With lots of careful thought and consideration, I have decided to no longer write the Indy Parks Nature Blog. Hopefully, one of my co-workers will want to continue it. Since Eric and I are traveling more and visiting many cool places and I would like to share that with my readers, I have decided to start a new blog. When I get it up and running, I will add the link to it here. I thank all of you for reading and supporting this blog. My new blogs name will be "Meanderings". I still plan to cover many Indy Parks items, but it will also cover places abroad. Check back later for more information.
Finally the new blog is up! My new blog can be found here.
http://janetmartinmeanderings.blogspot.com/2013/07/new-blog-new-beginnings-angel-windows.html
Indy Parks Nature Blog
Follow us on a nature journey exploring the great state of Indiana. We will discover hidden treasures along the way, many that are found in our own back yards.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Evening Grosbeaks!
It has been quite a long time since I have posted. Life has finally settled down a bit, so I decided, since I had some good material, I would put together a post.
We drove for a little over an hour southeast of Indianapolis to see Evening Grosbeaks. They have been hanging out at some feeders at the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary in Connersville, IN.
When we arrived at 8:30 am, we were told they had observed 6 Evening Grosbeaks around 8 am. Usually, we were told, they come back about every 15 to 20 minutes. So, we waited patiently... And waited...And waited. Finally, around 10 am, five of the flock returned. Four are on the feeder below. Three males and one female in this image. The males have the yellow "eyebrow".
We observed one lonely female that was rejected when she approached the feeder. The others chased her away. Maybe she chews her food too loudly. :) She patiently waited for her turn at the feeder.
The others left, so she got her chance and the feeder all to herself. What a beauty!
We drove for a little over an hour southeast of Indianapolis to see Evening Grosbeaks. They have been hanging out at some feeders at the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary in Connersville, IN.
When we arrived at 8:30 am, we were told they had observed 6 Evening Grosbeaks around 8 am. Usually, we were told, they come back about every 15 to 20 minutes. So, we waited patiently... And waited...And waited. Finally, around 10 am, five of the flock returned. Four are on the feeder below. Three males and one female in this image. The males have the yellow "eyebrow".
The others left, so she got her chance and the feeder all to herself. What a beauty!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Monarch will NOT Eat Your Tomatoes
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia |
ARRGGHHH! Monarchs won't eat your tomatoes! |
Folks, monarchs do not, and never will, eat tomato plants. They consume milkweed and plants in the milkweed family, like butterfly weed. You need not worry about them ever eating your garden plants or your decorative flowers and shrubs. They are driven to eat milkweed only.
A teeny, just hatched monarch caterpillar. |
Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, a great monarch butterfly plant for nectar and raising caterpillars. |
This label could make someone think this caterpillar needs to be eradicated. My mother likes nature. She likes birds and butterflies, but blindly followed what others have told her. Snakes were bad. Spiders were bad. When she was still able to work in her garden and if she had seen a bug that could possibly kill her tomatoes, I am sure she would have sprayed it, no questions asked. And many of the general public are that way, too. They might even know about monarch butterflies and be familiar with their beautiful orange wings, but do they know what the caterpillar looks like?
A monarch caterpillar, almost ready to turn into a chrysalis. My mother would surely have squirted this with insecticide during her gardening days! |
How does this affect you, the reader? One thing you can do to help the monarch is sign the petition so Ortho and Scott's know there are many, many concerned citizens out there. They promised to change the label, but let's make sure they do! Also, if you see the product on your local store shelves, tell someone at the store about the monarch and how the label is incorrect. Yes, they may just nod their head, but if enough complaints are made they may pull the product with the offending label. The monarchs need all the help they can get.
Another thing you can do is educate yourself and others about the natural world around you. One way to do that is attending informational sessions about nature like at the Midwest Native Plant Conference, July 27th-29th. There are many informative speakers with sessions on conifers, native shrubs, pollinators, butterflies, gardening on a low budget and many more. David Wagner is an entomologist and expert on caterpillars and will be one of our keynote speakers. Fun and informative, so check it out! Only a few spaces left! Hope to see you there!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
A Great Find
A hollowed out tree might not look like much to a casual passer-by. But most naturalists know this is a good spot to take a second look. And if you are an owl fan, it might just pay off...
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Flying Valentine
At a recent program, I had a gentleman tell me he calls cardinals "Flying Valentines" What a great description! Not only is the cardinal a gorgeous red color, the perfect shade for any Hallmark card, the bird has behaviors that can be considered romantic.
When the male cardinal has picked a lovely lady friend, he will win her heart by offering her choice seeds. He will feed her, beak-to-beak. And, many times this behavior will continue during nesting. Look for this courting display soon at a feeder near you!
Photo via Wikipedia |
Friday, January 6, 2012
Cooper's Hawk takes an American Coot
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, panic ensued at the feeding area outside our bird window at Southeastway Park. A tiny titmouse, in its frantic flight to get away, crashed directly into our window and tumbled to the ground below. The reason for all the frenzy soon was evident. A striking male Cooper's hawk landed on a limb above the lifeless bird, hopped down and swiftly flew off with its prey. We stood there, breatheless, watching the entire event unfold.
So you can imagine the surprise when this past week we came across the scene of another male Cooper's Hawk, this time at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco, TX. Our guide, Kyle, spotted it under a bush near the board walk. Our birding group quietly walked by, many of us snapping photos, as we watched it feed on an American Coot! I had never seen a Cooper's Hawk take such large prey before! I have seen Bald Eagles take coots, but never a Cooper's Hawk. For those that are not familiar with American Coots, they are a black, duck-like bird that can weigh from 1 to 2 pounds. You can view some photos here. A large male Cooper's hawk can weighs less than a pound. Quite a feat for it to kill a coot and drag it under the bush. Kyle thought a female would be able to fly off with the coot. What an amazing sight!
So you can imagine the surprise when this past week we came across the scene of another male Cooper's Hawk, this time at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco, TX. Our guide, Kyle, spotted it under a bush near the board walk. Our birding group quietly walked by, many of us snapping photos, as we watched it feed on an American Coot! I had never seen a Cooper's Hawk take such large prey before! I have seen Bald Eagles take coots, but never a Cooper's Hawk. For those that are not familiar with American Coots, they are a black, duck-like bird that can weigh from 1 to 2 pounds. You can view some photos here. A large male Cooper's hawk can weighs less than a pound. Quite a feat for it to kill a coot and drag it under the bush. Kyle thought a female would be able to fly off with the coot. What an amazing sight!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Close Encounter with a Coyote
Recently, I was in the Rio Grande area of Texas. On New Year's Day, we visited Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge near Los Fresnos, Texas, in search of raptors. They have a fabulous driving tour where we viewed many Northern Harriers, White-tailed Hawks, and Crested Caracara. We counted over 25 Osprey, most of them feeding on fish from the nearby waterway.
When we were almost finished with the loop of the tour, near dusk, we noticed a car stopped by the side of the road. We pulled up slowly, thinking they may be watching a raptor or other bird. Suddenly, I spotted a four-legged creature in the road up ahead. A coyote!
My normal encounters with coyote here in Indiana are from afar. They are usually skittish, dashing quickly into the brush by the side of the road. Sometimes, I spot them in the distance in a farm field on my way to work in the morning. And, one early morning, I had the luck of spotting one loping through the park on the edge of the woods. I was pretty excited one was up ahead and was eager to get a good look.
This one seemed unafraid. It trotted by the other car, stopped for a brief second, as if sizing the passengers up, then moved on, closer to our car.
The coyote silently vanished into the brush to the side of the road behind the car. Eric backed the car up slowly to take another look. The coyote was lying down, totally unafraid, acting as if it was at peace with us being there. Such an awesome encounter!
Coyotes here in Indiana have an average weight of about 30 lbs, similar to a medium-sized dog. Their food preferences include rabbits and rodents. I usually see them in the rural areas, but there was a good sized population of coyotes at Skiles Test Park on the northeast side of town a few years ago. You could hear them howl whenever a siren sounded! I hope you have the opportunity to see one of these fascinating creatures. Check out this website for more information on coyotes in Indiana.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)