I discovered a Shorttail Shrew on the path just around the bend from the Lemur House. The shrew was DOR (Dead on Road). This is the second time one of these little shrews was found at this location, although the last was in 2008, nearly one year ago (see Shorttail Shrew, Explore the Wild Journal, [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for May, 2009
A Busy Season for Birds
May 31st, 2009Not exactly on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop but close by, a Red-shouldered Hawk on its first day (hour) off the nest was photographed just before it gulped down the last bits of a rat brought to it by one of its parents. The hawk’s nest is at Northgate Park, a few seconds, [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Late May Herp Transitions
May 31st, 2009I’ve not seen a Northern Water Snake in the Wetlands since the first week in May. Yellow-bellied Turtles continue to come ashore to lay eggs. The one pictured was alongside the path in front of the Lemur House. Following the downpours on Memorial Day, a Painted Turtle was spied crossing the paved path headed towards [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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A Widow, Mourning Cloaks, Pugs, and Hairstreaks
May 31st, 2009A Widow Skimmer (dragonfly) was seen in Catch the Wind on 24 May for the first sighting of the species this season. This sighting was a week or so earlier than last year’s first occurrence (see Widow Skimmer, Explore the Wild Journal, June 1-15, 2008). Over the past few weeks I’ve seen at least one, [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Elderberry and Royal Lace
May 31st, 2009There are two locations around the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind loop where Elderberry grows, one is next to the platform midway down the boardwalk which leads into the Wetlands and the other in the swampy area between Catch the Wind and Explore the Wild on the back side of the loop. They are now [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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A Crafty Canid and Sibling Sciurids
May 15th, 2009Finally, a Gray Fox! On May 15, as I was walking down the path from Catch the Wind towards the Wetlands, a beautiful Gray Fox came down out of the brush from the direction of the Lemur House, trotted across the pavement and up into the woods on the other side of the path. I [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Cooper’s Hawks and a Stop-over Kingbird
May 15th, 2009Cooper’s Hawks are nesting nearby but I’ve not found a nest. Red-shouldered Hawks are a daily sight overhead around the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind loop. An Eastern Kingbird (pictured) and a Common Yellowthroat were seen or heard for the first time this season on the first day of May. Read the rest of this entry »
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Egg-laying Turtles, new Toads, and Treefrog Time!
May 15th, 2009I spotted two Yellow-bellied Turtles out of the water and hiking the paths around the Wetlands looking for a place to lay eggs. One of these large females was in the process of digging a hole for the eggs when I came upon her. If you happen to see a tiny brown-gray creature hopping along [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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A Busy Time for Arthropods
May 15th, 2009A large millipede (about 4 inches) was seen walking across the path in front of the Ornithopter. My best guess is that it was Narceus americanus. N. Americanus is the classic, round-in-cross-section form of millipede that’s most often encountered in our area. The other locally common millipede is about two inches in length, has a [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Willow Seeds and Sweet Treats
May 15th, 2009Black Willow seed dispersal was in full swing during the first half of May. Anyone who was strolling through the Wetlands during that period would surely have noticed the “blizzard” of white fluffy seeds blowing pass them. The long silky hairs that cover the willow’s seeds have the ability to carry them long distances, and, they’re [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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