Top Photo: Amur maple seeds. It’s a warm day in February, just the weather for strolling around campus. Here’s a mere handful of what you might see while you’re out there this week. There’s much more out there than this small sample of goodies suggests. So what are you waiting for, get out and have a look around!Read more
Posts filed in: Flora
Quick Pics
Top Photo: Drake mallard backlit against morning sun. Just a few shots along outdoor loop at Museum of Life and Science. What have you seen out there?Read more
Three Drupe Producers
Top Photo: Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) flower buds. Just a brief reminder that Japanese apricot is about to burst into bloom, thorny olive is fruiting, and American holly still has plenty of fruit left over to satisfy the resident robins, wintering hermit thrushes, and visiting waxwings. Two of these plants are non-natives while the last, American holly, is born and bred. They all produce drupes, fruits that have one central seed surrounded by a fleshy, usually edible, part and skinRead more
Juniper Berries Anyone?
Top Photo: American robin foraging on eastern red cedar. Had you visited the Red Wolf Enclosure’s overlook in the past few days you may have heard the chortle of robins above. You may have had juniper berries rain down on your head. You may have seen a dozen or more birds flitting about, knocking the small blue fruit off the tree limbs in their zeal to consume them. American robins, bluebirds, hermit thrushes, sapsuckers and yellow-rumped warblers have all beenRead more
Take a Few Steps
Top Photo: Northern cardinal suns itself on railing of Main Wetlands Overlook. I was about 15 feet or so from the cardinal in the photo above. You can sometimes sneak in closer to birds or other animals when they’re distracted, like the bird here, sunning itself. When the bird turns its head away, take a step forward, then stop, step and stop, each time the bird looks away take a quick and quiet step. Don’t rush it. Be patient. KeepRead more
New Bear, Rose Hips, and an At Home Mockingbird
Top Photo: A panoramic view of the wetlands from the boardwalk. We have a new black bear in our Black Bear Enclosure which brings the number of ursine occupants at the museum to four. That includes Mimi, Gus, Little, and now an approximately 9 month old male cub (not yet named) in residence. You may see him pacing back and forth in front of the overlook in Explore the Wild. Don’t fret, there’s always a period of anxiety when newRead more
Squirrels, Kinglets, and Sapsuckers
Top Photo: Eastern gray squirrel stares from railing. Gray squirrels are all over the campus of the Museum of Life and Science, and they’re quite tame. If you have a bird feeder in your yard you’re probably all too familiar with gray squirrels. Despite their frustrating ability to eat most of what you put out for the birds, you have to hand it to them, they’re crafty beasts and can be fun to watch. Small, frenetic and always on theRead more
Fall Color
Top Photo: Ginko, just begining to turn. Fall colors. Who needs the mountains for color! As far as the crunchability of the leaves once they hit the ground, check out my assessment of certain species and the quality of their crunch here. Of course, it’s mostly my personal opinion, you may have different favorites. But do check it out.Read more
Another Sphinx?
Top Photo: Fourth instar banded sphinx moth caterpillar (photo – Ranger Lauren). What at first appeared to be a new species of sphinx moth caterpillar on the quickly fading wingleaf primrose-willow (Ludwigia decurrens) in our wetlands here at the museum, turned out to be another of many banded sphinx moths (Eumorpha fasciatus) seen this year. It was a 4th instar caterpillar, and so, different in pattern than the preceding 3 stages and the following and final 5th stage of caterpillarRead more