As summer wanes, a September harvest moon rises over the eastern horizon on a beautiful Friday the 13th. The winds have turned, and come from the northwest, bringing in cool breezes. During this time of year, under these conditions, birders…
Author Archive for Mike Miller
Nature Rambles | Sensitive Briar
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Sensitive Briar
Herbariums are repositories for plant specimens that botanists have collected, dried, pressed and preserved on archival paper. They contain information on the location where the specimens were collected, the date, the habitat present and any other details the collector thinks…
Nature Rambles | Cooperation is paramount
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Cooperation is paramount
The warm days of August harken the arrival of many prairie flowers and insects. The ever-majestic Monarch butterfly is a common visitor to the August prairie. An observant visitor will also see the striped caterpillars munching hungrily on several species…
Nature Rambles | Titans of the prairie
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Titans of the prairie
July is the time of year when the tallgrass prairie becomes spectacular. Unfortunately, many of us will live our entire lives in the “Prairie State” without ever seeing a native tallgrass prairie. According to the Illinois Natural History Survey, in…
Nature Rambles | Migrating Goatsuckers
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Migrating Goatsuckers
As May turns to June, bird migration in Illinois winds down and most resident species have taken up housekeeping. They have established nesting territories, and started raising young. During this time, they sing less often and even the most strident…
Nature Rambles | Ubiquitous cottonwoods
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Ubiquitous cottonwoods
Sometimes trees will surprise you. Even those that are so common that they go virtually unnoticed. Take the Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) for example. It is a tree that grows from the east coast of the United States all the…
Nature Rambles | The common connection
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | The common connection
As a blustery March gives way to the hope of spring, we look forward to an April of warmer temperatures and some greenery in an otherwise sleeping landscape. Already, birds are migrating in support of the coming changes in the…
Nature Rambles | Vital lands in the Prairie State
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Vital lands in the Prairie State
I recently had the opportunity to take part in an annual workshop called the Vital Lands Illinois Summit. This is a gathering of Illinois Land Trusts, conservation organizations, and agencies that are all playing roles in the preservation and stewardship…
Nature Rambles | Observations from the 119th Christmas Bird Count
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Observations from the 119th Christmas Bird Count
Each year, bird enthusiasts look forward to taking part in the longest running “Citizen Scientist” event in existence –– the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. This last CBC marked the 119th year that birders have been involved in documenting…
Nature Rambles | Winter Butterflies
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Winter Butterflies
While January might seem a strange time to think about butterflies, it is actually a great time to look back at the past season and start the process for planning for next year. In past columns, we have touched on…