St. Charles Park District Nature News – April 17 My dad was a big fan of the 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners. (So big a fan, in fact, that he wouldn’t pick up my mom for their weekly Saturday night date until after the show was over.) It follows then that, by association—and maybe genetics—I too
Bird, Fly, Woodpecker
I know exactly where I was the moment I got hooked on the sport of birdwatching, a.k.a. birding. I was standing on a gravelly point off of Wildlife Drive, the main thoroughfare through the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, FL, peering through binoculars at a group of roseate spoonbills. Above them,
Bird, Fly, Pelican
Anybody remember the song, “The Boys Are Back in Town,” by the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy? As I recall, it came out in the mid-1970s and described the actions of a gang of tough guys that were, well, back in town, presumably after a prolonged absence. Guess what? The boys are back in town
Bird, Fly, Red-winged black bird
“Sweet, sweet, sweet…blah blah blah blah blah blah.” “Sweet, sweet, sweet…blah blah blah blah blah blah.” “Sweet, sweet, sweet…blah blah blah blah blah blah.” Sound familiar? No, it’s not the talk of an over-sugared someone craving yet another dessert (though I think I did babble something similar once after eating a dozen glazed donuts). (And
Bird, Fly, Song Sparrows
Knock knock. Who’s there? For those of you who live in houses with certain types of wooden siding, your visitor may be a woodpecker. Those same shingles/shakes/clapboards that caught your eye as a home buyer can prove irresistible to your industrious neighbors the Downies, Hairies, Red-Bellieds and Flickers. This time of year, woodpeckers are in
Bird, Fly, Woodpecker
Judging by the comments last week’s crane fly column generated, folks in the TriCities don’t particularly care to read about “larvae” over breakfast, nor “maggots” during lunch. And I apparently misjudged people’s appreciation for flies in general. So, this week, let’s take a look at the other end of the food chain—creatures that eat flies,
Bird, Fly, Nighthawk
This time of year there’s lots to see in Bobolink Field, a natural area just west of the Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles. Managed by the St. Charles Park District, the gently rolling field features many species of native grasses and forbs, plus mammals, birds, herps (reptiles and amphibians) and insects galore. In fact,
Bird, Bobolink, Fly
Remember when Canada geese were a fly-by-night group? Back then, before the non-migratory Canada goose populations took hold, it was big news when The Geese blew into town. The large, majestic birds, with their brown-gray bodies, graceful black necks and striking black-and-white heads, were indeed a sight to see. But you had to hurry. The
Bird, Canada, Fly
Maintaining a birdfeeder is a little bit like having your own restaurant. You choose the menu, you choose the hours. And, if all goes well, it can be the sort of place where—to paraphrase the theme song from the old sitcom Cheers—you know everybody’s name. Northern cardinals, black-capped chickadees and dark-eyed juncos typically top local
Bird, Fly, Siskin
This latest weather blast has me thinking of winters gone by, particularly those of my childhood. Back then, girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school unless it was winter and you lived a mile or more away from the school. Since we lived just across the street, I spent many a day envying my
Birds, Feathers, Fly, Winter