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I’m excited, are you?

Mourning Cloaks, Groundhogs, more turtles, a bullfrog, and finally, Pickerel Frogs! Are you ready for some pictures? The cloak… The hog… The turtles… A bullfrog… And the Pickerel Frogs, lots of them… Sorry for getting carried away with the Pickerel Frogs, I’ve been waiting so long for them and at last, they’re here! I heard at least one Southern Leopard Frog today (3/13) but was not able to locate it in order take its portrait, maybe tomorrow. Enjoy!Read more
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American Gold

Our goldfinches are starting to molt into alternate, or breeding, plumage. As we move into spring, the males forsake their drab olive-gray coloring for the bright yellow, black, and white feathers of their breeding plumage. Their bills lose the dull gray-blackness of winter for the bright orange of the mating season. Goldfinches molt into their basic (non-breeding) plumage in the fall. The birds molt all of their feathers at this time, wings, tail (flight feathers), and body (contour) feathers. ThisRead more
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Still need convincing that spring’s here?

Today! Truth is, both Lightning and Rocky are frantically licking the same treat placed on the tree by the Animals Keepers, but they had me going for a minute or two. Please read on. Ranger Rock spotted two Red-shouldered Hawks either passing an object between one another, or placing sticks on a potential nest. I’d heard the birds calling from that location just minutes before but passed it off as simply red-shouldereds doing what red-shouldereds do, making a lot ofRead more

Purple Martins

I’ve been derelict in my duty. I usually start reporting on the arrival in the States of Purple Martins by January or February at the latest. It’s March, and I haven’t mentioned the big purple swallows once. The birds have been steadily trekking back from their winter stay in South America for some time now. You’ll be glad to know that they have been seen throughout our fair state with the first sighting being February 3 in Four Oaks NC. Here’sRead more
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Smartweed

Last week I tweeted about a Canada Goose apparently eating smartweed in the Wetlands. I also mentioned that not many creatures will eat the pungent weed. Other then a few caterpillars, the Smartweed Caterpillar (Acronicta oblinita) and the Tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), I personally haven’t witnessed much in the way of smartweed consumption among our fauna (there seems to be a caterpillar adapted to eating just about every plant in existence). There’s little doubt that many creatures use smartweed for cover, shelterRead more
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If you need further proof…

that spring is in the air, take a walk along your favorite hiking trail, around the block in your neighborhood, or better yet, come on over to the Museum and stroll around Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind. Take a look at just a few of the things I’ve been noticing: During the past few weeks, I’ve noticed our resident Eastern Phoebe making occasional trips under the boardwalk. Phoebes have nested under the boards since I’ve been at theRead more

Getting ready!

It’s that time again, spring time. It’s time to spruce up the bluebird nest boxes, do any mantainance that needs to be done on the Wood Duck/merganser nest boxes, and start thinking about turtles. All of our bluebird nest boxes (6), are being cleaned, repaired if necessary, and new data sheets printed up and ready to go. I’m a bit anxious and excited to see what happens this year. I discovered the first eggs of the season last year onRead more
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Drum, drum, drum

The daylight hours are increasing, the weather getting warmer and the local birds are singing, some birds, that is. Woodpeckers, as vocal as they can sometimes be, don’t have a sweet song to sing to attract a mate or proclaim their territorial boundaries. They, instead of singing a tune to announce their intentions, seek out the most resonant piece of tree limb, trunk, clapboard siding or rain gutter and drum out their message. There are eight species of woodpecker thatRead more