nestwatch update

Peek inside some of the nestboxes in the wild wild woods . . .

This box (above) holds a Tree Swallow nest -- a cozy cup formed of grasses with feathers for additional warmth. As she laid the eggs, one each day, she hid them under the feathers until she was ready to incubate them. 
Now they are clustered together; she sits with her body pressed close to them until they hatch.
The nylon lines suspended on this nestbox deter other species from claiming all the boxes; Tree Swallows and Bluebirds are aerial feeders and can maneuver between the lines to access this box.

Five Eastern Bluebird eggs are cozy in their nest cup of woven grasses.  This nestbox was lined with a deep soft cushion of moss by Chickadees before the Bluebirds took possession.









That pair of Black-capped Chickadees moved to another nestbox where they laid a clutch of 7 eggs.  Six babies hatched and five survived a wet cold week of weather.  They all gape hungrily when a parent brings food. The little one on the left is closing his beak after gulping an insect.  The others are still calling for a meal as the adult departs to hunt another.


In another nestbox, House Wrens have woven a grass shelter within a twig structure (below).  Two eggs so far; they usually lay 5 or 6, sometimes as many as 10.

sweet flag

A small cluster of Sweet Flag Acorus americanus grows in a wet spot at the edge of the wild wild woods.  A cylindrical form protrudes from amidst the leaves, showing pale bumps today that will become the plant's flowers.  Mother Nature arranges them in a diamond pattern.  So subtle, you have to look closely to spot the few flower structures among the green and white sword-like leaves.

Tree Swallow nest

One nest box in the wild wild woods is being used by Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor this year.  Yesterday there were two eggs clearly visible, today maybe three.  Tree Swallows poke feathers into the grass structure of their nest to hide the eggs, so it is hard to tell for sure.  Usually they lay 4 to 7 eggs per clutch.  Today while I was monitoring the cam, the adult perched at the opening and kept poking her head in to check on her nest.

tulips

Tulipa 'Marilyn'.  A long slender lily-flowered tulip variety.  Blooms later than other tulips in my gardens.  Bulbs were a gift from my sister when she visited the the Amsterdam Tulip Museum.

maple samara

 

One of the prettiest maple samaras I've seen this year!  

Even though only half of this pair developed, it is lovely in the sunlight.

pollinator magnets

Agastache seed heads stood through winter at the edge of the wild wild woods (see post 2/3/17).  Now, with warming soil, the new sprouts are coming up to bloom another season.

These fragrant showy blossoms are vital to my pollinator garden. 

Also called Hyssop or Hummingbird Mint . . .  these are "Honey Bee Blue".

first egg Eastern Bluebirds 2017

buttercup

 Subtle spring blossoms are visible in the woods to a wanderer gazing down.

This Ranunculus aborvitus flower, Little-leaf Buttercup, is only 1/4 inch across.

The pale blooms give the woods a glow with sunlight filtered by newly unfurling leaves above.

chipping sparrow

The male Chipping Sparrow displays his finest look, ready to attract a mate with his intense rufous cap.  A common sparrow wherever woods are interspersed with grassy areas.

migrants

Among the migrating birds in the woods this week are a flock of White-throated Sparrows.  They show up in the late autumn on their way south, and in the springtime on their way to nesting grounds in northern Minnesota and Canada.

Their yellow lores make it easy to spot them among the foliage and branches . . .   until the warblers show up.  Some of them have yellow feathers too.

NestWatch starts

Six nestboxes are up, ready for the NestWatch citizen science project.  We monitor nests in these boxes and look for nests in the trees or shrubs on our property. http://nestwatch.org/   For several weeks, we've seen Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, American Robins, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers acting like it is nesting season.

The bluebirds selected box number 4 for their nest.  It faces an open expanse of grass where the adults will hunt grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, caterpillers, and dragonflies to feed the young birds once they hatch.

Chickadees had lined the floor with moss,
but the Bluebirds took over and added a grass cup above the moss.

swallowtail

This beauty was in my studio this morning!
I collect plant specimens in the autumn and keep them to draw or paint indoors during the cold months.  I recall pulling this chrysalis off the deck umbrella a few months ago, and placed it among the interesting things in my art room. 

between garden and woods

In summer, the Agastache blooms blue and provides sweet nectar for bees and butterflies.  Now, the seed heads stand in sunlight, a favorite food for Chickadees and Finches.

gooseberry winter

Walking through the woods in snow.

Some plants display interesting winter personalities, very different from their growing season garb.

The Eastern Prickly Gooseberry Ribes cynosbati reaches out its long curving canes to call my attention to their defense of juicy berries this coming summer.

sparkly snow on seedhead

photo by Julie Pritschet

red bellies

 























A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers live in the wild wild woods.  This winter, they come to the feeder tray one at a time, so observers might think there is only one.  But they give themselves away when they call to one another from different trees.  The male has more red feathers on his head, extending from his lores all the way to the nape of his neck.  And yes, they do have a patch of red or orange feathers on their bellies.

ground camouflage

Camouflage of brown and gray and buff.  The outfit allows a sparrow to blend in among the leaves and litter while hunting for seeds, fruits, and insects on the ground.  But the pure white throat, striped head, and yellow lores gives away this White Throated Sparrow.  They've come south for the winter from Canada where they breed and raise young in nests on the ground.  

nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatches forage up, down, and sideways on tree trunks and around large branches.
They often start high in a tree and move down head first, probing into bark crevices or chipping away at wood to find food while moving quickly at odd angles.  On a vertical surface like a suet cage, they turn upside down, pausing to crane their necks up and back for a look around.  

reflections on a rock

Wandering in the woods, I came upon this rock.  It has been there a long while and I've walked by it before.  But today it looked more interesting with a pool of rainwater in the depression, reflecting the tree trunks above.

bird feeder garden

The veggie garden has been transitioned to a feeder garden for birds and pollinators.  This year --  among the tomatoes, beans, peas, and squash -- I planted more native flowering plants.  We watched as the nesting birds nearby brought their juveniles to the feeders and taught them how to feed themselves rather than gaping and begging.  Now, with seed feeders and suet cages loaded, we'll start FeederWatch in a few weeks; we'll enjoy watching the birds that gather here and report our counts for ornithology research.

chipmunks and sparrows

Stripes in the grass!  The chipmunks Tamias striatus often hang out beneath the feeder tray.  They can hide among the raspberry canes and safely dart out to gather seeds that the birds fling over the edge.  The stripes on the chipmunks' backs give them away when they think they are being stealthy.
(They love tomato juice -- in the summer, they chew holes in my garden tomatoes and suck the juice.)
This week migrating White-throated Sparrows Zonotrichia albicollis joined the chipmunks gathering a meal, kicking among the grass to find each seed.  Both species display stripes as part of their camouflage outfit.

Eastern Chipmunk

White-throated Sparrow

autumn harvest

female Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis on birch

The winter "guild" of feeder birds is forming.  The adult birds in the wild wild woods have molted into their new feathers; their offspring juveniles have learned to fly and hunt on their own.  As the leaves change color and insects are less abundant, birds instead harvest the ripe fruits and seeds on shrubs and trees.

travel ready

The hummingbirds have been filling up on nectar for their migration south in coming days.  This is the latest date I've seen Ruby-throated Hummingbirds still in Minnesota.  But then, the climate has allowed flowers to bloom later than usual too.

milkweed munchers

One leaf of Common Milkweed was being devoured by both a caterpillar and a beetle.  I wonder if either knew the other was there?

Indianpipe

Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora is white because it contains no chlorophyll;  it derives water and other nutrients by tapping into the thread-like cells of the vegetative part of soilborne mycorrhizal fungi.

It appears in forests, scattered, and uncommon.  It will grow near a narrow range of mushrooms in the Russulaceae family.  We saw this on a field sketching day in a nearby remnant of Big Woods.

Indianpipe is also called Ghost Plant or Corpse Plant.