After an absence of several weeks, two Hooded Mergansers were in the Wetlands this morning (11/31/10). The Wetlands is still mostly frozen over, but the mergansers perhaps know that the forecasted temps in the 50s and 60s today and tomorrow will thaw it out completely. Welcome back. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for December, 2010
Pig Rock, can you find it?
December 30th, 2010The rock in the picture below, which looks remarkably like a pig (which is why I call it pig rock), is somewhere on the Museum grounds. Do you know where? Let me know if and when you’ve found it. Read the rest of this entry »
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A Tiny Wren
December 30th, 2010A tiny dark bird flew past me as I stood at the split in the trail leading to the Red Wolf Exhibit in Explore the Wild. The bird flew down into the grass and immediately began chipping and hopping along, searching through the grass for insects or other invertebrates to munch upon. These little birds [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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After the Snow
December 28th, 2010Just three shots of what Explore the Wild looks like two days after the unusually early snowfall of December 25-26, which is already beginning to melt. Enjoy the snow while it lasts. Read the rest of this entry »
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Winter’s Here!
December 22nd, 2010The calendar says that winter has arrived. What’s been going on in Explore the Wild? Raccoons make nightly sorties around the Wetlands in search of food, which can be anything from persimmons to tadpoles, or a raid on the trash receptacles along the paths of the Museum (the trash bins are emptied each day before [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Which Pine is it, anyway?
December 21st, 2010Nearly everyone you talk to in North Carolina knows, or has heard of, Loblolly Pine, if for no other reason than that it’s a rather interesting and fun to say name (we’ll get to the name later). When you walk around the trails of the outdoor exhibits here at the Museum you can’t help but [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Winter!
December 17th, 2010Although it’s not yet officially winter, it sure looks like it! Come out and have a look! Read the rest of this entry »
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Tadpoles?!
December 15th, 2010It’s cold outside! The water of the Wetlands is frozen clear across the pond. The Hooded Mergansers have taken flight for larger bodies of water. I’ve seen the Belted Kingfisher fly in each day to inspect the pond for open water only to leave frustrated, its loud, raucous rattle filling the frigid air. The Great Blue Heron [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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More Galls
December 9th, 2010In early November I wrote about gall wasps on the Museum’s oak trees. And, as promised, here’s another gall-filled adventure. Winter’s less than two weeks away and it’s a good time to talk about galls. Insect activity has slowed down, many plants have shut down for the winter, and although there is always something going [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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