Archive for October, 2009

A small Rough Snake by , Ranger

October 30th, 2009

On October 28, as I rounded the bend in the path where it enters Catch the Wind from Explore the Wild, I noticed two women with strollers looking intently down at the ground. I couldn’t see what they were looking at but I heard the word “snake” and immediately quickened my pace. The object of [...] Read the rest of this entry »

There are no comments on this journal entry. Start the conversation.

Two Late Larvae by , Ranger

October 26th, 2009

Near the end of the day on October 8, I received a call on my radio from Ranger Gurlal saying that he had found something interesting in Catch the Wind. He didn’t say what it was, only that he wanted me to see it. Several minutes later as Gurlal rounded the bend in the trail, I could see that he had a folded leaf in his hands; there had to be some kind of insect within. Read the rest of this entry »

There are no comments on this journal entry. Start the conversation.

Late Season Herps by , Ranger

October 20th, 2009

The first couple of weeks in October were rather cloudy and wet. Whenever the sun did show itself, the turtles of the Wetlands took advantage of it by hauling out and basking in its warm rays. Young and old alike were out on all available perches. Mostly Yellow-bellied Turtles, but even a large snapper was [...] Read the rest of this entry »

There are no comments on this journal entry. Start the conversation.

Getting Ready for Winter by , Ranger

October 15th, 2009

Of the mammals that reside on the Museum property, two have been conspicuously preparing for the oncoming winter season. They are both members of the same family (Sciuridae) but each has a different life style (one is a tree squirrel, the other a ground squirrel) and they have different strategies of how to cope with the cold. [...] Read the rest of this entry »

There are no comments on this journal entry. Start the conversation.

The Grebe(s) by , Ranger

October 14th, 2009

On the morning of September 26th, while walking along the boardwalk in Explore the Wild, I noticed a small brown, duck-like bird floating on the still, dark water. The bird was midway across the water but I knew almost immediately what it was. It was a grebe. A quick look through my binoculars verified that [...] Read the rest of this entry »

There are no comments on this journal entry. Start the conversation.

A Common Thread by , Ranger

October 9th, 2009

Each fall it seems that spiders appear from nowhere, crawling along the ground, stretching out their sticky webs across our favorite hiking trails, and even entering our living spaces. The truth is, they’re with us the entire summer, we simply may not notice them because they, along with their webs (if they construct them), are [...] Read the rest of this entry »

There are no comments on this journal entry. Start the conversation.

Early Fall Colors by , Ranger

October 6th, 2009

Sycamore’s white upper bark stands out against the clear blue skies of fall. This tall hardwood does especially well near water. Look up and enjoy the view as you stroll the outdoor exhibit areas of the Museum. The deep purple berries of Pokeweed are quickly disappearing, leaving only the magenta stems of the plant to [...] Read the rest of this entry »

There are no comments on this journal entry. Start the conversation.