Sanderling

Posted on August 28, 2026 by tspuckler

While visiting Lake George in New York, I saw several of these birds along the edges of the shoreline. Sanderlings are small, plump sandpipers with a stout bill that is about the same length as their head. These and other sandpipers in their genus are often called “peeps.” Sanderlings are medium-sized members of this group.

You’ll most often see Sanderlings in nonbreeding plumage, when they are very pale overall: light gray above and white below, with a blackish mark at the shoulder. In Spring and Summer, Sanderlings are spangled black, white, and rich rufous on the head, neck, and back. At all times, their legs and bills are black.

Sanderlings breed on the high arctic tundra and migrate south in Fall to become one of the most common birds along beaches. They gather in loose flocks to probe the sand of wave-washed beaches for marine invertebrates, running back and forth in a perpetual “wave chase.”

They are among the most extreme northern breeding birds in the world, nesting only on the coldest tundra. They are also long-distance migrants, wintering south to South America, western and southern Europe, Africa, and Australia.

Sanderlings have only have three toes on each foot; they are missing the hind toe, which gives them a distinctive running action – a bit like a clockwork toy.

It was fun to see this small, sprightly shorebird on my visit to the Big Apple.

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Sawtooth Sunflower

Posted on August 21, 2026 by tspuckler

While hiking on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, I often see this plant. It may reach 3 to 7 feet in height and in some instances can grow to 12 feet. It is found along streams, damp prairies and roadsides in the eastern and central parts of Canada and the United States, primarily in the northern Great Plains and Great Lakes Region.

Notwithstanding its name, the Sawtooth Sunflower often has leaves that are toothless or only slightly serrated. There is considerable variation in the size of plants across different locations, and the leaves are somewhat variable in their size and shape.

The flowerheads are yellow, to 3-1/2 inches across, with 10 to 25 fairly wide ray florets.

This sunflower can be distinguished from other types by its smooth reddish stems, which often have a powdery white substance that can rubbed off. The lower stems on large older plants can become slightly woody in appearance and feel.

The species’ deep roots improve soil structure and water infiltration, increase drought resilience in plant communities, and its robust flowering displays can enhance pollinator foraging networks, boosting reproductive success of co-flowering native plants.

The most common visitors to the Sawtooth Sunflower are bees, especially long-tongued species. Among these are Honeybees, Bumblebees, Cuckoo Bees, Digger Bees, and Leaf-cutting Bees. The seeds of this plant are a favorite food of birds, like Bobwhite Quail, Mourning Dove, Redwing Blackbird, American Goldfinch, several types of Sparrows.

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Ailanthus Webworm Moth

Posted on August 14, 2026 by tspuckler

Unlike many brown, nocturnal and nondescript moths, this one is bright, boldly patterned and looks more like a roll of batik fabric than a moth – and it’s out and about during the daytime. The Ailanthus Webworm Moth only reaches about half an inch in length. Its bright colors advertise that it is distasteful to eat.

This insect’s range extends from southern Florida south to about Costa Rica; this region is where native Ailanthus Trees grow and they are the moth’s caterpillar’s host plants, where the caterpillars live communally in webs. When people introduced Ailanthus Trees to North America, they spread invasively – this insect soon had a suitable host plant occurring far north of where it lived before.

Adult moths drink nectar from a variety of flowers, often in open habitats, usually during the day. Ailanthus Webworm Moths in all life stages cannot survive cold Winters, so when it freezes, northern populations are wiped out. But each Spring, the moths start expanding their range northward again, starting from warm southern regions.

It’s always neat to come across one of these cool creatures when out hiking. I often see them in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, like these examples seen under the Route 82 Bridge.

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Horse Mushroom

Posted on August 7, 2026 by tspuckler

When walking out the front door of my house, I noticed this conspicuous organism. This large mushroom can be found in Britain, Iran, Ireland, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. It appears from Summer to Fall, more specifically July to November. It is called the Horse Mushroom, because it frequently appears near stables, loving the manure-rich soil.

Often seen on lawns and fruiting during rainy weather, it can be larger than most other mushroom species found on lawns. The gills of Horse Mushroom start out pale pink and darken to chocolate brown as the spores mature. When cut or broken, the mushroom has a pleasant, anise-like odor which is a distinctive trait for foragers and mushroom enthusiasts trying to distinguish it from poisonous lookalikes.

This mushroom typically grows solitary or in small clusters and may form fairy rings (circular arrangements of mushrooms resulting from the progressive colonization of a central underground mycelial network) over time under the right conditions.

Horse Mushroom is a saprobic fungus, playing a critical role in decomposing organic material in rich soils. It tends to emerge from the ground with a partially closed cap that gradually expands.

It is seldom observed in forests or overly shaded environments, as it strongly prefers open and sunlit areas with abundant grass or organic detritus. Human-modified environments like sports fields, parks, and suburban lawns can also provide suitable habitats, especially where soil composition is favorable and not heavily treated with chemicals.

This fungus is highly regarded among edible wild mushrooms thanks to its large size (up to one foot in diameter for the shell cap), digestibility, and culinary flexibility. Its morphology closely resembles cultivated button mushrooms, but it offers a more potent flavor profile and distinct aroma, particularly when freshly harvested from nutrient-rich grasslands.

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Bobolink

Posted on July 31, 2026 by tspuckler

Perched on a grass stem or displaying in flight over a field, breeding male Bobolinks are striking. No other North American bird has a white back and black underparts (some have described this look as wearing a tuxedo backwards). Added to this are the male’s rich, straw-colored patch on the head and his bubbling, virtuosic song. Females are less fancy and mainly a lightly patterned warm brown.

The Bobolink is one of the world’s most impressive songbird migrants, traveling some 12,500 miles to and from southern South America every year. Throughout its lifetime, it may travel the equivalent of 4 or 5 times around the circumference of the earth.

A migrating Bobolink can orient itself with the earth’s magnetic field, thanks to iron oxide in bristles of its nasal cavity and in tissues around the olfactory bulb and nerve. Bobolinks also use the starry night sky to guide their travels.

With a Latin Name of Dolichonyx oryzivorus, the species name of the Bobolink, oryzivorus means “rice eating” and refers to this bird’s appetite for rice and other grains, especially during migration and in Winter.

The song of the male Bobolink is distinctive and virtuosic — a disorienting stream of whistles, gurgles, squeaks, and other sounds delivered so rapidly and covering so much sonic ground it can sound like two birds singing at once. Their bubbling song has inspired poets from Emily Dickinson to William Cullen Bryant and ushers in Spring across the grasslands of the northern United States and southern Canada.

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Blue-spotted Salamander

Posted on July 24, 2026 by tspuckler

While doing a bit of exploring at Maumee Bay State Park, I came across a few examples of this very cool amphibian. The Blue-spotted Salamander is a Mole Salamander native to the Great Lakes states and northeastern United States, and parts of Ontario and Quebec in Canada.

This is a medium-sized amphibian with conspicuous markings of randomly distributed, sky-blue spots, blotches, and flecks on a base color of dark gray to black. Adults measure 3 to 5 inches in total length, with males being smaller than females. They have specialized glands on their tails that secrete a milky substance which is harmful to predators. In some cases, they will raise and wave their tail as a way to repel a potential predator.

These creatures are primarily found in moist, deciduous hardwood forests and swampy woodlands with sandy soil, though they can be found in coniferous forests and fields too. They prefer vernal pools that retain water into mid-Summer, to ensure access to a suitable breeding habitat.

Blue-spotted Salamanders are carnivorous, eating invertebrates such as worms, snails, slugs, centipedes, and spiders, as well as insects. Like most salamanders, they stay underground during the day. However, at night they will emerge from the soil to feed.

This is truly a beautiful herp to come across and seeing on in the field makes for a memorable experience.

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Swamp Rose

Posted on July 17, 2026 by tspuckler

While hiking in a marshy area of north-central Ohio in the Springtime, I noticed this a perennial shrub that was just starting to get leaves. I went back to see it again in the Summer. Swamp Rose grows up to seven feet tall and is native to the eastern United States.

This plant occurs along stream banks, in swamps and along marshes. In swamps it is generally found growing on bald cypress knees or exposed downed logs. It grows best in slightly acidic, wet-to-moist soils in partial shade or full sunlight.

Its bright pink flowers are about two inches in diameter and bloom in late Spring through early Summer and attract a variety of pollinators — especially native bees. This shrub also provides thick cover for birds.

Swamp Rose is extremely fragrant and the pink blooms last for six to eight weeks in midseason – generally June through July. Indeed, I have found no other native flower that smells so strong and so pleasant.

The flowers give way to smooth red hips (fruit) that is red and fleshy on the outside with a mass of seeds inside the fruit. The rose hips are eaten by and spread by birds and mammals.

Its leaves are compound and the leaflets (usually 7) are oval-lance-shaped, with finely toothed edges. They are smooth on the surface and slightly hairy along the midrib underneath. They turn bright red in Autumn.

Like most roses, Swamp Rose’s petals and hips can be used to infuse liquids such as syrups or vinegars, and to make wine, tea, jelly or syrup.

This was a cool plant to experience while looking for reptiles and amphibians in a marsh habitat.

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Mayfly

Posted on July 10, 2026 by tspuckler

When visiting northwest Ohio, I sometimes see very large numbers of these creatures. This insect belongs to an order that is part of an ancient family of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies. This designation has been traditionally applied to those groups of winged insects (most of them extinct) that lacked the ability to fold their wings flat over the abdomen.

Mayflies have other ancestral traits that were probably present in the first flying insects, such as long tails and they lack any smell centers in their brains. Their immature stages are aquatic and their presence indicates a clean, unpolluted and highly oxygenated aquatic environment.

These invertebrates are found throughout North America and worldwide. Mayflies emerge as adults from Spring to Autumn (not necessarily in May), in enormous numbers, sometimes attracting tourists. Fly fishermen make use of adult Mayflies by choosing artificial fishing flies that resemble them.

Their aquatic larvae feed on detritus and other plant materials; but the adults, which only live for a few days, do not feed as they lack functional mouthparts. Instead, their sole purpose during this stage is reproduction. They rely on the energy reserves accumulated during their immature aquatic stage to sustain them through their short adult life.

Another intriguing feature of Mayflies is their translucent wings. These delicate structures allow them to blend seamlessly with their surroundings, making them less visible to predators. The transparency of their wings also adds to their ethereal beauty, as they flutter gracefully in the sunlight.

Mayfly swarms are a gift for many insect-eating birds, including eastern kingbirds and tree swallows. They also provide sustenance for fish, spiders, beetles, dragonflies, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

The world of insects is vast and diverse, with each species playing a unique role in the ecosystem. Among these fascinating creatures, Mayflies stand out for their intriguing characteristics and ecological significance. This small and delicate insect, has a life cycle that is as fascinating as it is brief.

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American White Pelican

Posted on July 3, 2026 by tspuckler

While visiting Point Reyes National Seashore in California, I saw these fine birds in the wild for the first time. The American White Pelican rivals the Trumpeter Swan, as one of the longest birds native to North America.

This bird is very large and plump, with an overall length of about 50–70 inches, courtesy of the huge beak which measures over one foot long. It has a wingspan of over 100 inches. One of our largest flying birds, it is considerably larger than a Bald Eagle. This species also has the second-largest average wingspan of any North American bird, after the California Condor.

Unlike the Brown Pelican, the American White Pelican does not dive for its food. Instead, it catches its prey while swimming. Each bird eats more than four pounds of food a day. The fish taken can range from the size of minnows to 3-1/2 pound Pickerel. They like to gather in groups of a dozen or more to feed, as they can thus cooperate and corral fish for one another.

These birds are colonial breeders, with up to 10,000 pairs per site. They arrive on the breeding grounds in March or April; nesting starts between early April and early June. During the breeding season, both males and females develop a pronounced bump on the top of their large beaks. This conspicuous growth is shed by the end of the breeding season.

The nest is a shallow depression scraped in the ground, into which some twigs, sticks, reeds, or similar debris have been gathered. After about one week of courtship and nest-building, the female lays a clutch of usually two or three eggs – sometimes just one, sometimes up to six.

American White Pelicans nest on inland islands in freshwater and brackish lakes across the northern interior of North America. The core breeding areas include central Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, south through Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and west-central Wisconsin. In my home state of Ohio, observers discovered and documented them nesting on a small island in Sandusky Bay last year.

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White Globe Lily

Posted on June 26, 2026 by tspuckler

While hiking in Henry W. Coe State Park, I saw this plant that is also known as Fairy Lantern, White Globe-tulip, Alabaster Tulip, Indian Bells, Satin Bells, Snowy Lily-bell, and Snow Drops.

This is a native wildflower endemic (limited) to California. It is found primarily in the central coastal hills and Sierra Nevada foothills up to 5,000 feet. It favors environments that receive full sun, but tolerates partial shade. It can be found on hillsides and rocky slopes, such as road cuts and river canyons.

It blooms from early to late Spring, depending on the habitat and elevation. It is unique within its genus in that its flowers remain in a bud-like state, hanging downward, never fully opening its petals. It seemingly protects its inner sensitive space by closing it off to the outside world.

White Globe Lily shares the distinguishing characteristics of the Lily Plant Family – simple linear leaves, perennial bulbs, and flowers with three petals and three sepals. It isn’t just a pretty flower; it plays an essential role in its ecosystem. By attracting a variety of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, it helps maintain biodiversity in its habitat.

Besides its ecological role, the White Globe Lily has cultural significance as well. Native American tribes have historically used the plant for various medicinal purposes, including as a poultice for wounds.

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Tim Spuckler's Blog

Reptile Ramblings and More

Sanderling

Sawtooth Sunflower

Ailanthus Webworm Moth

Horse Mushroom

Bobolink

Blue-spotted Salamander

Swamp Rose

Mayfly

American White Pelican

White Globe Lily