New Species

Top Photo: A new species for the museum. I was watching and photoing the heron in the above image when I noticed the bird glance skyward. And, as I’ve said many times here on this blog, “when a bird looks up towards the sky, it’s a good idea to follow suit.” There’s likely to be something interesting up there. At first I saw nothing as I turned and looked to the area of sky in which the heron seemed toRead more

Fall Goings On

Top Photo: Bald-faced hornet hive. It’s been drizzling, raining, and downright pouring over the past week or more here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. But, life goes on, herons gotta eat, snakes too, and wasps have to keep building additions to their hives as their numbers increase, you can’t stop progress. If, over the last week or so, you’ve happened to make it out past Hideaway Woods, our new outdoor playscape full of tree houses, woodland stream, nature trails, stick built “castles” and hammocks hungRead more

Bluebird Update 7.21.15

This morning’s (7/21) check of our six bluebird nest boxes indicated that the season is at an end. There will be no further nesting this season. The three nest boxes that had nesting material within have not been added to or manipulated in any manner. A paper wasp lives in the nest box at the Sailboat Pond and an orb weaver (spider) resides at the Picnic Dome nest box.         The Cow Pasture nest box produced fourRead more
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Bluebird Update 7.14.15

The last of the active nests has been vacated. The three bluebirds that have been fed and protected by their parents for the past several weeks in the nest box at the Butterfly House, have fledged. They are out in the real world learning how to secure food for themselves, find shelter, and hopefully avoid predators. The only activity in any of the nest boxes is that of spiders and wasps.     The paper wasp nest at the Sailboat PondRead more

Bluebird Update 6.30.15

It’s the end of June. We have two active bluebird nests with three nestlings each. The bluebird nest in the Amphimeadow nest box has three nestlings. They are at least ten days old, appearing to have hatched just prior to last week’s inspection of their nest box (6/23/15).       Like the Amphimeadow nest, the Butterfly House nest contains three nestlings. One of its eggs did not hatch. The nest’s inhabitants appear to be six days old. They’re certainly no more than that since theyRead more

Bluebird Update 6.23.15

One of the two currently active nests here at the Museum has hatched its eggs (most of its eggs) and a bluebird female is incubating her clutch in another nest. Activity is slow to non-existent in the other four nest boxes. The bluebird nest at the Cow Pasture has seen some progress, but I’m afraid it ends there. It’s perhaps the heat, or maybe it’s the slow down of hormonal juices, but the bluebird that had been building this nest seems not atRead more

Bluebird Update 6.16.15

Since last week, there has been another bluebird nest started and one additional egg laid in an existing nest. A bluebird nest has been started in the nest box at the Cow Pasture. This nest box has already fledged four bluebirds. We’ll have to wait to see if the bluebirds finish the nest. Birds sometimes start a nest without completing them when the season is this far advanced.     The nest box next to the Bungee has not been worked on forRead more

Bluebird Update 6.9.15

We are now hosting two bluebird nests with a total of seven eggs. The Cow Pasture nest box remains empty. There’s still time, and this box typically does well, so I’m hoping for some activity soon.     The nest box next to the Bungee (Take Off) looks like it did last week when I inspected the nest boxes, it has an unfinished bluebird nest inside. I wasn’t sure the bluebirds would follow through on this nest because of its less thanRead more

Bluebird Update 5.19.15

Top photo: Nest box at Cow pasture. All of our six nest boxes are empty! The bluebird nestlings that were in the Cow Pasture, Amphimeadow, and Butterfly House nests have all fledged, an additional twelve bluebirds (4 in each nest) have joined the local avifauna. One nest box has been relieved of it occupants, and two others are waiting new residents. The nest boxes at both the Bungee Jump and the Sailboat Pond are empty and waiting for occupants. The Bungee nestRead more