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Some cool bugs!
Precious little time for blogging of late, so here are a few snapshots of interesting bugs from recent forays.Pinching Beetle, Lucanus capreolus. Greene County, Ohio, yesterday.Sleepy Orange, Abaeis...
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Pinching Beetles Ride Again!
Appearing somewhat ferocious and otherworldly, a large "Pinching Beetle", Lucanus capreolus, looks askance at the photographer. For reasons unknown, he was fooling around in the flowers of an...
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Photography Workshop: September 20-22!
A gorgeous Lake Erie sunrise pinkens the sky behind the historic Marblehead Lighthouse, one of the most picturesque signal towers on Lake Erie.I made this image last September, during a photography...
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Mostly small things, in limited areas
bi·o·di·ver·si·ty: the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystemI spent much of last weekend with friends and fellow explorers of the natural world John Howard, and Laura and...
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Huffman Prairie, catchflys, and hummingbirds
Sunrise over Huffman Prairie, as seen last Friday. This 100(ish) acre prairie patch is located at the south end of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.Dave Nolin, recently retired...
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Exploding seeds, or the magic of ballistochory
The beautiful lemony flower of a Pale Jewelweed, Impatiens pallida, dangles beneath the succulent foliage. We have one other native species in this genus (in Ohio), the Spotted Jewelweed, I. capensis,...
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A trip through Boch Hollow
A stunning piece of scenery, even by Hocking Hills standards. I'd had a visit to Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve on the to-do list for a long time, and finally, last Saturday, the trip materialized....
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A trip through Boch Hollow
A stunning piece of scenery, even by Hocking Hills standards. I'd had a visit to Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve on the to-do list for a long time, and finally, last Saturday, the trip materialized....
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Pollinator Workshop: August 13, Caesar Creek
An Obedient-plant, Physostegia virginiana, fairly bristles with native pollinating bees. An air traffic controller is practically required to keep the bees from colliding. I made this image this...
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Salt Marsh Moth: Carpet-bombing reproduction strategy
A Salt Marsh Moth, Estigmene acrea, peeks around a corner at the camera. Were it the size of a swan, we'd be terrified. As it is, most of us probably think it's cute.Despite the geographically...
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17-year brood of cicadas becomes feast for Ohio birds
A periodical cicada, photographed in Ross CountyColumbus DispatchAugust 7, 2016NATUREJim McCormacWilliam Bradford, a five-time governor of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, was perhaps the first...
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Mothapalooza 2016 a big success!
Last weekend saw the 4th annual iteration of Mothapalooza, an event that has developed a strong following amongst natural history enthusiasts in its few years of existence. Over 160 attendees were...
View ArticleOhio Sustainable Landscapes Symposium: August 27
Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 27. That's the date of the 5th annual Ohio Sustainable Landscapes Symposium, hosted by Dawes Arboretum. The sprawling arboretum, located near Newark in Licking...
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A brutal fate (or why you shouldn't come back as a caterpillar)
Last Saturday, August 13, the Midwest Native Plant Society sponsored a one-day workshop on pollinators. It was well attended, with over 140 participants. The speakers were great, fun was had, and there...
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Photography Workshop, Lakeside, Ohio: September 20-22
It'll be fun, and full of a wide array of interesting subjects. All levels welcome! Learning to get that camera off auto mode will do wonders for your photography, whether you use a point & shoot...
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Creatures of the night delight avid fans
Female Luna mothColumbus DispatchAugust 21, 2016NATUREJim McCormacNOTE: Sometimes people ask me why I pick certain headlines for my columns. The answer: I don't. Editors craft newspaper headlines, not...
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Mimicry: Things are not always as they seem
I recently posted the photo above, along with the message below, to Facebook:A friendly public service announcement on behalf of America's flower flies (family Syrphidae). Those little bee-like insects...
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A brief ramble around Stratford Ecological Center
The entrance to the main building at Stratford Ecological Center in Delaware County, Ohio (iPhone photo). I had the pleasure of visiting last Thursday afternoon, and speaking to the corps of volunteers...
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Jagged Ambush Bugs: Homicidal Killers in the Flowers
Tis the season for meadows full of beautiful native wildflowers, such as this tall ironweed, Vernonia gigantea. Various goldenrods, asters, and other flowers of fall are starting to come on strong,...
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A pictorial talk on the sunflower family: Cedar Bog, 9/10!
Fen Indian-plantain, Arnoglossum plantagineum, dots a wet meadow at Cedar Bog. This is one of our stranger, and rarer, members of the sunflower family (Asteraceae).On Saturday, September 10, I am...
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