I love watching the babies this time of year! There is a mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) family with 10 ducklings at Morrisville Community Park this spring.
Author: Jaclyn
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American Beech Trees Provide Winter Beauty
Did you know that American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) trees hang on to their golden brown leaves in the winter? It is thought that the leaves protect the new bud growth from hungry deer.
American Persimmon
Have you noticed piles of small white flowers on the ground? These are American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) flowers. Persimmon trees are dioecious, which means they have separate male and female trees. If you want to have persimmon fruit, you need to have both kinds of trees. You can tell the difference between the trees in… Continue reading American Persimmon
An Unusual Pair of Ducks in Bond Park
I came across a beautiful male wood duck (Aix sponsa) in Bond Park this week. He seemed to be friendly with a female mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos). I read that it’s pretty common for both mallard ducks and wood ducks to breed with other types of ducks. Their hybrid offspring are usually infertile, though. If… Continue reading An Unusual Pair of Ducks in Bond Park
Ants
Have you ever noticed the large ant mounds that always seem to appear after the rain? The ants are busy rebuilding and relocating their nests. We saw at least 8 large ant hills on our walk today, all of them swarming with activity. This ant hill didn’t appear to have much going on. But look… Continue reading Ants
Autumn Beauty
I hope you’ve had a chance to get outside and enjoy the beautiful colors of autumn!
Autumn Glow
I love how the trees glow with the setting sun in autumn.
Banded Woollybear Weather Folklore
I saw a banded woollybear caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella) this week. Have you heard the folklore about their ability to predict the coming winter’s weather? Some people say that the wider the rusty band, the milder the winter will be. There’s a Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk, NC every October. They have a caterpillar race,… Continue reading Banded Woollybear Weather Folklore
Beaver Dam at Bond Park
Have you seen the beaver dam at Bond Park? This is a stream at the south end of Bond Lake, where the Lake Trail and Oxxford Hunt Greenway intersect. It’s amazing what a couple of beavers can do!
Biting Insects
Have you ever been bitten by a horsefly? Wow, that hurts! When I’m outside, I expect ticks to jump on me and mosquitos to bite me. Otherwise, bugs tend to leave you alone if you leave them alone. Right? I guess not. I walked out my front door and felt something like a razor hit… Continue reading Biting Insects