All in Wildlife Watching
The common grackle is one of many blackbirds that we often see in our backyards, although they are larger and have longer tails than most other blackbirds like red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds and European starlings. They can often be seen hunting for food along the ground alone, but they will also travel in flocks.
Snakes are not the most beloved creatures in the great outdoors, but each species of snake has its own place in the ecosystem and each serves an important purpose. One interesting snake species that goes almost unnoticed throughout much of the Midwest and eastern United States is the Eastern Worm Snake.
White-tailed deer are a familiar sight for most of us as we drive along our local highways and country roads. They are often standing out in the middle of a field or pasture or along the edge of a woodlot, searching for tender vegetation to munch on.
Back yard birdwatchers are very familiar with one of our most common birds: the House Finch. These gregarious finches are easily attracted to all types of bird feeders, and they show up in good numbers all year long, even during the coldest days of winter.
There is a common pest in the Midwest and northeastern United States that causes trouble for gardeners during the summer months. They are small – about the size of a mouse. They are usually black or dark gray in color, and as their name implies they have a very short tail.
Herons are very interesting birds, and one of the smallest herons is no exception: it is the green heron. Green herons are relatively short and stocky (they stand about 17 inches tall), with a small head and a large, sharp beak.
Summer is gone, and our friends the monarch butterflies are also gone. They have departed the eastern half of the United States on their annual southern migration, down to their wintering grounds in Mexico. As recently as September they could still be seen visiting the last of our summer flowers.
Just about everyone with a flower garden welcomes the arrival of those colorful visitors we call butterflies. They come to visit the brightly colored flowers, and we are glad to see them. Although there is a wide variety of beautiful butterflies native to the eastern United States, one of the most stunning and attractive species is the red-spotted purple.
Frogs are very common around most lakes, ponds, streams and marshy wetlands. But not all frogs are of the same species. There are bullfrogs, green frogs, wood frogs, leopard frogs and several others. One of the most common frogs in the eastern United States is the green frog.
Have you ever seen a bird known as the Scarlet Tanager? Male Scarlet Tanagers are very unique, with bright red bodies and jet black wings and tails. Females are a much more drab olive-yellow color with slightly darker olive wings and tails.
The bullhead is part of the catfish family. There are actually three main species of bullhead in the USA: black bullhead, brown bullhead and yellow bullhead. These whiskered fish are very common in lakes, ponds and rivers, and they are regularly caught by fishermen – especially while fishing at night.
One of the most common birds found along our lakeshores and wetland areas in the summertime is the red-winged blackbird. These familiar birds prefer to nest in wet and swampy areas filled with cattails, marsh grass and other wetland vegetation, and the male birds defend their nesting territory enthusiastically.
