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Happy April!  Wait, that can’t be right.  If you head outside right now it certainly feels like the beginning of spring, but surprisingly we’re in the middle of winter.  While it’s a nice break from the cold snap that we recently had, I’m trying not to get too used to it.  Soon, the snow will (hopefully) arrive and just maybe it will start to feel like a true winter in Wisconsin.

As we prepare for winter to get back into gear, let’s get outside and see what’s happening right now!

Catch of the day!

The warmer weather makes ice fishing a whole lot more fun!  I took my son out on the ice the other day and we had a blast.  He caught the biggest bluegill of the evening and was very excited to show it off. It was fun just admiring the fish and seeing how beautiful they are when the sunlight hits their scales.   It’s hard to deny the beauty of a brown or rainbow trout, but take a second to look at our various species of panfish and you might be surprised at how colorful and intricate their patterning can be.

After snapping a couple pics, we sent the fish back on its way and hoped it didn’t tell its friends so that we could catch another.

Hoar frost outside of small rodent den

Despite the warmer temperatures and lack of snow, if you were to head outside early in the morning, you might get a chance to see some hoar frost.  While out at Westport Prairie one morning, I noticed that every once in a while there would be a tiny patch of frost hanging onto the grass.  If you get up close for a better look, you might notice that the frost looks a little different.  It seems spikier and has a unique look.

If you get even closer, you might notice that the frost leads to a tiny hole in the ground.  The hole is the den of a small rodent like a deer mouse or meadow vole.  The frost outside of the den is created when the water vapors from a rodent’s breath makes its way out of the den and comes in contact with the cold air.  This type of frost is called hoar frost and I encourage you to go find some!

Rodent keeping warm

Speaking of rodents in winter, I was out walking our newly planted 7.5-acre prairie planting when I came across a large clump of prairie seed.  This clump of seed was tossed by hand during our prairie planting.   Often, when you include the seed from plant species like thimbleweed in a planting, it can create large clumps that causes the seeds to stick together.  Thimbleweed feels similar to sheep’s wool and can be difficult to separate out.  It has always frustrated me just a little because I really like getting an even distribution of seed.

When I approached the clump of prairie seed, I reached down to grab a small handful so that I could spread it out.  To my surprise, someone had taken residence in this cozy, insulated blanket of seed!  It startled me more than I’d like to admit.  I took a picture because I knew no one would believe me, put the fluffy seed roof back onto the mouse house, and went on my way.

It’s easy to find cool things in nature, you just need to get outside!  I hope you make the time to do so yourself and I’ll see you next month for another nature update.

I’m not quite sure how, but 2024 is just about over but I’m very excited to see what 2025 has in store!  I can’t wait to search for animal tracks in the snow, watch pasque flowers bloom in the spring, and see fireflies light up the summer night sky.  As random as nature appears to be, it can also be predictable.  It’s nice knowing that we get to experience nature throughout the seasons all over again!

As we prepare for the new year, let’s get outside and see what’s happening right now!

Downy woodpecker

A large portion of our birds in Wisconsin migrate south for the winter and I don’t blame them!  The birds that choose to stay despite the bitter cold, are my absolute favorite.  I can’t imagine going an entire winter without seeing blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, or owls.  When spring arrives and the flashy warblers and other songbirds return, it’s easy to lose sight of our year-long residents.  Sure enough, when winter rolls around I’m reminded just how resilient and wonderful our local birds are (like the downy woodpecker pictured above).

Migration

This time of year is also special because we get a chance to see birds that we wouldn’t normally see.  Tundra swans (pictured above with Canada geese) are migrating by the thousands across Wisconsin.  They stop here on their way from the tundra of Alaska and northern Canada to take a rest.  They’ll eventually make their way to the southern coasts of the US, but for now we get to enjoy their calls in the sky above.

Red-tailed Hawk

While out with my family, we found a red-tailed hawk that swooped in above us and landed in a tree.  Red-tailed hawks look like they were built for the cold.  They’re fluffy, meat-eating predators with insanely good vision.  I love watching them dive down onto the snow and fly away with a small rodent that thought it was hidden.

I’m pretty proud when I can catch a bluegill through the ice, but it’s hard to imagine that a hawk can hear (and catch) a mouse that’s hiding up to 1′ below the snow.

Virginia opossum

While on the same hike, I saw some movement on the ground out of the corner of my eye.  Whatever it was, it had scurried into the brush and out of sight.  I told my 7-year-old I thought I just saw a house cat run into the brush and he replied with “actually, I think it was an opossum”.  I wasn’t sure that I had ever seen an alive opossum in the daylight so I was skeptical.  As we got closer, we saw the mysterious creature climbing a tree and sure enough, it was an opossum!  I may have my 7-year-old write the next ‘Nature Now’ email…

Unlike red-tailed hawks, Virginia opossums don’t look like they’re built for the winter.  In fact, they don’t really do so well being North America’s only marsupial.  Not having fur on their feet, ears, and tail exposes them to the cold and it’s not uncommon for them to get frostbite on these exposed extremities.

Well, I hope you had a wonderful year and here’s to new adventures in 2025!

November has brought us beautiful fall colors, mass bird migration, and even a beaver moon.  It’s been eventful to say the least!  As we hunker down and prepare for the festivities that November also brings, let’s remember to give thanks for not only friends and family, but for nature and all that it has to offer.  Remember that it’s waiting for you just outside your door, so make the best of it!

The color of fall

If you find yourself out on a short hike through a park or walk around the neighborhood, try to live in the moment and experience something in nature as simple as it may be.  Take a minute to stop and breathe in the cool, crisp air.  Listen to the crinkly oak leaves blowing in the wind and the trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes bugling overhead.  Touch the smooth white bark of a birch or the pointy tip of an acorn.  It doesn’t take much to feel connected with nature and you’ll be surprised (or maybe not) with how calming it can be.

American coot

My family and I recently took a trip out to Cherokee Marsh to get outside and connect with nature.  Even though there are no flowers in bloom or bees buzzing around, nature is still just as busy as ever.  While looking out over the marsh, at first glance it looked like a painting of water with brown vegetation scattered throughout.  After sitting for a minute or two, the painting came to life!

American coots (pictured above) began to peak out from behind the cattails.  Tiny wakes trailing behind muskrats rippled on the water’s surface.  Two bald eagles soared above the marsh and were promptly chased away by noisy crows.  If we hadn’t sat and observed for just a few minutes, we would have missed all of that!

Autumn meadowhawk

As we began to head out from the overlook, we were amazed to see two dragonflies on one of the boardwalk planks.  In the summer there are so many dragonflies that it can be easy to slowly stop noticing them.  However, when the weather starts to get cold and all the insects seem to vanish, seeing just two dragonflies becomes a noteworthy observation!  It turns out these are Autumn meadowhawks and as their name implies, it’s not uncommon to see them flying around in November.

Green elf cup

During a time of year when everything seems to be various shades of gold, copper, and brown it’s quite magical when you stumble across something bright blue on a log!  At first, I thought it was fake.  The photo above of the green elf cup fungus doesn’t quite do the color justice.  I looked up the fungus and it turns out that green elf cup (despite being blue) is common to see this time of year and often stains the logs blue.  In fact, the fungus-stained logs (“spalted wood”) are highly valued by woodworkers who use the colored wood to create beautiful works of art.  You learn something every day!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and however you decide to spend the holidays, I hope you’re able to get outside at least once and make a new or long-lost connection with nature!

P.S. Give a year-end gift to Groundswell today! Thank you for helping to protect special places and connect others with nature. 

The days are getting shorter, the nights are a bit cooler, and the fireflies no longer light up the night sky. Even though I’m not quite ready for summer to be over, there’s a lot to look forward to in the fall. While some may be excited for pumpkin-spiced lattes, flannel shirts, and apple picking (sometimes all on the same day), I’m most excited about the changes in nature! Now that fall has begun, let’s take this opportunity to see what’s happening out in nature!

Downy gentian in bloom

When you think of flowers in bloom, it’s not uncommon to think of spring or summer, but I think fall has some of the best flower displays around. The landscape is beginning to turn purple and yellow with all of the asters and goldenrods blooming. These opposites on the color wheel make them complementary colors and they truly do complement one another.

If you know where to look, you may be lucky enough to find some downy gentian (pictured above) which only adds to the landscape’s color palette.

Yellow garden spider

While out collecting prairie seed with our trusty outdoor volunteers, we stumbled upon at least a dozen of these yellow garden spiders (pictured above). They’re pretty harmless (unless you’re a grasshopper) so I usually just walk around them.

Every time I see the yellow and black on these spiders, I think of those ink blot tests and I always see something new. On this one, I can see a black cat with yellow eyes. What do you see?

Critter evidence

As we get ready to settle into the colder months, many different species of wildlife are too. While out on a hike, I found some evidence of a critter that was snacking on some hickory nuts at the base of a tree. These nuts are high in fat which is great for a small mammal prepping for the cold.

The hole at the bottom of the tree was undoubtedly the home entrance of the sneaky snacker, and while I didn’t get a glimpse of it, I’m fairly certain it was a chipmunk. I can’t rule out a red squirrel, but I did see chipmunks in the area so that’s my guess.

Baby meadow vole

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this photo of a baby meadow vole that we found out at Patrick Marsh while collecting prairie seed with volunteers. If you haven’t noticed, we find a lot of really cool stuff while out doing habitat restoration, so this is my plug to come out and join us if you’re not already signed up! We also found a large praying mantis on the same morning!

The vole was so young that its eyes had not yet opened. Since it was right on the trail, I carefully picked it up and moved it just a short distance away in the prairie. It was squeaking so I know momma vole will be able to find it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and I’ll see you next month!

Somehow, we’re already halfway through summer and I’m having a hard time accepting that.  In my mind, it’s still spring but when I see the wild bergamot in my front yard starting to go to seed, I know it’s definitely not still spring.  While there’s still plenty of summer to enjoy, let’s take this opportunity to see what’s happening out in nature!

Mallard Nest

While at Patrick Marsh with our outdoor volunteers, we accidentally flushed a female mallard sitting on a nest.  It had seven perfect eggs in a cozy little nest filled with dead grass and down feathers.

When most people think of prairies, they tend to think of flowers, butterflies, and tall grasses blowing in the breeze.  A duck nest doesn’t usually fit the bill, so to speak.  Mallards however are one of a few different species of waterfowl that nest in prairies that are next to water.

American Toad

While out on a trail, be sure to watch where you’re walking.  This little guy almost got stepped on and he wasn’t too happy about it!  Never in my life have I met a more grumpy-looking toad.  Shortly after placing the toad off of the trail (and apologizing), I found another but it was about the size of a thumbnail.  Out of curiosity I looked into the life cycle of toads and learned an amazing fact.  Apparently, the stage after tadpole but before adult toad is called toadlet, which sounds like a word my son made up.

Gray Treefrog

Unlike the grumpy toad, this gray treefrog I found at Westport Prairie seemed pretty happy!  Maybe it was because I didn’t almost step on it.  When I think of treefrogs, I think of rainforests in South America and definitely not Wisconsin.

We have two different species of treefrog and the way they’re able to survive our winters is by producing glycerol which acts as a natural anti-freeze.  It prevents ice crystals from forming so they essentially hibernate all winter long without freezing.  It’s not how I would want to spend my winter, but I’m glad it works for the treefrogs!

Dog-day cicada

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this photo of a dog-day cicada emerging from its exoskeleton.  When I first found it in the grass, it was halfway out of the shell, and over the course of 15-20 minutes, it slowly wiggled free.  It was both extremely creepy and exciting to watch.  I often find these little brown exoskeletons clinging to trees or on the sidewalks, but they’re always empty.  This was the first time I got to watch the process!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and I’ll see you next month!

Summer is finally here!  The warmer days bring all sorts of wonderful changes in nature.  Flowers are blooming like crazy, birds are nesting and singing their songs, and fireflies light up my backyard at night.  It’s a fantastic time of the year to be outside (if you can find a time without rain), so let’s take a quick nature tour to see what else is happening outside right now!

Wood lily in bloom

Wood lilies are one of my favorite flowers (I literally say that about every flower).  The bright pop of red mixed with the yellow with black spots makes them look so exotic in my opinion.  They are wonderful early summer flowers that aren’t extremely common, so if you find one, be sure to leave it there (and don’t tell any deer where you found it).

Black-eyed Susan

I was out walking through a prairie that we recently planted and I came across a Black-eyed Susan that made me laugh more than it should have.  It reminded me of watching Star Trek as a kid.  My favorite character was Geordi (played by Levar Burton) who had a strange visor thing that covered his eyes.  This flower appeared to have a similar situation going on and it truly made my day.

Apparently, this is called fasciation and it’s a pretty rare condition that some plants get.  There are many different causes for this condition including hormonal, fungal, bacterial, genetic, and environmental to name a few.  While I don’t know exactly how this flower came to be, I’m glad that it did!

Red-winged blackbird nest with eggs

While walking through that same prairie, I accidentally flushed a female red-winged blackbird that had been sitting on a perfectly crafted nest (pictured above).  Usually, when this happens, I get yelled at (and occasionally dive bombed) by adult red-winged blackbirds in the area, but not this time.  I was ready for it, but I guess they saw my camera and knew I wasn’t a threat.

Double rainbow!

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this photo of a double rainbow that I spotted while out camping with friends in the Kickapoo Valley.  It rained for almost the entire weekend, but without all of the rain, I wouldn’t have been able to see these beautiful rainbows.  While it’s hard to see in the photo, a friend pointed out on our camping trip that the color pattern for the second rainbow is always in reverse order.  I never noticed that before!

I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and I’ll see you next time!

So far, this spring has brought us a solar eclipse, the northern lights, and the anticipation (for some) of millions of screaming cicadas.  What a time to be alive!  As we wait for the slumbering insects to emerge, let’s go on a quick nature tour to see what else is happening outside right now!

American Robin Eggs

Birds of all sizes and colors are nesting right now, and if you’re lucky you might just find a nest or see some juvenile birds hopping around.  While out monitoring conservation easements with Brandon Mann (Groundswell’s Easement Stewardship Manager), we stumbled upon an American Robin nest with two perfectly blue eggs.  Did you know that ‘Robin egg blue’ is its own color?  It’s not surprising given how vibrant they are!

American Toad

It’s not just birds that are out and about.  If you find yourself near a wet area, you’ll likely hear a chorus of all different kinds of frogs and even toads like the one pictured above.  I’ve always favored toads a little bit over frogs because of how easy-going they are.  They’re easy to catch, they’re incredibly diverse in their coloration/bumps, and they always look grumpy (or at least unimpressed at being caught).  I could do without the getting peed on part though.

DeKay’s Brown Snake

While walking around Westport Prairie, I quite literally almost stumbled upon this adorable danger noodle (pictured above).  It was extremely small (5-6″) and right away I knew it was a DeKay’s brownsnake.  These snakes are usually nocturnal so it’s not very common to see them out during the day and it’s the first (alive) one I’ve ever seen.  I occasionally see them in the road after unfortunately getting run over by a vehicle, so it was very special getting to see one thriving in its natural habitat (until I came around and bothered it).

Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchid

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this photo of a Pink Lady’s Slipper that I took this past weekend while camping at Buckhorn State Park.  I’ve been on the hunt for one of these orchids for SO long and have yet to find one until now.  Although, I can’t take credit for finding it, because it was actually my 7-year-old son who found it while we were hiking.  I was too busy crouching on the ground try to get a photo of some reindeer lichen, so my son was the hero of the camping trip.  Plus, we were out there celebrating his birthday which made it even more special.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and I’ll see you next time!

Now that winter is (hopefully) in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start getting excited about spring and all that it brings!  The most recent snowfall is melting away, the birds are singing, plants have started emerging from the soil, and somehow that stinkbug crawling along my ceiling managed to survive the winter.  Like seriously, I’m not the only one who has been evicting occasional stinkbugs all winter, right?

Anyway, as we prepare for the warmer days ahead, let’s take a minute to see what nature’s been up to.

Pasque flowers have emerged

Despite the several inches of snow we just got earlier this week, pasque flowers continue to bloom, and have been out for almost a month!  These fuzzy little spring flowers are tough and can handle the wild weather that we’ve been having lately.  They can tolerate snow, high winds, and frosty nights due to their ability to insulate themselves so well.

Did you know that while pasque flowers look very similar to the crocuses you find blooming around your neighborhood this time of year, they are actually an anemone which is in the buttercup family?

Willows are bursting with color

If you’ve been near a wetland recently, you may have noticed that all of the fuzzy little buds on willow branches have opened up and are bursting with color.  Willows are some of the earliest woody plants to begin leafing out and flowering.  They are often scattered amongst red-osier dogwood which competes for the showiest plant color this time of year.

Sandhill cranes are back

The bugling of cranes overhead is probably the most significant sign of spring for me.  To think that many of them have been enjoying sunny Florida all winter, yet still make the long journey back home to Wisconsin, makes me smile.  They usually start making their way back around March and in April and May they’ll start nesting.  These prehistoric-looking birds mate for life (sometimes up to 20+ years) which is why you will often see them walking in pairs.

Right now we’re in burn season

Lastly, it’s prescribed fire season!  While it can look harmful to nature, it does quite the opposite.  Many species of plants and animals evolved alongside fire and certain ecosystems need it to survive.  As critters begin emerging from the ground and migrating from the south, we want to ensure they have healthy habitat to live in which is why we use fire safely as a management tool.

Just a reminder that if you see a crew burning at a public area near you, please give them plenty of space and keep all pets leashed.  Their top priority is safety, and you can help with that.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and I’ll see you next time!

Cheers,

What a rollercoaster of weather we’ve been having lately!  Some days I walk outside and feel like I’ve been teleported to early summer and the very next day I’ve travelled back to February.  Just the other day we had close to a 60F drop in temperature overnight!  I’d hate to be a weather-predicting groundhog right about now because even with years of experience, these predictions seem to be getting more and more difficult.

As we scramble to adjust our outdoor attire just about every other day, let’s take a minute to see what nature has been up to!

Mallards bobbing for apples

With all of the warm weather we’ve been having, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that our lakes are already opening up and the ice is quickly melting away.  In areas where we would normally see crowds of people ice fishing, we now see ducks and geese floating on the water.

Out of curiosity, I checked out UW’s Climatology Office website to see how long Lake Mendota was frozen over this year compared to last year.  Apparently, Lake Mendota only had 44 days of ice cover this year compared to the 98 days of ice cover last winter!

Owl pellet

Recently, I went out on a hike with my family to soak up the sun and explore nature.  The trail led us under a large willow tree overlooking a marsh and near the trunk of the tree we discovered an owl pellet!  We don’t find them often, but when we do it’s very exciting because my 6-year-old loves taking them apart to look for bones (I do too).  If you look closely at the pellet pictured above, you can see the yellowish-orange front teeth that belong to a rodent skull!

Owls usually start nesting in late January to early February which is considerably earlier than most birds.  About a month later, their eggs will begin to hatch which should be about this time!

What could this be?

While out with my monthly outdoor volunteers, we discovered another little brown blob (pictured above).  This was very clearly not an owl pellet.  It felt sort of like hardened foam and it was attached to a stick.  At first, I thought it could be a type of fungus but then discovered that it was actually a praying mantis egg case!

Praying mantises create this protective casing for their eggs in the summer.  It insulates the eggs all winter and, in the spring, the nymphs emerge by the dozens.  *Note that if you find an egg casing that looks similar to this one, it likely belongs to the invasive Chinese mantis.  The native mantis creates more elongated egg cases.

Snoozing muskrats

Lastly, I’ll leave you with these adorable muskrats that were taking a nap in the sun.  With most of the ice melted you’ll probably notice more muskrats swimming around lake edges and basking in the sun.  Fun fact: I learned just a couple of weeks ago that muskrats can hold their breath for up to 15-20 minutes, allowing them to swim great distances under the ice!

I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and I’ll see you next time!

Cheers,

Happy February!  I don’t know about you, but if someone were to ask me what my favorite month is or even my top 5 favorite months, February usually isn’t in the running.  When I think of February, the color gray immediately comes to mind.

I need to kick this habit though because February is a wonderful time of year!  The days are finally getting longer, buds on trees are starting to form, and cardinals are starting to sing in the early morning!  While we watch the snow melt from this unseasonably warm week, let’s get outside and see what else February has to offer.

Rodent tracks in the snow

Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of rodent tracks in the snow which always brings a smile to my face because of how sneaky they generally are.  While I have seen mice and voles run right by me while out on hikes, it’s not very common.  As sneaky as they are, covering their tracks is impossible so it’s nice to see where they choose to hike when no one else is around.

While looking at the tracks found at Westport Prairie, I heard what sounded like a Red-tailed Hawk screeching overhead and when I looked up, it was actually a Blue Jay!  Did you know that Blue Jay’s often mimic the screech of a Red-tailed Hawk?

Coyote tracks in the snow

Being a mouse means you really need to plan your hikes, because right about where the mouse tracks ended, the coyote tracks (pictured above) started… One easy way to tell if tracks belong to a domestic dog versus a fox or coyote is to look at the path of the tracks.  Dogs rarely walk in a straight line while foxes and coyotes are much more efficient with their consumption of energy.

These tracks were fairly large and spaced pretty far from one another which helps with my coyote identification.  Fox tracks are generally a little smaller and spaced closer together.

Just looks like grass, right?

As I continued my hike, I ventured a little off the trail to identify some prairie plant seed heads (as one does).  As I got closer, I saw a cottontail rabbit burst from the grass and it raced away from me.  It was startling but also confusing because the grass here was very short and this was a fairly large rabbit.  It didn’t seem possible for something that large to be completely obscured less than 5 feet from me.

I carefully walked around the area to see where it came from.  I thought maybe there was a hole in the ground that it was hiding in.  It crossed my mind that maybe it was just in plain sight but not moving so it camouflaged in with its surroundings and I just didn’t see it.

Eastern cottontail nest

As I crouched down to get a better view, I found this perfect little nest (pictured above) tucked away under the grass.  It looked well-insulated and very cozy!  There’s no way in a million years that I would have ever found this nest if I hadn’t accidentally flushed the rabbit.  In that moment, I looked around and wondered about all of nature’s other secrets that are almost literally under our feet, and we just don’t notice.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my virtual tour of nature as it’s happening.  Spring is not all that far away so try to get out and enjoy all that February has to offer!

See you next month!