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Duck Stamps evidence that good can come from bad
Canvasbacks, by Adam Grimm. Grimm's artwork will grace the newest Duck StampDuck Stamps evidence that good can come from badThe Columbus DispatchSunday, October 6, 2013NATUREJim McCormacOn May 9, 1934,...
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In defense of the lowly grape
The Riverbank Grape, Vitis riparia, one of our most common native plants. Unless you're a wine connoisseur, chances are you don't much care for wild grape. Most foresters certainly don't. They all too...
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A ruthless killer battles fearsome parasitoids (and will probably lose)
I took this photo almost exactly one year ago - October 9, 2013. It is, or should I say, was the view from my office window. This shot wasn't taken from my window, but when I look down from my nearby...
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Turbulent Phosphila - check!
Ah! The Turbulent Phosphila, Phosphila turbulenta! This zoot-suited little tube of goo is incredibly cool, at least in my estimation. And it was long a nemesis cat for your narrator. Ever since...
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Cannibalistic lady beetles
Just about everyone knows lady beetles; they're one of our most charismatic coleopterans. Far fewer people would probably recognize this beast, which resembles a six-legged alligator. It is the larva...
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Otter intrigued by heron!
A Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, hunts grasshoppers in a field. These prehistoric looking birds captivate the imagination, and draw one's eye. Not just birders, or other classes of humans, either -...
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Gentians and bumblebees
A botanical highlight of last weekend's foray into the depths of Adams County was catching peak bloom of the Stiff Gentian, Gentianella quinquefolia. This species has a spotty, localized distribution...
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Singing insects' swan song
Here in Ohio, nighttime temperatures have plummeted and that, coupled with ever shorter days, have stimulated the onset of a riot of color. There is nothing like the explosion of fall colors in the...
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White hummingbird at Inniswood Gardens!
I got a cool email today from Ron Sima, letting me know that his wife Mary Lou had discovered a mostly white hummingbird at Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville, Ohio, today. Mary Lou, who is a...
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White hummingbird update
The white hummingbird - detailed in the previous post - sucks down nectar from Mexican sage at Inniswood Metro Gardens. I ran over there, camera in tow, today at lunch and was not disappointed. The...
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White hummingbird at Inniswood Gardens: a recap
Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville, Ohio, the scene of central Ohio's current celebrity avian visitor. This 123-acre park is a suburban oasis and a great birding locale. The leucistic hummingbird...
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And now for something completely different: a walking lichen
Every now and again, one sees some mighty strange things out in the woods. Stop to take a breather, lean against a stout tree, let your gaze run over the lichen-shingled bark, and WHOA! One of those...
View ArticleBirding River Otter watches Great Blue Heron
I've featured the videography of Laura and Dave Hughes here many times, and their work with trail cams is incredible. They've been busy, and once again have displayed an unerring knack for proper cam...
View ArticleBobcat triangulates on prey, pounces!
OK, time for Monday night at the movies! Here are two more short flicks, courtesy of wildlife cinematographers Laura and David Hughes. That's right - those Hughes! You've seen their work here before,...
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Good mantids, bad mantids
This sticklike animal with the powerful Popeye forelegs is a Carolina Mantis, Stagmomantis carolina. It's a female, and as is the case with mantids, she's a lot bigger than the male. The Carolina...
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Red-headed Woodpeckers provision granary, possible theft by Rusty Blackbird
Yesterday was a picture-perfect fall Ohio day, in full Technicolor. The oaks, hickories, maples and other trees painted the woodlots in colorful sylvan brushstrokes, and the cool temperatures reminded...
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Adult Sabine's Gull in Ohio!
November 3rd was a memorable day for Chuck Slusarczyk and Mike Egar. While birding Wendy Park on the Cleveland Lakefront, they spotted a mega for Ohio - Sabine's Gull! That's Sah-been's, or if you...
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Boobies at Avalon Beach
A breakwall at Avalon Beach, on the New Jersey shore. No, I didn't see Snooki, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, or any other oddities from the cast of Jersey Shore. But I did see birder and longtime...
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Sandpipers
On my recent New Jersey trip, I saw lots of tough late season shorebirds. I spent some time admiring these hardy little birds, and capturing their images. A few photos follow... A flock of sandpipers...
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An awesome, must-watch feeder cam!
Your narrator's admittedly somewhat cluttered desk. Exhibit A - the monitor on the left, in front of the window. It is running the coolest live feeder cam I've ever seen. Not that I've seen lots of...
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