Rattlesnake Master
Walking up to Hickory Knolls, our wonderful nature center, I never cease to be struck by the abundance of beauty displayed by our native wildflowers.…
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Prairie Dropseed
Mmm…popcorn. I love the way it looks. I love the way it tastes. I love the way it smells, too. And golly, I’ve been smelling…
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Barn Swallows
The neighbor’s kids were out the other day, chattering excitedly as they soaked up some summer sun. It was snack time – seems like it’s…
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Brown Anoles
Don’t you just love life’s little surprises? You reach in your coat pocket and find a forgotten $5 bill. Yay! You run into an old…
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Joe-Pye Weed
Mmmmm. Pie. Is there anything more delectably satisfying than a nice pie? My own preferences run toward a double-crust fruity variety, with the top five…
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Mantidflies
So the other day I went to Delnor Woods Park in St. Charles to take some photos of Joe Pye weed, a favorite summertime bloom.…
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Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels
“That’s not a chipmunk.” The astute visitor, wise beyond his 4 1/2 years, stubbornly stood by his resolution, while his companions (people who, I’m guessing,…
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Wool-Carder Bees
I got quite the buzz while working in the garden the other day. No, I’m not growing the devil’s lettuce. And I wasn’t slaking my…
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Queen Snakes
Except for one time, nearly 35 years ago, when I found myself eating ice cream in a supermarket with Prince Andrew and his then-wife Sarah,…
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Rusty Crayfish
Did you ever have one of those days where you’ve found yourself feeling a little, well, rusty? I have, more than I care to think…
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Crayfish ‘Berry’ Season
Who doesn’t love a good berry? Strawberries! Raspberries! Blueberries! Crayfish-berries? Yes folks, it’s that time of year again. Crayfish are breeding, and many females are…
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Spittlebugs
We’ve all heard the saying, “Snug as a bug in a rug.” But this time of year I often find myself adding, “Some bugs are…
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Barred Owls
The other day I headed out to meet some friends for a walk at Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve, with a plan to proceed over to…
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A Bird Eat Bird World
Ah, spring. What could be more glorious? Flowers are blooming, insects are buzzing, frogs are calling. And the birds? Well they’re doing what birds do…
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Tiger Beetles
I’ve never, by any stretch of the imagination, been considered quick. I can’t dash, I don’t dart. In fact, the only time I recall moving…
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Red-Headed Woodpeckers
What’s black and white and red all over? Here in the TriCities’ corner of the natural world, not a lot. But the red-headed woodpecker is…
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Butternut Trees
Well, it happened again. After a prolonged absence-nearly eight years– Build Me Up Buttercup, that great song by The Foundations, once again is reverberating through…
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Monk Parakeets
A little over a year ago, in February 2020, I signed up for what promised to be the adventure of a lifetime. “Travel to Costa…
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Overwintering Butterflies
Butterflies are easy. It’s a statement that naturalists make from time to time, and it refers to the fact that we don’t have to work…
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Departure of the Dark Eyed Juncos
Well, it’s here. Can you feel it? Spring snuck in at 4:37 a.m. on Saturday, March 20, and with it came a host of spring…
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Song Sparrows
“Sweet, sweet, sweet…blah blah blah yada yada.” “Sweet, sweet, sweet…blah blah blah yada yada.” “Sweet, sweet, sweet…blah blah blah yada yada.” Sound familiar? No, it’s…
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Maple Tapping
So here we are in March of 2021, marking the one-year anniversary since COVID-19 changed our lives. Over the past 12 months I’d wager many…
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Biofluorescence – Does It Glow?
I would imagine that our recent spate of 40-something degree weather has most of us aglow with the prospect of warmer temperatures and, dare I…
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Redhead Ducks
Last week we took a look at the American robin, a bird regarded as a sign of spring but-confoundingly-has been popping up all over northern…
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Robins — In Winter?!
Okay folks, show of hands. How many of you were raised to believe that robins are the first signs of spring? I know I was.…
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Red Foxes & Screech Owls – Part 2
So last week we ventured into unfamiliar territory, melding nature references with quotes from William Shakespeare-primarily from his play As You Like It, and the…
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