Top Photo: Gus Bear and Little Bear feed on food tossed out by Animal Care Team, nuts, sweet potatoes, carrots, berries… Just to remind everyone the best time to spot our newest black bear is in the morning. The secondary black bear overlook remains the best location to get a glimpse of the “Little Bear.” She’s staying out longer each day and seems to be adapting well. I’ll see you there.Read more
Posts filed in: Fall
Bear-watching
Top Photo: Two diehard bear-watchers staring at Yona Bear but hoping for a glimpse of the “little bear.” Morning is the best time for seeing our new cub, which is why the two intrepid bear-watchers above are braving a chilly morning in Explore the Wild to search for the “little bear.” There she is, up on the stump behind Gus! Come on out and see if you can spot her.Read more
Groundhogs, a Little Bear, and a Hawk
Top Photo: Oak stump and resident groundhog. Strolling through Wander Away in Catch the Wind, I noticed a gray, furry head poking out from the side of a large oak stump on the side of the path. I immediately stopped and reached for my camera. Inching forward, I was able to get a few shots of the young groundhog whose head was posed at the entrance to its burrow, its nose twitching for scent. Groundhogs are fairly common sights hereRead more
Color Arrives
Top Photo: Dwarf sumac. Here in the middle of North Carolina, fall colors arrive in November. This year, many of the leaves went straight to brown, whether due to an unusually dry summer or some other meteorological phenomenon. However, there are still gems to be found out there. But you better experience it now. It only takes one good November gale to knock the color out of the trees and onto the ground. Here’s some color I came across theRead more
FOY Hooded Merganser
Top Photo: One of four mergansers that arrived on October 31, 2013 in our wetlands. The photo above was of the earliest hooded merganser arrivals I have on record here at the museum. This year’s first-of-the-year (FOY) hooded merganser arrived November 3, and as is often the case with a lone first arrival, he stayed close to the water’s edge and under the brush on the far side of the wetlands. More should be arriving soon.Read more
Northernmost
Top Photo: Northern mockingbird surveys its domain atop small tree in Butterfly House Garden. The common name northern mockingbird comes from the fact these birds are the northernmost occurring species of mockingbird. Other mockingbird species are resident from Central to South America. The genus name Mimus means mimic. The specific Latin name, polyglottos, means “many-tongued or languaged.” Mimus polyglottos, this bird’s Latin name, means “many tongued mimic.” Mockingbirds prefer open areas with shrubs, hedges and small fruiting trees and shrubs. They’re territorial and won’t hesitate toRead more
Warblers!
Top Photo: Yellow-rumped warbler scans the willow branches for food. Yellow-rumped warblers are on the scene in force. If you happen to be in the area of our Main Wetlands Overlook first thing in the morning, walk to the end of the platform, turn so your back is to the sun and watch the willows, wax myrtle, groundsel and bald cypress for movement. If you’re lucky, and there at the right time, you’ll likely see many small, gray-brown birds withRead more
Oddly Red
Top Photo: Redbud beginning to bloom in the last week of October. Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a March bloomer in Durham County and surrounding areas. It was odd, but not totally surprising, to see buds about to open up on a redbud tree on the Dinosaur Trail this past week. Not surprising because, after all, we’ve been experiencing very mild weather with not a hint of frost. Even so, many of the leaves on this particular tree had turned toRead more
Fall Update
Top Photo: Eastern phoebe awaits airborne insects. These hardy flycatchers will be with us for most of the winter. The weather is delightful and so are the sights outdoors at the museum. But, you have to be there to see them. Abelia is still blooming and attracting visitors at the Butterfly House Garden. It’s a non-native species but not considered invasive. A carpenter bee buzzes by goldenrod in the garden along the stairway and ramp leading to the Butterfly House.Read more