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
New Years Feeder Birds
Top Photo: Northern Mockingbird (not really a feeder bird, but I like the picture). Here’s 19 species (18 birds, 1 mammal) to keep an eye out for at Bird Viewing in Catch the Wind (there’s a cluster of bird feeders at the site). None of the birds (or mammal) are rare. All are year-round residents except four, a woodpecker, a sparrow, a warbler, and a thrush (October-April). Most of the birds visit the feeders on a regular basis. If youRead 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
Gray Squirrel and the Hawk
Top Photo: Red-tailed hawk cruises over the museum’s airspace. As cold weather descends on us, our resident eastern gray squirrels reinforce the insulation in their nests. The one in the following photos apparently caught the attention of one of the local red-tailed hawks. The redtail came in for a closer look as the squirrel made haste for the nest. Alerted by Animal Care Patrick (Pattie) to all of this activity, I was able to get a few shots to share.Read more
Winter Tolerant
Top Photo: Fatsia Japonica growing on Dinosaur Trail, Museum of Life and Science. Our two late fall and winter blooming plants on the Dinosaur Trail are flowering, Fatsia and Mahonia. Neither are native plants but have been planted on the trail as examples, or at least relatives, of plants that were common at the time dinosaurs may have populated the area. There are also ginkgo trees and several palms along the way. On mild winter days you may see honeyRead more
Grass, Passerines, Ducks, Hyla, Fungi, and Mammals (lemurs, red wolves, and w-t deer)
Top Photo: Grasses blow in the cool wind from the floating walkway in the wetlands in Explore the Wild. Seed production and dispersal is part of fall. The seed produced by the grasses in the wetlands will carry far and wide with the help of the wind. As of November 20, there were still a few green tree frogs hanging on in Catch the Wind and Explore the Wild. They were juveniles. Alder blooms in February. The male catkins andRead more
Marbled Arachnid
Top Photo: Marbled orb-weaver negotiates the forest leaf litter. Marbled orb-weavers (Araneus marmoreous) are striking spiders. Large bright yellow or orange abdomens with hieroglyphic-like markings set it apart from the other orb-weavers out and about in the Piedmont at this time of year. They’re one of the most easily identifiable and latest, in terms of seasonality, spiders out there. I typically come across one per fall season here at the museum. Today, I saw two. Like other orb weavers theseRead more
Finding Martha: and Oka too
Top Photo: West side of red wolf enclosure. Our new resident red wolves (Martha and Oka) have come from a facility which did not have them on daily display. They’re not used to having people at front and center of their habitat. They will, I’m sure, get used to human visitors, but it may take time. Our male Oka spends most of his day sleeping on the far west side (left side) of the enclosure curled up or stretched outRead more