but a very real and very neat raptor! In my outdoor outings in our beautiful Fox River watershed, I occasionally come across a common, but not commonly seen, little falcon along the Fox River: the Merlin.  The Merlin did not get its name from the magician of King Arthur’s court or the wizard of Harry … Read more

Meteorological fall is upon us here in the Fox River Valley, and so is migration season.  Many warblers and other birds have already started on their way to warmer southern climes and are currently in our area.  So, too is the migration of one of the more beautiful and interesting insects in our area: the … Read more

As the “dog days” of a long, hot summer settle upon us, my hikes in the woods and prairies of our local preserves take on a slightly different emphasis.  The season for birds migrating through our area to the north is long past and the start of their return south is still a few weeks … Read more

As we enter early July and the heart of the summer season, the restored prairies in our Fox River watershed are ablaze with colorful flowering plants.  The Wild Bergamot, Coneflowers of many types, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, and other beautiful plants are near their peak bloom.  The profusion of these beautiful flowers also has led … Read more

A couple of weeks ago as I was on one of my hikes along the Fox River just east of the Hoover Forest Preserve, I noticed something unusual hanging from the low branch of a small tree along the trail.  As I got closer, I could see it was some kind of decorative ornament tied … Read more

As I write this column on April 28, 2025, the spring woodland ephemeral wildflowers are in full bloom.  By the time this column appears on the website in mid-May, many will be past their peak or will have stopped blooming altogether.  The ephemerals are at the mercy of the sunlight being able to penetrate the … Read more

Those of you who have followed my blog here over the years know that I am a passionate fan of Bald Eagles, particularly those nesting in our Fox River Valley.  As I write this month’s blog (in late March), we are solidly into the Bald Eagle nesting season in our area.  Most eagles laid their … Read more

With apologies to Norman McClean and his A River Runs Through It, my column this month is going to be an autobiographical story consisting of several vignettes taken from my life experiences that illustrate what a critical role the Fox River has played in many aspects of my life over the years.  I was inspired … Read more

For my column this month, I decided to look back on all the amazing things that I saw and photographed over the course of the last calendar year.  The year presented me with a few unique opportunities including checking four items off my personal bucket list: 1) Photographing a total solar eclipse (in April), 2) … Read more

Since last month’s Reflections on the Fox column, some very significant events have occurred in the skies over the Fox River Valley.  First, on the evening of Thursday, October 10, another magnificent display of the aurora borealis occurred a little after 9 p.m.  The aurora displays are a result of solar particles expelled in coronal … Read more