Time to Nest

If there was any doubt as to whether or not winter is behind us, the cheerful singing of the cardinals, titmice, Song Sparrows and chickadees should belay those thoughts. Woodpeckers and nuthatches are working on drilling nest-holes, and titmice and chickadees, who are not as well equipped for drilling into wood, are hunting for old nest-holes left over from last year’s spring flurry of activity by the woodpeckers and nuthatches. The photo above is of a Carolina Chickadee giving the onceRead more
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Where’s Spring?

There’s still a few weeks to go before it’s officially spring, but as far as I’m concerned, it has arrived. So, here’s some springtime happenings out in Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind. Alders are one of the earliest of woody plants to bloom and the plants here at the Museum have had flowers on them for the past few weeks. The male flowers on alders are in the form of catkins, the female flowers are tiny, red spikedRead more

Signs of the Seasons

Two sure signs of the changing seasons are the tap-tap-tap high up in the pines of the Brown-headed Nuthatches excavating nest holes, and ee-awKEEEE of the Red-winged Blackbirds in the Wetlands. We hear, and see, the nuthatches each year at this time as these little dynamos drill one, two, three or mores cavities into the soft wood of the pines. For all of their work they more than likely only use one of the holes to actually nest in. TheRead more
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An Identification Guide to the Bears: at the Museum of Life and Science

As Ranger at the Museum of Life + Science I spend a lot of time in Explore the Wild, Catch the Wind, and on the Dinosaur Trail. I’m asked many questions on a variety of topics from “Where’s the restrooms?” to “Are there fish in the Wetlands?” While stopping by the Black Bear Exhibit, I’m frequently asked how many bears are in the Black Bear Enclosure, where they are, and who’s who among them. With that in mind, I decidedRead more
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Up to the Challenge

While slowly making its way across the path next to the Wetlands in Explore the Wild, a crawfish suddenly found itself surrounded by gigantic two-legged creatures. When confronted by a passerby, the crawfish stood its ground. Not to be outdone by a biped, no matter how big, the crawfish met the challenge. After a brief skirmish, the pedestrian finally let go of the stick. Touché! Chalk one up for the crawfish. This was just one of three separate crawfish seenRead more
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The Mysterious Red Tubular Growth

The voice on the radio (Animal Department Director, Sherry Samuels) said that there was a cluster of strange, red, tube-like fungi growing out of the ground next to the Lemur House and wondered if I knew what it was. I said that I didn’t know what it was but would stop by and have a look at them later. It was a few days before I finally made it to the site and, after having a look at the horn-shapedRead more
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May Herpetological Happenings

Above: After successfully laying eggs, a yellow-bellied slider heads back into the pond. At this time of year many turtles are moving up to dry land to lay eggs. They turn up in the most peculiar of places in their quest for the perfect spot in which to dig a hole and lay their eggs (According to Ornithopter Operator, John Hammons, a Yellow-bellied Slider was found on the Ornithopter one May morning). Museum staff often encounter Yellow-bellied Turtles walking downRead more

Kingfisher Returns, With Some New Faces!

There were five Belted Kingfishers in the Wetlands on Wednesday afternoon (5/26). What does that mean? It means that our resident female, which is seen in the Wetlands nearly every day of the year until nesting duties call her away in April, has returned with her new family. I wasn’t able to get a close enough look to see if there were three young and both adults present or four young and just one of the parents. There was muchRead more