Top Photo: Just out of nest, this yellow bellied slider was headed for the water when it was noticed and picked up by visitors. April has arrived, a big month in the Carolina Piedmont, a transitional month. Turtles that have spent the winter in the ground where their mothers deposited them as eggs last summer are making their way to water to begin the next phase of their lives. If they make it past this first summer they stand aRead more
Posts filed in: weather
End of Winter Musings
Top Photo: Oka patiently waits for his companion Martha. Mating season for red wolves is January and February. With a 63 day average gestation period most red wolf pups are born in April or May. The majority of red wolves we’ve housed here at the museum were active during January and February, and have indeed been photographed while tied together. I’ve most often photo’d the wolves while they were mating during the third week in February. Martha, our female, spendsRead more
Merganser in the Wetlands
Top Photo: Some of the fourteen hooded mergansers in the wetlands at the end of December. From mid-November to about the middle of April hooded mergansers are a common sight in our wetlands. Some days you may see a lone merg in the pond and other days there may be a dozen or more. The birds fly back and forth between local area ponds. But unless the pond is frozen over there’s bound to be a merganser or two presentRead more
It’s as Cold as Ice (bears, wolves, hawks)
Top Photo: Ice forming on waterfall at Black Bear Enclosure. Cold night temperatures have been freezing the water flowing over the rocks at the waterfall in the bear enclosure. The cooler air has also been making the bears increasingly drowsy, which makes seeing them more challenging to the human observer. Our bears tend to sleep more during the colder days of the year. They don’t go into full hibernation, the temperatures don’t stay cold long enough here on the Piedmont.Read more
Colors of November: mostly leaves and fruit with a few animals mixed in
Top Photo: Hazel, or common, alder cones. From plush summer greens to fall yellows and reds, the time is upon us. We are there. Fall. Enjoy the colors while you can. Here’s what I saw while out on the loop (in no particular order). Remember, you can’t see it if you’re not there. So, what are you waiting for, go out and have a look around!Read more
Leaf Crunch’n
Top Photo: Sycamore, ready to crunch. It’s that time of year to think about crunching leaves. Click on the link below to see a repeat of a post from 2021 that will, hopefully, get you in the mood. It’s Crunch Time! Ranger GregRead more
October Awakenings
Top Photo: Mating common snapping turtles in the spring create hatchlings for the fall (see below). Snapping turtles have a rough and tumble mating season. The choosing and sorting out of mating partners can be rather violent. But for snapping turtles it’s a necessary part of the process which occurs each spring and summer. Rest comes next for the big males. Snapping turtles leave the water infrequently and for only a very few good reasons (a basking snapping turtle isRead more