All in Wildlife Watching
The wild turkey is a very large game bird that is native to the United States. They live in every state except Alaska. Their wingspan measures more than four feet across, and large adults often weigh over 20 pounds. Extremely large individuals can weigh as much as 25 pounds.
Even though it is wintertime right now, spring will be here before you know it and with the warmer weather will come a plethora of insects. One insect that should be feared by all others is the fierce praying mantis. The praying mantis is named for its large front legs which are typically held together as if it is praying.
Susan was suffering from pandemic stress. "I have to get out of this house!" she said. After giving it some thought, I said, "Let's go to Blue Spring. We haven't been there in a long time." The state park website suggests getting there early. The rangers close the park when capacity is reached.
It is mid-winter, and many of our summer birds have migrated south to Central and South America. But one particularly interesting species of bird has migrated from more northern climates to where we are in the central United States: the bald eagle.
Spring will be here before we know it, and gardening will be on the minds of many people. One of the arch-enemies of local gardeners, however, is the groundhog. These pesky rodents are also called woodchucks, whistle-pigs, ground-pigs and even Canada marmots.
Did you seen a large bird soaring over a lake, pond or river last summer or fall? It may have been a fish hawk. Actually, fish hawk is just one of its many nicknames. It is also called the river hawk, sea hawk and fish eagle, but its real name is more regal: it is the osprey.
The northern cardinal is the state bird of seven different states (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia), and it is quite colorful. The males are bright red, of course! Cardinals are beautiful birds, and the male’s brilliant red feathers are contrasted by a jet black face.
Butterflies are popular visitors to summertime flower gardens, but moths visit, too. One of the largest and most beautiful moths in the United States is the very impressive Polyphemus moth. These large silk moths are seldom seen by most people because they typically fly only at night
The Great Lakes are giant bodies of water, and there are a huge number of fish species that call them home. One of the largest fish is the lake trout, and since these trout are native to the Great Lakes, they have been living there for eons.
One of the sure signs of winter in our area is the arrival of the Dark-Eyed Juncos. These small birds are often called “snowbirds” since they always seem to appear right before the snows of winter begin. It usually starts with the appearance of just one or two juncos.
Pine squirrels are interesting little mammals. They are not extremely common in some areas of their range, due mainly to the presence of the larger and more aggressive gray squirrel. But they can be found throughout the Great Lakes states, the Appalachian Mountains and much of Canada.
There are many species of owls in the United States, but one of the smallest and most interesting is the eastern screech owl. These tiny owls measure only 6-9 inches tall, but don’t let their small size fool you.
