One of the most beautiful long-distance migratory shore birds of North America is the Lesser Yellowlegs. These handsome wading birds spend the winter in South America and migrate north through the entire United States, from the east coast to the west coast, up into northern Canada and Alaska to breed.
In nature, there are many creatures that mimic other creatures – for one reason or another. This is especially true in the insect world. Often, insects try to look like another species of insect that is poisonous or tastes bad.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
