Clik here to view.
Bathroom Moth Fly
The festively painted latrine building at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, at the jumping off spot for hikes way out onto the dikes surrounding the large, impounded marshes. I'm not sure when the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nature: Rare Maryland meadow-beauty spotted in Lawrence County
Maryland meadow-beauty (Rhexia marilandica), about three miles west of Lake Vesuvius in Lawrence County, Ohio, on August 27, 2023/Jim McCormacNature: Rare Maryland meadow-beauty spotted in Lawrence...
View ArticleClik here to view.
American Bolas Spider
Back on September 14, I visited an interesting property in rural Pike County, Ohio (well, I guess nearly ALL of Pike County is rural) to assist with a one-year bioblitz project spearheaded by John...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A fine toad
Our group ran across this whopper of an American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) while on a nocturnal field trip in Shawnee State Forest (Scioto County, Ohio) on September 10, 2023. I could not resist...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rough green snake spotted in southern Ohio
A rough green snake lurks in a wild lettuce plant/Jim McCormacRough green snake spotted in southern OhioColumbus DispatchOctober 15, 2023NATUREJim McCormacBehold, I have given you authority to tread on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Moth Talk: October 24, Columbus, Ohio. All are welcome!
I'm giving a talk on the amazing world of moths for Columbus Audubon at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, hard on the banks of the Scioto River near downtown Columbus (Ohio), on Tuesday, October 24....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fall colors
The autumnal plumage of Sugar Maples (Acer saccharum), especially, enliven a backwoods Adams County lane. One of the great delights of living in the eastern deciduous forest region is the annual...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nature: "Tis the season to spot dark-eyed juncos in central Ohio
A male dark-eyed junco snacks on poison ivy berries/Jim McCormacNature: "Tis the season to spot dark-eyed juncos in central OhioColumbus DispatchOctober 29, 2023NATUREJim McCormac“…there is not an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cardinal-flower, and the coming floral hiatus
A brilliantly hued Cardinal-flower (Lobelia cardinalis), shot back on August 25, 2023. A floral hiatus now ensues, until the blooming of Skunk-cabbage at winter's end, at least in my part of the world....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nature: Ohio's Metzger Preserve harbors strange yet impressive rock formations
Metzger Preserve harbors one of the state's greatest concentrations of the bizarre, round rock formations known as concretions/Jim McCormacNature: Ohio's Metzger Preserve harbors strange yet impressive...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Eastern Screech-Owl in dark woods
A gray morph (not "phase" as color forms are incorrectly often referred to as) Eastern Screech-Owl stares from its perch in an inky woods. Owl eyes, in comparison to human eyes, are proportionately...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nature: Investigating the northern saw-whet owl in Ohio
A northern saw-whet owl rests in the hand of Blake Mathys, just prior to its release/Jim McCormacNature: Investigating the northern saw-whet owl in OhioColumbus DispatchNovember 19th, 2023NATUREJim...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Invasive honeysuckles and birds
A western Ohio woodland, its understory utterly dominated by Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii). While there are other species of Asiatic honeysuckles running amok in the Midwest, this one is by far...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Young white-crowned sparrows perfecting melody still a delight to behold
An adult white-crowned sparrow sings a perfect song/Jim McCormacYoung white-crowned sparrows perfecting melody still a delight to beholdColumbus DispatchDecember 3rd, 2023NATUREJim McCormacI am only a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pencilflower
I apologize for the paucity of posts of late. Generally, I try to slap about two subjects up weekly, but that's not been possible in the past few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nature: Teeny-tiny golden-crowned kinglets are small, yes, but tough as nails
A male golden-crowned kinglet/Jim McCormacNature: Teeny-tiny golden-crowned kinglets are small, yes, but tough as nailsColumbus DispatchDecember 17, 2023NATUREJim McCormacWhat is the smallest songbird...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Field Sparrow, in winter
A Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla), distinctive with its pinkish bill, reddish cap, and white eye ring, on a frosty morning. During the breeding season, males deliver a beautifully melodic trilled...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Short-eared Owls
A Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) watches for prey from atop a Honey Locust sapling. It was in the midst of hundreds of acres of grasslands. At least ten other owls shared its haunts, and at least as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A few more Short-eared Owl images
Incoming Short-eared Owl. The last thing that a Meadow Vole wants to look up and see. As the light was fairly horrific yet the owling was great, I looked forward to a return visit to the site in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nature: Tiny southern flying squirrels a sight to behold
A southern flying squirrel/Jim McCormacNature: Tiny southern flying squirrels a sight to beholdColumbus DispatchDecember 31, 2023NATUREJim McCormacSix long years have elapsed since I last wrote about...
View Article