Pictured is a 1986 Excella Airstream and my new Canon 500 mm lense. We like to travel and we wanted to take our dog "Dusty" so we thought we would try camping. Since we had never done this we had a lot to learn. Fortunaley my good friend Ron had a camper and he was very helpful in getting us started. We camped a couple of times on some property we just bought. We went to a state park in Ohio for our first road trip. This was fun and "Dusty" liked it. The only problem was that it was cloudy and overcast and the bird photographty wasn't as good as I hoped. We had planned a trip to Texas in October to do some antiquing and bird photography but my plan has been delayed. Last friday I was taking a motor scooter test and during the test fell and broke my leg. Hopefully I will be up and going in couple of months. For right now I am confined to lazy boy and a walker. If anyone has any good bird sitings email me at gcneco@excite.com.

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Pictured is a pair of Common Buckeyes and even though they are common in East Central Illinois, I really don't like the name "common" associated with any of nature's animals. They seemed to be playing follow the leader. I'm not sure which was the male and which was the female but you probably could bet the farm the female was doing the leading. I haven't mentioned the equipment I was using lately so here it is. I was actually looking for fall warblers which are now starting to make their way south, so I was using my birding photography equipment. I use a Canon 20D camera, a 300 mm lens with 1.4 extender, and 580EX flash with Better Beamer attached. This would not be most people's choice for butterfly photography but as you can see it worked out pretty well, I think.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

PeeUWEEE is a sound we often hear around our house. The Eastern wood-pewees call their name time after time. They are often seen leaving the branch of a tree, grabbing an insect and returning to the same branch to wait for the next meal. Pictured is a pair of immature pewees. At this age, they are very capable of feeding themselves even though they stay close to mom and dad hoping to get fed. The wood-pewee is often confused with the Eastern Phoebe which is also fairly common in our area. The main difference between the two is that the wood-pewee has two prominent wing bars and does not pump its tail.

Monarch Mimic

No, the butterfly pictured is not a Monarch even though it is often mistaken for one. This is the Viceroy. The Viceroy is smaller than the Monarch, flies with less powerful wingbeats, and has a distinguishing black postmedian band on the hindwing as shown in the pictures. Because they closely resemble each other, the Vicerory is a mimic of the Monarch and birds will avoid the palatable Viceroy because they think it is the distasteful Monarch. The next time you see a butterfly you think is a Monarch check closely - it may be a Viceroy. You could also taste the butterfly to see if it is bitter, but we don't recommend it.

Help Us Name This Photo!

While taking a walk in our prairie today, we came upon a situation that we had always heard about, but had never actually witnessed. Hanging from a tall stalk of Big Bluestem were two Praying Mantids in copula. They were very still and motionless so I wasn't sure they were alive. I touched the end of the female's antenna and she turned her head to look at me. Unfortunately for the male, I was unable to touch his antenna because his better half had already chewed off his head. The Praying Mantis is a fascinating insect and one of the most well-known facts is that the female cannibalizes the male either during or after mating. Actually, this is known to happen less than 30% of the time. It occurs most often if the female is hungry. This gal must have been in need of a meal. Anyway, even though he had already lost his head during their "moment", they were still connected. (Although, in the photo, this connection is obstructed by a prairie grass stalk.) The Praying Mantis is a beneficial insect that eats a number of insect pests. Many cultures consider this insect to be good luck. It has a moveable, trianagular head and is the only insect capable of moving the head from side to side. Its' body is made for capturing and devouring live prey. We would like to invite you to help us find an appropriate caption for this photo. We know you can come up with something very clever - so many possibilities! Just click on the comments icon, get creative and give us your best title. Most folks already know this, but we would like to remind you to click on the photo to enlarge it for your viewing pleasure!

Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)

This very attractive eastern swallowtail tends to stick close to wooded areas; flight is slow and close to the ground. Mimics Pipevine Swallowtail which gives it some protection from predators. The male is the one show in the picture. The larva feed on Spicebush, sassafras, and other laurels.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

There was a heavy dew and I caught this guy drying himself in the sun. They usually move fast and eratic which makes them hard to photograph. Some years the Red Admirals migrate north in large numbers and seem to be everywhere. This year they were somewhat scarce so it was a treat to see this one. The larva usually feed on Nettles and related plants.

Monarch Magic

When a caterpillar is full grown it usually leaves the milkweed plant it has been feeding on voraciously and crawls until it can find a safe place to pupate. When it finds just the right spot, it makes a silk-like mat and then attaches its last pair of legs to the mat. Allowing its' body to drop, it hangs there upside down in a J-shape for about one full day. As it passes from the larval (catepillar) stage to the pupa (Chrysalis) stage, it sheds its' skin one more time. Under the catepillar's skin is a jade green casing which is called a chrysalis. Inside this green casing, a true miracle of nature will happen - the catepillar will turn into a beautiful Monarch butterfly. This process will take 9 to 14 days. We found this beautiful chrysalis in one of our prairie plantings this morning. The catepillar has attached itself to a beautiful Prairie Dock leaf. Prairie Dock is in the Silphium family and is one of the largest of the native prairie species. The flowering stalk grows to over 10 feet tall and the roots of a Prairie Dock plant can reach 15 feet into the ground. We will be keeping an eye on the chrysalis to see if we can possibly watch the brand new butterfly emerge. Because the wings are tiny, crumpled and wet when the butterfly emerges, it must sit and wait for the wings to "harden". This will take about an hour. The chrysalis will often split open early in the morning - let's hope we can capture it on film!

True Wonder - the Monarch

Diane (Gary's wife) here with a few photos of my own to share. We happened upon two Monarch butterflies in copula this morning. It seems a little late in the summer for this kind of goings on, but I am sure they know best. The female Monarch is above the male and is carrying the pair. They are so beautiful. I also included a photo of a Monarch larva munching on a swamp milkweed behind our house. It is the milkweed that gives this caterpillar its' bitter taste and so it is not on most birds' menu. Soon, after consuming massive amounts of milkweed, the larva will pupate and emerge as the beautiful adult butterfly. The whole developmental process of the Monarch takes about a month. The transformation from larva to this beautiful winged insect is a true wonder of nature.

Cloudless Sulphur Congregation

Hello - I am Diane, Gary's wife, and I'm going to interject a few of my photos into the blog. Gary is hog-tied in the basement. Last year we planted 41 new acres of native prairie where row crops had previously grown. We have had spectacular results with the prairie species we planted and also in the numbers of insects we have attracted to this habitat. One lovely visitor is the Cloudless Sulphur butterfly. In our plantings, the Partridge Pea has done particularly well. The Partridge Pea is a larval foodplant for this butterfly. It also will lay its' eggs on Wild Senna and various clovers. So you see, plant a butterfly's larval foodplant and it will come. We have noticed a dramatic rise in the numbers of this species this year. The Cloudless Sulphur in the photo is actually sitting on a stonecrop plant that is in a garden very near the prairie.

Two Steppin'

I caught this guy "dancin' in the street". Well he was either dancing or trying to get off the hot oil road. Either way he seemed to be out of his habitat.

One Stayin' and One Leavin'

There were eight baby Bluebirds sitting high in a dead Walnut snag this morning with faces toward the sun. I took a couple of pictures when the noise of Harley scared them. The one sitting in this picture soon followed his brother.

Bluebird

Birds are banded for several different reasons. Some birds travel great distance during migration so a banded bird if identified by and reported by another birder can tell how far. Bluebirds are short distance travellers and if the winter is warm enough they may not migrate at all. They usually just go as far south as needed to find food. I usually migrate in the winter myself and usually can't find food until I reach Sanibel Island. Bands also can tell how old a bird is and whether it is male or female. The bird shown was banded as a baby. The silver band on left leg is a wildlife band, the pink band on left leg tells it was born in 2005, and the two bands on right leg tell whether it is male or female and where it was born(Coles County,Il.). Usually after one year bluebirds are fully colored just like adults and the blue color of this guy was very vivid.

Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus)

There are six swallowtails in the Midwest and the tiger is the only one which is yellow. The male is always yellow but the female is dimorphic either yellow or black. The black female mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail which is distasteful. Tiger Swallowtails nectar on several plants both domestic and wild. The one pictured is nectaring on Butterfly Bush.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The only hummingbird of the midwest is the Ruby-throated. Pictured are the male with its' dazzling ruby throat and the female which has white underparts with white spots on her rounded tail. Both are iridescent green above. Hummingbirds are easily attracted to feeders with a solution of 1:4 white sugar and water. Boiling water prior to added sugar helps to dissolve it and keep longer. Adding artificial coloring is not necessary as feeders have ample red parts.

Nature's Feeding Stations

Prior to bird feeders hung from wires and bird baths made of concrete, birds used native plants for food and a cool drink. Shown is a male American Goldfinch feeding on the Greyheaded Coneflower and drinking from the leaf of the Cup Plant.

Agelaius phoeniceus

What you are looking at is a Red-winged Blackbird who comes early in the spring and nest around ponds and wet meadows. If you get to close to their nest the male is very vocal and may even hover right over your head. The two pictured are males and one is moving a bit faster than my shutter speed so it appears to be in motion.

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)

The Pipevine Swallowtail has a distasteful chemical in its body which keeps rodents, birds, and other predators from eating it. Thus it serves as a protective model for several palatable species that closely resemble or mimic the dark colors of the adult Pipevine. The mimics include the Eastern Black Swallowtail, the Spicebush Swallowtail, the dark form of the female Tiger Swallowtail, and the Red-spotted Purple. Larval foodplants are Dutchman's Pipe, Virginia Snakeroot, Wild Ginger, and Knotweed.

Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Today I was in our Tall Grass Prairie looking for a Common Yellowthroat Warbler's nest. I hadn't had any luck when I spied a female Eastern Black Swallowtail. I watched as she jumped around from coneflower to coneflower. All of a sudden out of the grass jumped a male and the chase was on. Finally he seduced her and mating began. For a while I was able to approach them and get several nice photographs. When they did move the male did the flying and in the picture he is on the bottom. I recorded the mating time as 6:15 PM on July 4, 2006. The flower pictured is Echinacea and is located in one of last years prairie plantings.

4th of July

My Dad grew up north of Charleston on a farm in Seven Hickory Township. When he was a young man, he joined the Merchant Marines and traveled all around the world. He told his granddaughter on many occasions that even though he had seen some of the most famous places in the world, there was nothing prettier than a cornfield in central Illinois. An old saying around these parts is that if the corn is knee-high by the Fourth of July then it was going to be a good crop in the fall. As you can see by this picture, the corn is "head high" on the Fourth of July! Guess it's going to be a bumper crop this year.

Great Spangled Fritillary

The Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele cybele) is the largest and most common in Illinois. It is shown here nectaring on Echinacea a native prairie plant.

Giant Swallowtail

Insects are great pollinators of our many wonderful plants. The Giant Swallowtail was doing his job today. He had crawled into the day lily just prior to taking this picture. If you look closely you can see the orange has rubbed off on his wings. The stamens of the flower are very prominent in this photo. The Giant Swallowtail is one of six swallowtails in the midwest and the Giant is the biggest butterfly in North America.

Parent and Teenage Red-bellied Woodpecker

Early this spring we watched as a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers made a home by excavating a cavity in a dead snag. A pair of babies hatched and are now hanging around with the adults learning to feed themselves. As can be seen in the picture, there is great contrast between the adult and the immature. I wouldn't say the baby is an ugly duckling but he/she is definitely a plain jane compared to mom/dad. Sorry about that Jane.

BandedBabyBluebird

Around our immediate property we have 10 bluebird boxes. Many of these have been there for several years and were placed by a Biology Professor and his wife. They study the order in which the eggs are laid and also the order in which they hatch. They also keep track of the babies until they fledge. As seen in one of the pictures, they are banded for later identification. The other picture shows a baby eating a mulberry. Bluebirds usually are insect eaters but evidently, they also enjoy a fruity snack. Several of our bluebird boxes have a second round of eggs. In the past, we have observed three broods from the same pair in one nesting season. This tells us that the habitat is healthy and supplies the baby birds with sufficient nourishment.

Bad Hair Day

We have certainly all had them and last Sunday was this poor guy's turn. It had been raining and this American Goldfinch was also molting so he didn't show off his usual great looks. These very handsome birds are easily attracted to feeders filled with thistle. The Goldfinch nesting season is later than most, with peak nesting occurring in mid to late July. This nesting adaptation is timed so that there is plenty of seed to eat and lots of soft thistle down to line their nests.

Open Wide

I caught this Baltimore Oriole with a big fat green worm hanging from his mouth just before he dropped it into a waiting mouth. The nest is located close to our log cabin so it will fun watching the babies.

Phoebe Feeding

This nest was built on the side of our cabin near the top under the overhang. The female Eastern Phoebe builds the cup-shaped nest out of mud, moss, and grass. She lays 4 to 6 eggs which hatch in just over two weeks. I watched as the male and female constantly brought insects to the open mouths.

Feeding Time

By now some of the birds have fledged their first brood and the young have left the nest or as in this case the cavity. Well even though they have left and can fly they still expect to be fed. These three waited patiently while mom/dad went for tasty insects. I sat and watch for sometime and was impressed that they took turns feeding different young. The birds pictured are Tree Swallows. They are cavity dwellers like bluebirds and often use bluebird houses. They are a beautiful bird with snow-white underparts, and glossy teal-blue upperparts. They are a summer resident and many winter in Florida which I think is a good idea.

Yellow-breasted Chat

The Yellow-breasted Chat is the largest of all wood-warblers. They are generally extremely shy and retiring, skulking birds, and are usually found alone. They are summer residents of central Illinois building a nest 3-6ft off the ground in a bush or low sapling. The chat possesses some behavioral traits unique to warblers; it is among the few warblers to scratch under the wing and is the only warbler known to hold food in its feet. The one pictured is sitting in the top of a Chinkapin Oak.

Beauty and the Beast

The beauty of course is the breathtaking, all-blue male Indigo Bunting. Indigo Buntings are summer residents of Central Illinois. They love to sing and their song is easily learned. Their winter homes are in Central and Northern South America. The beast in this picture may not be as easily recognized. The plant the bunting is feeding on is Reed Canary Grass (the beast), a very invasive exotic species. It is a major threat to marshes and native wetlands because of its hardiness, aggressive nature, and rapid growth. Left uncontrolled is can replace native wetland and wet prairie species.

Dickcissel

This unique American finch is a common resident of the Midwest prairie. It often nests in loose colonies in rank weedy meadows and fields. These nests are often destroyed by mowing machines and are also frequently parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds. They like to sing constantly during breeding season, a song which is easy to remember.

Spring Migration is Over

Spring migration is over for another season. It is fun to see all of the warblers, vireos, ducks, and others even if it is for only a short time each year. It is also fun to hear all the sounds. Some mornings the woods seem to be alive with music. Even thought alot of the birds and their songs are gone several still call Central Illinois their home. One bird who never seems to tire of singing is the House Wren. Its song is easily learned. Pictured here singing is the House Wren.

Blue Grosbeak

My wife and I moved and restored an old Log House which my wife rents out as a guest house/bed and breakfast called The Osage Inn. The setting is an old meadow bordered by Oak and Hickory woodlands. Additionally, last year we planted 20 acres of native prairie grass and forbs nearby the old log house. This cabin dates back to the 1850's and has become a very popular getaway for many. Last weekend, three sisters stayed there. One of the sisters was actually born in the bedroom of the old log house when the house was still located on its original site in Missouri. Two weeks ago my daughter got married there and the setting helped make for a truly memorable event. Earlier this spring, we had very well-known bird guide authors stay at the Inn. They left us with a very precious gift - sketches in the guest book of all the birds they saw at the Inn. Today, I came across a Blue Grosbeak, the first one I have ever seen at the cabin site. I got a picture of it as it perched on the stem of a Cup Plant. It is going through its' molting process. This process involves shedding old feathers which are then replaced by new ones. When done, the Blue Grosbeaks chest will be completely blue.

Tallgrass Prairie Forbs

We'd like to keep you updated this spring, summer and fall on what is growing and blooming in our tallgrass prairie.
A profuse bloomer and a welcome guest in the prairie landscape, the Black-eyed Susan adds real beauty and loads of color. This plant has an erect growing habit and will reach 3 feet in height. The stems and leaves of the Black-eyed Susan are very hairy and rough, making it an easy plant to ID as it emerges from the ground in the spring. This plant has made an easy transition into the garden setting and is appreciated for its' easy care. A large number of native prairie species have become a common plant in our midwest garden. In folk medicine, the roots were used to brew a tea used to cure a cold. The flowers were thrown in early dye pots to lend their beautiful butter yellow color to fabrics and to dye rushes for basketmaking.

Ohio Spiderwort

The Ohio Spiderwort, also known as cow slobbers and widow tears, is blooming profusely right now in our prairie. This beautiful forb grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet. Each vibrant, blue flower lasts only one day. By late afternoon, the bloom will turn into a sticky jelly. If touched, it will drop a "tear", hence the other common names cow slobbers and widow tears. Each day, new flowers emerge on the stem. When viewed in an expanse of prairie, the flowers take on an almost neon appearance. Because the plant was thought by Native Americans to cure spider bites, it came to be called spiderwort.

Magnolia Warbler

Magnolia Warblers are often seen in migration because they often feed low on shrubby vegetation. They were named by an early American ornithologist, Alexander Wilson, when he first saw them in a stand of magnolias in Mississippi. They have several identication markings such as a dark mask, white eyeline, yellow breast with black streakings, a yellow rump and white tail panels.

Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore Oriole was named for the colonial family who settled Maryland. Their orange and black body is very beautiful and easy to recognize. The bird I show here is singing his song which he does usually at the tops of trees. They can often be heard before seen so learning their song, which is fairly easy, is important.

More Back Yard Birds

The parent birds are very busy gathering food for the newly hatched young. I got a picture of a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers feeding their young. One waiting with a tasty bug while the other gets ready to exit the hole. Also pictured is a Summer Tanager. I also have a couple of baby Song Sparrows about ready to fledge the nest and hope to have their picture posted later this week.

Cold May

The weather in East Central Illinois has been overcast, rainy and very chilly. That being said it hasn't been good for taking pictures of birds. Today was just a bit better so I went to the Arcola Slough. There were several Yellow-rump Warblers, Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, a Yellow Warbler, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, some Common Yellowthroats, a couple of Yellowlegs, Sora, American Coots, Swamp and Song Sparrows to name a few. Pictured is a group of Purple Martins huddled up trying to keep warm and an American Redstart who was constantly flitting around in the trees.