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
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
Every year about this time, certain wild neighbors start making headlines. Their behavior gets labeled aggressive, and people start calling them jerks—or worse. Inevitably, someone will make an analogy to Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, and then all heck breaks loose. “It tried to peck my eyes out!” someone will cry. “Scared the living [daylights] outta
Bird, Fly, Red-winged black bird
May 6, 2016 Ospreys Wow, how lucky are we? Over the past several years, it’s gotten increasingly easier to witness one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles: the majestic sight of bald eagles soaring overhead. Improved water quality in the Fox River as well as other habitat-saving measures have given these magnificent creatures exactly what they
Bird, Fly, OspreyMarch 11, 2016 The Geneva owl legacy continues Among nature nerds, there’s an unwritten code of conduct surrounding sensitive organisms. If there are rare orchids growing in a natural area, you don’t advertise the location. If someone poaches prairie seeds, you don’t publicize the act, lest others come with similar mal intent. This code extends
Bird, Fly, Geneva OwlsMarch 4, 2016 Great Horned Owl She’s ba-ack. Our neighbor, that is. The quiet one who keeps to herself. I don’t mean to sound like we’re disrespectful, or unobservant, but frankly it took us a while to notice her. Only within the past few weeks has it become apparent that, indeed, Mama Great Horned Owl
Bird, Great Horned Owl, OwlFebruary 26, 2016 American Coots You just gotta love a coot. An American coot, that is. American coots are water birds that many folks would classify as ducks. They do, after all, look an awful lot like dark-colored ducks – from a distance. But if you take the time to observe more closely, you’ll notice
American Coot, Bird, FlyFebruary 19, 2016 Red Winged Blackbirds Every year about this time, people start getting itchy for spring. With the weather warming up, they look for signs that winter’s winding down: a swollen leaf bud, a green sprout, a red, red robin bob, bob bobbin’ along. But as we learned last week, robins aren’t the sure
Bird, Fly, Red-winged black birdJanuary 22, 2016 Owls of Kane County Thursday night I heard something I haven’t heard in several weeks: The who-huh-who-whoo-whoo of our nocturnal neighbor, the great horned owl. Although they hooted and hollered their way through most of the late fall, their courtship period, lately I hadn’t heard much from the Bubos—my nickname for the
Bird, Fly, Kane County, OwlJanuary 15, 2016 Screech Owls Last week in this space we took a look at the life and times of Strix varia, the barred owl. Although still considered a rare species in Kane County, it seems to be increasing its range throughout our area. Thanks to those who responded to our request for sightings, we
Bird, Fly, Owl, Screen Owl