Animals

Happy Birthday to K9 Echo!

Happy 4th Birthday to K9 Echo!

​Happy 4th Birthday to our very own K9 Echo...
Most fireworks are illegal in Illinois under the law

Explaining Illinois' Fireworks Regulation Act

​The Fireworks Regulation Act of Illinois governs the sale, storage, a...
Perched atop a small hackberry tree, a male red-winged blackbird eyes a curious naturalist walking along the Fox River Trail in Geneva.

Good Natured: Red-Winged Blackbird Season

​Every year about this time, certain wild neighbors start making headl...
Miles from home, a displaced cicada sits, silently, as his next adventure awaits.

Good Natured: Cicadas Under Pressure

​The other day I was puttering in the garage and listening, as I often...
Forrest. Photo taken by Pam Ely, Mental Health Director for the Juvenile Justice Center

Forrest, the Beloved Courthouse Facility Dog, Retires

​Kane County's courthouse community is heartbroken as Forrest, the fac...
Meet Myla!

Kane County Animal Control Pet of the Week - Myla

​“You can always trust a dog that likes peanut butter...
Poly Mothman, a polyphemus moth, used chemistry and mechanical means to make his way out of his sturdy cocoon.

Good Natured: Polyphemus Moth and Cocoon Part Two

​Last week we spent some time getting to know Poly Pupa, the cocoon pr...
A handsome hover fly, which developed from a larva known as a rat-tailed maggot (or 'mousie' to ice fisher people) pauses on top of a flower. Photo credit:  iStock

Good Natured: Rat-Tailed Maggots

​As a little kid, I was really lucky...
Sienna is available for adoption at Kane County Animal Control.

Kane County Animal Control Pet of the Week - Sienna

​She has a face made for kisses and a squat little body made for hugs ...
Eastern phoebes show a preference for nesting in sheltered locations.  They'll also refurbish and reuse their nests, often returning to the same site year after year.  Credit:  iStock/Carol Hamilton

Good Natured: Eastern Phoebes

​Last month the St...
In preparation for the performance of its life, a periodical cicada emerges from its nymphal exoskeleton.  The dark spots behind the eyes are clusters of pigment that will spread across the body as the insect ages.  Photo credit:  Don Cornett/iStock

Good Natured: Cicadas' Performance of a Lifetime

​If you've ever attended a theater production, you're probably familia...