Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We have two fledged bluebirds and four more in the same nest which are ready to fly the coop. The other five nest boxes are empty and waiting for occupation. The Cow Pasture bluebirds which numbered six last week, are fledging. There were four bluebirds tucked into the nest against our intrusion this morning, two had already fledged. The coaxing parents were in the trees above us as we peeked into the nest box. I’llRead more
Nest Box Update 6.14.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. There’s one active nest. It should be void of birds within the week. The Cow Pasture nest box is the only one with occupants. It’s difficult to distinguish one bird from the next, crammed into the bottom of the nest, but I managed to count half a dozen birds. The six bluebird nestlings may fledge before the next nest box inspection, a week from now. The Explore the Wild and Into the Mist nest boxesRead more
And Along Came Summer
Top Photo: Eight-spotted forester and dogbane. Summer’s here and the time is right for checking out nature. Sure it’s a little hot, but you might just as well accept it and get out there. You’ll be missing a lot of interesting sights if you don’t. Here’s some photos of some of what you might see. There’s a patch of dogbane in front of the Butterfly House which attracts numerous flying insects to its tiny flower’s nectar. One such insect isRead more
Nest Box Update 6.7.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. Two active nests include nine nestlings, six newly hatched bluebirds and what appears to be three house wrens. The Cow Pasture bluebird eggs have hatched. The birds’ eyes have yet to open. The parents are steadily supplying their offspring with plenty of protein. I can clearly count six nestlings. The nest box at Explore the Wild remains empty. Into the Mist has attracted no further activity in its nest box. Though I counted six nestlingRead more
Tree Swallows Fledge
Top Photo: Two young tree swallows wait at entrance hole to nest box. The nest box pictured here was installed in the wetlands during the first half of March. Though the nest box was intended for either wood ducks or hooded mergansers, by the first week of April tree swallows were actively building a nest in the spacious structure. I’m happy to say that tree swallows have now fledged from the nest as of Saturday, the fourth day of June.Read more
A Dip in the Pool
Top Photo: Mimi Bear swims in upper pool at Main Black Bear Overlook. If you know our black bears, you know that Mimi is the one who likes a little dip in the pool more than any of the others, though lately Little Bear is giving Mimi a run for the money. But regardless of the two bears’ mutual fondness for water, Mimi prefers to swim alone, all by herself. Little Bear tends to annoy the adult female bears inRead more
Nest Box Update 6.1.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. There are now 6 bluebird eggs and 6 house wren nestlings occupying our nest boxes. The 6 bluebird eggs in the nest box at the Cow Pasture have yet to hatch. I saw no adults in the vicinity so I can’t determine whether the eggs are being incubated. If they are, we should see hatchlings by nest week’s inspection. As always, the nest in the box at Explore the Wild is unoccupied. There’s been noRead more
Nest Box Update 5.24.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We currently have 12 eggs in two active nests on our bluebird trail. One nest holds 6 bluebird eggs, the other 6 house wren eggs. I was surprised to find 3 additional eggs above last week’s 3 in the Cow Pasture nest on today’s inspection of nest boxes. As I mentioned last week, the second brood is usually smaller one than the first. This nest has as many eggs as the initial nest in thisRead more
Fake Eyes, a Lady with a White Spot, and a Skipper with a Silver Spot.
Top Photo: Eyed click beetle prepares to take flight. Fake Eyes Eyed click beetles (Alaus oculatus), or eyed elaters (elators), are large beetles in the click beetle family (Elateridae). Click beetles can launch themselves into the air via a spring-loaded latch and hinge mechanism between their abdomen and thorax. If you place the beetle on its back, and it still has plenty of energy stored in its body, it will flip several inches straight up into the air accompanied byRead more