Looking Back: Insects

With the closing of the year it’s perhaps time to look back and see what we’ve observed on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. Below, in the appropriate segments, I give totals for some of the species seen since January of last year. This past year I’ve tallied 27 species of odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. To some that may seem like a large number. Considering that there are about 190 speciesRead more

Looking Back: Flora

With the closing of the year it’s perhaps time to look back and see what we’ve observed on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. With plenty of rain and no deep freezes during spring, it was a fairly good year for the berry, seed, and nut crop. Many people in the Triangle area are reporting lower than usual numbers of certain birds at their feeders, particularly northern seed-eating species. This is anecdotal, but it would seem that the birdsRead more

Gulls and Warblers

On the 3rd of December three Ring-billed Gulls flew over the Museum. In the grand scheme, this is really not a standout moment. Ring-billed Gulls are common in the area during late fall to mid spring and abundant during the winter months at local reservoirs and, during periods of bad weather, mall parking lots. I hadn’t seen one of these gulls over the Museum grounds since last March so it was exciting to add it to the list of birdRead more

Tadpole Activity?

I, and several Museum Staff and Guests, noticed a swarm of Bullfrog tadpoles at the northwest corner of the Wetlands during the first part of December. Water is flowing through a pipe and emptying into the water at that corner of the Wetlands. Tadpoles had collected around the pipe in large numbers. I can’t say what they were doing, but it seemed as though they were feeding on something coming out of the pipe. Or, perhaps the water coming fromRead more

Where Are the Insects?

Few insects have been reported over the past several weeks — it’s cold outside! But, even with the colder weather there are still insects among us. If you look hard enough you can find a few crickets under the grass alongside the path on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop, perhaps a grasshopper, or a few beetles. But there’s more than just a few crickets, a grasshopper and a beetle or two around. Consider all the dragonflies, beetles, grasshoppers,Read more

Gum Balls and Mistletoe

This is a good time of year to look up among the bare branches of the trees for what couldn’t be seen when they were covered with leaves. The seeds of Sweetgums are enclosed in ball-shaped “fruits” or husks. The seeds are eaten by many birds and animals. In the two images at the top left, you can see an American Goldfinch perched among sweetgum balls, then reach down to pick a seed from one of the prickly balls. AppropriateRead more