Nature CSI SOLVED--Who killed FISH and What Happen to the Body?

Looking for clues...What's this?

SCAT! The excrement of an animal--most likely a bird. But WHICH BIRD?

These white spots in the grass cover about 4 feet in diameter.

These white spots on the bushes cover a space of 3 x 6 ft.

Now I remember seeing a Great Blue Heron flying from this VERY SPOT a few times over the last few months AND seeing this very same scat pattern then as well. Hmmm...

Then I researched the subject and discovered that Great Blue Heron rookeries (where birds make their nests in large groups) are full of scat covered trees and in fact, the scat eventually coats the tree and the tree dies. AND, here it is--the evidence... there are often whole fish and fish body parts scattered around the ground and hanging in the trees from the Great Blue Herons feeding in these rookeries.

Watch for more of our regular features...

Nature CSI

Nature Mysteries

Nature Paparazzi

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Nature CSI-Who Killed Fish and What Happened to the Body?

I came across this body part on my walk yesterday. I immediately wondered what happened to the rest of the fish and WHO DID IT?

Check Back on Thursday for the answer.

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Alice and Freddy...A Love Story

Often when you are trying to remember things, it helps to have an easy way to remember it. If you want to impress your family and friends, these are called mnemonic (Knee-Mon-Ick) devices. One of my favorite plants is actually TWO plants living together in a symbiotic relationship. And the way I remember it is this little story...

Alice Algae and Freddy Fungus took a Likein' (Lichen) to each other.

Meet Lichen...

Lichen can be found all over the world growing on rocks, sterile soil, sand, trees, and buildings. Lichen are the first to settle in places that have no soil since they don't require it to live. In fact, lichens are responsible for helping to break down rocks into soil or they help hold the soil in place so that other plants can grow in that area. 

Kool Fact: Lichen can survive in very extreme conditions--even unprotected in SPACE!

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Nature Paparazzi--Great Blue Heron

I have always watched these big beautiful birds as they hunt fish or frogs but I have rarely been able to get them on film. I was absolutely thrilled when I was able to get these shots...

I love the way they hover motionlessly above the water and then WHAM they spear a fish or grab it in their strong beak. Then they tip their head up to slide it down their throat. Great Blue Herons are BIG birds--about 4 feet high with a wing span of 6 feet! Yet I usually don't see them in the water until I am almost on top of them. It is because they are so very still and that grey-blue color really blends into the background.

I have always thought they look really awkward as they take off and fly away. But they are so very elegant as their stride through the water on those long legs as they hunt.

More Information about Great Blue Herons on my favorite nature site EEK!

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Thank You to September Volunteers

We have had a number of volunteers this month. 

One Saturday, Brian and Gordy stopped by to put up a few sections of a split rail fence. They also took care of the large branch on the side of the road that had fallen earlier in the week by chainsawing it into smaller pieces. 

Brian and Gordy

We also had a large group from Northwestern Settlement's AmeriCorps Project Yes! for a day and a half of  work projects. A BIG thank you to: Leila, Sue, Robin, Dan, Jamie, Paul, Marta, Emma, Anna, Naomi, Diane, Kerri Anne, Linda, Julia, Ally, Hannah, Tasha, Mirriam, Miguel, gabriel, George, Bridget, Tasha, Josh, Megan, Jessica, and Neha. 

AmeriCorps Project Yes! 2012

This is what they finished: Trim 1/4 mile Bay Road, Paint two cabins, Finish trim on two more cabins, Mail 800 pieces for our new Outdoor Education Center, Dust bust cabins for allergy sufferers, Wash windows, Create new garden fence, Preserve docks, benches and tables, Take brush to pile for chipping and a large list of "miscellaneous projects from breaking up things for the garbage to making our popular playground event "Dig to China" safe for our children.
And thanks to master gardener Carol for the leadership on making the garden fence.

And then we had our September Work Day...
...we cleared brush and chipped the brush piles.

September Volunteers for Work Day

Thank you to Ralph, Bob, Alex (staff), Steve, Dave, and Tim. Ralph, Bob and Tim are new volunteers this month. Welcome! Mary (another Master Gardener) also spent some time transplanting into our expanded rain garden near Oscar's Room steps. This rain garden got a workout yesterday when we had a 1/2 inch of rain in less than an hour. It held--it neatly diverted the water from washing out the steps JUST LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSE TO DO!

We have a monthly work day every third Tuesday of the month from April to October. Our last work day is October 16--join us from 9am to noon.

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Nature Mysteries Answer--Who Lives in That Hole?

Well, at first I thought the hole in the last blog belonged to one of these guys because they have holes ALL over House In The Wood. As you watch them, they scurry to the edge of their hole, pause, and then disappear down the hole in a flash!

This Eastern Chipmunk pauses to see what I am doing.

But then I looked a little closer and realized that the hole did not go very far into the ground and it didn't seem to have an active resident. This made me think that it was probably a hole left over from Spring when the female turtles dug their holes in the ground to lay their eggs.

Painted Turtles sun themselves on a log over the lake.

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Nature Mysteries-Who lives in that hole?

When asked "Who lives in that hole?" most people will immediately say, "Snake!" Well if you think about it, if it is freshly dug hole like this looks like, it is just not possible. Snakes have NO way to dig--no claws, no hands to move dirt. Although a snake WILL occupy an already dug hole or will enter a hole to hunt whoever lives there.

SO...who do you think lives in this hole? Stay tuned for the answer...

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Monarch Migration Has Started

This butterfly is fairly common in Wisconsin. I wonder if THIS one that I photographed along the road was ready to start its Fall Migration.

In the fall, monarchs head south. With a northerly wind, the monarchs will migrate at high altitudes, taking advantage of the tailwind. This helps them conserve their energy. As they travel, hundreds or even thousands may gather together at their nightly roosting spots.

A Milkweed Pod--there is alot of milkweed along the road

Midwestern monarchs continue south all the way to the Sierra Madres of middle Mexico, where they spend the winter among fir forests at high altitudes. Winter monarch butterflies are kind of sluggish. On warm days they head out to look for nectar, but they don't reproduce. In spring they head north, breed along the way, and then die. Their offspring will return to the northern starting point, where they lay their eggs on milkweed plants.

Here is their route...

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NEW! Outdoor Education Center

We have worked with Rowe Elementary School third and fourth grades over the last two years. NOW we are opening up our Outdoor Education Center to other schools.

Below is our cover sheet that has been sent to schools throughout the Chicagoland area. It should hit teacher mailboxes early next week! 

Watch for our new website at www.houseinthewood.com which will be uploaded soon! This will have a lot of information about our new curriculum AND resources for Illinois School teachers.

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