Have you ever seen a handsome black and white bird that is perched on a tree branch or fence post that suddenly flies out several feet and grabs an insect in mid-air, then flies back to the same perch?
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The White-Marked Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Everyone knows that caterpillars turn into butterflies, but many people don’t think about the fact that some caterpillars turn into moths, too. One really cool-looking caterpillar that turns into a moth is the White-Marked Tussock Moth caterpillar.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Spotted Sandpiper
There are plenty of shorebirds in North America, but one of the most widespread and interesting ones is the Spotted Sandpiper. These attractive birds are the size of an American Robin, but that’s where the similarities end.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Beautiful White Admiral Butterfly
One of the common butterflies of the northern United States and Canada is the White Admiral. This stately-looking butterfly is very dark – almost black all over, with a very bright white stripe running through its forewings and hind wings.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Very Tricky Killdeer
Most birds do a great job of raising their young and keeping them safe from predators, but one bird species in particular uses an ingenious trick to keep people and predators away from its nest. That bird is the common Killdeer.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Poplar Sphinx Moth
Most moths don’t seem to get the love that butterflies enjoy. People like butterflies because they are colorful, they flit along almost playfully on bright sunny days, and they are totally harmless to humans. They also pollinate the flowers that we spend so much time growing in our gardens.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Ever-Present Canada Goose
I remember the old saying: “Geese fly south for the winter.” Well, most geese do fly south for the winter, but depending on where you live it might not seem like it any more.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Those Nasty Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets. Almost everyone knows what they are! They are often mistakenly called bees or hornets, but they are actually a species of wasp. There are at least 17 species of yellowjackets living in North America.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Very Vocal Dickcissel
Have you ever heard of a bird called the Dickcissel? It seems like a very strange name, but like the names of many birds, the name comes from the song that this bird sings.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Another Invader – The Spotted Lanternfly
Invasive species have become all too common in recent years, and things don’t appear to be getting any better. There are invasive fish, invasive plants and far too many invasive insects. One of those foreign insects that have appeared in the USA within the past decade is the Spotted Lanternfly.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Secretive Sora
There is a very secretive bird out there that is an expert at evading the sight of most people. It is a relatively small bird that loves wetlands and marshy areas, and it spends most of its time walking along muddy shorelines amid reeds and thick cattail stands looking for food.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Common Field Cricket
The melodious chirping of crickets on a quiet summer night is a familiar sound to most people. The crickets we hear are one of several species of common field crickets, and they can be pretty hard to tell apart. Crickets can be found throughout most of the United States and even parts of Canada and Mexico.