One of the more wary and secretive shore birds that visit our wetland areas is the black-crowned night heron. These stocky herons are shorter than great blue herons, but they are still relatively large since they have a wingspan of nearly four feet.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Beautiful Fritillary Butterfly
Most butterflies are beautiful – but the various species of fritillary butterflies really take it to the next level. Many of them are dazzling! There are 14 species of greater fritillaries and 16 species of lesser fritillaries.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Elegant Hooded Merganser
There are many species of ducks in North America, but one of the most elegant-looking is the hooded merganser. Both males and females sport a remarkable crest, or “hood” on top of their heads, which they can raise or lower at will.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Invasive Mute Swan
Swans are well-known as very large, graceful white birds. There are three species of swans currently living in North America: trumpeter swans, tundra swans and mute swans. Trumpeter and mute swans are similar in size, and they can each have a wingspan of more than seven feet.
Striking Silver in the Sound
Of all the things you can do with a fly rod, few match the excitement of casting to and hooking a large tarpon in shallow water. Fighting one is another matter, and bringing one to hand is a significantly more difficult proposition.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Elusive American Mink
he American mink is a small mammal that most people never see. They are semi-aquatic creatures, meaning they spend a lot of their time in and around the water. Mink are also mostly nocturnal animals, which also helps explain why most people never see one.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Invasive Sea Lamprey
Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) are native to the Atlantic Ocean. Since Lake Ontario is connected to the Atlantic via the St. Lawrence Seaway, lampreys have been in that body of water for a long time, too.
A January Day on Mosquito Lagoon
The Intracoastal Waterway Runs through the north part of Mosquito Lagoon. When this channel was being dug, the diggers hit patches of limestone rock, which had to be blasted. This rock rubble was piled up with the rest of the dredge spoil, now a string of spoil islands west of the ICW channel.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Cute Canada Goose Goslings
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.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Hated Squash Vine Borer Moth
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.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Smallmouth Bass are Feisty Fighters
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.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Northern Shoveler Duck
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.