Chrysalis Time

Monarchs arrived in the Metro at the beginning of May. We spotted eggs everywhere on the milkweed around the Dodge property. Then we started seeing caterpillars. And now, the monarchs are beginning the next stage in their lives. After shedding their skin one last time as a larva, the monarch is surrounded by the jade green chrysalis. During this time, the insect is particularly vulnerable, so the color of the chrysalis is critical to their survival. The green color helps them blend in with the leaves of the plants where they are hanging out until they emerge as an adult. Depending on the weather, it will take 7-14 days before the next generation of butterflies appear. So, that's what we're looking for next. More butterflies!

Lesson for the Day

Temperatures were in the 90s today - lots of sun and humidity. And I learned today that a homemade suet mixture of lard, peanut butter and oatmeal doesn't stand up to the heat. Not even close...

Remember how the creature moved in the movie "The Blob"? That's what it kind of looked. There's nothing like watching globs of  brown goo ooze down the sides of the feeders, dripping onto the squirrel baffles below. Even the woodpeckers weren't interested in the stuff - they'd fly in, peck at the mess in the holes, and fly away. I can only assume they flew off in disgust. "What is this stuff? Yech!"Since I don't speak woodpecker, I guessing at their reaction based on their behavior.

A thunderstorm came through about 7 p.m. and the temperature is dropping. Hopefully, the goo will solidify and be more appealing tomorrow. Or - I need to try something different for the rest of the summer.

Mini Mammals on the Prairie

This week the 7th Graders from Heritage E-STEM Middle School applied engineering skills they'd been learning by designing and constructing live traps. They planned on placing the traps around the Lilly Prairie to see what kinds of small mammals live there. (Back in November we set up trail cameras to capture images of larger mammals active at the Lilly. We saw deer, a raccoon, a coyote, people, and a mink!) Today each class had several successes - traps that actually worked! So what was in the traps?

We found meadow voles. The students tended to assume these animals were mice, but there are easily observed differences. Mice have large ears and long tails. Look carefully at the picture and notice the tiny, dark eyes and almost absent ears. Their tails are shorter than the length of their bodies.

Meadow voles are probably the most abundant mammal on the prairie. They reproduce at an early age, have large litters, and become food for many others on the prairie. You probably won't ever see them, but the traps we used today helped us know they are on the Lilly.

Gloomy Day

Listening to people the past few days, it's been interesting to hear them talk about how they could tell rain was coming: the color of the clouds, the smell in the air, the ache in their knees. In this day and age with all the technological bells and whistles available, it's great that people still rely on their senses to predict weather. Phone apps and computer alerts are useful, but we should be doing more with our eyes and ears and getting back to trusting our instincts about the world around us.  

Caterpillar Time



First, there were dozens of monarch eggs on the milkweed. And now there are tiny caterpillars everywhere. The larvae start out less than 1/4" long and about as thick as dental floss. It can be hard to spot the actual caterpillars, so don't look for them - look for signs of them instead.

Notice the tiny holes in the leaves in the picture above? That's what to look for - signs of the larvae eating. These first instar larvae eat their egg case first, then the tiny hairs on the underside of the leaf. Then they start eating the leaf itself. The holes are small and the caterpillar makes one after the other. Any break in the surface of the leaf lets the white, sticky latex leak out. While the caterpillars can ingest the latex without it being toxic to them (although anything trying to eat the caterpillar will be poisoned), it can glue their tiny mouths shut. Always another hurdle to overcome!

Lupine Time

This is the time of year for my favorite spring prairie wildflower - lupines. Hike to the northwest corner of the main prairie and there you'll see them - rafts of that indescribable bluish-purple color swaying in the breeze. Nearby you'll see the orange of the hoary puccoon - a lovely contrast to the lupines. In a month or two, come back and look for the fuzzy black seed pods. They twist apart to toss the hard white seeds out onto the prairie where they'll rest all winter before sprouting next spring.

If you like lupines and like the idea of doing something to make the world a better place, take a few minutes to read Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney - an excellent children's book with a message for anyone.

Lots of monarch activity

The lawn in the backyard needs mowing, but there's milkweed sprouting up everywhere. And looking carefully at the leaves and stems, I've spotted almost 30 eggs. No caterpillars yet. I collected about 20 eggs and am raising them in the basement. The earliest I've found eggs before is mid-June. What a crazy spring!

Who's that grunting?

Sitting on the north platform of the boardwalk, I could hear an odd sound coming from the marsh to the west. Not a bird, but another frog. The chorus frogs are still making their comb-thrumming calls. This frog's sound was like a cross between a snore and a grunt. Checking with other naturalists, we decided it was a green frog.

Another small frog, green frogs are only about 2-3" long, bright green with a white belly. The males' throats are yellow. They snack on grasshoppers, crickets, snails, slugs, and other invertebrates. It's not surprising that I heard this frog where I did since they prefer marshes and ponds. Now I'll just have to keep an eye out for one.

Tiny Miracles

Since last week, milkweed has been popping up everywhere.  And with the presence of milkweed, the monarchs have been busy laying eggs on any plants they find - even ones that are no taller than 5".

Two monarch eggs on a newly emerged milkweed plant

Even in my backyard, I've seen monarch eggs - over 10 on 4 different plants. This is the earliest I've ever noticed eggs  - and the abundance of eggs!

There is much concern about the future of monarchs given the extent of habitat loss both in monarchs' summer range and winter roosting sites. Seeing this many eggs so soon and in such numbers makes me hopeful that the species will survive. For being such a tiny insect, they are certainly tenacious!

Morel Mania

One benefit of this wild weather we've been having is that it seems to be good for mushrooms - especially morels. This past week, naturalists and preschoolers were collecting morels throughout the nature center. And the size of the things - heads standing 4"-6" tall. Amazing and elusive!

from minnesotafirsts.com

Morels (Morchella esculenta) officially became Minnesota's state mushroom in 1984. 

Black and Orange - Spring Signs Abound

Students gathered at the top of Dakota Life Hill were busy trying to start fires using hand drills, bow drills, and flint-and-steel. It was noisy with their excitement. But a rumble of distant thunder got the adults looking skyward and the inky blackness of the western sky convinced us it was time to head inside. The trek back to the classroom took us through a woodland of trees. What little light there was filtered through young leaves giving the woods a strange greenish glow. Fascinating to look at, but we had no time to appreciate the quality of the light. And just in time, we made it to the classroom. The hail and rain that poured down were most impressive.

It seems that storms that develop quickly are also short-lived. And that was the case today - by noon, the skies were clear. Red admirals and dragonflies were flying everywhere. Naturalists were out hunting for morels. And there - by the feeders near the office - orioles! Just about the time we hung an oriole feeder, a monarch butterfly was spotted near the raptor mews. This is why I so enjoy observing the changes of spring.