Top Photo: Hazel, or common, alder cones. From plush summer greens to fall yellows and reds, the time is upon us. We are there. Fall. Enjoy the colors while you can. Here’s what I saw while out on the loop (in no particular order). Remember, you can’t see it if you’re not there. So, what are you waiting for, go out and have a look around!Read more
Posts filed in: Butterflies
An Aster, a Skipper, a Lady, and a Shrew!
Top Photo: Purple aster at the Butterfly House Garden. Purple aster is a late bloomer. As such, it attracts many late season insects to its nectar like the common checked skipper pictured here. In our area, this skipper may occasionally be seen as late as December, but certainly into mid November. As I walked into Catch the Wind, I noticed a group of about eight people smiling and laughing as they stared down at the ground near the base ofRead more
Early Fall and Things are on the Move
Top Photo: Late flowering boneset blooms in late summer to early fall. It’s early fall and many creatures and plants are prepping for the cooler, leaner months ahead. A walk around the museum’s outdoor loop always brings a surprise or two. Here’s a handful of subjects you might encounter out there during early fall. Late boneset (Eupatorium serotinum) blooms in August through October. Common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), or just plain boneset, blooms a bit earlier in the season. The biggestRead more
MidSummer Sights
Top Photo: Eastern tiger swallowtail nectars on joe-pye-weed (native) in the Butterfly House Garden. As summer creeps along, insects like the swallowtail above are busy feeding, constructing hives and webs, or reproducing. Mentioned in a previous post, orange-striped oak worms are now in their final instar (stage of caterpillar development) before they crawl off to find suitable pupation sites. I found some of their eggs a few weeks ago and share them with you here. In their quest for pupationRead more
Little Bear and Some Late Spring Encounters
Top Photo: Little Bear by the waterfall. Little Bear’s pelage stands out among our three black bears occupying the Black Bear Enclosure. The following are subjects you might encounter on our Outdoor Loop Trail in late spring to early summer, now. Two very common and widespread dragonflies, common whitetail and eastern amberwing are sure to be seen on any sunny day. Not as frequently seen but still common are Carolina saddlebags. They spend much of their time on the wing.Read more
Comings and Goings
Top Photo: Tree swallow rests on a snag between nesting duties. Tree swallows have chosen to nest in the oversized (for them) wood duck nest box in our wetlands. We’ve hosted wood ducks, great-crested flycatchers, raccoons, European hornets and tree swallows as well as some creatures I may not be aware of. All are welcome. This is the third year in a row for the swallows. Mulberries are having a bumper year at the museum and the birds are lovingRead more
Borers, Bees, Pods, Sunflowers, and Nest Box Maintenance
Top Photo: Locust borer on goldenrod. Each year as goldenrod puts forth flowers, I expect to see locust borers actively feeding on nectar from the bright yellow florets. The beetles are rather well camouflaged among the flowers and not always easy to find. In late summer through fall, the adult beetles lay eggs in cracks of black locust bark. The hatching larvae burrow into the inner bark to overwinter. The warm temperatures of spring bring about renewed larval activity, andRead more
Another Stinkhorn, 4 Butterflies, 2 Wasps, Young Anoles, a Groundhog, and a Blooming Redbud
Top Photo: Devil’s stinkhorn. The spreading of mulch is a common chore here at the museum. What with new plants going in, exhibits being installed or altered and multiple other projects going on, mulch is a common sight. Following the mulch, sometimes months later, comes fungus. Various mushrooms rise up out of the decaying organic material in the mulch. Pictured, we have what looks like devil’s stinkhorn (Phallus rubicundus) which is not a North American species. It’s similar to nativeRead more
Early Fall Things To Discover
Top Photo: Yellowjacket picking over annual cicada. The yellowjacket in the images above and below is scavenging protein from a dead cicada on the path. Yellowjacket larvae back in the hive are fed protein in the form of whole insects or chunks of meat harvested from caterpillars and other larger animals, even from a picnicker’s ham sandwich. The yellowjackets take the meat back to the hive and feed it directly to larvae in cells within the hive after it’s beenRead more