tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30672886583535907842011-07-07T19:41:02.201-04:00Notes about the natural world in and around the Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-12171391263595881072010-01-09T14:14:00.001-05:002010-01-09T14:14:09.987-05:00

Lee McNeely, president of the Northern Kentucky Bird Club, was pleasantly surprised this past spring at the number of American Bald Eagles he spotted on the Ohio River.  One day, on an 8-mile stretch of the Ohio between Belleview and Petersburg in Boone County, he spied 7 Bald Eagles.  “That was very unusual,” said Lee.  “Usually on a good day I’ll see one, maybe two Bald Eagles.”  The

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-61263952507511180022010-01-09T14:12:00.001-05:002010-01-09T14:12:09.551-05:00

Journeyman climber Chris Bramlage of Newport was intrigued by a recent request.  A friend of his roommate’s needed someone to hang a few Great Horned Owl nest platforms in some trees, way high in the trees.  Chris can climb anywhere in just about any tree, so climbing 80-foot up a streamside sycamore was really no big deal.  He was just a little taken aback that someone would actually hang the

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They are the hawks that also frequent our bird feeders; only it’s not birdseed they’re looking for.  They are visiting our feeders to eat the birds we have become so attached to… our cardinals, robins, wrens, goldfinches and nuthatches.  They are Accipiters.   With their characteristic long tails and short rounded wing, these woodland hawks fly through the trees like fighter pilots.  Their

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Extinction is nothing new to Planet Earth.  At 4.5 billion years old, the planet has endured many periods of extinctions.  There have however been a number of massive extinctions, when an overwhelming, almost unbelievable number of species were forever wiped off the face of the Earth.  They are considered mass extinctions and there have been five of them during Earth’s history.   “The causes

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-47733317457092840322009-04-01T21:07:00.003-04:002009-04-01T21:07:47.622-04:00

They are “living fossils,” having survived relatively unchanged for at least 70 million years when dinosaurs also roamed the planet.  They are the only living marsupials in North America.  The first known usage of their name occurred in 1610 literature for Jamestown, Virginia.  “There are…Apossouns, in shape like pigges.”  The word opossum comes from the Algonquian Indian language meaning “

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-9199209358374738822009-04-01T21:07:00.001-04:002009-04-01T21:07:44.191-04:00

They are tree frogs, but are usually found at ground level.  Their “peep” is deafening and sounds like sleigh bells - only louder.  In the northeast they are referred to as “pinkletinks” or “tinkletoes.”  To us though, they’re simply called Spring Peepers, and the Peepers are out in force.   Spring Peepers are the most widely distributed chorus frogs in Kentucky.  They are also one of our

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-2635121908298979722008-11-15T14:43:00.006-05:002008-11-15T14:45:45.025-05:00

We’ll all remember Hurricane Ike for all of its damage in Northern Kentucky; trees uprooted, split and cracked in half, huge limbs broken, and roofs blown completely off.  But Bob and Mary Terrell of Cold Springs will remember Ike for the lives they saved.   “About 15 to 20 of us were sitting on the porch when the storm hit,” said Mary (Highland Cemetery’s longtime office manager).  “The

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“If you’d have told me I would be watching birds six months ago, I would have told you that’s crazy,” said Shelly Sandfoss of Sentinel Point in Ft. Wright.  Now husband Jeff refers to Shelly as the “Bird Lady.”  It all came about because of an artificial Christmas tree.   “I’ve always had a wreath on the front door,” said Shelly.  “I did not put a wreath up this year because finches always

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Kentucky Bananas are the largest edible native tree fruit in the U.S., sometimes weighing more than a pound each.  They were first documented in a 1541 report of the Spanish de Soto Expedition of the Southeastern U.S., making mention that Native Americans cultivated them east of the Mississippi.  Kentucky Bananas were a favorite chilled dessert of George Washington, and planted by Thomas

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-63949822907333614952008-11-15T14:43:00.001-05:002008-11-15T14:43:43.064-05:00

It’s true.  Turkey was probably served at the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621 (along with goose, duck, grouse, eagle, venison and seal).    And yes, Benjamin Franklin thought the Wild Turkey would be a much better national emblem than the Bald Eagle.  In a letter to his daughter Franklin said, “For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country.  He

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-61499144966653274722008-06-09T20:23:00.001-04:002008-06-09T20:23:49.627-04:00

Warblers…They’re Coming Through       He was born to be a “birder.”  He got his first field guide when he was in 3rd grade.  By the time he was nine he wrote his fist book, “Greg Cunningham’s First Book of Birds.”  It was destiny.  Greg continues to be an active bird watcher and all-around naturalist.   Greg grew up in Villa Hills and until recently lived in Ft. Mitchell.  Now living in

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-1752711842233947132008-03-30T11:50:00.001-04:002008-03-30T11:50:38.387-04:00

Many people fear skunks.  The mere thought of getting hit with their malodorous spray is more than most can handle.  Imagine…smelling like a skunk for weeks on end.  By golly, will it ever wash off?   In reality, it’s hard to even get a skunk to spray its musky concoction.  These timid creatures would much rather run and hide than face confrontation.  Spraying is done only as a desperate last

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If there is one thing we don’t have enough of in Northern Kentucky… it’s lizards.  To see lizards it to love them, they are totally cool.  But lizards are a hard find in our neighborhoods and woodlands.  Surprisingly though, Northern Kentucky is home to four lizard species, 3 native and one interloper.  The Eastern Fence Lizard, Broad-headed Skink and Five-lined Skink are our native species. 

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No bird has been credited with saving as many human lives as has the pigeon (Columba livia), or rock dove.  With their homing ability, speed and altitude, they were often used as military messengers.   G.I. JOE was one such pigeon.  On October 18, 1943, the British 56th Brigade was scheduled to attack the Italian city of Colvi Vecchia.  The U.S. Air Support Command was to bomb the city to

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Local naturalist Linda Altevers of Erlanger is no stranger to the great outdoors.  An avid birdwatcher and wildflower enthusiast, she can frequently be found exploring the grounds at Marydale; hiking the nature trails at Doe Run, Highland Cemetery, or a variety of Boone County parks; or taking day trips to Red River Gorge or Clifty Falls.  She has hiked all four corners of the U.S. and points

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Have you ever wondered how the state of Kentucky got its name, and what it means?    Kentucky’s origin has been variously spelled Cane-tuck-ee, Cantucky, Kain-tuck-ee and Kentuckee before its modern spelling was accepted.  The name Kentucky originally referred to the Kentucky River, where from came the name of the region.  Its etymology is from Native American languages (kenhata’ke, kehta’

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-57700482742118312172008-03-30T11:44:00.003-04:002008-03-30T11:44:37.609-04:00

It’s almost impossible to talk about the Ice Age without including Big Bone Lick in Boone County.  Large Ice Age animals frequented the Lick, which had vegetation and salty soil around the springs that the animals used to supplement their diet.  The land was soft and marshy and some of the animals may have become mired in the bogs and died.  Mammoths and mastodons, as well as ancestors of the

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-55238647742827063432008-03-30T11:44:00.001-04:002008-03-30T11:44:37.277-04:00

Imagine the Greater Cincinnati area about 20,000 years ago.  The temperatures were much cooler.  Summer temperatures averaged around 41-degrees Fahrenheit and winters hovered around 10-degrees, with an annual average temperature of 26-degrees (compared to today’s average of 56-degrees).  We did not have the deciduous forests of today with our many oak, maple, walnut, hickory and beech trees.

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-81970631926252937402008-03-30T11:36:00.009-04:002008-03-30T11:36:39.109-04:00

Dr. Thomas Barnes thinks many people make “mountains out of molehills”…literally.  Dr. Barnes, University of Kentucky extension professor of forestry and wildlife specialist, finds moles fascinating.  “They are a perceived pest,” said Dr. Barnes.  “However moles have their place in the environment and they are beneficial.”    The Eastern or Common Mole inhabits much of the Eastern United

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They are both spectacular birds.  About the size of a blue jay or robin, one fills a niche by day that the other fills by night.  Kestrels and screech owls are easy observed birds that just about anyone can enjoy watching.   American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) are our smallest falcon and found across the continent.  Swift and erratic flyers, falcons are sleek raptors with pointed wings

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-74431087015962719592008-03-30T11:36:00.005-04:002008-03-30T11:36:38.122-04:00

Janet Scanlon of Ft. Wright was checking her nest boxes recently when she noticed a wren house had chew marks around the entry hole.  Wren houses, with a 1 1/8th-inch entry, are too small for most other species to inhabit; but one mammal will chew around the entry hole to make it larger…the fairy diddle.  Janet, a local wildlife rehabber who has helped rehabilitate fairy diddles, was

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-86625019827793252352008-03-30T11:36:00.003-04:002008-03-30T11:36:37.573-04:00

Box turtles (Terrapene carolina) are in big trouble.  Habitats are so broken up by housing developments and roadways that they are squashed at an alarming rate.  These slow moving creatures are no match for that large, heavy-bodied, fast moving and efficient predator…the automobile.  Additionally, with turtles collected for the U.S. and foreign pet trade, you can see why an animal that moves at

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-938945324298035982008-03-30T11:36:00.001-04:002008-03-30T11:36:36.677-04:00

John Coffey of Ft. Wright enjoys observing wildlife.  His and his neighbors Morris Road wooded backyards form a unique wildlife corridor.  “I’ve seen it all here,” said John.  “I’ve seen red fox, raccoons, opossum, squirrels, turkey, groundhogs and owls.  A herd of deer runs through here all the time.  I once saw coyotes chasing a deer through the woods.”  The stream in his backyard is home

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-84036442149196286262008-03-30T11:34:00.002-04:002008-03-30T11:36:08.245-04:00

Local naturalist Tony Goedde was walking along Banklick Creek recently and was surprised to see a mink crossing the stream.  “I couldn’t believe it,” said Tony.  “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a mink around here.”  Many folks think of mink only as Grandma’s full-length coat or shawl, not of a relatively common mammal species that’s found along streams, marshes and ponds.   Members of

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If it weren’t so sad, it would be laughable.  A burly 6-foot, 200-plus pound man strutting around like a peacock because he just killed something with a brain the size of a pea.  “Cut it right in half,” he proudly announced.  Sadly, Joe Blowhard killed a Black Rat Snake, one of the best neighbors a person can have.   Ft. Wright herpetologists Adam and Melissa Mann hate to hear such stories.

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-30954985895859169582008-03-30T11:29:00.003-04:002008-03-30T11:29:19.165-04:00

Mention that you’ve seen a black squirrel to most Greater Cincinnatians and folks will think you’re color blind.  Mention the same in Ft. Mitchell, and you’ll find that just about everyone sees and even feeds black squirrels.   Don Hellmann of Leathers Road in Ft. Mitchell loves to feed the squirrels.  “I feed the squirrels every day and there are always one or two black squirrels around,”

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-81429402093960469872008-03-30T11:29:00.001-04:002008-03-30T11:29:17.633-04:00

Ya gotta love em.  Just about every gardener wants them in the backyard.  They’re beautiful, they’re fascinating, they’re entertaining.  They’re hummingbirds.   It’s no wonder that hummingbirds are often referred to as “flying jewels.”  Their iridescent colors illuminate as no diamond or ruby gemstone can.  They are brilliant in color and captivating in personality.   Northern Kentucky is

Gayle Pillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543102584106324918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067288658353590784.post-34711109939517037442008-03-30T11:21:00.002-04:002008-03-30T11:25:33.863-04:00

We’ve all heard it, that all too familiar “thud” when a bird hits a window. Sometimes the bird will recover with no ill effects. Often times though, our picture windows with views of our bird feeders and the great outdoors are death traps for birds. More than 100 million birds are killed annually as a result of collisions with windows. Daniel Klem, Jr., Department of Zoology at Southern

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