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Dueling blackbirds
The view from the observation tower at Glacier Ridge Metropark, just west of Columbus. This, for me, is a local hotspot, being only 10-15 minutes from home, depending on traffic. But as is so often the...
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An underwater caterpillar!
Were you seeking caterpillars, this wooded riparian corridor would be a great place to do so. Those of us that hunt caterpillars would likely follow in the footsteps of the birds, and search the...
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A gorgeous prairie - in no time flat!
A lush prairie, teeming with colorful native wildflowers, stands in stark contrast to a lawn of empty emerald turf grass.In 2012, I had had quite enough of looking out my office window and gazing onto...
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Milkweed program - Wednesday, July 8, Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Columbus.
North America's most iconic butterfly, a Monarch, refuels on nectar during its long journey south. This shot was taken last fall in a planted prairie that was nothing but turf grass three years ago. It...
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Cuckoos have come back from far southern climates
COLUMBUS DISPATCHJuly 5, 2015NATUREJim McCormac…He was but as the cuckoo is in June, Heard, not regarded…William Shakespeare (from Henry IV)On a recent photographic foray to Glacier Ridge Metro Park, I...
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Tersa Sphinx, reproducing in Ohio
Yesterday, I engaged in a biodiversity-filled field trip to Adams County with three of my favorite people: Dave and Laura Hughes, and John Howard. Our main mission was to find unusual beetles, and that...
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Snake attacks frog!
A Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis, poses for the camera. While casing out sites for Mothapalooza field trips a few weeks back, I came across a beautiful pond in the depths of Shawnee State Forest....
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Photography Workshop: September 23-25
Everyone likes to make nice photos, and nearly everyone has a camera these days. Even the simplest point & shoots are complex enough that many owners don't take advantage of nearly all of the tools...
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A potpourri of recent observations
Precious little time to post, so here's some varied eye candy from two recent trips, with little commentary.Juvenile Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum. Tri-Valley Wildlife Area, Muskingum...
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A truly Regal Fritillary
Ominous skies boil over the prairies of western Indiana. It didn't take a meteorologist to predict an imminent monsoon, and sure enough, the skies soon let loose.I finally made a long overdue trip to...
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Brutal thunderstorm, and hummingbird photobomb
A palette of color, courtesy of some Grade A prairie plants, stretches as far as the eye can see at Prairie Oaks Metro Park in Madison County, Ohio. Franklin County Metro Parks has long been on a...
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PSA: Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar
I interrupt the irregularly unscheduled programming of this blog to offer up a Public Service Announcement about a caterpillar that has been generating lots of questions and comments of late.The fuzzy...
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Midwest Native Plant Conference 2015
The crowd at last weekend's Midwest Native Plant Conference gathers for Friday night's keynote, Don Leopold. This was the 7th year for the conference; the 6th at Bergamo Center on the grounds of Mount...
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Swallowtails key to azalea pollination
A Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus, pulls nectar from the blossom of a Pinxter-flower azalea, Rhododendron periclymenoides. A rival flutters in from the left, and it displaced the other butterfly...
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Song Sparrow, preening
A beautiful Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia. A very successful songbird, Song Sparrows can be found in all manner of places throughout their expansive range. For many readers, this will be one of the...
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Patch of prairie outperforms lawn
Coneflowers and wild bergamot add color and earth-friendliness to a former lawn. Patch of prairie outperforms lawn COLUMBUS DISPATCHAugust 2, 2015 NATUREJim McCormac Turf grass blankets 40 million...
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Camouflaged Loopers
The flower of an Ox-eye Sunflower, Heliopsis helianthoides, is bookended by the old heads of Gray-headed Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata. The shot was taken today, in the planted prairie that I wrote...
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A brief ramble through the bog
I beached myself in Dayton, Ohio last night, arriving in the hometown of Orville and Wilbur Wright late in the evening following a trip to Indianapolis. Rather than punch through to Columbus, I figured...
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Midwest Birding Symposium approaches!
If you've attended any of the past Midwest Birding Symposiums, you'll recall what a blast they were. Ohio played host to the past three MBS's, at picturesque Lakeside on the shores of Lake Erie. It's...
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Meteors and star trails
A fluorescent lichen glows on a tree trunk, late last Thursday night. It is Pyxine subcinerea, which fluoresces quite brightly under a black light, which is exactly what it's doing here. Expert...
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