A few weeks ago I came as close as I’ve ever come to getting my Naturalist Card revoked. Right there on Route 47, a little south of Plank Road, with the sun high in the sky and a hint of a breeze in the air, I had to admit to the biggest gaffe I’ve ever
Bird, Roadkill, Turkey Vulture
This summer’s rains have left a host of lingering effects, including robust gardens, mosquitoes and fuddles. If you’re like most folks, you’re probably enjoying the beauty and bounty of that first result and slapping and cursing the second. But unless you’re a birder, you’re likely scratching your head at the third. A fuddle, or fluddle,
Bird, Black Necked Stilts, Fly
August 5, 2016 Dragonflies & Damselflies It’s been said, by more than one starry-eyed romantic, on more than one occasion, that love makes the world go ’round. After much research, and thorough observation, I’m about ready to agree—but with one tiny caveat. Rather than ’round, I’d say the world actually goes round—no apostrophe needed. Because
Bug, Dragonfly, Insect
It’s been said, by more than one starry-eyed romantic, on more than one occasion, that love makes the world go ’round. After much research, and thorough observation, I’m about ready to agree—but with one tiny caveat. Rather than ’round, I’d say the world actually goes round—no apostrophe needed. Because rather than a preposition, I’m talking
Bug, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Insect
Do you remember when you first were allowed to dress yourself? Oh the freedom! The thrill! The independence to wear your favorite stripes, plaids and floral patterns, individually or all at once. It didn’t really matter whether the articles matched; the main thing was that you’d picked them out and put them on all by
Camo Looper, Inchworm, Moth
411111111111111111 I couldn’t believe my eyes. But there she was, smack dab in the middle of downtown St. Charles. A bona-fide Mother of the Year sitting with her nine half-grown offspring. Nine! They were near the Main Street bridge—below and a little to the south, actually—occupying a ledge by what used to be the Manor
Bird, Duck, Mallard
Last week we took a Good-Natured look at fireflies, those flashy stars that light up our warm summer nights. We talked about their life cycle, how to tell males from females, and mentioned a few of the more common species that can be found in our area. But what we didn’t touch upon–in fact, what
Bug, Diurnal Firefly, Firefly, Insect
For the past three weeks or so—since 5:34 p.m. on Monday June 20– it’s officially been summer. Unofficially, it’s also firefly mating season, a last hurrah for these insects that have spent most of the last year or two under rocks and logs, living as predacious larvae that feed on earthworms, slugs and other invertebrates.
Bug, Firefly, Insect
It’s not often that you hear the words exquisite, pink, and camouflage come together in a sentence. It’s even rarer when “spider” is added to the narrative. But that’s exactly what happened during a recent walk at Fermilab when our group, gathered to learn about local bees, encountered a member of Thomisidae, the crab spiders.
Arachnid, Crab Spider, Spider
I would imagine most of us, if asked, would admit to owning something we deem lucky. It might be a classic good-luck charm, like a horseshoe, a rabbit’s foot or a four-leaf clover. Me? I have a lucky shirt. When I bought it, over 15 years ago at an Eddie Bauer store in Rockford, I
Butterfly, Hackberry Emperor, Insect