I remember Dad hanging our first tube feeder on the front porch. He filled it from a special bag of seed, not the sunflower seeds that we fed to all the other birds that came to our feeders during the winter. These were much smaller and elongated – “thistle seeds” […]
Profiles of Pollinators and Wildlife
75 posts
When most people think of bees, the non-native honeybee and the native bumble bees are what often come to mind because they are big and easily recognized. But there are thousands of other, lesser known species of native bees. Some of the most interesting are the many species of ground […]
The American woodcock (Scolopax minor), also known as the timberdoodle, is a funny looking bird. It can be found throughout most of the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada during at least part of the year. Every year I look forward to hearing their familiar “peents” and watching their sky dances […]
When I was a kid, downy woodpeckers were common visitors to our suet feeders and the platform feeder that held black sunflower seeds on the front porch. So, I had lots of opportunities to watch them. They were probably the second species of woodpecker that I learned to identify. (The […]
One of the many things I love about the fall is watching all the cloudless sulphur butterflies (Phoebis sennae) flying across our yard and fields. They always remind me of little drops of sunshine fluttering through the air. Cloudless sulphurs can be found in most of the eastern U.S. They […]
Every summer, about the time that the annual cicadas start calling, one of our largest wasps appears. They can be kind of intimidating because of their size. Their yellow, black, and reddish-brown coloration only adds to their menacing look. These wasps are called cicada killers, and unless you are a […]
Have you ever caught a quick glimpse of a tiny “hummingbird” hovering around a flower? Then realized that not only was it too small, but it also wasn’t the right colors and wasn’t producing the characteristic hum. Perhaps it looked like a hummingbird and a bumblebee had a baby. Don’t […]
I used to think that there was only one type of firefly. I think many of us go through that stage. Looking back, I have to laugh because why would there only be one type of firefly? I mean, we have more than one type of bird, butterfly, frog, fish, […]
Overview Skunks may not be the first animal that pops into your mind for backyard wildlife, but they are common visitors to many yards. Because they are active at dusk and during the night, they often go unobserved. Despite their infamous defense mechanism, they don’t have a very strong smell […]
I officially launched the Backyard Ecology blog in September 2020. Over the past 16 months, I’ve written over 50 Backyard Ecology blog articles, in addition to producing Backyard Ecology podcast episodes. The blog articles have covered a wide variety of topics, but generally can be grouped under 4 main categories: […]
Overview Sometimes when we are walking through our yards or communities, we don’t see the critters themselves as much as we see the signs they leave behind. Such is the case with the goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis). Goldenrod gall flies can be found throughout most of North America. There […]
Overview Woolly worms, also known as woolly bears, may be our most familiar and well-recognized moth caterpillar. Every fall we see them steadily marching across driveways and streets in search of a place to spend the winter. And every year, predictions are made about what the upcoming winter is going […]
Overview Velvet ants aren’t really ants at all, but instead are a type of wasp. There are thousands of species of velvet ants worldwide with over 400 species being found in the continental U.S. and Canada. According to the University of Florida, 50 species can be found in that state […]
One day, late last summer, I decided to see how the berries were developing on the devil’s walking stick (Aralia spinosa) at the back of our property. The devil’s walking stick patch grows along the edge of the woods next to one of our fields. It was sunny, hot, and […]
If you are in the eastern U.S. and find a turtle in your yard, there’s a good chance that it is a common box turtle (Terrapene carolina). Box turtles are also the turtle that you are most likely to stumble across out in the woods, or even on a hike […]
The giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia) can be found throughout most of the eastern United States. It is a beautiful moth that is fairly easy to observe. Giant leopard moths also have some surprising characteristics that make them fun to learn about. What does it look like? Adult Adults are […]
The question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) breaks many of the stereotypes that we usually place on butterflies. In some places, you can find it flying on warm days in late February or early March. If you do see one fly by, pay close attention to where it lands. They have […]
Growing up in Kentucky, I commonly heard the phrase “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change.” As an adult, I learned that just about every state surrounding us has the same saying. The same thing is probably true for much of the rest of […]
On December 15, 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) “found that adding the monarch butterfly to the list of threatened and endangered species is warranted but precluded by work on higher-priority listing actions.” But, what does that really mean? And how does it affect things going forward? What […]
When we hear the word “wren,” many of us picture the Carolina wren because it is found year-round throughout most of the eastern U.S. and is such a vocal and animated bird. However, the Carolina wren isn’t our only wren. Besides the Carolina wren, we have four other species of […]
Yellow-bellied sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius) are a unique species of woodpecker. At some point during the year, they can be found throughout most of Canada and the eastern half of the U.S. However, unlike our other woodpeckers, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is migratory with distinct summer and winter ranges. They also have […]
In the eastern U.S., we have three species of nuthatch. The most common and widespread species is the white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis). In fact, the white-breasted nuthatch is a year-round resident throughout most of the U.S. It can be found in forests, along the edges of woodlots, and in suburbs […]
For most of us in the eastern U.S., there are four common species of dark blue and black butterflies. Three of those species are swallowtails, but one of them isn’t. At first glance, the red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) looks similar to the dark blue and black swallowtails. However, if […]
I grew up thinking that wasps were horrible, awful creatures who took great pleasure in stinging anyone who got near them. The proliferation of wasp-related memes on the Internet suggest that I wasn’t the only one who grew up with that belief and that many people still believe that. However, […]
The carpenter mimic leafcutter bee (Megachile xylocopoides) can be found throughout most of the eastern U.S., although some of the sources I found seem to suggest that it might be more common in the southern portion of its range than the northern portion. NatureServe ranks this species as “apparently secure” […]
The black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) can be found throughout most of the eastern U.S. and parts of the southwestern U.S. They tend to be slightly smaller than the more familiar tiger swallowtails. Black swallowtails are most often found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and yards. It is rarely […]
The zebra swallowtail (Protographium marcellus, formerly known as Eurytides marcellus) is native to the central and southern regions of the eastern U.S. It is more common in the southern parts of its range and less common the further north you go. Tennessee gives the zebra swallowtail the special honor of […]
The eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is the flycatcher most likely to visit our yards. Eastern phoebes are grey to greyish-brown on top and a dirty white underneath. They are smaller than a robin, have a black bill, and often look like they have a crest or mohawk on top of […]
The spring azure (Celastrina ladon) is a common butterfly that can be found throughout much of the eastern U.S. It is one of the earliest butterflies to appear each year in our region. In Kentucky, spring azures can start flying as early as mid-March. Further south, they may start flying […]
The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is one of our largest bat species in Kentucky and the eastern U.S. It is slightly shorter than the length of a dollar bill. Its wingspan which is measured from the tip of one outstretched wing to the tip of the other outstretched wing […]
The luna moth (Actias luna) can be found throughout much of the eastern half of the U.S. It is one of our larger native moths with a wingspan of approximately 4 – 4.5 inches, or about as wide as one and a half post-it notes from the widest point on […]
The winter birds have started showing up over the last several weeks and among them are the dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). Dark-eyed juncos are in the sparrow family and can be found throughout most of North America. Like other sparrows, dark-eyed juncos are typically found in semi-open, brushy areas and […]
The eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) can be found in forested areas east of the Rocky Mountains. It is one of our smaller owls – only about as long as a cardinal from the tip of its head to the tip of its tail, although the screech owl is much […]
The argiope spider (Argiope aurantia) is a common spider throughout much of North America. Other common names for this spider include: the garden spider, the writing spider, the zig-zag spider, and the zipper spider. In many areas, they are a familiar resident of backyards and gardens. Female agriope spiders are […]
The common buckeye (Junonia coenia) is a familiar summer and fall butterfly throughout much of the U.S. They are easy to observe because they are found in open fields and gardens, and they tend to fly relatively low. Common buckeyes will also land on patches of bare dirt or mud. […]
Dragonflies of various different species are common visitors to flower gardens and patches of tall grass, especially if there is water nearby. (When resting, dragonflies always hold their wings flat and perpendicular to their bodies; damselflies always hold their wings straight up behind them.) One of our largest and most […]
Our gardens and yards can hold rich ecosystems with both predators and prey. One group of those predators are the robber flies. Robber flies are in the family Asilidae and can be found throughout the most of the world. Several different types of robber flies can be found in Kentucky. […]
The bicolored sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) is a common native bee throughout much of the U.S. It is fairly easy to recognize because its head and thorax are metallic green and its abdomen is striped (usually). White and black stripes mean it’s a female, while yellow and black stripes mean […]
Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) are small, inquisitive, and vocal songbirds with black, grey, and white feathers. They are non-migratory and can be found throughout the southeastern U.S in areas with mature woods, including older subdivisions and wooded urban areas. Despite their small size, Carolina chickadees are relatively fearless and are […]
The eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) is a familiar visitor to backyards throughout the eastern U.S. Tiger swallowtails are one of our largest butterfly species with wingspans between 3 and 5.5 inches wide. Because they are so large and so brightly colored, they are easily spotted when visiting garden […]
There are approximately 250 species of bumble bees worldwide with approximately 50 of those being native to North America. According to Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States, 21 species occur from the east coast to the western boundaries of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Based on their maps, […]
We often think of all bees, butterflies, and other insect visitors to flowers as pollinators, especially if we see them actively gathering pollen or drinking nectar. However, that’s not actually true. Not everything that visits a flower is a pollinator for that species of flower. Pollinators are animals (usually insects […]
Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), often simply called “cardinals,” are a favorite backyard visitor for many people. Cardinals can be found throughout most of the eastern half of North America. It is the state bird for seven different states (IL, IN, KY, NC, OH, VA, WV), making it the most common […]
The eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is a common bat throughout much of the eastern U.S. It is one of our larger bats at approximately 4-5 inches long. The wingspan of a red bat is between 11 and 13 inches or approximately twice the length of a dollar bill. As […]
As the fields turn yellow with goldenrods, it is fun to watch all of the pollinators that are attracted to these abundant sources of late-season nectar and pollen. Goldenrods are a great place to watch butterflies, bees, wasps, beetles, and many other pollinators. They are also a great place to […]
When is a bee not a bee? When it is a hoverfly! Hoverflies are flies that look like bees or wasps. Their disguise is very good and casual observers often mistake them for small bees or wasps. Hoverflies, also known as Syrphid flies or flower flies, are found on every […]
Painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) are common Kentucky butterflies that can be found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. It is often considered the most globally widespread butterfly in the world. Painted ladies are primarily orange and brown with some white highlights. Their wingspan is only 2-3 inches wide. While […]
Leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.) are solitary native bees. There are many different species of leafcutter bees with over a thousand species worldwide. In North America, there are around 140 native species of leafcutter bees. Unfortunately, I can’t find a good resource for how many of those are found in Kentucky […]
If asked to picture a bee, most people will think of a honey bee. A few people might think of a bumble bee, a carpenter bee, or maybe a sweat bee, but they will be in the minority and rarely will anyone think of any other type of bee. However, […]
White-tailed deer are native to much of the U.S. In pre-settlement times they were very common throughout the eastern U.S. However, several factors such as habitat loss, unrestricted hunting, and predation or harassment by dogs, caused the population to decline drastically. By 1894, the white-tailed deer population in Kentucky was […]
Every summer, squash and gourds of all sizes and shapes to begin their annual takeover of local gardens and farmer’s markets. While squash and gourds are well-known and much loved, the native bees that specialize in pollinating these plants are less well-known. All the different types of squash, pumpkins, and […]
I have always loved watching fireflies and lightning bugs dance in the backyard. They are one of my favorite insects and bring back lots of childhood memories. Even today, I will run outside to watch the first fireflies of the year or to see a particularly good display. Fireflies and […]
The monarch butterfly is one of the most widely recognized and celebrated butterflies in the U.S. For many of us, the love affair started in grade school when we learned about the monarch’s migration and their giant winter clusters in Mexico. The U.S. has two populations of monarch butterflies – […]
Swamp milkweed, also called rose milkweed, (Asclepias incarnata) is one of 13 milkweed species native to Kentucky. It can be from 3-6 feet tall, but 3-4 feet is more common. Swamp milkweed has clusters of pink flowers that bloom from June through August, depending on the plant and whether it […]
Great spangled fritillary butterflies (Speyeria cybele) are medium-sized butterflies commonly found in meadows, fields, and yards across Kentucky and many of the surrounding states. Its wingspan is approximately 2.5 to 3.5 inches wide. The name fritillary is derived from a Latin word that means checkered and refers to all the […]
Great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) are the largest owl found in Kentucky and surrounding states. Both males and females look alike, and their horns are actually just feathers. Great horned owls don’t migrate and a pair will defend the same territory year-round. They can be found in a wide variety […]
The southeastern blueberry bee (Habropoda laboriosa) is a native bee found in much of the eastern U.S. It is approximately a half inch long and looks kind of like a small bumble bee. Like its name suggests, the southeastern blueberry bee forages primarily on blueberry pollen and nectar, although it […]
Spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) are small frogs that can be found throughout most of the eastern U.S. They are very common throughout most of their range. Spring peepers range in color from tan to grey and have an “X” on their back. These small frogs weigh less than 2 dimes […]
Springtime is a busy time for honey bees and beekeepers alike. As more and more flowers and trees begin to bloom, the amount of nectar and pollen available for the bees increases. The worker bees will be busy bringing in all that nectar and pollen. The queen will also be […]
The early hairstreak (Erora laeta) is a small butterfly native to Kentucky. It is only a little less than an inch from the tip of one outstretched wing to the tip of the other outstretched wing. In other words, its wings would barely cover from the tip of your thumb […]
The Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common visitor to backyards throughout Kentucky and much of the eastern U.S. Both the male and the female look alike. These chestnut-colored, medium-sized, songbirds have a ton of personality and are very vocal. Although you wouldn’t guess it based on how common they […]
You don’t have to live in Kentucky long to figure out that Kentucky weather can be a bit crazy. Seventy degree weather one day and snow the next? Yep, we can do that. Noooo problem. I know many of our neighbors in Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio claim the same […]
Of the three species of squirrels that can be found in Kentucky, the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is the most common. Gray squirrels are native to most of the eastern U.S. They have also been introduced to parts of the western U.S. and several European countries. In locations where gray […]
The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is the only species of titmouse found in the eastern U.S. These curious, vocal songbirds are in the same family as the chickadees. In fact, once upon a time, they were in the same genus as chickadees, but genetic testing resulted in the genus being […]
Over the last week, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of brightly yellow tiger-swallowtail butterflies. Tiger-swallowtails are one of my favorite Kentucky butterflies and I love taking pictures of them on the milkweed and other wildflowers on our farm. However, there is another group of butterflies that I have […]
It’s almost time for the hummingbirds to start arriving in Kentucky! In Kentucky, like the rest of the eastern U.S., we only have one common species of hummingbird – the ruby-throated hummingbird. Each year these tiny birds migrate from wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America to breeding grounds in […]
Sulphur butterflies are the bright yellow butterflies with relatively few markings that we see in our gardens and other open areas during the summer and fall. Of the medium to small sized butterflies, sulphurs are some of my favorites. There are several species of sulphur butterflies that can be found […]
Recently, the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) made history when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed it as this country’s first endangered bumble bee. The rusty patched bumble bee is one of approximately 50 bumble bees native to the U.S. Relatively little research has been done on many […]
Looking out my front window, I can see an old walnut tree with a couple of clumps of mistletoe in it. As I look at the mistletoe clumps in the walnut tree, I can’t help but wonder if the walnut tree is providing a winter home to any Great Purple […]
I almost had a really bad experience on Sunday. The baby ducks aren’t babies any more. They have learned to fly and while we’ve caught the drakes and trimmed their flight feathers, we haven’t been able to catch the hens yet. They are too fast and can fly too well. […]
The ghouls and goblins of Halloween got me thinking about mimicry in the natural world. Mimicry is when an animal has evolved to look like something else. The spicebush swallowtail caterpillar provides some of my favorite examples of mimicry among Kentucky’s butterflies. The spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) can be found […]
It’s hard to believe that it is already the middle of October. This year has zoomed by – there are so many things that I wanted to get done this year that I haven’t even started. This weekend’s cold snap served as a reminder that winter really is just around […]
According to the Journey North website, monarch migration peaked last week around the Great Lakes. That means it won’t be long before the migration peaks in Kentucky. The monarch butterfly’s migration to and from Mexico each year is a familiar story. But what happens to all of our other butterflies […]
Several times this summer, someone has asked me about bees around a garbage can. Each time the bees were honey bees and the garbage can was a public trash can located outside. The bees are being attracted to the half-drunk sodas that people toss into the trash without thinking about […]
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only hummingbirds that nest in the eastern United States. They arrive in Kentucky between mid-March and early April. The males arrive first and set up territories. When the females arrive, the males display to attract the females. The male’s mating display is a series of long swoops […]