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Nature: Record highs and unusual sightings turn up in annual Christmas Bird...
Fourteen bald eagles were tallied on the count, a record high/Jim McCormac Nature: Record highs and unusual sightings turn up in annual Christmas Bird CountColumbus DispatchFebruary 6, 2022NATUREJim...
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Loggerhead Shrike, AKA the "Butcherbird"
A Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) tees up on flowering grass spike. This "butcherbird" was on the hunt.I found the above bird near Jupiter, Florida, on January 14, 2022. Fortunately, shrikes...
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Skunk-cabbage: Hope to the winter-weary
Skunk-cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) in full flower this morning, February 13, 2022. This is a true harbinger of spring and the first of our native wildflowers to bloom. The fleshy liver-splotched...
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Logan Oak to appear on Jeopardy!
The centuries-old Logan Oak is an impressive White Oak (Quercus alba) indeed.I made this photo of the fabled "Logan Oak" in September of 2019, never suspecting it might someday appear on the television...
View ArticleThe Logan Oak on Jeopardy! Actual video clip
So, here's my few seconds of Jeopardy! fame (my oak photo), from last night's show. The contestant Megan answers correctly and went on to win the round. And apparently Loganites got wind that their...
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Nature: The drum of the hairy woodpecker outpaces any rock 'n' roll star
The hairy woodpecker drums faster than the fastest human drummer/Jim McCormacNature: The drum of the hairy woodpecker outpaces any rock 'n' roll starColumbus DispatchFebruary 20, 2022NATUREJim...
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On harriers, and shooting them (with a camera)
A Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) sits in a large field. There, see it? The lump in the center of the photograph. This species habitually roosts on the ground (and nests on the ground) and perched...
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Waxwings feasting on sumac fruit
A gorgeous pre-dawn sunrise. Sunrises always look best before the sun crests the horizon. The colors are much more vivid. Back on February 15, I took a long overdue trip to the central basin region of...
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Delmarva Peninsula
A hen Lesser Scaup comes in for a landing. Ducks are quite graceful in flight, and on the water. But there is this moment of uncharacteristic awkwardness when they transition from air to liquid....
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Delmarva Fox Squirrel
As always, click the photo to enlarge. You’ll want to enlarge this one to fully appreciate how beautiful a squirrel can be.A Delmarva Fox Squirrel (Sciurusnigercinereus) noshes on the fruit of...
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Common Redpolls, feeding on Black Alder
A male American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) feasts on the seeds of Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa). Much as I love goldfinches, this was not the species that made me visit a grove of invasive nonnative...
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Celebrating 100 years of "Nature" column
The Canada goose was the first animal mentioned in The Dispatch's inaugural Nature column by Ed Thomas in 1922/Jim McCormacCelebrating 100 years of "Nature" columnColumbus DispatchMarch 6,...
View ArticleMy photography in the pages of Columbus Monthly magazine!
I was quite flattered - and surprised - when Randy Edwards, a Columbus writer with an impressive resume, approached me last winter about doing a profile of my photography work. We met in the field on a...
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Get ready for warblers: Pine Warblers are back on territory
A male Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) perches, quite appropriately, on a pinecone. This big White Pine (Pinus strobus) was part of his turf. I photographed this bird last Monday in Hocking County,...
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Last night's amphibian run
A Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) stares inscrutably at the cameraman. It was one of a number that I saw last evening.Last night's conditions were very good for a vernal amphibian migration. The...
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Nature: Ferocious hunters, northern harriers are also incredible aerial...
A female northern harrier looks and listens for prey/Jim McCormacNature: Ferocious hunters, northern harriers are also incredible aerial performersColumbus DispatchMarch 20, 2022NATUREJim McCormacIn...
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Bertalan "Bert" Szabo: December 4, 1920 - March 22, 2022
Bert Szabo, in the field. A legend among natural philosophers, Bert spent an incalculable number of hours afield over his 101 years - far more than anyone who will read this has. And far more than any...
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Upcoming talk - April 9, Delaware, Ohio
I'm giving a talk on Saturday, April 9 for the Delaware County Master Gardeners. It's in Waldo, Ohio, home of the G & R Grill and the world's most famous brats! I share the slate with Julie...
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Delmarva Fox Squirrel: A foxy squirrel indeed
A while back, I posted an image of a sensational rodent, the Delmarva Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus), HERE. Seeing this jumbo was high on my list on a trip to the Delmarva Peninsula region of...
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The annual eruption of Goldenstar lilies has commenced!
I visited Scioto County in southern Ohio last Wednesday, and high on the priority list was a stop to see the Goldenstar (Erythronium rostratum). This state-endangered plant occurs in only two locales...
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