I’d been hearing House Wrens since April 20, but hadn’t seen one. On April 28, I heard one singing from the area behind the Sailboat where a bluebird nest box has been installed. This box was inspected on April 10 and although bluebirds had constructed a nest inside, it didn’t contain eggs. I hadn’t seen any activity around the nest for several weeks and had written it off. A House Wren is now putting the box to use. Male House Wrens arriveRead more
Month: April 2010
Birdbox Update 4
The Bluebirds that have decided to nest in the bird box in the clearing next to the Ornithopter have been feeding young – the eggs have hatched! On Friday (4/23) I observed the adults carry in food and carry out, you guessed it, fecal sacs. So, at least some, if not all, of the eggs have produced young. I haven’t seen any activity at the nest box next to the Sailboat Pond and although a nest was constructed within theRead more
Avian Arrivals and Some Flowers.
Returning this week (4/17-4/24) from points south were Chimney Swift, Gray Catbird, Wood Thrush, House Wren and White-eyed Vireo, all locally nesting birds. The female Belted Kingfisher has once again made herself scarce, presumably sitting on eggs. I briefly saw the male on Friday, 23 April. Black Locust is in bloom as is Old Man’s Beard (not the guy on the left, but the tree, Fringetree). The former can be seen on the opposite side of the water from the WetlandsRead more
Birdbox Update 3
The Carolina Chickadees that have decided to nest in the Bluebird Box at Flying Birds (bird feeders) in Catch the Wind have successfully hatched their eggs. I saw the parents carry in small green caterpillars and other morsels of food and carry out a fecal sac. More to come.Read more
Reptilian Rescue
Spring is a the time when young snakes, hatched or born last year, are seen moving about the unfamiliar landscape on their way to their summer haunts, wherever that may be. Sometimes, they need a little help in getting there. I received a call on my radio from Animal Keeper Erin Brown about one such sidetracked snake. This young snake wiggled into the Black Bear House, the bear’s nighttime quarters. It was a Northern Water Snake. Erin deftly captured theRead more
Lepidoptera
Good naturalists keep notes, extensive notes, on everything they see. I must admit that with things happening at such a fast pace this spring I’ve been derelict in my duties. I’ve been neglecting my note keeping and am not up to date on the Lepidoptera (among other things) which have been fluttering through the Museum’s outdoor areas. However, with camera always at the ready, I’m happy to announce that I’ve been able to get a few shots of some ofRead more
No-fly Zone
A while back I mentioned that Red-tailed Hawks are not often seen over the Museum’s outdoor areas during the summer months. Its not quite summer yet, but trouble is already brewing for the big red-tails. Crows seem to delight in harassing any hawk or owl they come across, especially during the nesting season when the crows are raising their young. The crows are brazen, but they’re not dumb, and these two gave up their pursuit once the hawk left “their”Read more
Birdbox Update
The folks who installed our Bluebird Nest Boxes in Catch the Wind came by to check the occupancy of the boxes. All of the boxes in Catch the Wind are occupied. Two boxes hold Eastern Bluebird nests and two contain Carolina Chickadee nests. As of Saturday April 10, all but one box had eggs in them. You can watch chickadees go in and out of one of the nest boxes by sitting on a bench at Flying Birds, the birdRead more
Odonata
Since March 19 when I saw the first damselflies of the season emerging from the Wetlands, there have been five additional species of odonata seen. The first Common Baskettail was seen the 30th of March. Blue Corporal and Common Whitetail were both observed on the 3rd of April and a male Common Green Darner on the 7th of the month. A Lancet Clubtail was seen on the Dinosaur Trail on the 10th of April. If all of the new arrivalsRead more