Oct

12th

to

Oct

18th

2009

October, always unpredictable in Minnesota, delivered an early snow storm this week.  The past week was cold, cloudy, and altogether dreary and winterlike.  People scratched their heads and wondered “where did our autumn go?”  The sun came out just in time for the weekend, with glorious sun, and temperatures in the 50s.  Many people have noted the lack of strong brilliant colors on the trees as well, mostly due to lack of rain in the critical growing months of June and July, and a lack of sunlight in September and October.        
The witch hazel shrubs are in bloom!  These shrubs bloom in the late fall with yellow, spidery flowers.  Most insects have disappeared by this time of year, so witch hazel is most likely pollinated by the wind.  The dip in temperature also means that reptiles and amphibians have also found burrows, where they will spend the winter in hibernation or torpor.  A very slow-moving American toad was found crossing a woodland trail this week.  Cold-blooded creatures are the same temperature as the air around them, so on this chilly day, that toad was about 45 degrees!  Woodland trails are full of fallen leaves of basswood, maple, elm, and hickory.  Ohio buckeye and walnut lose their leaves early, while bladdernut and dogwood are still green.  Seeds on plants in the woodland include zig-zag goldenrod, enchanter’s nightshade, and violet. Berries on plants include false solomon’s seal, blue cohosh, and, in the wetland, highbush cranberry. 
          In the prairie, go for a sensory walk.  Feel the fluffy seeds of thimbleweed and goldenrod, smell the seeds of prairie sage and bergamot, see the beauty of the berries of wahoo, bittersweet, asparagus, and horse gentian.   A few blooms of New England aster and goldenrod remain.  A mourning cloak butterfly soared over the prairie this sunny Sunday.  Mourning cloaks are dark butterflies, easily identified by a yellow edge all along the bottom of their scalloped wings. 
          Birders enjoyed the autumn antics of the birds on the Saturday morning bird tour.  They noted white breasted nuthatcheses, golden crowned kingletss, brown creepers, ruby crowned kinglets, goldfinches, and chickadees. At the wetlands near Wirth Lake, Canada geese, wood ducks, great blue herons, coots, and red winged blackbirds were seen.  North of the Garden were blue jays, phoebes, flycatchers, several chimney swifts, and a chipping sparrow.  Flocks of white throated sparrows can be seen rooting around on the ground, in tall grass, and along the hillsides.  Great horned owls have been heard calling to each other at dusk. 

Sept

27th

to

Oct

4th

2009

Welcome to October at the Wildflower Garden.  The trees are starting to turn colors, crispness is in the air, and the plants have, for the most part, finished their flowering season.  Temperatures are now mostly in the 50s during the day, 40s at night, and cold rains have begun to fall.
          Birds are on the move.  Male wood ducks are displaying their breeding season plumage, with beautiful colors of green, yellow and russet brown.  Their heads have a distinctive drooping crest at the back, and a white “bridle” on the upper neck.  The females have a white ring around the eye, and are otherwise grayish in color with pale spotted flanks.  Look for wood ducks in the wetlands near Wirth Lake.  Visitors reported scarlet tanagers, Nashville warblers, house wrens, Connecticut warblers, and phoebes.  Flocks of white throated sparrows are appearing.  In the winter, groups of white throated sparrows can often be found, often with a mix of other birds, in dense brush, often singing. Look for a rather large bird with a long tail and a prominent white throat, and listen for their high whistling call of “Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody.”  A bit lighter in color, and with long vertical brown stripes on the belly, are song sparrows.  Their song is more complex, with a variable series of trills and clear notes.  At the feeders, chickadees, white breasted nuthatcheses, cardinals, house finches, hairy woodpeckers, and downy woodpeckers all find something to eat. Pileated woodpeckers, flickers, and Great horned owls have been heard calling from the tall trees.
          A few late season hardy flowers can be found, including zig zag goldenrod, sunflowers, sweet black eyed susan, evening primrose, chicory, New England aster, panicled aster, and bull thistle.  Red turtlehead, with their bright red flowers a little bit like snapdragons, can be found in the wetland.  In the prairie, seeds of bergamot, mountain mint, and prairie sage smell wonderful.  Look for fluffy seeds of thistle, thimbleweed, milkweed, wild lettuce, and hawkweed.  Dark black pods of wild blue indigo, Baptisia, contain tiny little seeds and rattle when shaken.  Sticky seeds that will catch on your clothes and hitchhike a ride, include tick trefoil, enchanter’s nightshade, and Virginia stickseed.  A few berries remain to feed the birds, including jack in the pulpit, dogwood, elderberry, highbush cranberry, wild grape, and false solomon’s seal.  Bright red berries adorn the tall, treelike stems of asparagus.  Nuts of hickory, walnut, and Ohio buckeye litter the woodland trails, and acorns can be found under tall oak trees.

Sept

21st

to

Sept

27th

2009

This has been a very dry fall, although there was one brief storm this week. Temperatures are above normal too, and not very many leaves have turned.
          With the end of the season in sight, and October looming, plants are finishing up their flowering.  Although we have not had our first frost, many plants are dieing back completely.  A few flowers to look for in the wetland include asters, pink turtlehead, arrow leaved tearthumb.  In the woodland there are a few zig zag goldenrods, Ontario asters, and large leaved asters.  In the prairie there are pink flowers of soapwort, white flowers of heath aster, calico aster, rattlesnake root, and purple flowers of chicory, wild bergamot, downy gentian, purple coneflower, and New England aster. The hillside near station 36 is covered in sweet black eyed susan, and the lemony scent of evening primrose.  Other yellow flowers include sunflowers, canada goldenrod, stiff goldenrod, and thin leaved coneflower.  The prairie hold interesting seeds and berries, such as the fluffy seeds of thimbleweed, the sticky seeds of tick trefoil, aromatic seeds of bergamot and mountain mint, and stiff seeds of sunflower.  Blue berries cover the juniper tree, and the blackberry lily’s fruits closely resemble true blackberries. horse gentian has bright orange fruits, and false solomon’s seal is bright red. 
           The birds are quite active, filling up on seeds and nuts before the migration or to get ready for winter, if they stay.  Yellow rumped warblers, common yellowthroats, brown creepers, bluebirds, Nashville warblers, phoebes, and song sparrows were among the rarer birds seen.  More common were chickadees, white breasted nuthatcheses, downy woodpeckers, blue jays, gold finches, rose breasted grosbeaks and gray catbirds.  A possible rail was heard in the wetland.  In the wetland behind the Garden, wood ducks, northern flickers, mallards, and swamp sparrows were seen, along with a possible Lincoln sparrow.  The Great horned owl has been heard on many occasions.  A sharp shinned hawk was also noted.
           During some group tours outside the Garden, some children found a small snapping turtle. Because it was so still, they thought it was dead and so brought it to the Shelter for some expert help.  Naturalists put it in some water and fed it, and when it started to climb out of its container, it was decided that the turtle was sufficiently revived.  It was released into Birch Pond, where hopefully it will conceal itself at the bottom to avoid hungry predators. 

Sept

7th

to

Sept

13th

2009

Summer lingered on the week after Labor Day, with warm temperatures in the 70s and 80s.  An afternoon rain shower provided some much needed water to parched plants Saturday.
          Go up to the prairie to see the aster and goldenrod show.  White asters include heather, calico, and arrow-leaved, while purple asters include heart-leaved, large-leaved, and the very showy, bright purple New England aster. Goldenrods now blooming include stiff, thin leaved, Canada, grass-leaved, and late goldenrods.   People with allergies should be interested to note that ragweed is blooming, with its inconspicuous-looking spiked green blooms.  A number of purple flowers are blooming, such as blazing star, chicory, field thistle, bergamot, anise, hoary vervain, and closed gentian.  Sunflowers, or composites, include grey headed coneflower, cup plant, compass plant, rosin weed, Jerusalem’s artichoke, sweet black eyed susan, and prairie dock.
           In the woodland you will find yellow flowers of zig zag goldenrod, and white flowers of Ontario aster and large-leaved aster.  In the wetland, the jewelweed is going to seed.  We have two types of jewelweed – pale and spotted.  These tube-shaped flowers are a member of the impatiens family.  They are also called touch-me-nots, because their seed pods burst open at the lightest touch.  Try to catch the seeds by wrapping your hand around the seed pod. You will find a tiny green “spring” inside the pod, which is the mechanism by which the plant slings the seeds in all directions.  A bright purple flower in the wetland is the great lobelia.  Asters in the wetland include flat topped, purple-stemmed, glossy leaved, and Ontario.  Also blooming in the wetland is Red turtlehead, white turtlehead, groundnut, stinging nettle, wood nettle, and boneset.
          Warblers are on the move, such as magnolia, chestnut sided, and redstarts.  Also seen were red eyed vireos, white breasted nuthatcheses, rose breasted grosbeaks, olive sided flycatchers, and ruby crowned kinglets.  Hummingbirds zip around the wetland, feasting on nectar from jewelweed.  Goldfinches perch on thistles in the prairie.  Northern flickers and Pileated woodpeckers call frequently from tall trees.  A cooper’s hawk was inadvertently flushed from a tree near the back gate by the Saturday morning birders.  They also observed crows and blue jays “mobbing” some hawks and an owl just west of the parking lot.  The hawks flew off, pursued by the crows and jays, but the owl remained, unharassed.  It screeched and called for a few minutes, and then it too departed. 

Aug

9th

to

Aug

16th

2009

August continues to be fairly cool, and although Minnesota is in need of more water, a few soaking rains have helped to make the Garden green and lush.
New flowers to look for in the wetland include great lobelia and white turtlehead.  They join other plants who love “wet feet,” including spotted jewelweed, pale jewelweed, joe pye weed, swamp milkweed, and purple loosestrife.  White flowers include flat topped aster, and boneset, whose fused leaves indicated to early herbalists that the plant could be used to heal broken bones.  Tiny blooms of arrow leaved tearthumb and deep pink blooms of groundnut vine around the water horsetail, an ancient relative of ferns.  Obedient plant, a plant about three feet tall with light purple flowers, is wild, but easily remains in place once transplanted, thus the name “obedient.”  The woodland trails have an abundance of zig-zag goldenrod and green headed coneflower, also called wild goldenglow.
New blooms in the upland prairie this week include arrow-leaved aster, live forever (sedum), closed gentian, and heart leaved aster.    Look for giant plants, such as prairie dock, cup plant, wild lettuce, common burdock, curly dock, mullein, and bull thistle, along with wee little plants of wild onion, partridge pea, trailing wild bean, wild poinsettia, and silvery scurf pea.  goldenrods are starting to bloom, including grass-leaved, Canada, and late.  White flowers include white snakeroot, culver’s root, wild quinine, large leaved aster, and flowering spurge.  Rosinweed blooms near station 36, grey headed coneflower is near station 37, and a profusion of black eyed susans is stunning along the hillside near station 36.
Birders are keeping a careful eye on the birds this week, as they anticipate the first arrivals of the fall migration.  At the parking lot and near the front gate, white breasted nuthatcheses, goldfinches, pileated woodpecker, red eyed vireo, and eastern wood pewees were spotted.  Northern flickers, blue grey gnatcatchers, red bellied woodpeckers, house wrens, and catbirds were seen in the prairie.  At the ponds near Wirth Lake, small flycatchers, wood ducks, green herons, and an American black duck were active.  In the wetland inside the Garden, cedar waxwings flew over, while ruby throated hummingbirds chased each other among the jewelweed, and indigo buntings flitted about.
          Mushrooms started popping up after the rain, including honey mushrooms, gyrodons, bird’s nests, lemon drops, violet edged polypores, and pholiotas. Agaricus are the big white mushrooms that look like dinner plates, and bleeding mycenas appear to “bleed” when their flesh is pricked.

July

26th

to

Aug

2nd

2009

The remarkably cool summer continues, with sunny days in the 70s, and night time temperatures in the 50s.  The temperature did not reach 90 degrees in July. A much need rain shower occurred Friday night, bringing relief to parched plants.
In the woodland and wetland, look for fringed loosestrife, moneywort, yellow wood sorrel, agrimony, and yellow avens if you want to see yellow flowers.  For pink flowers, look for queen-of-the-prairie, swamp milkweed, and northern willow herb, while purple/ blue flowers include forget-me-not, marsh skullcap, and bittersweet nightshade.  White flowers in the woodland are buttonbush, queen-of-the-meadow, American bugbane, and thimbleberry.
Go to the upland prairie to see the summer wildflowers in all their glory.  Violet flowers include leadplant, creeping bellflower, purple giant hyssop, hoary vervain, silvery scurf pea, and wild anise. Orange flowers include daylilies, Turk’s cap lilies, Michigan lilies, and blackberry lilies.  Composite flowers (sunflowers) include grey-headed coneflowers, cup plant, rosinweed, black-eyed Susans, and prairie coneflower.  Other yellow flowers include wild senna, smooth wild lettuce, evening primrose, St. John’s wort, and great mullein.  White flowers of the prairie currently in bloom include yarrow, soapwort, whorled milkweed, white vervain, white snakeroot, Culver’s root, and poke milkweed.  A lovely patch of flowering spurge is located off trail, but a nice tall bloom is also located near station 41.  A nicely scented purple flower, bergamot, is scattered throughout the prairie. 
The bird population seems healthy, with many birds reported by bird enthusiasts this week.  Five green herons were seen in the wetlands near Wirth Lake, along with wood ducks, song sparrow, chickadees, goldfinches, red winged blackbirds, barn swallows, and house finches.  A green heron perched on a tall dead snag, surveying the territory.  In the woods outside the back gate were two great crested flycatchers.  In the wetland inside the garden were rose breasted grosbeaks, catbirds, red bellied woodpeckers, red eyed vireos, and ruby throated hummingbirds.  In the prairie, indigo buntings flicked around, along with a flicker, chickadees, and more hummingbirds. 
On the west woodland trail, a hive of ground nesting bees or hornets (species unknown) took residence near station 9.  They are aggressively defending their nest, and stung a naturalist, a child, and chased a naturalist into the Shelter!  Closing the trail was taken as a precaution against these fierce little beasts.

July

13th

to

July

19th

2009

The past week was quite cool.  One day, Minnesota had a record low high for the date – only 66 degrees.  Although the skies are overcast, no rain has fallen, and some of the woodland plants are looking very wilty.
Colorful wildflowers of summer are here.  Beneath the trees of the woodland, shade tolerant flowers include agrimony, whorled loosestrife, shining bedstraw, bugbane, and yellow wood sorrel.  In the wetland, sweetly scented queen-of-the-meadow blooms along with buttonbush, winterberry, and forget-me-not.  Just this week, marsh skullcap began blooming.  Queen-of-the-meadow was joined by its pink cousin, queen-of-the-prairie.  Be careful of stinging nettle and wood nettle – when brushed, their tiny hairs can cause itching in sensitive skin.  The first few blooms of spotted jewelweed were seen overhanging the trail as well.
The prairie is weathering the drought quite well, with plants whose deep roots are well-adapted to long periods with no rain.  Pretty yellow flowers of brown eyed susan, rosinweed, St. John’s wort, evening primrose, stiff coreopsis, mullein, and whorled loosestrife can be found alongside white flowers of New Jersey tea, yarrow, wild quinine, white clover, and mountain mint.  New blooms in the prairie this week include Culver’s root, Canada hawkweed, grey headed coneflower, white vervain, and Michigan lily.  Look for bees and butterflies on the purple flowers of bergamot, purple prairie clover, wild anise, leadplant, and hairy wood mint.  Pink flowers of wild rose, fireweed, showy tick trefoil, common milkweed, and veiny vetchling abound. 
There are a number of good places to see birds in and around the Garden.  These include the prairie, the wetland, the parking lot, the bird feeders in front of the shelter, and the wetlands near Wirth Lake. In the prairie, look for indigo buntings, goldfinches, red bellied woodpeckers, eastern wood peewees, and white breasted nuthatcheses.  The parking lot is a known locale for red eyed vireos, while hummingbirds, common yellowthroats, great crested flycatchers, and redstarts haunt the wetland.  The wetlands near Wirth Lake have lots of red winged blackbirds, bluebirds, green herons, and wood ducks, and the Shelter’s bird feeders attract chickadees, house finches, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, and Pileated woodpeckers.  Other birds seen include house wrens, cardinals, robins, northern flickers, barn swallows, and red-tailed hawks.

June

29th

to

July

5th

2009

This past week was noticeably cooler.  With days in the 60 degree range, it felt more like a week in early autumn, rather than the first days of summer.
Although the showy lady’s slipper has past, the wetland is still a lush green oasis.  Look for swamp saxifrage, yellow flag iris, forget-me-nots, blue flag iris, and swamp buttercup.  Large, plate size umbels of white flowers adorn the black elderberry, and foamy, sweet scented white flowers of queen-of-the-meadow bloom nearby.  Winterberry, near station 24, is a tall shrub with small, green flowers.  Be careful to avoid brushing against stinging nettle, as their tiny irritating “hairs” cause a mild, but uncomfortable itching sensation to the skin.  In the woodland, look for fringed loosestrife, wild leek, moneywort, enchanter’s nightshade, small flowered buttercup, and sweet scented bedstraw.
Go to the upland prairie to see the most blooms in the height of summer.  White blooms dominated this week, with bedstraw, Indian hemp, American feverfew, New Jersey tea, Grecian foxglove, white false indigo, yarrow, Canada anemone, ox-eye daisy, and foxglove beardtongue. Everyone stops to smell the roses, but don’t forget the common milkweed also has a nice scent.  Leadplant is blooming near the trail at station 42, with silvery leaves and purple flowers in a long spike.  Fireweed, a pink flower that is often the first plant to bloom after a wildfire, is scattered throughout the low lying areas of the prairie.  A few years ago, when we lost an oak tree to oak wilt, we tore out the roots and planted a number of new prairie plants in its place.  Here you can find butterfly weed, spiderwort, purple prairie clover, and prairie coneflower.  The yellow flowers are dazzling in the prairie now as well, including orange daylily, prairie sundrops, black eyed Susan, whorled loosestrife, and stiff coreopsis. 
Many birds were seen this week, with young fledglings flying about, practicing to fend for themselves, and learning new songs.  Birds at the feeder include red-bellied woodpeckers, goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals, house finches, hairy woodpeckers, and downy woodpeckers.  Other birds spotted include red eyed verio, indigo buntings, eastern wood pewees, great crested flycatchers, and ruby throated hummingbirds.  Birders who ventured to Wirth Parkway and I-394 were surprised to note several chipping sparrows, Baltimore orioles, song sparrows, and common yellowthroats.  They also saw quite a few male, female, and juvenile eastern bluebirds there.

June

22nd

to

June

28th

2009

A few hot and humid days were followed by rain, and then quite pleasant temperatures in the 70s for the weekend. 
The showy lady’s slippers are slipping away, and almost done blooming for the season.  Look for one remaining healthy clump near station 26.  Also in the wetland are blue flag iris, swamp saxifrage, and queen-of-the-meadow, a tall lovely plant with foamy, sweet smelling flowers.  Small blue flowers of forget-me-not bloom near the ground, while a few last swamp buttercup and foamflowers continue to bloom.  In the woodland, look for moneywort, fringed loosestrife, and wood sorrel. Shrubs in bloom include red osier dogwood and black elderberry.
Go up to the prairie to see a profusion of summer wildflowers.  Blue flowers include false indigo, leadplant, spiderwort, willow amsonia, American vetch, European bellflower and hairy wood mint.  Smell the sweet scent of wild roses and northern bedstraw.  Sunny yellow flowers are starting to bloom, such as black eyed susan, prairie coneflower, prairie sundrops, and whorled loosestrife.  Canada anemones, which have been blooming since May 28, are still enjoying the sun near station 39. Just this week, poke milkweed began blooming.  Look for monarch butterflies to start appearing as the milkweeds begin blooming.  New Jersey tea, yarrow, foxglove beardtongue, Indian hemp, spreading dogbane, daisies, and American feverfew are also blooming in the sun-drenched prairie.
Spring is now officially over and all of the baby birds are beginning to empty their nests.  Juvenile downy and hairy woodpeckers have been spotted learning all about suet feeders just in front of the visitor’s shelter.  Baby cardinals and robins have been seen flying around with their parents or eating great big insects from their parents’ mouth.  The bright flashes of color provided by goldfinches, common yellowthroats, indigo buntings, and scarlet tanagers can still be seen throughout the garden.  Just north of the garden our birding group has spotted great blue herons and green herons fishing from the ponds.  They also saw three mother wood ducks with a large group of ducklings. 
The New Moon Walk this past Monday held a special June surprise for participants – fireflies.  They lit up the tall grasses in both the wetland and the prairie, starting at about 9:30 pm.  Their flashing green tails are a signal to females during mating season.  So get outside at night soon, because the fireflies only flash for a short time in June.

June

7th

to

June

14th

2009

Last weekend we received our much-needed rainfall.  We got a good soak for three straight days, followed by a few cloudy, cool days.  For three nights in a row, temperatures stayed below 50 degrees, an event not seen in a Minnesota June since 1952.  Saturday and Sunday the 13th and 14th were warm and sunny.
A number of nests, some with female birds patiently sitting in them, were spotted this week.  Just outside the Shelter in a basswood tree is the nest of a red-eyed vireo, with the female’s tail or beak clearly visible peaking over the edge.  Nearby is a robin’s nest.  Birds are also busy bringing caterpillars to recently hatched nestlings, including robins, red-winged blackbirds, and wrens. Saturday morning birders spotted goldfinches, Pileated woodpeckers, chipping sparrows, white breasted nuthatcheses, and barn swallows in the parking lot, and common yellowthroats, song sparrows, Baltimore orioles, indigo buntings, and blue grey gnatcatchers at Birch Pond.  Near the Quaking Bog, they saw eastern wood pewees, ruby throated hummingbirds, and great crested flycatchers.  Near sunset, naturalists noted a barred owl in the hemlock grove, with blue jays harassing it.
The Minnesota State flower, the showy lady’s slipper, is blooming now in the wetland.  There are several clumps; look for more to open in the next few days, closer to the trail.  Also blooming in the wetland are forget-me-nots, saxifrage, yellow flag iris, golden ragwort, and a giant white flower called cow parsnip.  The spring flowers in the woodland are mostly done, but you can still see blackberries, dame’s rocket, wild geranium, columbine, highbush cranberry, and Canada violets. 
In the upland prairie, false blue indigo, a member of the pea family, is the dominant plant blooming right now. It has tall spikes of purple flowers, and blooms all over the sunniest parts of the prairie.  The dried seedpods of the false blue indigo can still been seen from last years growth.  Also blooming are wild roses, veiny vetchling, horse gentian, large flowered penstemon, foxglove beardtongue, yellow daylily, and common cinquefoil.
Soon there will be a plethora of berries in the wildflower garden. While it is not okay to eat, enjoy the fruiting structures of may apple, blackberry, raspberry, black raspberry, dewberry, and currant. Also, look for the green berries of jack-in-the-pulpit which will soon ripen to a bright red color. See if you can spot immature green plums as you stroll beneath the plum tree on the prairie.

May

24th

to

May

31st

2009

No rain this week resulted in a very dry Wildflower Garden.  The plants are a little stressed, which accounts for the limp look of many leaves. The stream is dried up and even the Mallard Pool has very little water in it.
Beautiful flowers are blooming in the woodland and the wetland. Look for false Solomon seal, columbine, jack-in-the-pulpit, wild geranium, and blue violets along the woodland paths.  The yellow lady’s slipper is stunning at station 8.  Blackberries, with their big conspicuous white flowers are blooming in front of the Shelter and all over the woodland.  Shrubs and trees in bloom include hazelnut, Ohio buckeye, red osier dogwood, chokecherry, highbush cranberry and Siberian crabapple.  In the wetland, forget-me-not, sweetflag, miterwort, foamflower and saxifrage are blooming.  Golden ragwort, which looks a bit like a tiny sunflower, is blooming nearby a rarely seen star flowered solomon’s seal. 
The prairie is looking lovely, as it starts to flower.  Blue flowers of false blue indigo mix with the yellow blooms of golden Alexander.   Also look for prairie smoke, red baneberry, Canada anemone, American vetch, alumroot, bastard toadflax, leafy spurge, prairie willow, and Virginia waterleaf.
The garden is home to many species of birds.  Ruby-throated hummingbirds have frequently been seen zooming through the wetland.  Other birds seen or heard regularly in the wetland are the Common Yellowthroat, Baltimore Oriole and House Wren.  Indigo buntings can be heard singing throughout the garden, keep your eyes open for these brilliant blue birds.  Brown-headed cowbirds are often perched in the tops of trees, keep your ears open for their bubbly song.  Black-capped chickadees are still present, though they are much quieter this time of year due to nesting.  Other nesting birds in the garden include Red-eyed vireos, American robins and Northern Cardinals.  Turkey vulture and great egret flew over the garden, along with a huge flock of cedar waxwings. The pileated woodpecker made a raucous call, announcing itself as it flew to the Shelter’s suet feeder.
Caterpillars of all types hatched this week and are feeding on trees and shrubs all over the Garden.  You’ll find them on cherry trees, the plum trees, dogwoods, and basswoods.  You’ll also find them crawling on the trails, benches, bird feeders, fountains, and even dangling by a thin thread in midair.  This is because the trees sometimes release a noxious chemical that causes caterpillars to fall off. 

May

3rd

to

May

10th

2009

Mother’s Day was a cool, overcast day.  The green on the trees and the color of the flowers was undiminished though, and more than 300 people visited the Garden. 
April showers brought May flowers, and they are blooming in earnest.  Look for purple blooms of Virginia bluebells, Jacob’s ladder, purple trillium, vinca, and blue phlox.  Yellow flowers of marsh marigold can be found in the wetland, along with skunk cabbage, foam flower, and miterwort.  Showy wood poppy is another yellow flower, growing along the trail near the Shelter.  Daintily down-turned flowers of wild oats and their cousin, large flowered bellwort grown in the woodland.  Jack-in-the-pulpit pops up here and there. Newly blooming this week were baneberry, false solomon’s seal, early meadow rue, corydalis, and yellow trillium.  Also look for rue anemone, false rue anemone, blue cohosh, wild geranium, swamp buttercup, large flowered trillium, and Canada violets. In the prairie, look for pussy toes, prairie smoke, and golden alexanders.
          Birds are arriving daily from southern wintering grounds.  This week, the Saturday morning birders noted thrushes, olive sided flycatchers, great crested flycatchers, white throated sparrows, blue-grey gnatcatchers, goldfinches, and chipping sparrows.  Someone reported bluebirds nearby on Xerxes Avenue.  A good place to see birds is Birch Pond, which is located just off Wirth Pond.  wood ducks, red winged blackbirds, Baltimore orioles, hawks, song sparrows, yellow warblers, Tennessee warblers were seen there. South of the Garden, summer tanagers, ovenbirds, sharp shinned hawks, Nashville warblers, Swenson’s thrush, and veeries were seen. Pileated woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, and downy woodpeckers are all very active now as well.
          Trees and shrubs are blooming as well.  Many red elderberries are in bloom in the woodland.  bladdernut has lovely little white bell-shaped flowers that grow in clusters.  Look for bladdernut along the western woodland trail and along the trail that leads from the hemlock grove to the upland prairie.  The plum trees in the prairie are almost done, but still attracting hordes of happy bees.   

April

19th

to

April

26th

2009

Our rollercoaster April weather continued this week.  Temperatures slowly increased all week to 85 degrees, and then a cold front dropped the temperature down to 49 degrees and brought in much needed rain for Sunday.
Beneath the leafless trees, the tender spring plants are busy growing and flowering.  Look for cut-leaved toothwort, two-leaved toothwort, yellow trout lily, white lily, and even the tiny Minnesota dwarf trout lily.  This species was not originally found in the Garden, but Eloise herself transplanted them from another location.  On the slopes, rue anemone, hepatica, and Dutchman’s breeches find a home.  Bloodroot, which gets its name from its juicy red root that seems to “bleed” when cut, has petals so delicate that a wisp of wind or a drop of rain can cause them to fall off.  Clumps of wild ginger are also blooming, with small red flowers close to the earth to attract ants.  False rue anemone is distinguished from true anemone because the false grows in clumps, has five petals, and is white.  True rue anemone is pinkish purplish, has seven or more petals, and grows alone.   In the wetland, sunny marsh marigolds just started blooming this week.  Shrubs and trees in bloom include leatherwood, red maple, box elder, elderberry, and hazelnut.
          A few birds are making their way back from southern wintering grounds.  Yellow rumped warblers, hermit thrush, flickers, green herons, great blue herons, and white throated sparrows have been seen.  The bird feeders in front of the Shelter always draw a crowd of birds, including red breasted nuthatches, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, blue jays, and goldfinches.  chickadees and cardinals sing their spring songs in the trees, and red winged blackbirds have been heard in Birch Pond and in the wetlands north of the Garden.  The barred owl perched in a hemlock tree on a rainy Sunday afternoon.  
           The spring songs of frogs permeate the woods.  Leopard frogs have a raspy call, while chorus frogs sound like a fingernail drawn against a comb.  In a chorus though, they make a lovely ringing sound that can be heard from quite a distance.
The Garden’s resident woodchuck was seen ambling through the woods, looking for a fresh green shoot.  The woodchuck is also known to nibble on the newly formed buds of elderberry, especially near its den on the east woodland path.
        For more information about the past week’s events, tour information, or answers to questions about the Garden ask the volunteers and naturalists on duty.

April

12th

to

April

19th

2009

The weather warmed up this week and green shoots began poking up all over the Garden.  Nights were cool this week, but temperatures were in the 60s and 70s during the day, with plenty of sunshine.
Many early spring flowers and ephemerals opened up this week.  Toothwort, trout lily, and Dutchman’s breeches are all ephemeral – look for them now, because in a few weeks they’ll be gone!  Bloodroots and hepaticas open their petals in the presence of sunshine, and close up at night.  Beneath Sunday’s overcast skies, the bloodroots and hepaticas refrained from opening up, choosing to conserve their energy for days that pollinators will be buzzing about.  Skunk cabbage’s poky, maroon colored flowers have been up for several weeks.  Take care in the wetland, though, as skunk cabbage is protruding right out of the side of the trail!  Look in the hemlock grove for our earliest blooming trillium, the snow trillium (trillium nivale).  With their three snowy white petals, and three light green leaves, snow trilliums are a delightful sign of spring. 
Trees are flowering this early in the spring as well, sometimes before their leaves emerge.  Right outside the Shelter, our leatherwood (dirca palustris) has lovely, delicate looking yellow flowers.  Look up high and see the red flowers of red maple.  Hazelnut and pussy willows also have catkins right now.
          Without leaves on the trees, birds are easy to spot.  Look for pine siskins, yellow bellied sapsuckers, brown creepers, red breasted nuthatches, chickadees and hairy and downy woodpeckers.  In the wetlands north of the Garden, Yellow rumped warblers, red winged blackbirds, song sparrows, barn swallows, eastern bluebirds, and flickers were spotted. A pair of mallards is busy looking for food, and possibly preparing a nest, in our mallard pool.  Saturday morning, the birding tour heard a flock of sandhill cranes flying nearby. 
          The melodious sound of chorus frogs was finally heard this week, not only from inside the Garden, but also from the many ephemeral ponds in Wirth Park.   Even butterflies are flitting about.  Mourning cloaks have dark wings with yellow edges, and feast on the sweet sap leaking from maple trees.
        For more information about the past week’s events, tour information, or answers to questions about the Garden ask the volunteers and naturalists on duty.

Aug

25th

to

31st

2008