More Spring Wildflowers!

Today was spent leading 2nd graders on a two hour hike at Indian Creek Nature Center which was a really fun time. Those kids were so observant and found so many things along the trails.  I had a great time! Hmmm...wonder why everything is underlined in blue???

Well, once the hike was over I wasn't ready to go back home. Spent another couple hours wandering the hills and trails. I just can't get enough of the woods in the spring and as promised...MORE WILDFLOWERS!

                                                                  ?Wood Anemone?

 Wild Ginger- notice the maroon colored blossom that lies on the ground. This plant is        pollinated by beetles and other crawly bugs.

                                                                      Virginia Bluebells

                                             Trillium or Toadshade-One of my favorites!

Enjoy the spring. There is so much out there!

Prairie Clover

Check these "beauties" out!

It was an unusually warm spring day today. In fact, it got up to 87 degrees! Well, to celebrate the warmth, I went for a walk up and around the hills and trails of Indian Creek Nature Center.

One thing I LOVE to do is search for woodland wildflowers in the spring. This is what I happened upon today...

  

Spring Beauties!

Dutchman's Breeches to left and more spring beauties to right.

                                                          

                                                              Bloodroot in bloom

Rue Amemone

More to come...

Who has been Lapping the Sap?!

I swear this isn't a blog on birds. Birds just keep coming up this spring!

While sitting in my living room  staring out the front window, I noticed what I thought was a Hairy Woodpecker working on the maple tree out front. Why was he spending so much time checking out that trunk? Why was I spending so much time watching him?

I picked up the binoculars to get a better look. That's not a run of the mill woodpecker, it's a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker! First time I've seen one of those here. April is the month they migrate through Iowa on their way to the upper Great Lakes area and Canada to spend the summer breeding and doing what they do.

The bird was working on drilling holes into the Maple tree to release the sap. Notice the picture I took of our tree. The sapsucker drills holes in a neat line about halfway up the tree. The tree truck is wet with sap. Many other birds were taking advantage of the sap flow. There were lots of sparrows, a nuthatch or two, starlings and a couple cardinals visiting that tree today. 

Later in the afternoon I noticed TWO yellow-bellied sapsuckers. A male and a female. Another story with a romantic ending!

Have a Great Day!

Prairie Clover

Peent...Peent...Weeeeeeeeee

Guess what... another bird adventure!

This evening my dear husband, "Joe Dirt", and I ventured out to Squaw Creek Park to possibly witness the mating flight/dance of the American Woodcock. (He is so patient with me) The sun was setting and the full moon rising. It was a cool clear evening, perfect conditions for love. We sat in the car listening,waiting, listening, waiting, listening, waiting. Then I heard it! Peent...peent....peent, every two seconds or so. Peent is a word to describe a sound that is impossible to describe. After several peents, there is a pause. This is when the male woodcock flies up into the air, 230-328ft, in widening spirals then falls back down in a zig-zag fashion while making a totally different twittery sound which I cannot even try to describe.

  After he silently hits the ground, hopefully near his lady friend, he resumes his unusual woodcock song, peent....peent....peent.  Courtship, ain't it beautiful?

Isn't he an unusually interesting bird?  The American Woodcock,  also referred to as a timberdoodle, makes good use of camouflage to protect himself from predators.  And how about that beak? A most useful tool I would say for poking around looking for earthworms and insect larvae to eat. Yum!

Oh, by the way, Joe Dirt didn't hear or see any of it. Too many years playing loud music. He sure missed out tonight!

Have a great day!

Prairie Clover

Sandhill Cranes on the Platte

Who needs white sand beaches, sunshine, margaritas and waiters tending to your every need.

Spring Break to me means a trip to Nebraska for the Sandhill Crane migration. It's also a great excuse to visit my parents in Grand Island.

I know what you're thinking...Cancun vs. Nebraska. Hmmm. That Prairie Clover must be daft!

The Sandhill Crane is a most amazing bird and the annual migration event is something every bird enthusiast should witness at least once. In fact, if there was a list of the 7 wonders of the (bird) world, this would be listed on it.

The Sandhill Crane, Grus Canadensis is a fairly large wading bird. Its height, 3-4 feet with a wingspan of 6 feet. Color is gray with some rusty colored areas and has a bright red patch on its forehead. This bird typically lays 2 eggs per year though only one chick usually survives. They mate for life and love to dance. Isn't that romantic?

Can you see them dance? Look closely. You may need to get a magnifying glass...

Migration time occurs during the month of March in Nebraska. These birds spend the winter months in the southern United States and northern Mexico probably enjoying the sunshine, beaches and the margaritas I previously mentioned in my post. When  the season changes and it's time to migrate, they make their yearly trek to Canada, Alaska and even as far as Siberia. The migration pathway resembles an hourglass shape with the skinniest area being that stop-over spot on the Platte River in central Nebraska. As many as 650,000 birds pass through an area of 20-30 miles wide from Grand Island, NE to Kearney, NE.

Imagine watching thousands of Sandhill Cranes gather on the Platte River . It truly is amazing.

For more info  http://www.nebraskaflyway.com

Oh, I almost forgot...When out and about scouting for birds, my Mom and I happened upon this skunk. Get out your magnifying glass again! Look in center of the picture.

Have a great day!

Prairie Clover