The Boys Are Back in Town...

 The male Red Wing Blackbirds have returned to the marshes of House In the Wood. They are all spreading their wings and letting out a LOUD conk-la-ree trill. In Blackbird language: STAY AWAY! THIS IS MY AREA! Once they establish AND KEEP their area, they will try to attract the females who arrive a few weeks later. Then it really gets loud!

Red Wing Blackbird in House In the Wood marsh. Frozen lake in background.

The return of the MALE Red Wing Blackbird is one of my FIRST signs of Spring. Another early sign of Spring is the Pussy Willows starting to bud. The willows have a pleasing off-white soft, furry bud.

Red Wing Blackbird on Pussy Willows

 And still another early sign of Spring--the Sandhill Cranes return. They have a very distinctive croak and then you look up, way up, there they are circling overhead.

Sandhill Cranes in Sky

All of this is happening THREE WEEKS earlier than normal! What does it mean?

Click link for more information about Red Wing Blackbirds and Sandhill Cranes. Don't forget to click on the voice to see what they sound like.

House In the Wood is a program of 

Northwestern Settlement

It's Woolly Bear Season

Fall is Woolly Bear season, which means that you see these Isabella tiger moth caterpillars crawling across roads and trails. There is a myth that the orange stripe predicts the winter weather. I wish it were true, because the large orange stripe on this little guy would indicate a very mild winter this year- the larger the stripe, the milder the winter. Find a Woolly Bear and want to raise it from caterpillar to moth? Click here for directions. Woolly Bear Care Sheet.

House In The Wood is a program of Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, Illinois

Tales from Val's Vacation...The Lone Goose

Terry and I were tent camping in Copper Falls State Park near tiny Mellen Wisconsin. We woke up in the tent at 3 a.m. one morning and spent some time listening to the night sounds. First we heard the high pitched yips of a pack of coyotes and then...coming from far away we heard the honk, honk, honk of many geese. There had to be at least 50 of them. They came closer and closer until it sounded like they were directly above our tent. So loud! If we had been asleep, they would have woken us. They flew past still honking in the distance and then finally silence. Next we heard the faint far off sound of a barred owl hooting once, twice and then one last time. Silence, not a sound, not even the wind. Terry and I started to drift back to sleep. And then faintly in the distance we heard honk, honk, honk from a single goose. We listened intently as the goose got closer and closer. It seem to be saying "Where did everyone go?" All we heard was just that one goose in all of that silence. Honk. Honk. Honk. That one goose continued to honk, "I'm lost. Will someone answer me?" We listened as that one lone honk faded in the distance--never once did we hear an answer.

House In The Wood

Delavan Wisconsin

Valerie Wright Copyright 2016

LOOK UP! See FIVE Planets!

How very frustrating that it is so cloudy that we can't see this totally kool event--FIVE PLANETS IN THE SKY AT ONCE! Well, just in case, 45 minutes before sunrise is roughly 6:30am as sunrise is about 7:15am this week and next. Here in Delavan, Wisconsin it looks like there may be a break in the weather on Friday morning. Happy viewing!

Sky and Telescope Diagram

Here's the view 45 minutes before sunrise as plotted for February 1st, about when Mercury should be easiest to spot. Major constellations are also shown. For several days the waning Moon is marching eastward among the assembled planets.

More Information at Sky and Telescope's Week at a Glance

House In The Wood

a program of Northwestern Settlement

Science Surrounds Us!

Cool Infographic and Educator Toolkit with Citizen Science Links for school or home
from National Environmental Education Foundation

House In The Wood 

A program of Northwestern Settlement

NEVER saw this at House In The Wood!

This is the first time that I have seen Pilated Woodpeckers at House In The Wood. I was giving a tour at the marsh boardwalk and heard their VERY distinctive "maniacal laugh". There they were--a pair of Pilated Woodpeckers flying from tree to tree. I am so excited--maybe they will mate here and stay around for everyone to see. This is a BIG bird--about 18 inches long and hard to miss with its bring red head. This is the woodpecker that the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker is modeled after.  

This site says they have never been spotted in Walworth County. So we are the first!

Here is more from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Listen to the sound and you will understand why I called it maniacal laughter.

Val's Picture from Missouri

House In The Wood is operated by 

Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, Illinois

First Signs of Spring

I was away from House In the Wood for five days at a Science Teachers Conference and Spring is busting out all over camp.

Today...
...I saw and heard the Sandhill Crane. I saw it circling the marsh as though looking for a special place to land. Their call is a very distinctive trilling honk.
...I saw and heard the MALE Red Winged Blackbird. I saw about 10 of them in the marsh all trying to outdo each other with their noise and wide-spread wings. Those with the best territory "get the girl" when the females arrive a few weeks from now.
...the fisherman are very busy on the ice as the fish bite BEST as the ice is forming and the ice is melting. Or so they tell me!

Watch the next few posts as I share just SOME of the things I picked up at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference in Chicago last week!

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, Illinois

LOOK UP! Kool sky event.

SEE THIS SKY EVENT EVEN IN CHICAGO.

Venus, the thin crescent Moon, and a little Mars form a tight bunch in the west-southwest during and after dusk as shown below. On February 20, they fit in a circle just 2 degrees across at the times of dusk with the Moon below. On February 21, they fit in a circle just 4 degrees across with the moon above at the time of dusk just like the picture below.

See more at Sky and Telescope Week at a Glance

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, IL

Great Backyard Bird Count

Great Backyard Bird Count

February 13—16, 2015

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a fun, free, family-friendly activity to engage experienced birders in citizen science, and the perfect opportunity to introduce new people to birdwatching. Participating in the count is as simple as counting birds for as few as 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, and then reporting the results online at birdcount.org. 

Bluejay at Val's Feeder-they REALLY like peanuts!

Project Feeder Watch

ALL YEAR

Here is another citizen science site where you can count and record your bird sightings. Project Feeder Watch at http://feederwatch.org/

Scholar and Teacher watching a bird.

House In the Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, IL

Winter Reveal! Look Who Was Living Here!

When the leaves drop I am always AMAZED at who was living so close to me and I didn't EVEN know it. Take a look...

A Bald-Faced Hornet nest in the parking lot.

Robin Nest Made of Mud, Grass and Sticks

Red Winged Black Bird Nest in Marsh

Bird Nest Made of Small Sticks in Marsh-Bird Unknown

 Muskrat Home on Edge of Marsh

A Squirrel's nest known as a DRAY.
A Squirrel's nest has leaves rather than sticks or grasses.

Click for More About... 

...Bald-Faced Hornets

...Red Winged Blackbirds   

...Robins    

...Muskrats

...Squirrels

AND a KOOL thing to do...

...Project Squirrel (a Citizen Science Project)

We Are In The SUNNY SEASON!

Yep..we are officially in the "SUNNY SEASON" but I'll bet that I didn't have to tell YOU that! The sunny season is May through October with the greatest amount of sunshine in July and August. That's statistically speaking of course.

YEAH SUN! Now we can go SWIMMING!

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

TOTAL ECLIPSE of the MOON-April 14-15

Winter is my absolute FAVORITE season to star watch with its clear skies and spectacular constellations like Orion, the hunter. But sometimes no matter what the season, kool stuff happens in the sky like the total Eclipse of the moon happening in mid-April. Can't wait--hope it is a clear night as we haven't seen this event in North America for 2 1/2 years. Enjoy!




For more information go to:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/April-2014-Total-Lunar-Eclipse-252931091.html.

House In the Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement.

House In the Wood at www.houseinthwood.com

Northwestern Settlement at www.nush.org

Totally Envious...I want to see a Flying Squirrel

I want to see a FLYING SQUIRREL at MY feeders.

From lakecountynature.com

Why they are called FLYING squirrels from squirrelguide.com

There is a VERY good chance that we have them as they like forest but it is very hard to see these shy and fast squirrels because they only come out at night. My plan is to get a night capable motion camera and mount it next to the bird feeders at camp and Elliott House to see what shows up. I'll keep you posted and maybe I'll have my own pictures to show you.

House In the Wood is operated by Northwester Settlement

Did You Know There is a "CLOUD SEASON"?

Yep...there is a "CLOUD SEASON" where 50% or more of the month is overcast. Cloud season is November through April. The cloudiest months are November and December where over 18 days on average are overcast. This is followed by January and then March.

The upside to those clouds, of course, is this!

A camp sunset!

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

More Mating Season...

This is also when the mating season starts for the Red Fox, Beavers, and the Gray Squirrel. All of these animals are found on House In the Woods grounds.

Where am I getting all of this information about mating? The phenology calendar put out by the Aldo Leopold Center. Phenology is the study of life cycles based on seasons and climate for a particular area. The last year available is 2013 but the phenology is still accurate as it changes little from year to year. This information was gathered from midstate Wisconsin so I would guess that Southern Wisconsin where House In the Wood is located is a little earlier. I hope to start a House In The Wood phenology soon. It will take awhile to get one as it takes at least five years of records to get an average.

Here is the Phenology Calendar link if you would like to check for yourself.

http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/phenologycalendar13.pdf

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement.

Mating Season Begins...Black Capped Chickadee

Wisconsin Phenology per Aldo Leopold

We should start hearing the mating call of the Black Capped Chickadee this week. more info about their calls at Cornell Lab of Ornithology

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/lifehistory

House In the Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

The Answer...WHO goes there?

Did you guess? Notice the almost hand-like front paw and the long good-for-hopping and balance rear paw. 

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

LOOK WHO I FOUND!

There were about 6 of them near a drain pipe that was melting snow and thawing the ground so they could look for worms, grubs and insects. This was the day after we had minus 30 wind chill for two days and the temperatures had just started to rise to the mid-30's. I wonder WHY they didn't fly further south this year? The warm Fall we had this year? I wonder if they are finding enough to eat. 

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

NO Bears at House In the Wood

This is the closest that we get to BEARS at House In The Wood. There are bears in Wisconsin but they are in the northern half of the state. The bear population in Wisconsin has increased and the young male bears are looking for new territory to inhabit. There have been "sightings" of black bears in southern Wisconsin but even these are RARE in Walworth County where Delavan is located. Delavan is just NOT good habitat for bears--little cover, food, space and too many people.

The bear rug in front of Ms Val's fireplace--fake, of course.

The phenology of Wisconsin says that Black Bear Cubs are being born in dens this week but I don't think they are anywhere near Walworth County. Phenology is the study of lifecycles influenced by seasonal and climate changes.

HALT! Who goes there?

I love this time of year when I can see exactly WHO went where...and I can even tell roughly WHEN they did it.

Who goes here? Do you know? Answer coming in later post...

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement