The buzz

All Buzz Articles

• A robin standing in grass with an earthworm in its mouth.

  Nature curiosity: How do robins find worms?

  4/14/2023

  Finding worms below ground is a sensory experience for robins, but they might not be using the senses you think.

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• A sprout in soil being held by two hands.

  What's the difference: Dirt vs. soil

  4/11/2023

  We use the terms soil and dirt interchangeably, but they are not one and the same. Dirt is one component of soil, which is a complex mixture of several components.

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• A cellar spider.

  Myth buster: Daddy long legs are the most venomous spider in the world

  4/6/2023

  Daddy long legs are one of the most venomous spiders in the world? Not so, but the rumor has been circulating for generations.

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• A beaver gnawing on vegetation.

  Five fun facts about those busy beavers

  4/5/2023

  The old saying "busy as a beaver" is no joke. Beavers are among the most industrious animals on Earth, and they put their skills to good use.

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• A bobcat standing in short grass.

  Five facts about stealthy, solitary bobcats

  3/24/2023

  Of the 40 wildcat species in the world, just the bobcat lives in Illinois, and even its existence here is a surprise to many people.

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• A young squirrel sleeping in a tree cavity.

  Check your trees for nests before trimming or pruning

  3/23/2023

  The trees may still be dormant at this time of year, but they could still be full of life. If you're planning to trim or prune your trees, make sure to give them a good once over to check for active squirrel and bird nests. 

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• A hand drips water onto a plant.

  Five ways to conserve water around your home

  3/22/2023

  Water isn't an unlimited resource. As water scarcity increasingly becomes a problem across the globe, efforts to conserve it become more crucial.

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• A Canada goose standing on one leg in shallow water.

  Nature curiosity: Why do birds stand on one leg?

  3/10/2023

  Birds stand on one leg for one simple reason: to help them stay warm.

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• A peregrine falcon diving in flight.

  What you need to know about our fierce, high-flying falcons

  3/3/2023

  If you think about large, imposing birds that we see soaring above or perched on high while scanning for a meal, raptors like hawks and eagles probably come to mind. Maybe even owls. But there's another kind of raptor we see that can be just as imposing — falcons, three species of which can be seen in Illinois.

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• A side-by-side comparison of a turkey vulture and black vulture

  What's the difference?: turkey vulture vs. black vulture

  3/2/2023

  We usually only have one vulture species in town, but in places where their ranges overlap, turkey vultures and black vultures can be difficult to distinguish from one another.

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