After being absent for nearly 3 months, 14 Canada Geese flew into the Wetlands, looked around some, fed, and then preened for several hours before taking flight for points unknown. The geese looked to be a family group (probably two families) as the bulk of them appeared to be young birds, perhaps on their first flight [...] Read more...
Green Treefrogs are still being seen in the vegetation along the north side for the Wetlands, and have now been spotted along the path going up towards Catch the Wind (between the Lemur House and Catch the Wind). Finally, after approximately 8 weeks, a Northern Water Snake made an appearance in the Wetlands on both the 14th and 20th [...] Read more...
In bloom in August were Boneset, Partridge Pea, and Goldenrod. The flowers of Boneset and Goldenrod are great places to look for insects as they search for nectar sources at this time of year. The Partridge Pea should be watched for Cloudless Sulphur Caterpillars during the next several weeks (September). There’s still a few Butterfly Weeds in bloom in Catch the [...] Read more...
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 more...
The 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 drought [...] Read more...
A 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 more...
Five 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 more...
More 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 more...
Explore the Wild’s Wild Animals
Groundhogs are being seen throughout the outdoor exhibits, especially at the Bird Feeder Exhibit in Catch the Wind. Another less frequently encountered mammal on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Windloop has been seen at the feeders as well, a Gray Fox. On August 28th one was seen directly below the feeders with one eye on the seed [...] Read more...