Good Natured

Bald-faced Hornet Nests

Bald-faced hornet nests, like this large one in St. Charles, are revealed when the leaves fall from the tree. The former residents, a type of…

Snow Flies & Winter Crane Flies

Besides sharing the trait of being active in winter, these insects also share a common ancestor and are members of the insect infraorder Tipulomorpha. The…

Poison Food Chain

Rodent baits often have unintended consequences, traveling through food chains and accumulating in the bodies of higher-level consumers like this Cooper’s hawk. The bird was…

Opossums

Opossums have a minimal ability to store fat and, as a consequence, in winter will often forego their nocturnal nature and forage during daylight hours.

Every Day Can Be Christmas

Keep an eye open for this seasonal gift, the red-breasted nuthatch. These perky birds use conifers as a source of both food and shelter.

Osage Oranges

Front and center in this arrangement, osage orange fruit brings bright color, a pleasant scent and a whole lot of history to holiday displays.

Kane County Badgers

The American badger is ideally suited to its role as fossorial carnivore, or a predator that digs. Its front claws are nearly 2 in. in…

Owl Ears

The long-eared owl’s namesake “ears” on top of its head are used for camouflage and communication, but not for listening. Its actual ears are located…

Box Turtles a Lifelong Commitment

Arthur the box turtle has lived as a pet since 1978 but his actual age is unknown.

Ben Franklin & Turkeys

The wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, was never a candidate for our nation’s symbol, but it did help Benjamin Franklin advance his study of electricity.

Ravenel’s Stinkhorn

A Ravenel’s stinkhorn grows amid the wood chips at a local playground. These powerful decomposers, it turns out, are mighty stinkin’ strong.

Scatter-Hoarding Squirrels

Its nose stained from burying nuts in wet soil, a squirrel pauses, and poses, in the midst of its scatter-hoarding activities.

A Crayfish Volcano?

Topped with a large hole, a crayfish chimney stands tall and volcano like at Ferson Creek Fen in St. Charles. A second, smaller hole, which…

KCCN Season Is Just Around the Corner

Learning experiences such as this very wet wetlands field trip help participants in the Kane County Certified Naturalist program understand the connections within our local…

Is That Big Turtle Native, Or Not?

Does it have a domed carapace? Do its feet lack webs? If so, chances are good you’ve found a turtle in need of rescue. Pictured…

A Weighty Commitment

TJ the tortoise, at 75 lbs. and still growing, faced homelessness when he outgrew the enclosure at his former residence. He is now “employed” at…

Ding Dong the Tortoise

Ding Dong, a pet sulcata tortoise, took himself on a little walkabout recently when a gate was accidentally left open. Sulcatas, also known as African…

What’s In a Name Part 2

The eastern or common mole, also known as Scalopus aquaticus, does not live in water, though its large front feet do an admirable job of…

What’s In a Name? As It Turns Out, Plenty!

The eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus, gets its scientific name from its tyrant-like approach to territory defense, which can include defensive strikes at squirrels, crows and…

Viceroy Butterflies, the Monarch’s Mimics

Think you’re seeing monarchs mating? Look again! These two butterflies are viceroys, distinguished from monarchs by the dark line across the hindwing and by a…

A Closer Look at Exoskeletons

This interesting artifact is the cast skin, or exoskeleton, of a dragonfly nymph that has emerged from the water and molted into adulthood. Well, it’s…

‘Tis the Season for Little Green Men

Hello World! After spending somewhere between two and five years underground, this cicada sheds its hard outer covering one more time in preparation for its…

Rescued Swifts Fly Free

This fledgling chimney swift was among a group of seven rescued swifts that recently joined a Geneva, IL, flock. Soon these birds and thousands of…

Cooper’s Hawks Leave the Nest

This young Cooper’s hawk can be identified by its immature plumage—a brown back, white breast with crisp brown streaks—as well as its light-colored eyes. Adult…

Up, Up and Away! Spiders Go Ballooning

To find sufficient food and avoid getting eaten, spider hatchlings need to disperse quickly. They often take to the air, making use of silken strands,…

The Truth About Snake Jaws

Randy Ratsnake gives another jaw-dropping performance, using an amazing set of mandibular adaptations to swallow his meal. No unhinging, detaching or dislocating required!

Losing My Religiosa

European praying mantises can vary widely in color, from light tan to green, but the ‘bullseye’ on the inner surface of the front leg is…

American Kestrels: Part Two

With assistance from wildlife biologists from the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, American kestrel chicks in the Kane County nest box program are weighed,…

American Kestrels are small falcons that favor grasslands and other areas with low vegetation. These colorful birds, sometimes mistaken for mourning doves, survey their hunting grounds from prominent posts like tall poles and utility lines. Good Natured: American Kestrels! Part One July 15, 2022 Well, it happened again the other day. There I was, sitting

Can You Spot a Spotless Lady Beetle?

Measuring right around 4 mm, or just over 1/8 in. in length, the polished or ‘spotless’ lady beetle is one of our area’s native ladybug…

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