This past Saturday, I saw an adult Pickerel Frog out on the path in Explore the Wild. It was a bright sunny, and dry day. I probably wouldn’t even mention this if it were February or March, or even April, the months when this species breeds, necessity bringing them down to the water for courting and laying eggs. Most of the rest of the year they’re up in the woods or well hidden along the edge of the water, notRead more
Posts tagged: #strawberry bush
Things to look for
As you stroll around the Outdoor Exhibits area there are many opportunities to see some very exciting sights, if you find plants, insects, and reptiles and amphibians exciting, that is. Besides the bears, wolves, lemurs, and all the great stuff in Catch the Wind there are wild creatures and plants trying to make a living out there amongst and between the exhibits. If you do find the wild fauna and flora exciting, then you’re in luck, many fruits and nutsRead more
Fall
There’s little doubt that fall is here. Warblers and other migrant birds are trickling through, the raccoons, groundhogs, and fox are feeding more heavily, and, as mentioned in a previous post, snakes are moving about more. Here’s just a few more signs of the season before us. And, not necessarily a sign of fall but perhaps a sign of exhaustion towards the summer season… Have we seen this snapper behavior before? That’s all for now.Read more
Busted Hearts on the Dino Trail
What ever you call it, Strawberry Bush, Hearts-a-bustin’, or Bursting Heart, this small, wiry shrub is unmistakable and spectacular when it goes to fruit. It usually goes unnoticed on the understory of the forest until its strawberry-like husks burst open to reveal bright red fruit in the fall. The scientific name is Euonymus americanus. You can find this plant on the Dinosaur Trail just past the Albertosaurus. It is immediatelyRead more