Nature Watch
July 25, 2007
By Sue Benson
Director of Education, Cable Natural History Museum
Keep your eyes out for the Eastern gray treefrog, a common species throughout Wisconsin. The population of these frogs has been increasing, possibly because of their ability to survive on the edge of human development. This treefrog prefers forested uplands near water to sustain good populations. Its scientific name, Hyla versicolor, is appropriate as its color varies depending on the temperature and surroundings, changing from bright green to gray with a range of mottled colors in between.
Sandhill crane chicks and young mallards have learned to fly in the past week. Crows have begun to flock together, and are often seen out in the fields, probably feasting on grasshoppers. Bird songs in the forest have decreased to almost nothing with the end of the nesting season. Keep your ears tuned for the few songs that remain – that of the veery (a resonating, ethereal descending song,) great-crested flycatcher (ascending wheep,) red-eyed vireos (Here I am, where are you? sounds), and the American robin.
Serviceberries and pin cherries should be peaking now. Sunflower, joe pye weed, spotted jewelweed, and goldenrod are in bloom. Goldenrods often have a “bad rap” for the onset of summer hay fever. These plants do produce pollen but in small quantities, heavy and sticky, attracting insects for pollination, but not carried on the wind. It is instead common ragweed that ushers in the hay fever season as this plant now begins to bloom. Although not recognized by most people, the tiny ragweed flowers produce huge quantities of very light pollen that is caught by the wind and can be carried for distances greater than 125 miles.
Common butterflies flitting about on blooming wildflowers include the white admirals, identified through their black wings with a broad white band; and fritillaries, a common group of butterflies of different sizes that can be seen in sunny meadows, with wings that are orange with broken black spots and occasional metallic silver marks.
Chipmunks begin collecting and storing seeds now through the end of October and can cache away as many as eight pounds of food to eat during the winter. Deer antler growth is nearing its peak. In the aquatic world, northern pike and muskellunge fingerlings are leaving the shelter of wetlands for open water.
For early risers, Mars and Mercury are both visible before sunrise in the eastern sky. For those who are late to bed, the Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on July 28. The meteors can be seen over many nights before and after that date, so get outdoors to catch a shooting star. The second full moon of the month is July 29.
Become a phenologist! Begin recording the dates you observe the blooming of your favorite flowers, or the last day you hear the beautiful song of the veery in the forest in your backyard. Collect annual data that will allow you to create your own almanac so that you may notice how climate and weather play a major role in the life cycles of plants and animals.
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at http://www.cablemuseum.org/ to learn more about exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Osprey
Nature Watch
July 20, 2007
By Sue Benson,
Director of Education, CNHM
Flight of the Fish Hawk
On a lazy summer day at your favorite lake or river, chances are good you’ll spot a bald eagle soaring high overhead or looking down from its perch on the upper branches of a big white pine. Thanks to cleaner waterways, habitat preservation, and federal and state protection, the once-rare eagle is now a common sight in the north woods.
While scanning the skies, though, you may be lucky enough to catch sight of another big raptor, one less common than the eagle but also found along rivers, lakes or wetlands. With a six-foot wingspan and a white head, the osprey might be mistaken for a bald eagle, though a closer look will reveal the bird’s distinguishing characteristics.
Perhaps most notable are the osprey’s wings, which look somewhat crooked because in flight they’re angled backward at the wrist. In contrast to the dark-bodied bald eagle, the underside of an osprey’s head, neck, chest, legs and wings are white; its tail is a mix of white and brown stripes.
Also known as the “fish hawk,” the osprey eats almost exclusively fish. The bird hovers over open water until it eyes its prey, then plunges downward feet first to grab the unsuspecting fish. Ospreys can’t swim, and occasionally drown when they latch on to a fish too large to lift from the water.
While bald eagles may spend the winter up north, ospreys migrate to warmer southern states in the fall and return to Wisconsin in mid-April to mate and nest. The nests are located near water and built on top of trees, power poles or human-made osprey nesting platforms. The nests themselves are usually more than three feet wide and are made of big sticks lined with grasses and weeds. During the month it takes for eggs to incubate, the female osprey rarely leaves the nest, while the male brings her fish to eat.
Though ospreys live on all continents except Antarctica, they have never been numerous in Wisconsin. In the 1950s, their modest population declined due to the harmful impacts of pesticides like DDT. Once these substances were banned in the early 1970s, osprey populations began to recover. In 1989 the osprey was reclassified from “endangered” to “threatened” in Wisconsin, but seeing these powerful, graceful birds remains a rare, exciting treat.
Brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. They invite you to visit their facility in Cable on 43570 Kavanaugh Street or at the website at http://www.cablemuseum.org/ to learn more about their exhibits and programs.
July 20, 2007
By Sue Benson,
Director of Education, CNHM
Flight of the Fish Hawk
On a lazy summer day at your favorite lake or river, chances are good you’ll spot a bald eagle soaring high overhead or looking down from its perch on the upper branches of a big white pine. Thanks to cleaner waterways, habitat preservation, and federal and state protection, the once-rare eagle is now a common sight in the north woods.
While scanning the skies, though, you may be lucky enough to catch sight of another big raptor, one less common than the eagle but also found along rivers, lakes or wetlands. With a six-foot wingspan and a white head, the osprey might be mistaken for a bald eagle, though a closer look will reveal the bird’s distinguishing characteristics.
Perhaps most notable are the osprey’s wings, which look somewhat crooked because in flight they’re angled backward at the wrist. In contrast to the dark-bodied bald eagle, the underside of an osprey’s head, neck, chest, legs and wings are white; its tail is a mix of white and brown stripes.
Also known as the “fish hawk,” the osprey eats almost exclusively fish. The bird hovers over open water until it eyes its prey, then plunges downward feet first to grab the unsuspecting fish. Ospreys can’t swim, and occasionally drown when they latch on to a fish too large to lift from the water.
While bald eagles may spend the winter up north, ospreys migrate to warmer southern states in the fall and return to Wisconsin in mid-April to mate and nest. The nests are located near water and built on top of trees, power poles or human-made osprey nesting platforms. The nests themselves are usually more than three feet wide and are made of big sticks lined with grasses and weeds. During the month it takes for eggs to incubate, the female osprey rarely leaves the nest, while the male brings her fish to eat.
Though ospreys live on all continents except Antarctica, they have never been numerous in Wisconsin. In the 1950s, their modest population declined due to the harmful impacts of pesticides like DDT. Once these substances were banned in the early 1970s, osprey populations began to recover. In 1989 the osprey was reclassified from “endangered” to “threatened” in Wisconsin, but seeing these powerful, graceful birds remains a rare, exciting treat.
Brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. They invite you to visit their facility in Cable on 43570 Kavanaugh Street or at the website at http://www.cablemuseum.org/ to learn more about their exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Mid July
Nature Watch
July 11, 2007
By Sue Benson,
CNHM, Director of Education
What is new in the natural world this next week? The Eastern phoebe, gray-brown above, and white below, often seen pumping its tail when perching, is beginning its second nesting brood. By now pheasants and ducks will have hatched, and egrets and great blue herons have fledged from their nests.
The first generation of monarchs is appearing right now. Male katydids can be heard at night as they rub their legs over their rasped and ridged wings like a fiddle and bow as they call. They can be seen in trees as they feed on oak, cherry, and maple trees. In the world of spiders, the young, called spiderlings, can be seen riding the wind to a new home by casting their long-spun threads into the air from tree tops.
Deer flies are out in force. These adults are strong fliers, and appear in early summer with females feeding on blood while males feed on flower nectar, honeydew, plant juices, and other liquids. Deer fly females feed on the blood of many warmblooded animals, including humans. Deer flies do not have piercing/sucking mouthparts like mosquitoes. They bite a hole in your skin with their strong mandibles, put a little saliva-like material in the wound to keep the blood from clotting and lap up the blood with a sponge-like proboscis.
Wild raspberries are beginning to ripen. Black-eyed Susan’s are blooming, and are usually found surrounded by a host of butterflies, wasps, bees, flies and beetles. Wild bergamot, a lavender colored flower, found in sunny areas, will begin blooming.
Looking south at night, the brightest "star" in this area is the planet Jupiter. Aim a pair of binoculars at them to view any of this planet’s moons. Around July 16, the new moon will be close to Saturn, Venus and Leo’s bright star Regulus – all visible on the western horizon.
Become a phenologist! Plant your own butterfly garden, and see what comes for a visit, or turn on a night light and observe and record what flies in – try it different times during the summer to see different moth species.
Brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. They invite you to visit their facility in Cable on 43570 Kavanaugh Street or at the website at http://www.cablemuseum.org/ to learn more about their exhibits and programs.
July 11, 2007
By Sue Benson,
CNHM, Director of Education
What is new in the natural world this next week? The Eastern phoebe, gray-brown above, and white below, often seen pumping its tail when perching, is beginning its second nesting brood. By now pheasants and ducks will have hatched, and egrets and great blue herons have fledged from their nests.
The first generation of monarchs is appearing right now. Male katydids can be heard at night as they rub their legs over their rasped and ridged wings like a fiddle and bow as they call. They can be seen in trees as they feed on oak, cherry, and maple trees. In the world of spiders, the young, called spiderlings, can be seen riding the wind to a new home by casting their long-spun threads into the air from tree tops.
Deer flies are out in force. These adults are strong fliers, and appear in early summer with females feeding on blood while males feed on flower nectar, honeydew, plant juices, and other liquids. Deer fly females feed on the blood of many warmblooded animals, including humans. Deer flies do not have piercing/sucking mouthparts like mosquitoes. They bite a hole in your skin with their strong mandibles, put a little saliva-like material in the wound to keep the blood from clotting and lap up the blood with a sponge-like proboscis.
Wild raspberries are beginning to ripen. Black-eyed Susan’s are blooming, and are usually found surrounded by a host of butterflies, wasps, bees, flies and beetles. Wild bergamot, a lavender colored flower, found in sunny areas, will begin blooming.
Looking south at night, the brightest "star" in this area is the planet Jupiter. Aim a pair of binoculars at them to view any of this planet’s moons. Around July 16, the new moon will be close to Saturn, Venus and Leo’s bright star Regulus – all visible on the western horizon.
Become a phenologist! Plant your own butterfly garden, and see what comes for a visit, or turn on a night light and observe and record what flies in – try it different times during the summer to see different moth species.
Brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. They invite you to visit their facility in Cable on 43570 Kavanaugh Street or at the website at http://www.cablemuseum.org/ to learn more about their exhibits and programs.
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