Rob Thorn

One of the most ubiquitous birds of eastern North America, The Northern Cardinal has benefited from an uncanny ability to adapt to human-modified habitats.  Both the common and genus names refer to the rich red robes and caps of Catholic high-priests called cardinals, but this color is only in mature males (of the bird, that

Bullfrogs. They’re our ideal mental image of a frog: squat, slick, and green, with big eyes and a loud croak. They make homes in all our man-made habitats: farm ponds, reservoirs, and even roadside ditches. Plus they’re good to eat…or at least their legs are, so that they’re actually managed as a game animal. But there are still a

“We’re leaving during the day, but I can give you a few pre-dawn hours. I might know where some Screech Owls are lurking.” With those words, Dave Horn became a Christmas Bird Count hero to me, the Columbus CBC compiler. Not only was it an audacious offer – he was leaving to visit family on Count day, after all

We knew the birds were there, long before we could see them, mostly from the noisy begging by the juveniles. We were near several Osprey platforms with nests. Osprey calls are piercingly loud, but the adults don’t make them often. Big begging juveniles are another story; they squeal long and loud, imploring the adults to catch them