I haven’t seen a Pied-billed Grebe in the Wetlands here at the Museum since the fall of 2009, three years ago. I first noticed the current grebe on September 19, one week earlier than the first time I spied the 2009 grebe. That bird stayed with us into December of that year. Hope this one stays a while too! We usually lose our Green Herons to the migratory urge in late September, so we may not be seeing this one for muchRead more
Posts tagged: #wetlands
Racer
This Black Racer (or one just like it) has recently been very active along the path between the two Wetlands Overlooks. Tuesday, I saw it attempt to cross the path three times, each attempt was interrupted by passers by. Yesterday it was taking life easy, coiled up in one of our water snakes’ favorite spots on the north side of the Wetlands.Read more
The Ice Cometh and the Ice Goeth
The first few days of the year brought with them the first ice over of the Wetlands. The ice will soon be history, all gone. I, or we, know that the ice will be gone within a day or two since the TV, internet, and radio tells us these things ahead of time. But for some of the creatures that live in and depend on the Wetlands for food, ice is not a good thing and it can’t be predictedRead more
The Crayfish Among Us: Part II
Our Wetlands is Changing! In August I wrote about a pile of crayfish hatchlings that I found on the path in Explore the Wild. I also wrote about how those crayfish are not native to our area and how they may be completely changing the Wetlands. The crayfish that I see and capture in our Wetlands are Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). I first noticed these large crayfish with the red claws a little over two years ago. Then, it was unusual toRead more
Sandpiper Solitaire
After the rains of Tropical Storm Lee last week the water level in the Wetlands is back to normal. Prior to the rains the water had been quite low exposing much of the muddy bottom of the pond, great habitat for foraging migrant shorebirds. On September 1, a Solitary Sandpiper dropped in to take advantage of that habitat. Solitary Sandpipers are one of three “most likely to be seen” shorebirds on the list of species here at the Museum, along withRead more
Yellow-crowned Stays Another Day!
I thought I’d go down to the Wetlands early (relatively early) to see if the night heron that showed up yesterday was still around. At first I thought that the bird had moved on, until I checked the secondary Wetlands Overlook (near the Lemurs). It had rained 3-5 inches the day before and there weren’t many exposed areas in the swamp for a night heron to hunt from, but the bird had found one on the back side of theRead more
Will they stay or will they go!
The latest that I’ve observed Hooded Mergansers in the Wetlands was April 10 back in 2009 when a lone female was seen taking off from the water of the Wetlands, circled to gain altitude and left for points unknown. Typically, they leave by the last week in March. There have been 10-13 individuals in the Wetlands for the past several weeks, mostly females. There are three adult males and at least one male in immature plumage. The pair in theRead more
People and Birds in the News
Last Wednesday (1/5/11) was a busy day here at the Museum. Besides the sightings of a Barred Owl, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Cooper’s Hawk, two other raptorial birds were seen on the trails of the outdoor areas. Master Teachers Meredith Cochran and Anna Engelke were spotted walking Christopher and Misha, the Museum’s Barred Owl and Red-tailed Hawk. Both the owl and the hawk are birds which were injured in the wild and whose injuries are such that they can not fendRead more
After the Snow
Just three shots of what Explore the Wild looks like two days after the unusually early snowfall of December 25-26, which is already beginning to melt. Enjoy the snow while it lasts.Read more