Top Photo: Blue dasher obelisking. ODE Certain dragonfly species, when perched in bright sunshine, may raise their abdomens upward to varying degrees to align with the sun. They do this, according to researchers, to minimize the surface area which is exposed to direct sunlight, thereby avoiding overheating. The behavior is called obelisking. An obelisk is a square or rectangular structure, usually stone, tapered to a point (picture the Washington Monument). Researchers thought the dragonfly’s abdomen resembled an obelisk when describingRead more
Posts filed in: Herps
High and Dry (almost)
Top Photo: Water level dropping by the day. For weeks, no rain, the water level in our wetland kept dropping. When it looked as though the pond would become a meadow, a night of thunderstorms with heavy rain replenished the water. Though the level is still below average most of the muddy clay bottom is again wet (water level was at full as of 8 July). The turtles can swim instead of lugging it across the mud. The geese, too,Read more
Life Goes On
Top Photo: Considered invasive wherever they’ve been introduced, American bullfrog and red swamp crawfish are known for their ability to alter and take over habitats. Here’s some photos to guide you through the dry times (we’re in a drought, but life goes on). Even though we’ve been high and dry in our wetland the cattails continue to grow. Many birds have fledged in the past several weeks, like this young Carolina wren. This is an adult common grackle staking outRead more
Fox, and a lot More
Top Photo: Gray fox pup. Things are moving fast out on the outdoor loop through Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind. New life, travelers, and old friends are all making the scene. A gray fox has decided to den in a rocky depression between the Red Wolf Overlook and the Lemur House (the red wolves themselves have put out 5 young this spring). I’ve counted 3 fox pups but may have missed one, confirmation on the three. A coupleRead more
Northern Water Snake
Top Photo: Northern water snake. There’s been a northern water snake residing in amongst the sandstone steps at Water’s Edge in Explore the Wild. It’s not the first time snakes have been under and around the steps at this comfortable stop on the hike around the outdoor loop. The daytime sun warms up the rock and likely retains the heat all night. It seems to attract mating pairs. The snake that’s hanging out at the steps looks to be aRead more
More Spring
Top Photo: Tiny fruit of early spring pawpaw. A few weeks ago we saw the blooming of the pawpaw flowers. Pollination has occurred and we now have fruit growing from the stalks. Green anoles have awakened to the spring. The big males are displaying their rosy dew lap. Fringe tree blossoms have come and gone. Swamp rose has acquired galls initiated by tiny wasps, spiny rose gall wasps (Diplolepis bicolor). The wasps lay eggs in the plant stem which stimulatesRead more
Some Spring Things to Look For
Top Photo: Saucer magnolia bursting open. A week ago and the saucer magnolia flower buds were obvious but not yet open. Then, they all seemed to burst open at once. Squirrels are eagerly gathering up food and consuming it on the spot. The black walnut pictured here is just one of the many choices available, having been cached in the fall and relocated when other food is scarce. While standing on the Main Wetlands Overlook I spied a small pieceRead more
Geese, Opossum, Pollen and Turtle
Top Photo: Canada geese return to wetland. As they do every February, a pair of Canada geese have arrived to stake a claim on a piece of our wetland. More will likely show up as we roll into spring (last year we had six pair vying for space in our three acre wetland). An opossum spent the entire day some twelve feet up a vine that wrapped itself around a tree next to the Dinosaur Trail. It’s not unusual toRead more
Great Blue Heron
Top Photo: Great blue heron relaxes alongside Floating Walkway in wetlands. Over time, I’ve seen six different species of heron in our 3 acre wetland at the Museum of Life and Science. They include great blue heron, great egret, little blue heron, green heron, black-crowned night heron, and yellow-crowned night heron. By far, the most often observed species is the great blue heron (GBH). GBHs are year round residents, they nest locally and they’re used to sharing their habitat withRead more