There’s been a few additions and changes made to our 6 nest boxes. While last week we had three bluebird nests and two chickadee nests, we now have the reverse. One nest which was started by bluebirds has been topped off by chickadees, with the deposition of two eggs! There’s a total of 5 eggs on the trail, and the one nest that had remained untouched for several weeks has seen activity. Last week the nest box in the CowRead more
Nest Box Update 3.28.18
We’re on the move. All of our nest boxes have seen some sort of activity the past week. Three bluebird nests are underway, two chickadee nests, and one nest box has had been modified slightly by some unknown entity. The nest box at the Cow Pasture which contained some 3” of moss last week has now been topped off with fur and feathers. A well-defined cup has yet to be made to finish off the nest, but that may veryRead more
Sky High Raptors
What do the 2 two geese (above) have to do with raptors, or birds of prey? Well, if I hadn’t been paying attention to those two geese I would not have seen a bald eagle soaring over our wetlands last week. As I approached a corner of our 750’ boardwalk near the Black Bear Exhibit, I noticed our two resident Canada geese below me in the water. As I peered over the rail, I realized both geese were staring skyward.Read more
Sailboat Pond, Bright and Shiny
Back in February, we began the process of performing some much-needed maintenance on the Sailboat Pond in Catch the Wind, a favorite of the thousands of kids that make their way through our outdoor exhibit area. The pond’s bottom and walls needed to be resurfaced and a new plumbing system installed. The pond needed to be drained, scooped out, scraped and painted, a dirty and messy job. The last time this type of maintenance was performed was in May ofRead more
Nest Box Update 3.20.18
Although it’s been minimal, there has been activity in some of our six nest boxes. And, I’ve had to move one nest box due to exhibit construction. So, I can at least report something other than “No changes in the nest boxes” this week. A Carolina chickadee has begun a nest in the nest box at the Cow Pasture near the train tunnel. The nest is not complete, but nearly so. The nest box on the service road in ExploreRead more
Out For a Walk
You never know who you’ll come across out on the paths here at the Museum. Out for a stroll in the warm sunshine yesterday (above, l-r) were Sarah, Lightning, Cooper, Chris, and Terrence. It seems all were in a happy, springtime mood.Read more
Nest Box Update 3.13.18
Not surprisingly, there have been no changes to the nest boxes since last week’s inspection. No new nests have been started and the one which had the beginnings of a bluebird nest last week, the Butterfly House nest box, looks the same. The weather needs to improve before we see more in the way of nest building. As usual, we’ll have to wait till next week to see what happens on our six nest box, bluebird trail.Read more
Hunting Hawk
Keep and eye out for the red-shouldered hawk pictured here while you stroll through our outdoor exhibits, especially near the wetlands and the wooded area on the far side of the outdoor loop. This hawk has been actively hunting frogs (mostly pickerel frogs) from low perches, often very close to the path. The hawk is very people tolerant and will allow a close approach. All its attention seems focused on the task, catching food. Don’t push your luck though, itRead more
Just a Few Tree Thoughts
While this post is mostly pictures of trees along our paths here at the museum, there is some news to impart and to perhaps think about. Most of our elms and red cedars are only recently past blooming, but other trees still have their seeds attached from last year’s growing season and are far from flowering anew. Try to catch the trees backlit against a severe clear blue sky. Just a week ago male red cedar flowers were sending off theirRead more