About The Blog

Iowa is mostly corn and bean fields, but scattered around the state are remnants of the original prairies, savannas, marshes, and forests.  There are a lot of really interesting species hiding out in those places, many of which are still pretty much undocumented and ignored.  A summer working for the Iowa DNR Multiple Species Inventory and Monitoring (MSIM) program, which included surveying for small mammals, odes, butterflies, and herps, reminded me that there are plenty of interesting things out there to look for in addition to my original obsession–birds.  My current interests are butterflies, especially trying to locate our rarer prairie species, and tiger beetles.  I also have an interest in looking for new dragonfly species, as Iowa is still ripe for discovery despite being a generally well surveyed state.  I make it a habit to photograph any other interesting insects I come across, because I never really know what obscure little bug will be of significance to someone else.  This blog will consist of photos and accounts of my wanderings around the state looking for birds, bugs, and whatever else I come across.