I spent part of the morning of July 22nd with the Museum’s Marsh Madness Summer Campers scooping up critters from the Wetlands. A goodly number of aquatic insects and other invertebrates were captured and studied, including a Water Scorpion, several Backswimmers, various water scavenger beetles, many dragonfly nymphs and a handful of leeches. (Leeches are [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for July, 2009
Tulip Poplars Susceptible to Drought
July 31st, 2009The shoreline in the Wetlands grows wider with each passing day as the water level drops. Although there have been storms moving through the area daily during the past week, carrying substantial amounts of rain, they have been scattered storms and not necessarily pouring down water into the Wetlands. Tulip Poplars are more susceptible to [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Raccoons and Rodents
July 31st, 2009A family group of Raccoons was observed making the rounds in the Wetlands on the 29th of the month. Each day, raccoon tracks can be seen in the increasingly wide, muddy shoreline which encircles the Wetlands. Often, tracks can be seen crossing the pavement where the raccoons had, the night before, left the water and [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Ducks return, Hawks and Heron hunt
July 31st, 2009Five Mallards showed up during this period. They appear to be a family group since there are both males and females present and all are in fresh brown plumage (adult males would be showing at least some green on the head, if not a completely green head at this time). Did Mallards once again secretly [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Treefrogs yes, but No Snakes
July 31st, 2009More and more young Green Treefrogs are being seen each day in the tall grass on the north side of the Wetlands. Look for them resting on the long, wide blades of grass on the Wetalnds side of the path. The grass is quite tall (3-5 feet) so you don’t have to bend down to [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Missing Feathers
July 15th, 2009Many birds are currently molting their flight feathers (wing and tail feathers). Some have completed their molt while others are still in the process of doing so. I’ve found various wing feathers floating in the Wetlands, on the path around the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind loop, and at the Bird Feeder Exhibit. All birds [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Pickerel Frogs and Green (blue) Snakes
July 15th, 2009It was still raining on July 5 as I headed out to the Wetlands along the paved path on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind loop. As I walked along, I could see ahead of me small frogs hopping to the left and to the right, hopping to get out of the way as I [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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First Cicada Killer, Milkweed Leaf Beetles, and some Leps
July 15th, 2009The Annual Cicadas have come into full song. Not surprising, the first Cicada Killer of the season was seen on July 8th while I Explored the Wild with a group of Museum Summer Campers. The large wasp was spotted on the rocks just outside the entrance to the Lemur House and was in the same [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Summer Mode
July 15th, 2009Although a few flowers linger, the Lotus in the Wetlands has all but gone by. What you’ll see when you pass the Wetlands as you leave the Wolf Enclosure on your way to the Lemur House is numerous seed heads sticking up above the large leaves of the plants, still an impressive sight. In Catch [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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