Surely everyone is familiar with the Canada goose. These large, noisy waterfowl seem to be everywhere these days, from lake and river settings to residential front yards. Canada geese have a distinctive brown, white and black coloration, and they have a long neck and a wide black bill.
Early last summer I was watering plants in my vegetable garden when I saw an interesting insect sitting on the leaf of a nearby flower. It looked a bit like a moth, but it was unlike any I had ever seen before. It was black and reddish-orange in color, with black antennae that looked like some moths I’ve seen in the past.
The smallmouth bass is a much sought-after gamefish. Pound for pound, many anglers believe they fight harder than any other freshwater fish. They also have a habit of leaping completely out of the water when hooked in an attempt to get away, making them very exciting to catch.
Ducks are common throughout the United States. One of the most common is the mallard duck. Male mallards have a green head and are very easy to identify. There is another green-headed duck, though, that is not a mallard at all. It is the male northern shoveler duck.
Everyone knows most birds love to sing, and the pleasant sounds of birds chirping or chattering in nearby trees is a welcome sound. Some bird species sing more than others, though, and one of the most vocal birds of them all is the northern mockingbird.
Some people are afraid of bats. There is really no reason to fear these small creatures, though. Bats are beneficial and they are actually quite interesting. Bats are the only mammals in the world that can truly fly, and they eat thousands upon thousands of insects (including hordes of mosquitoes) every summer.
Most people have never seen a copperbelly water snake. The reason is simple: these snakes are very uncommon and they are becoming downright rare. The northern population of the copperbelly water snake (living in southern Michigan, northern Indiana and northwest Ohio) is even listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.
Tree swallows are a common sight from spring throughout the summer in many areas as they expertly flit and fly over ponds, lakes, marshes and fields. These small, streamlined birds migrate back northward throughout the U.S. from their overwintering areas in Central America and Mexico to nest and feed here throughout the warm weather months.
American bullfrogs are the largest frog in North America, and they are one of the symbols of spring and summer around our lakes, ponds and marshes. Their distinctive croaking calls blend with the crickets and other night-time sounds.
One very popular fish in much of the United States is the yellow perch (Perca flavescens). They are easily recognized by their pale golden-yellow body color and the dark vertical stripes on their sides. Also called lake perch, striped perch and ringed perch, these tasty freshwater fish have been a favorite dinner entrée in local restaurants for decades.
Sparrows are often called “little brown birds”, and for good reason. There are lots of different species of sparrows in North America, and many of them are small and brown! If can be very difficult to tell them apart, at least until you know what you are looking for.
Have you ever caught a warmouth while fishing for bluegills or other panfish? Warmouth are found in the Great Lakes states and the Mississippi River basin, and they are common throughout most of the southeastern United States from central Texas east to Florida and the Carolinas.
