Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. The last nest with birds has emptied, all the birds have fledged. There are new berry baskets in each of our six nest boxes in case a bluebird, chickadee or even a house wren decides to give it another go. But, it’s late in the season and though we’ve gone into August in years past, it doesn’t seem as though it will happen this year. I see no new nest under construction, though one nestRead more
Mimi and the Pool
Top Photo: Mimi by the waterfall. It’s a well known fact that Mimi Bear likes to take a swim in the bear pool. It stands to reason that she also likes to sit next to the waterfall in the Black Bear Enclosure and let the splash cool her down in the heat of the day. Mimi’s the largest and oldest of our three bears. Note the white marks on her chest. The other bears, besides being smaller with more brownRead more
Feeling the Heat?
Top Photos: Green treefrog peeks out from frog pipe in Earth Moves. It may be hot out there, but at least their’s plenty to look at to get your mind off the temperature, somewhat. If you’re going to take a photo of a silver-spotted skipper, do it fast, they don’t sit still long. You never know what or who you’re going to run into. Yes, it’s hot, but you can’t see any of these things sitting inside with the A/CRead more
Nest Box Update 6.11.24
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We now have only one active nest with three nestlings. One nest just fledged five bluebirds while all the remaining nest boxes are empty. — The Cow Pasture, Explore the Wild, Into the Mist, Parking Deck East and Parking Deck West boxes are all without occupants, the PKW nest having just fledged their five nestlings during the past week. The Butterfly House nest box, the last on the list of weekly inspections, has three bluebirdRead more
Little Bear and Some Late Spring Encounters
Top Photo: Little Bear by the waterfall. Little Bear’s pelage stands out among our three black bears occupying the Black Bear Enclosure. The following are subjects you might encounter on our Outdoor Loop Trail in late spring to early summer, now. Two very common and widespread dragonflies, common whitetail and eastern amberwing are sure to be seen on any sunny day. Not as frequently seen but still common are Carolina saddlebags. They spend much of their time on the wing.Read more
Nest Box Update 6.4.24
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We have eight bluebird nestlings in two separate nests. Four of our nest boxes are empty with no activity. — The Cow Pasture, Explore the Wild, Into the Mist, and Parking Deck East nest boxes are all empty, but ready to go should any local avian cavity nesters feel the urge. Last week I predicted that the five bluebird nestlings in the nest box on the west side of the parking deck will have fledgedRead more
Nest Box Update 5.28.24
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We have four empty, inactive nests and two nest boxes with bluebird nestlings inside. — The Cow Pasture nest box has been cleared of nest material and a new berry basket placed inside. The Explore the Wild nest box is empty. Into the Mist is vacant. The nest box on the east side of the parking deck has no occupants. The are five, almost ready to fledge, bluebirds still being fed by their parents inRead more
Nest Box Update 5.21.24
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. First, thanks to Ranger Kade and Volunteer Sammie for conducting the nest box inspections this week in my absence (everybody deserves a little time off). They did an excellent job checking, photographing and reporting on the nest box activity during the past week. Here’s what they saw. Three nest boxes are empty. One nest box has two eggs in it, but should be labeled empty (will be, hereafter). One nest box has bluebird eggs whileRead more
Dinner Time at Red Wolf Enclosure
Top Photo: Oak, the pups, and Adeyha. Come see what’s going on at the Red Wolf Enclosure in Explore the Wild.Read more