By Jack MacRae Witch Hazel might sound like a cousin of Samantha Stevens. But botanically, it is really an attractive understory shrub found in naturally wooded areas. Their attractive, rounded-oval form makes them popular around the globe. Illinois is home to the Virginia variety, Hamamelis virginiana. It can grow to 10-15 feet in our area and has roundish, toothed … Read more
By Jack MacRae Ornithologists have learned a great deal about dark-eyed juncos, those cute, gray and white snowbirds that visit us from the north. We know their size, color, diet, and – most interesting – we know what they do. Their migration patterns, flocking activity, and feeding habits make them neighbors you should meet! It’s Warmer Here … Read more
By Black Jack MacRae When I think of black walnuts, I think of their abscission layer. Abscission is a botanical term used to describe the highly complex separation of leaves, flowers, and fruits from their respective plants at the end of the growing season. In a nutshell, our deciduous trees produce hormones to inhibit growth and … Read more
By Jack MacRae Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) are frequent flyers in our wild skies. Teetering on their long wings, these aerial scavengers love to glide up and down the Fox River Valley. Turkey vultures are large, dark feathered birds with bald red heads. They hold their wings at a slight dihedral (“V” shaped) and the … Read more
By Jack MacRae The western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) is the smallest (weighing an average 1/4 oz – 1/2 oz) of our long-tailed (almost 100 mm long!) neighborhood mice. They are mousy brown with grayish white on their bellies and a nearly hairless tail. They live where the grass and weeds are plentiful. Go East Young Mouse … Read more
By Jack MacRae I think everyone should have at least one wahoo (Euonymus atropupureus) in their backyard. They’re small, shrubby native trees that prefer average to moist conditions and do well in today’s crazy world. They thrive in the filtered shade of wide-open woods and forest edges, creating a picturesque colony over the years. Shrubs such as … Read more
By Jack MacRae House finches are common birds with a common name. They are moderate sized birds with a conical, sparrow-like bill. Male house finches are red/pink on their forehead, face, throat, and breast. They have a pink rump. Their wings, backs, and bellies are streaked with shades of brown. Female house finches are streaky, blurry gray and brown all … Read more
By Pat Kirmse Spring A warm March rain raised the temperature of the Fox River to 47 degrees and a 15″ smallmouth bass starts to stir. She is five years old and has survived another Illinois winter, the coldest and snowiest in her life. Fortunately there were no heavy midwinter rains that would have blown … Read more
By Jack MacRae The eggs have all been laid. Many thousands of the white spheres are now buried in our parks and gardens. They look like ping pong balls. The eggs were deposited in subterranean nests by our largest local reptile, the common snapping turtle. Common snapping turtles are truly common. They live in all permanent bodies of water … Read more
By Jack MacRae Our bobcats are busy. February means females are looking for houses and males are looking for females. Bobcats den in old forests with a dense, shrubby under-story, where they create a hidden home within the hollow logs and tangled roots. Gestation lasts 60 days and the circle of life continues. Hakuna matata. … Read more
