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Spot-winged Glider: New yard insect
A Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) perches on a dead twig in my front yard serviceberry. The stout dragonfly made occasional patrols over my front garden, which is how I first saw it. If you...
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Our nature writer tracked the birth of seven wrens
Two baby house wrens peer from their nest box/Jim McCormacOur nature writer tracked the birth of seven wrensColumbus DispatchJuly 2, 2023NATUREJim McCormacEarly this spring, I hung a small bird box...
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Prairie White-fringed Orchid
A Prairie White-fringed Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea) shines like a beacon in a large prairie. At one time this site hosted nearly 6,000 of the orchids. Now, their numbers are just a pittance,...
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Wild Indigo Duskywing in the yard
I was pleased to see a Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) in my front garden the other day. Better yet, at least two females have been laying eggs on my Wild Blue Indigo (Baptisia australis). I...
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Ragged fringed orchids are botanical works of art
A flowering spike of Ragged Fringed Orchid/Jim McCormacRagged fringed orchids are botanical works of artColumbus DispatchJuly 16, 2023NATUREJim McCormacAn orchid in a deep forest sends out its...
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A storm rolls in
An impressive summer storm rolls through the Paint Creek Valley. The equally impressive wildflower display is at the Arc of Appalachia's Steel Preserve, which is part of their Junction Earthworks...
View ArticleFall Nature Safari: Exploring the Hills of Southern Ohio
The above-titled conference takes place from September 8 - 10, and the venue is the fabulous Shawnee Lodge and Conference Center. The lodge and its complement of cabins will be freshly remodeled, as a...
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Tall Larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum), with Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
Tall Larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum)Last Thursday, July 20, I had the chance to commune with hummingbird clearwing moths in a beautiful Adams County, Ohio, prairie. A botanical highlight was dozens of...
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A brief essay on hummingbird moths
A Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) approaches Wild Bergamot flowersA brief essay on hummingbird mothsColumbus DispatchJuly 30, 2023NATUREJim McCormacMany a person has marveled over tiny...
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Grand old American Elm
A massive American Elm (Ulmus americana), in post-dawn fog, yesterday. This tree is along State Route 104 in Pickaway County, Ohio. It is isolated from other trees in a cornfield; thus, the Dutch Elm...
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Nature: Ghost-pipe one of summer's most interesting wildflowers
Ghost-pipe springs from forest leaf litter/Jim McCormacNature: Ghost-pipe one of summer's most interesting wildflowersColumbus DispatchAugust 6, 2023NATUREJim McCormacFor most people, the wildflower...
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Lilypad Forktail: The colonization of Ohio continues
As always, click the image to enlarge itA mating pair of Lilypad Forktails (Ischnura kellicottii) at Bear Creek Lake in Shawnee State Forest, Scioto County, Ohio. Male blue, female orange. The reddish...
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Evening-primrose Moth
A familiar, widespread and oftentimes very common wildflower, the Common Evening-primrose (Oenothera biennis). The colorful buds in the center will burst into flower the following day.Primrose flowers...
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Nature: Here's how the Ohio Wildlife Center helped rehabilitate 2 baby minks
A newly released male mink gets his bearings/Jim McCormacNature: Here's how the Ohio Wildlife Center helped rehabilitate 2 baby minksColumbus DispatchAugust 20, 2023NATUREJim McCormacNo one in the...
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Pickaway Plains and staging swallows
A juvenile Cliff Swallow rockets past my position. No art shot here, just the best that I could do in the fading light.I spent a wonderful day in Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio, botanizing and...
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Red-footed Cannibal Fly
I got the opportunity to go afield last Sunday (August 27, 2023) with Iris Copen and Shaun Pogacnik, two of the Midwest's best field botanists. We hit remote sites in Jackson, Lawrence, and Pike...
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Howard Marsh birds
As the name of this blog has "birds" in it, it's high time that I posted a few. So, some birds follow, but first a brief intro.On August 18, I made a long overdue trip to the marshes of western Lake...
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Nature: Brightly colored primrose moths stunning but rarely spotted in Ohio
Primrose moths blend well on primrose flower buds/Jim McCormacNature: Brightly colored primrose moths stunning but rarely spotted in OhioColumbus DispatchSeptember 17, 2023NATUREJim McCormacOn Aug....
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Great Plains Ladies'-tresses
Little white spires of orchid flowers dot the open gravelly substrate of the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve in Ottawa County, Ohio. I was exploring some of the most interesting habitats of Lake...
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Nesting Pied-billed Grebes
An immature Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) floats on the quiet waters of Howard Marsh, along Lake Erie not far east of Toledo, Ohio.I visited the newly opened Howard Marsh West back on August...
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