlaeas) last Thursday, September 26, in Wayne County (Ohio). This one is nectaring on white heath aster (Symphyotrichum...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
I've been playing catch-up with photo labeling and archival - note to self: do not fall behind on this. Anyway, one positive is revisiting many cool sites and lots of interesting flora and fauna. This...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Alder and Willow flycatchers, side by side
Back in early June, Shauna and I traveled to rural western New York, to attend the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage. It's quite the event, with hundreds of attendees, scores of field trips and other...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shale-barren Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), white-flowered form
As always, click the photo to enlargeLast Saturday, Shauna had to give a program on Bobcats to a group at the Arc of Appalachia's Highland Nature Sanctuary and following that we headed down to Lynx...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A very cool moth
On July 28 of this year, I did some backyard mothing - something that I should do more of here, as I usually get cool bugs. And who doesn't like cool bugs. This uber-cool bug is a Lesser Grapevine...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks nest again in Ohio, producing scads of chicks
This rather innocuous-looking place was our destination last Sunday, October 20, 2024, and it's a spot I had been hoping to visit for a few months. Better late than never, and in this case, late was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Anna's Hummingbird in Ohio
A subadult male Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) strikes a pose. The bird has been present for about a week in and around the yard of Gerry and John Brevoort, in a north Columbus neighborhood. Two...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ohio-Erie Canal
As always, click the image to enlargeThe long-abandoned Ohio-Erie Canal, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, on a misty morning. Shauna and I had a great time visiting various spots in Ohio's only...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Northern "Yellowhammer" Flicker
A male Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) comes in for a landing, showing off his golden underwings and tail. This is the former "Yellow-shafted" Flicker that ranges over the eastern two-thirds of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Photographic/Watercolor conservation art exhibit
Watercolor artist Juliet Mullett and I have collaborated on an art exhibit focused on flora, fauna, and conservation. It features 51 pieces: Juliet's amazing watercolor pencil portraits, many of which...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Article 0
Over the course of prepping for tonight's talk (details HERE) about Ohio's macro habitats and the conservation thereof, I dipped deep into the archives and ran across lots of imagery I hadn't looked at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hawaiian Stilt
As always, click the image to enlargeA Hawaiian Stilt, or Ae'o, strikes a pose. This bird, for now, is considered a subspecies of the Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus subsp. knudseni). It is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Green Sea Turtles
A highlight of our recent Hawaii trip was seeing good numbers of Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas). This is the commonest and most wide-ranging of the world's seven sea turtle species, and I've seen...
View Article