January 2026 Full Wolf Moon

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Behold the beauty of the Indigo Bunting! This stunning sky-blue bird can be regularly spotted at TWC during the summer months, the males glowing like sapphires with their vibrant plumage. They are members of the Cardinalidae family, which includes cardinals, grosbeaks, and buntings. Preferred habitat includes brushy and weedy forest edges, open deciduous woods, creeksides, and farmland. At TWC Headquarters they can be spotted in the woods along the trails as well as taking dust baths out in the open on the rural roads. A slow drive down Alabama Avenue and Foxfield Street can often treat visitors to an Indigo Bunting sighting. When they aren’t foraging in low grasses and brushes or bathing, they like to find the highest perches in the area from which to sing all summer long. One of their nicknames is “blue canaries.” These small songbirds feed on seeds, insects, spiders, flower buds, and berries. They can also be attracted to backyard feeders with thistle and nyjer. Indigo Buntings are nocturnal migrants, using the stars to navigate. Scientists studied this behavior using captive buntings in a planetarium in the 1960s, determining that the birds possess an “internal clock” that allows them to adjust their angle of orientation to a star, even as the star moves through the sky. The fall migration south of these brilliant birds occurs September through October, so they will be leaving our area in the near future. Be sure to visit TWC soon to enjoy the beauty of the Indigo Bunting!

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! We are celebrating today with some interesting facts about the Virginia opossum! The Virginia opossum is the only species of opossum found in Ohio and is also the northernmost marsupial (animal that carries its young in a pouch) in the world! It is an omnivore and has 50 teeth, more than any other North American land mammal, and is able to eat a wide variety of food such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, carrion, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, and other mammals. Most young are born in the spring, between March and June. Newborns are the size of a honeybee and they climb into the mother’s pouch, where they will stay for about 2 and half months to grow and develop. They will then stay with their mother and siblings for another several months, riding around on their mother’s back while they learn survival skills. Opossums rarely contract rabies. Their body temperature is lower than that of other mammals and cannot host the virus. They also have a natural immunity to snake venom. One of its defense mechanisms is feigning death, or “playing possum.” This fear response to a predator or other threat is involuntary. The unconscious opossum will lay motionless and secrete a vile smelling fluid, deterring animals that eat live prey and convincing them it is dead or diseased or otherwise unappetizing. Compared to other mammals, the Virginia opossum has a notably short lifespan. The maximum life expectancy in the wild is only 2 years, and most survive only half that long. Even in captivity with veterinary care and a safe environment an opossum is not expected to live past the age of 4. Opossums are excellent climbers, using the opposable thumbs on their hind legs and their hairless prehensile tail to aid with gripping branches and objects.

The shooting stars of August, the Perseid meteor shower, are the brightest and most popular meteors of the year. And the best part is you don’t need any special equipment to see them - just your eyes. The Perseid meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through the debris stream left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, a periodic comet which returns to the inner Solar System every 133 years. You may have already seen one of these shooting stars and not realized it! We start seeing a few of these meteors around Mid-July. We see a few more every night until the peak or maximum is reached. This year the maximum will occur on the morning of Wednesday, August 12, and maybe into the morning of Thursday, August 13. Perseid meteors tend to increase in number as the night goes on. The shower is often best just before dawn. Fortunately, the Perseids occur during new Moon this year giving us perfect sky conditions for observing the meteors. Perseids will be visible each night through late August after which Earth is clear of the comet debris field. Just know that the number of Perseids streaking through the night sky tend to fall off rapidly after their peak. Darkness and patience are the keys to seeing shooting stars. Find a dark place with as little light pollution as possible – the darker the better. In truly dark skies having absolutely no light pollution people might see upwards of 90 meteors per hour on a moonless night. We won’t see that many in Ohio, maybe 20 to 40 per hour. The darker your observing spot the more you will see. Meteor showers seem to fly away or radiate from a common point in the sky called a radiant. The Perseid meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus giving them their name. The best way to observe the Perseids is to sit or lay with your back or the top of your head towards the northeast, the direction of Perseus at 11:00PM. This allows you to observe as much sky as possible directly above you. This shower is known to produce rich, bright streaks and more fireballs than any other annual meteor shower. Dress for the weather, bring a comfortable chair or blanket and your choice beverage. Happy meteor watching!

Owls are fascinating creatures- silent phantoms of the night capturing our imagination like no other bird can. There are roughly 250 different species of owls around the world. They are found on every continent except Antarctica. All owls are members of the bird group called Strigiformes. They are further divided into two families – barn owls (family Tytonidae) and true owls (family Strigidae). The main difference between these families is true owls have round faces and barn owls have heart shaped faces. Around 230 owl species are classified as true owls and the remainder are classified as barn owls. Most owls, about 70%, are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. The remaining 30% are either diurnal, active during the day, or crepuscular, active during twilight. Bringing this closer to home, 19 owl species are found in North America and 8 of these can be found in Ohio. Ohio’s owls include seven true owl species and one barn owl species. The true owl species are the barred owl, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, long-eared owl, northern saw-whet owl, short-eared owl and snowy owl. Ohio’s only barn owl species is the American barn owl. Ohio’s owls are a diverse group. Four of these, the American barn owl, barred owl, eastern screech owl, and great horned owl are year-round residents. The short-eared owl and the northern saw-whet owl visit as they migrate through Ohio to warmer climates. And the snowy owl and long-eared owl spend their winters here, though both are considered rare to see in Ohio. They also vary in size ranging from Ohio’s largest resident owl, the great horned owl, standing as tall as 25 inches and weighing in at up to 5 pounds to our smallest owl the northern saw-whet owl being about the size of an American robin. Six of Ohio’s owls are nocturnal. The other two – the snowy owl is diurnal, and the short-eared owl is crepuscular. Being nocturnal is an evolutionary adaptation that gives these owls the edge they need to live and thrive. Most of their prey animals are active at night and by hunting at night, they are not competing with eagles and hawks. Darkness allows the owls to be stealthier, making their odds of a successful hunt much higher. Nocturnal owls have evolved several physical adaptations that make them well suited for the night. About one-third of nocturnal owl species have asymmetrically placed ear openings – meaning their ears are placed at different heights and angles on each side of their head. This gives the owl a three-dimensional location of its prey by detecting tiny differences in time, loudness and height. They can accurately pinpoint prey in complete darkness, under snow, or under forest floor plant litter. The great horned owl can hear sounds 10 miles away. Owls also have excellent night vision – their large eyes are built for seeing in the dark. As an example, a barn owl’s retina is 93% rods and 7% cones. Rods work in low light levels allowing the eye to see only in shades of gray, called scotopic vision. Not as necessary for nocturnal owls, cones work in bright light allowing the eye to perceive color. Owls also have specialized feathers that allow them to fly without making a sound. As predators, owls sit at the top of the food chain. They provide a valuable service to the ecosystem as natural pest controllers with the larger owls eating a variety of rodents and the smaller owls eating bugs and beetles that can damage crops and gardens. They provide ecosystem balance by keeping prey populations under control and healthy and they serve as indicators of ecosystem health. If owl numbers drop it means the ecosystem has become unbalanced and that pollution or habitat loss is affecting the area. Light affects habitats where owls live. It affects their hunting, their nesting, and every aspect of their lives. Let’s turn off all unnecessary lights to help these birds thrive at night and continue to play their part in the ecosystem.

It’s #WildlifeWednesday and we are talking about bears (oh my!). There have been a number of bear sightings and encounters reported this summer, both nationwide and here in Ohio. Let's learn about the American black bear, which has a small but growing population in the Buckeye State. Historically, black bears were abundant throughout Ohio, prior to major human settlement. But by the 1850s bears were considered officially extirpated, due to extensive deforestation and unregulated hunting. In the past several years, however, sightings of black bears have become more common. Many of the bears are transient males from neighboring states that are passing through and may only be spotted once. Excitingly, in recent years there has been documentation of reproducing female bears, including photo confirmation of sows with cubs in Ashtabula and Geauga counties. Black bears have a large home range (~100 miles) and prefer forested habitat with thick vegetation and are most frequently spotted in the northeastern and southeastern parts of state, likely moving in from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. American black bears are omnivores, primarily foraging for fruits, berries, shoots, grasses, and nuts, though they will also eat insects, fish, eggs, carrion, and other animal protein. And they do love honey! While generally shy and avoidant of humans, they are attracted to bird feeders, garbage cans with scraps of food, and outdoor pet bowls, which can be problematic if the bear loses its fear of people. If you happen to encounter a bear, stop and stay calm, as running can trigger a chase instinct. Pick up small children or pets so that they do not run away or towards the bear and keep large dogs on a leash. Try to look big by holding up your arms, speak loudly and calmly so the bear knows you are human, and back away. Do not climb a tree as bears are excellent and fast climbers. If a bear approaches aggressively, make noise and fight back. Concentrate hits and kicks on the face and muzzle. Do not play dead. The vast majority of bear sightings occur without incident and are a delightful treat for the observer. Being bear aware is important as more and more of these charismatic creatures establish themselves as residents of Ohio.

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! The hot and humid days from July 3rd-August 11th are referred to as the "Dog Days of Summer." Let's learn about an extremely loud insect you've probably heard singing lately, the dog-day cicada. The dog-day cicada, also referred to as a harvest fly, is an annual cicada found in North America whose peak singing occurs when the star Sirius is prominent in the night sky. These cicadas have a life cycle of 2-5 years but due to overlapping of broods adults appear every year in the summer. Its song is reminiscent of a buzz saw, the high-pitched whining drone starting softly then growing louder to about 7kHz, then tapering off. The singing is produced by exoskeletal structures called tymbals, which vibrate rapidly to make the sound. This is different from crickets and grasshoppers, whose sound is a result of stridulation, or the rubbing together of body parts. Only the male cicadas sing, to attract a female, and the buzz can be heard up to a half mile away. Coloration of the dog-day cicada is variable but tends towards mostly dark brown or black with green markings on the body. Its membranous wings also have green coloration in the veins, particularly near their base. The preferred habitat is mixed or deciduous woods, and they are frequently found in pine forests. Freshly emerged adults can be found near the ground and in low vegetation, while mature adults may be high in the treetops. Have you heard their song this summer?

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! If you’ve hiked to our pond lately, you may have noticed rows and piles of painted turtles covering the logs and banks. The most widespread native turtle in North America, they are abundant in Ohio and can be easily found in freshwater aquatic habitats including ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. They can be identified by their dark, smooth shells with bright red and black patterns on the underside. They grow to be 5-10 inches in length as adults, with males being slightly smaller than females. Both sexes have webbed feet to help with swimming, and males have long claws which they use to tickle the face and neck of females during courtship. At this time of year, painted turtles spend much of their day basking. They will typically spend several hours in the morning laying on logs and rocks in the sun. Once warmed up, they actively begin hunting and foraging. Omnivorous, they eat a variety of vegetation including algae and aquatic plants, as well as organisms such as insects, crustaceans, and fish. After feeding, they will bask for the rest of the day, until nightfall when they drop to the bottom of the body of water to sleep. Be sure to hike our Pond Trail to observe the painted turtles this summer! The observation blind has a scope for viewing them as well as other wildlife at the pond.

July’s full Moon, called the Buck Moon, rises on July 29th, 2026, at 10:36 AM EDT. Unfortunately for us the Moon will be below horizon by this time. Not to worry though, if you want to see the full Buck Moon it will still look full and bright later that night when it rises at about 9:00 PM. The Moon will also appear to be full and bright on the day before, July 28th, and the day after, July 30th. Of course, this comes with the disclaimer” weather permitting” for all these days. Native Americans named Moons after what they were observing in the natural world around them. July’s Moon has a fitting name. Bucks (male deer) shed and regrow their antlers each year. Beginning in late March a buck’s antlers begin to grow. Deer, like all other animals, depend on Earth’s cycle of light and dark. The increasing daylight hours trigger the hormones that start the new antler growth each spring. And antlers grow fast – one and a half inches per week, making them the fastest growing bones in the world! It’s this time of year when a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode. By early August the buck has a new set of antlers bigger and more impressive than his last set. Native Americans observed this incredible transformation and it’s no wonder why they named July’s full Moon the Buck Moon. Although Buck Moon is the most common name for July’s full Moon there are others. The Haida and Tlingit Tribes in Alaska call this Moon the Salmon Moon. The Wishram of the Pacific Northwest call it the Salmon Go Up Rivers in a Group Moon. Both names refer to the return of the Salmon to their local rivers. There are many names that relate to plant growth and harvesting such as the Mohawk name Time of Much Ripening Moon, the Shawnee Blackberry Moon, the Lakota Moon When the Chokecherries are Black, the Zuni Limbs are Broken by Fruit Moon, the Ojibwe Blueberry Moon and the Potawatomi Moon of the Young Corn, to name just a few. This Moon was also called the Thunder Moon by the Western Abenaki because of the large number of thunderstorms that happen this time of year. July is rich with the sights, sounds and smells of nature; Native Americans used all of them in their names for the July full Moon. Take the time to experience the Buck Moon on July 29th and the richness that nature has to offer for yourself during July.

It’ssssssss #WildlifeWednesday and tomorrow is #WorldSnakeDay, so let's learn about one of our resident animal ambassadors, Zea the corn snake! The corn snake is a type of rat snake found in North America, mostly in the central and southeastern United States. It is not venomous and kills its prey instead by constriction (squeezing). It is a beneficial animal to humans as it keeps populations of wild rodents in check, particularly near agricultural land and crops. There are two origins of the name “corn snake.” One says the name comes from the tendency of the snake to live near stores of grain and maize, where it hunts rats and mice. The other suggests that the name comes from the distinctive checkered scales on the belly, which resemble variegated kernels of corn. The lifespan for wild corn snakes is 6-8 years, but in captivity they can live to well over 20. Zea is 13 years old. Corn snakes are popular to keep in captivity for educational purposes and as pets due to the ease of their care, calm temperament, and tolerance for being handled. Zea is a curious snake with a gentle disposition. She is very receptive to being held and enjoys meeting visitors and audiences at programs and outreach events. She also likes supervised exploring and slithering outdoors, exercising on her tank's climbing wall, and making tunnels in her substrate. Join us tomorrow, World Snake Day , for a special free presentation featuring Zea!