NAME: Gary (Uncle Bear) EklundLOCATION: Hickory, North Carolina, USA
AWARD DATE: September 2, 2008
NAME: Gary (Uncle Bear) Eklund
- Eastern Gray Squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis
- Eastern Cottontail Rabbit - Sylvilagus floridanus
- Eastern Chipmunk - Tamias striatus striatus
- Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata
- American Robin - Turdus migratonius
- Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis
- American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglttos
- Rock Dove - Columba livia
- House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus
- Fish Crow - Corvus ossifragus
- Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus
- White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis
- Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis
- Tufted Titmouse - Parus bicolor
- Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura
- Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis
- Chimney Swift - Chaetrua pelagica
Asiatic Clam - Corbicula fluminalis
- Asian Lady - BeetleHarmonia axzridis
- Honeybee - Apis mellifera
- Tile-horned Prionus - Prionus impricornis
- Cabbage White Butterfly - Pieris rapae
- Rose Chafer - Macrodactylus subspinosus
- Firefly - Lampridae ssp.
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - Papilio glaucuc
- Common House Spider - Achearanea tepidariorum
- Wood Louse - Armadillidium vulgare
- Fall Webworm - Hyphantria cunea
- Hoverfly - Syrphidae ssp.
- Housefly - Musca domestica
- Camel Cricket - Ceuthophilus ssp.
- Golden-eye Lacewing - Cnrysopa aculata
- Common Eastern Sweatbee - Dialictus zephrum
- Corn Earworm - Helicoverpa zea
- Crane Fly - Tipulidae ssp.
- Small Milkweed Bug - Lygaeus kalmii
- Waved Sphinx - Ceratomia undulosa
- Ichneumons - Ichneumoidea ssp.
- Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
- Bumblebee - Bombus ssp.
- Green stink Bug - Chinavia hilaris
- Yellowjacket - Vespinae ssp.
- Monarch - Danaus plexippus
- Field Cricket (female) - Stagmomantis carolina
- American Copper - Lycaena hypophlaeas
- Grass Spider - Agelenopsis naevia
- Dotted Wolf Spider - Rabidosa punctulata
- Flowering Dogwood - Cornus florida
- Crape Myrtle - Lagerstroemia indica
- Sugar Maple - Acer saccharum
- American Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis
- Southern Magnolia - Magnolia grandiflora
- Eastern Hemlock - Tsuga canadensis
- Carolina Hemlock - Tsuga caroliniana
- Eastern White Pine - Pinus strobus
- Yellow-poplar - Liriodendron tulipifera
- Black Walnut - Juglans nigra
- Southern Red Oak - Quercus falcata
- Poison Ivy - Rhus radicans
- Cat's Ear - Hypochoeris radicata
- Queen Anne's Lace - Daucus carota
- Lance-leafed Coreopsis - Coreopsis lanceolata
- Kudzu - Pueraia montana Var. Lobata
- Bermuda Grass - Cynodon dactylon
- Globe Sedge - Cyperus globulosus aubet
- Russula Hygrophorus - Hygrophorus russula
- Jack-o'-lantern - Omphalotus olearius
- Turkey Tail - Trametes versicolor
One of my listed mammals is the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit, (Sylvilagus floridanus), a very common creature in my part of the world. In researching this rabbit, I discovered North Carolina has three more resident rabbits: The Appalachian Cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus) , the Marsh Rabbit, (Sylvilagus palustris), and the Swamp Rabbit, (Sylvilagus aquaticus).
When I found the carcuss of a Waved Sphinx Moth, (Ceratomia undulosa), I was amazed. What a beautiful life form. It looked great both to the naked eye, and under a 24X microscope lens.
In my opinion the sight of a White-breasted Nuthatch, (Sitta carolinesis), coming down the side of a wall or tree toward a meal, is terrific to behold. I never tire of it.
With the exception of the mollusk, a killdeer, and two mushrooms all other life forms were found within four blocks of my house. Thirteen out of fifteen birds were spotted from the front porch. In addition, 29 of the 30 insects recorded were found on the rose, tomato and butterly bushes by the porch.
Please allow me to give thanks to my silent partner, Naturalist Bruce Beerbower, of The Catawba Science center, for his encouragement, and help in (especially) tree identification.