Top Photo: Newly emerged eastern painted turtle makes its way to pond in Explore the Wild. Tiny hatchling turtles are beginning to emerge from last summer’s nests. On Wednesday March 23, I spotted three fresh-out-of-the-nest eastern painted turtles heading for the wetlands. These tiny turtles have been underground in the nest for perhaps 200 days or more after having been deposited there by their mother last season as eggs. If conditions are right the turtles will hatch and dig theirRead more
Nest Box Update 3.22.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs from previous season. All of our six nest boxes have nest material inside their cedar walls. Three of those nests are complete and one has eggs within. One is a chickadee nest, the rest belong to bluebirds. The Cow Pasture nest box is occupied by bluebirds and has, so far, three eggs. The nest box on the service road in Explore the Wild has a half complete bluebird nest. Two years ago, this box wasRead more
Calling American Toads
Top Photo: American toad calls out from log in wetlands. During the first couple of weeks in March I’d heard an occasional American toad calling from the wetlands. On Friday March 18, they were out in numbers calling from every corner of the swamp on the west side of our wetlands in Explore the Wild. It’s a chorus of toads. The high-pitched, rolling trill, sometimes held for as long as 30 seconds, is a thrill to hear each spring, especiallyRead more
Wrens in Vapor Rings
Top Photo: Prefab wren alternate nest house in vicinity of Vapor Rings exhibit in Catch the Wind. Each year at this time we check the air canons at the Vapor Rings Exhibit to see if they have Carolina wren nests in them. There usually is at least some nest material in one or more of the canons. If there is, it’s removed. If we catch it before there’re eggs in the nest we consider it a job well done. WeRead more
Pickerel Frogs in the Water
Top Photo: Male pickerel frog on his way to pond to seek a mate. Besides spring peepers and chorus frogs, pickerel frogs are one of the earliest breeding frogs here in central North Carolina. Starting in February you can hear their rolling, snore-like call coming from low wet areas including ephemeral and permanent bodies of water. They’re calling right now here at the museum. I’ve already spotted eggs. Adult pickerel frogs are about 2 – 3.5 inches. Females average largerRead more
Nest Box Update 3.15.22
Top Photo: Bluebird eggs from a previous season. Over the past week, two nest boxes have change somewhat, while all the rest remain as they were last week. At last week’s inspection the nest box at the Cow Pasture contained a near complete bluebird’s nest. The nest is still in the box but hasn’t shown any progress, no new nest material added and certainly no eggs. The Explore the Wild nest box is empty with no sign of activity. Curiously,Read more
A New Beginning
Top Photo: A great blue heron, an old wood duck nest box mounting pole, and a stake with a blue flag on it. The heron in the above photo just happened to be on scene when the photo was taken and has nothing to do with this story. The pole with the predator guard (cone shaped object) is where a wood duck nest box had been mounted. The stake to the right is the location a new pole and nestRead more
More Squirrel “Food”
Top Photo: Gray squirrel enjoys what’s left of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We all know squirrels like to eat various roots, nuts, pine and other seeds. But those foods are either seasonal, difficult to acquire, or buried underground in a place where the squirrel simply can’t remember. Fortunately for them, there are plenty of alternative food sources, wherever people tend to gather. As a follow up on last week’s post, Pollen, Butterflies, and Squirrels, you can add theRead more
Nest Box Update 3.8.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs (previous season). Each year I monitor six nest boxes placed in various locations throughout the museum’s 84 acres from March to August. Over the last 10 or so years that I’ve done the project habitat has changed, new exhibits have been built, and nest boxes have been moved to accommodate it all. I check the nest boxes once a week (Tuesdays) in the same order, Train Tunnel or Cow Pasture (TT), Explore the Wild (ETW),Read more