The next nature walk at the park is Tuesday the 28th of April 9:30-10:30 AM Sign up here Over the past few years I have observed about 40 different species of bees at Nixon park, around half of those observations have been confirmed by other observers on
Spring's marvelous bounty quickly exhausts the stockpile of adjectives, have you been out walking yet? I'll be at the park Tuesday the 21st, weather permitting, to conduct a nature walk from 9:30 - 10:30 AM - sign up here. There are (to me at least) an
The bittersweet call and whistling flight of the Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) make it one of our most recognizable local birds. Females are slightly duller brownish-tan; males show a bluish-gray crown and somewhat stronger pink tones on the breast. There's a patch of iridescent feathers along
Each spring, Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) shoots, rolled up like umbrellas, push through leaf litter into the dappled sunlight of the forest floor. These plants belong to an ancient line spread across the Northern Hemisphere. Over millions of years, the line divided, resulting in related species in eastern North America and
A full slate of spring!
When visiting Anson B. Nixon Park, you may be fortunate enough to spot one of four species of frogs or the American Toad. The fifth species of frog is one you'll more likely hear than see, the Spring Peeper; look for a separate post about them in the
Crossing a footbridge at the park this week I saw a frenetic kerfuffle of water striders on the surface of the creek. My surprise at seeing them so early in the year sparked some research; here's what I found. Our creek water striders are in the Aquarius remigis
The poem of spring continues to unfold, with a stanza here and there reminding us just how cold winter was. Heard and seen, but not yet photographed - Tree Swallows! I've been working on project that incorporates iNaturalist observations in the Anson B. Nixon Park Project into a field
How long has skunk cabbage been around? Our local skunk cabbage is a relative of fossils reaching back 72 million years. Using the molecular clock (a method of estimating the age of plant groups by DNA changes) our local species developed roughly 12 million years ago. At that time he
Every small shift in the forest is driven by huge astronomical events. In late February the sun slides northward along the horizon and days lengthen. Sunlight strikes the earth at a more direct angle, and the warming begins. Orion, our winter companion, begins his slow departure from the night sky.
I'd like to begin hosting/leading more or less informal nature walks at the Nixon Park this spring. I am asking anyone who would like to participate to let me know their preference for day and time by completing this brief survey. Please feel free to share with