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Nature: Stratford Ecological Center in southern Delaware County an...
Stratford Ecological Center, a 236-acre preserve in southern Delaware County/Jim McCormacNature: Stratford Ecological Center in southern Delaware County an eco-friendly oasisColumbus DispatchApril 4,...
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Trillium, from this morning
A delectable clump of freshly emerged Large-flowered Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum, Ohio's state wildflower. A good choice, it was.I visited a magical sandstone canyon in the Hocking Hills this...
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Northern Parula, and Red Trillium
Today was picture-perfect for blending avian and botanical photography. I headed down to a Hocking Hills hotspot, only an hour distant, and arrived early in the morning. The skies were sunny, and...
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Giant Water Bug
A Giant Water Bug, Lethocerus americanus, in repose. This incredible bug is well-named, as we shall see.John Howard, I and a few others were poking around a small reservoir deep in Shawnee State...
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Snowberry Clearwing
I was pleased to encounter this Snowberry Clearwing, Hemaris diffinis, atop a Wild Ginger leaf this morning. The "hummingbird moth" must have been busy, judging by all the pollen stuck to its...
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Nature: In a 24-hour period, 18 species of amphibians were documented during...
A red eft clambers over downy rattlesnake-plantain orchid leaves/Jim McCormacNature: In a 24-hour period, 18 species of amphibians were documented during a recent searchColumbus DispatchApril 18,...
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Earth Day spider: Bold Jumper
A Bold Jumping Spider, Phidippus audax, gazes at the photographer from atop a showy perch of Grape Hyacinth flowers. Its belay line can be seen among the flowers to the right. If threatened, the...
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Shooting-star erupts!
Without doubt one of our showiest spring wildflowers is Shooting-star, Dodecatheon meadia. This limestone cliff summit was fringed with many plants.I made a morning foray down to Miller Nature...
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American Goldfinch, eating elm samaras
I got out for a few hours this morning to shoot birds, and visited a decent little local patch in Delaware County along the Scioto River. The American Goldfinches were conspicuous, and the males had...
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Thrushes everywhere!
A Swainson's Thrush perches on a spruce bough, in a driving drizzle.I had a meeting near Columbus's fabulous Green Lawn Cemetery this morning, and following that headed over to the cemetery to see...
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Nature: To fuel hummingbirds, think native plants
A female ruby-throated hummingbird taps nectar from a royal catchfly/Jim McCormacNature: To fuel hummingbirds, think native plantsColumbus DispatchMay 2, 2021NATUREJim McCormacBy the time you read...
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Lady's-slippers in a spring forest
Recent spring rains created swollen streams in Shawnee State Forest (Ohio) yesterday morning. I was down there early to meet John Howard and Cheryl Carpenter for a bit of "fishing". We were going to...
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Northern Waterthrush tosses leaf
A Northern Waterthrush watches a leaf that it tossed high into the air. These aquatic warblers often forage in shallow water, flipping and tossing leaves and seizing prey hiding underneath. Many were...
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Great Blue Heron, with ornamental plumes
A Great Blue Heron, a very common wading bird and a species all of us are undoubtedly familiar with.It's never productive to get jaded to common birds, though, as many birders seem to. For a...
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Eastern Cottontail courtship dance
This jumbo Eastern Cottontail hangs out in my yard, along with another. I like rabbits, and they're welcome here. Even when they nip off plants I'd rather wish they wouldn't.Anyway, I looked into the...
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Golden-winged Warbler serendipity
A stunning male Golden-winged Warbler perches in a horseshoe-shaped twig - the best perch in an otherwise cluttered scene.Last Tuesday, I traveled to Hocking County (Ohio) to meet with Cathy and Paul...
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Nature: Brood X cicada emergence an entomological 17-year wonder
Periodical cicada, Magicicada septemdecim/Jim McCormacNature: Brood X cicada emergence an entomological 17-year wonderColumbus DispatchMay 16, 2021NATUREJim McCormacAbout now, an insect army of epic...
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Bastard Toadflax
Among the first wave of spring wildflowers in northern Michigan is this, the interesting Bastard Toadflax, Comandra umbellata. I made this shot last Thursday, just as the plants were coming into...
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Kirtland's Warbler forages in Jack Pine
A Kirtland's Warbler forages in a Jack Pine. The relationship between the bird and tree is intimate. They only breed in near monocultures of the pine, and only pines between 5 and 20 years of age, or...
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Nature: Brood X will bring out black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos who...
A black-billed cuckoo in northern Michigan, where it is common/Jim McCormacNature: Brood X will bring out black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos who feast on cicadasThe Columbus DispatchMay 30,...
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