American Kestrels Are Small But Mighty Falcons
American kestrels are common throughout the United States. They have bold color patterns that would make you think they would be hard to...
Willy's Wilderness
Willy's Wilderness
Search
- Mar 12, 2021
- 3 min
Five Fun Facts About Those Wacky Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are unique among birds for how they make their presence known. They have chisel-like bills that are perfect for their...
- Mar 9, 2021
- 2 min
Walleyes Are A Fish For All Seasons
For many fish, winter is a time of rest. They head down into deep waters, slow their heart rates and eat far less often. Walleyes, on the...
- Feb 16, 2021
- 3 min
Whooo's Out There? Mourning Doves Can Sound Like Owls
A “hoooo, hoo, hoo” outside your window can be exciting to hear. An owl is nearby and making its presence known! Sometimes, though, those...
- Feb 9, 2021
- 3 min
A Fox in a Tree? Gray Foxes Are Good Climbers
The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is the only canid in America that climbs trees! A canid is a member of the animal family Canidae,...
- Feb 2, 2021
- 3 min
It's Their Moment To Shine: 5 Things About Groundhogs
It’s Groundhog Day, and that means it’s time for our annual celebration of groundhogs. Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow and curse us...
- Jan 26, 2021
- 3 min
The Not-So-Golden American Goldfinch
Winter is a great time to get into bird watching and bird feeding. You can spend time exploring new places to hunt down that elusive owl...
- Jan 22, 2021
- 2 min
Don't Be Scared. Wolf Spiders Are Harmless
Did you see a big, hairy spider crawling quickly across the ground? It was probably a wolf spider. Because they are big and hairy, wolf...
- Jan 5, 2021
- 2 min
Meet the Dark-Eyed Junco, Our Resident Snowbird
Winter is the best time to learn your birds! The leaves from the trees that block the view of birds flitting from branch to branch are...
- Dec 30, 2020
- 2 min
Screech Owls Are Tiny But Mighty
What do you think of when you think of owls? Big birds that hoot into the night? That’s the common perception of owls, but there’s more...
- Dec 15, 2020
- 2 min
The Least Weasel: Illinois' Smallest Carnivore
Illinois is home of two weasel species, the long-tailed weasel and the least weasel. Both have long, slender bodies with short legs and...
- Dec 3, 2020
- 2 min
Ducks on Trend: Hooded Mergansers Have Hoodies of Their Own
Hooded mergansers are small ducks with yellow eyes and slender bills. Like most ducks, the males are much more colorful than the females...
- Nov 25, 2020
- 3 min
The Secret, Underground Life of Moles
Meet the animal that spends most of its life underground: the mole! We might think of the world below our feet as a dark, forbidding...
- Nov 12, 2020
- 2 min
White-Footed Mice Are Beneficial Creatures, Not Pesky Pests
The white-footed mouse is common in Illinois and most of the eastern United States. Its scientific name, Peromyscus leucopus, is very...
- Oct 29, 2020
- 2 min
Ground Squirrels Are Squirrels That Look Like Chipmunks
If you see a small brown animal running across the ground, your first thought might be that it is a chipmunk. You might be right, but it...
- Oct 22, 2020
- 2 min
Tool Time With Crows
Crows are recognizable as big, black, noisy birds. They have lots of interesting quirks, like eating basically anything, having the...
- Oct 13, 2020
- 2 min
The Science Behind A Fishing Spider's Superpower
Have you ever wished that you could have a superpower? Maybe you want to fly, run like a flash or be invisible. Well, the fishing spider...
- Oct 6, 2020
- 2 min
Beloved Monarchs Easy To Identify, Admire
Butterflies and moths flutter around us all summer, but we don’t always know what kind of winged creature it is flying by. Not so with...
- Sep 22, 2020
- 3 min
Fox Snakes May Act Tough, But They Are Harmless
“How much do you know about snakes?” someone asked recently when calling Plum Creek Nature Center. Answering the phones at a nature...
- Sep 10, 2020
- 2 min
The Bold Jumping Spider Looks And Acts The Part
The bold jumping spider is one of the most common jumping spiders in North America. They are found in forests, prairies, farmland, yards,...