Yellowjacket, Green Anole, Winter Wren, and Marbled Spider

Top Photo: A worker yellowjacket enters the tunnel to its subterranean hive. Yellowjackets nest underground, though they may construct a hive in a hollowed out log, under the siding of your house, or in other seemingly vacant and unattended cavities. The ground, however, is the most frequent site chosen by a queen in spring. A single queen constructs the below-ground hive and tends to the initial eggs, larvae and pupae. Once workers emerge from pupation they take over all dutiesRead more

Winter Flycatcher

Top Photo: Eastern phoebe sits atop finial on umbrella at Main Wetlands Overlook. It’s a common sight on the museum outdoor loop, a phoebe perched atop a twig, branch, light post, railing, or just about any other object which affords a clear view of passing airborne insects. Eastern phoebes eat insects and catch the vast majority of them on the wing. They’ve been observed eating fruit when available, like mulberries in spring and wax myrtle, holly, and even poison ivyRead more

Snow

It doesn’t snow often in our locale (Central North Carolina). And, when it does, it melts quickly. You better get out and enjoy it while it lasts. In case you missed it, I took some photos for you. (all photos 2.21.20) See you next time!Read more

Snow

In the case that some of you missed the snow this week, couldn’t get out in it, or don’t own a camera, here’s some photos of what you missed. We don’t often get a healthy snow here in the North Carolina Piedmont and it usually disappears within days of falling. It’s worth the effort to get out and enjoy it.  Read more

Ice and Snow

    What will tomorrow bring? Here’s what it brought, more ice and snow! We hope the snow will be all gone by tomorrow. A few small patches may remain, where the sun doesn’t shine so brightly, but melt it will. Till next time, snow!Read more

Snowflakes

It doesn’t happen very often here in the North Carolina Piedmont, but when the temperature is just right, and the moisture level is just right, there’s the potential to get a look at some “real” snowflakes, and not the icy, mushy, freezing presip that we usually get around here. On Friday last, fowl weather was predicted by the local weather folks. There would be two bands of winter weather coming in from the west. The first band came through lateRead more

Waxwings!

Yesterday, I noticed a few Cedar Waxwings flying about the trees on the path leading towards Explore the Wild just above the Lemur House. I watched quietly as one bird preened, looked around a bit and then took off with a purpose in the direction of the Lemur House. “There must be more of these birds around,” I said to myself, “and there must be some ripe berries somewhere over by the lemurs.” Walking down the path I saw whatRead more

Another winter update, w/wolf on the side

Hazel Alder, which grows on the north side of the Wetlands, typically blooms in February. It looks as though it’ll be right on time. There are both male catkins and female flowers (small reddish spikes at top of photo) forming on the plants. The fertilized flowers will become tiny “cones” which look very much like miniature pine cones. Over at Bird Viewing (the feeders) I saw a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches after not seeing them for several weeks. And, aRead more

Sap Sucking Woodpecker

You may have read about Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers here before. Type in sapsucker in the search box on the top right and you’ll see many posts which contain the word sapsucker (<- that’s just one). Here’s two – more. Why do I mention sapsucker so often? Read on (and read the three links above too). Sapsuckers are winter visitors here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. We start seeing them in October and most are gone by April. They go about their business quietly,Read more