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Boom in fearsome stag beetles a boon for ecology
A female stag beetle, left, has smaller "horn" than does a male, rightColumbus DispatchJuly 16, 2017NATUREJim McCormacThe scene has played out scores of times this summer: People are sitting in their...
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Hanging Thief bags wasp!
I visited the famous Huffman Prairie last Thursday, mainly to photograph hummingbirds. The Royal Catchfly, Silene regia, is at peak bloom, and there are many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. This plant is...
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Hummingbirds and Royal Catchfly
A Ruby-throated Hummingbird plunges its long swordlike bill deep into the corolla of a Royal Catchfly, Silene regia, flower. Hummingbirds are the primary pollinators of this beautiful prairie plant.I...
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The gorgeous Purple Fringeless Orchid
Back on July 17, I had an early morning meeting in Athens, Ohio. The meeting was early, because this is a beautiful part of the state that's full of interesting biodiversity, and I wanted time to...
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NATURE: Super-rare orchid a survivor of prairie destruction
One of Ohio's rare prairie fringed orchidsColumbus DispatchJuly 30, 2017NATUREJim McCormac“Strike while the iron is hot.”— John DeereSo said the famed purveyor of plows, shortly after launching his...
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An odd turtle, and interesting dragonfly shot
A massive Spiny Softshell Turtle, Apalone spinifera, hauls out on a floating log. Of Ohio's dozen or so turtle species, the softshells are my favorites (there is another species, the rarer and more...
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Triangle-bearing Orbweaver
I spent much of yesterday at a place that I've often written about - Cedar Bog, the legendary natural area in Champaign County, Ohio. While I often visit for photographic purposes, yesterday was...
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"The Prairie Peninsula" showcases Midwest prairies
Columbus DispatchAugust 6, 2017NATUREJim McCormacIn last week’s column on a rare Ohio orchid, I lamented the nearly complete destruction of the state’s prairie. The day after that column published, I...
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A swallowtail butterfly magnet
A massive clump of Hollow-stemmed Joe-pye, Eutrochium fistulosum (nee Eupatorium), bursts forth from the moist soil along a small creek in Shawnee State Forest. Some Cardinal-flowers, Lobelia...
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Cardinal-flower, rare in white, and pollinating swallowtails
The brilliant red flowers of Cardinal-flower, Lobelia cardinalis, form a conspicuous spike that just can't be missed. This is one of the flashiest plants of late summer and fall. I've seen plants that...
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Nature: Female hummingbird an impressive homemaker
A female ruby-throated hummingbird feeding its chick in Montgomery County.Columbus DispatchAugust 20, 2017NATUREJim McCormac“Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls...
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The amazing Green Heron
An adult Green Heron stands on a boardwalk railing at a marsh in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, yesterday. He flew in and landed about 20 feet away from where I was standing.Maybe it's just good...
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Photo Workshop - Lake Erie, September 20-22
Once again, award-winning photographer David FitzSimmons and I will be teaching a multi-day photography workshop along the shores of Lake Erie, at one of the showiest times of year. We'll be based at...
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Least Bittern
A richly vegetated marsh in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Akron, home to a celebrity avian family in weeks past. I apologize for the rather poor photo above, but this is what one gets when...
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Caterpillar season is upon us!
Well, caterpillar season is really year 'round, but in terms of mature specimens and conspicuousness, late summer and fall are best. I've been afield a lot of late, and have been seeing plenty of the...
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Nature: Known for fur, minks are voracious predators
An American mink in Battelle Darby Creek Metro ParkColumbus DispatchSeptember 3, 2017NATUREJim McCormacThe American Fur Co. was founded in 1808, and for a brief time in the 1830s, it was one of...
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Sunflower field, various photographic perspectives
Scads of Common Sunflower, Helianthus annuus, brighten a large field just north of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Every fall I see people posting photos of this field, which is owned and planted by the Tecumseh...
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Nature: Show-off herons shine in national park
A juvenile least bittern in the Cuyahoga Valley National ParkColumbus DispatchSeptember 17, 2017NATUREJim McCormacCuyahoga Valley National Park’s 51 square miles preserves a treasure trove of...
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Free program - this Tuesday evening, September 26!
I'm - yes, that's me in the photo - giving a talk for Columbus Audubon this Tuesday evening, September 26, at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center along the Scioto River, just south of downtown...
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A very rare gentian, with distorted interpretation
An autumn meadow in the Oak Openings near Toledo glows on a gorgeous fall day. The brilliant scarlet foliage of Winged Sumac, Rhus copallina, contrasts with the cobalt inflorescences of one of Ohio's...
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