Over the past few weeks, Mother Nature has slowly stirred from her winter slumber. The earthy scent of skunk cabbage rises from the wetlands, frogs call out into the evening air, and woodcock dance across the sky in their annual spring displays. With each step outside, something new reveals itself, as if the landscape is waking up before our eyes. These familiar rhythms, returning year after year, bring a quiet comfort and a deep sense of renewal.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to join me on a tour to see what’s happening outside!
Orange jelly fungus
Despite the lack of greenery on the landscape, there is still plenty of color painted throughout nature. While taking a walk through the primarily brown and gray woods, something vibrantly orange caught my my eye. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a fungus often referred to as orange jelly. With nighttime temperatures still pretty cold, it was surprising to see something so colorful and alive.
Apparently, this type of fungus grows on dead logs and helps with the decaying process. While it is edible, it (supposedly) has little to no taste.
Skunk cabbage has emerged
Shooting star, maidenhair fern, spring beauty, and sky blue aster are all native plant species in Wisconsin that really lucked out in the naming department. Their names highlight characteristics that we, as humans, tend to associate with beauty and positivity. Then there is skunk cabbage (pictured above). The name alone tells you just about everything you need to know about our typical reaction to this plant. Words often associated with skunk cabbage include “odor,” “rotting meat,” and “unpleasant.”
While it’s true that skunk cabbage emits a rather pungent smell, it does so to attract pollinators like flies and beetles. Personally, I love skunk cabbage and look forward to finding it every spring. It has an almost otherworldly appearance, as if it belongs in the ocean on a coral reef. Its odd nature is exactly what makes it so special.
A tom turkey rests in a tree
Whenever I see a turkey in a tree, especially a rather large turkey, I can’t help but laugh. There’s just something about it that doesn’t seem right. I never question a barred owl or a bald eagle perched in a tree. Perhaps it’s because turkeys are ground-nesters, or maybe it’s because I mostly see them walking along the edges of farm fields. I suppose if I saw a barred owl walking along a soybean field I would feel the same way.
Even though it may seem strange, turkeys spend almost every night roosting up in trees. They have poor night vision, so spending the night up in a tree protects them from nocturnal predators like coyotes, foxes, and even owls.
Southern flying squirrel at night
Lastly, I’ll leave you with a photo of a nighttime visitor that I feel incredibly lucky to have seen. It’s a southern flying squirrel that has been frequenting the tree in my front yard. I’ve shared this photo with quite a few people, and many didn’t realize that flying squirrels even live in Wisconsin, let alone on Madison’s east side.
My wife, Carolyn, first spotted it one night while filling our bird feeder. Since then, we’ve seen two or three flying squirrels almost every evening, skittering around the tree in search of sunflower seeds and peanuts. These remarkable little mammals can glide up to 100 feet and even make sharp turns mid-air to avoid obstacles.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this month’s virtual tour of nature as it’s happening. See you next month!
It’s hard to believe that just four weeks ago it was -18°F in Madison, with a wind chill hovering near -40°F, and this Friday is forecast to reach the 60s. What a wild winter it’s been! I’m not putting away my winter coat and mittens just yet, though. I have a feeling this warm week is just a tease, hinting at an early spring that may not quite be here to stay.
Now that it’s no longer painfully cold, I hope you’ll join me outside to see what nature is up to!
Blue snow created by an Eastern cottontail
The blue snow has returned! Well, it had returned, until the recent warm weather melted it away. Thankfully, I was able to spot a few more patches out on the trail before they disappeared. I first discovered these odd colorful patches of blue snow while on a hike a couple years ago. I did a little research and found out that rabbits were the ones causing it, not Smurfs.
Throughout the winter, Eastern cottontails feed on the nutrient-rich stems of shrubs and young trees. One of their favorites is buckthorn, which contains a phytochemical that can turn rabbit urine blue after it’s exposed to sunlight. So tell your kids it’s not just yellow snow they need to watch out for!
Rodent tunnels in the snow
| As the snow began to melt, I noticed these small interconnected lines. I’ve seen intricate cracks on the surface of frozen lakes, but this was different. I soon realized that these lines were actually tunnels created by rodents. Before the snow melted, these mouse highways would have been completely hidden from view.
In the photo above, there are small patches of bare ground where the snow has completely melted. These tunnels all lead to those patches, which makes me think those could be living spaces, or areas where the mice would congregate. |
A tree that survived girdling
While walking through a local park in my neighborhood, I noticed a natural area that was being managed. Sometimes when managing a woodland, undesirable trees are cut down and removed. Other times, they are girdled like the one in the photo above, and left standing. Leaving a dead tree standing might not sound like the best idea, but it can create excellent habitat for all sorts of wildlife, like woodpeckers and insects.
These deep chainsaw cuts are intended to restrict the flow of water and nutrients throughout the tree, ultimately leading to its death. This one, however, seemed to be doing just fine. If the cuts aren’t deep enough, a tree can sometimes seal over the wounds and recover. It may not survive in the long run, but it was remarkable to see just how resilient it was—especially seeing it covered in buds ready to sprout in spring.
A squirrel gnawing on an ice chunk
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this squirrel that I saw the other day, which was doing something that I thought was quite strange. I watched the squirrel climb down from a tree, break off a piece of ice from a nearby frozen puddle, then carry the ice back up into the tree, where it began eating it. The squirrel did this a couple of times before scurrying away.
I had never really given much thought to how animals stay hydrated when their usual water sources are frozen. Like us, they need water to survive. When I saw this, the solution suddenly seemed so obvious—yet it also felt a little strange, simply because I had never witnessed it before.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this month’s virtual tour of nature as it’s happening. See you next month!
Brrr! What a wonderfully ‘Wisconsin’ winter we’ve had the last couple of weeks! The snow hasn’t immediately melted away after falling, we’re regularly getting single-digit temperatures, and yet somehow nature continues to thrive in these conditions.
While I have admittedly spent quite a bit of time indoors due to the cold, I did manage to get out a few times to experience nature (often in my backyard). Join me on a quick virtual stroll outside to see what I found!
My dog Lucy sabotaging my bubble picture
I recently discovered that if you blow bubbles when the “feels like” temperature is -38 degrees F outside, they start to crystallize and will freeze before falling to the ground. I decided to test this out with my 8-year-old son in the backyard. But between the wind and an overly excitable dog named Lucy who loves eating bubbles, it wasn’t very easy to get the picture I imagined. Despite her sabotage attempts, I think Lucy made the picture even better!
If you zoom in on the bubble, you can see the ice crystals forming. Unfortunately, that bubble was gobbled up approximately half a second later, but you get the idea.
After the bubble experiment, we obviously moved on to the next one. Having such intensely cold weather is not very common, so it’s incredible to see what the temperature is capable of, especially when it’s too cold to actually go out for a hike.
If you click the thumbnail above, you’ll see a slow-motion video my son took of me throwing boiling water from a coffee mug. The water turns into vapor right away and floats off like a small cloud. Because boiling water is already close to turning into vapor, the tiny droplets spread out as they leave the mug. When they hit the extremely cold air, they evaporate almost instantly. This experiment will not work with cold water.
It’s very important to be careful if you try this yourself. You could easily burn yourself if the hot water is not thrown far enough away from your body.
Pileated woodpecker
I was only outside for a few minutes to blow bubbles and toss mugs of hot water before immediately running back inside. Meanwhile, the critters that live outdoors were simply going about their day. On the coldest days, moments like this remind me of nature’s resilience.
During cold snaps like this recent one, humans can get frostbite in 10 minutes or less if they stay outside too long. Yet, animals like the pileated woodpecker (pictured above) seem completely unaffected. Their ability to survive in these temperatures is nothing short of amazing, and it makes me respect our local wildlife even more!
A cozy rabbit home beneath the snow
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this cozy little cottontail home (pictured above) that I recently came across at Westport Prairie. When I see such a perfectly formed entrance, it’s hard not to anthropomorphize its inhabitants. I immediately picture a family of rabbits keeping warm beside a tiny fireplace in their den. While that scene is probably not playing out exactly that way, they are undoubtedly staying impressively warm inside despite the bitter cold outside.
Like those cottontails, I hope you’re keeping warm as well! Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you outside when it’s a little warmer.
Cheers,
BJ
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone, but I’m more than ready for 2026! I’m looking forward to more ice fishing this winter, hearing woodcock “peent”-ing in the spring, watching monarch butterflies teeter among wildflowers in summer, crunching through freshly fallen leaves in autumn, and everything in between.
There’s so much to explore and experience in the year ahead, but for now, let’s take a moment to appreciate the present. Join me on a quick virtual stroll outside to see the beauty that’s unfolding right now.
Hoarfrost on an early December morning
If you enjoy the cold, and the sight of snow doesn’t stir feelings similar to those of Ebenezer Scrooge, you might agree that this winter has been pretty amazing so far. It truly feels like a Wisconsin winter, and I’m soaking up every bit of it.
Recently, we had a warm, foggy evening followed by a very cold night, which led to some fantastic hoarfrost (pictured above). These incredible ice formations form when water vapor in the air freezes, creating intricate and incredibly fragile crystals that coat nearly every surface. As the sun rose in the distance, I couldn’t stop taking photos, even though they hardly do justice to the beauty of the hoarfrost.
Tundra swans in the sky
While lakes across southern Wisconsin are beginning to freeze over, there are still pockets of open water remaining. These areas attract geese, swans, and other waterfowl by the thousands. I recently visited the shore of Lake Mendota after hearing a chorus of honking, quacking, and bugling, and I was amazed by just how many migrating birds had gathered there.
Most notably were the tundra swans (pictured above), easily recognized by their inquisitive “who-who-who” calls echoing overhead. It truly feels like a privilege to live in a place where these birds pause during their long journey from the high Arctic of Alaska and Canada to their wintering grounds along the Mid-Atlantic Coast near the Chesapeake Bay.
Mouse tracks in the snow
One of my favorite parts of all the snow we’ve received so far is discovering little secrets in nature that might otherwise go unnoticed. While visiting Westport Prairie after a recent snowfall, I came across what looked like a tiny mouse highway winding across the snow’s surface (pictured above).
These tracks were likely left by deer mice or white-footed mice, both of which are known for hopping through the snow and dragging their long tails behind them as they move. If you look closely, you can see two small circles where the feet landed, with a thin line down the middle made by the tail.
Hawk’s wing print in the snow
Lastly, I’ll leave you with something I’ve been searching for every winter for as long as I can remember—and this year, I finally found one. It’s the snowy wing print of a hawk that had been hunting a small rodent. With so many mouse highways crisscrossing the snow, it seems like the perfect place for a predatory bird to hunt.
Over the years, several readers of my Nature Now reports have shared their own sightings of owl and hawk wing prints. Despite how much time I spend outdoors, I had never seen one myself until now. It felt like a fitting way to close out an adventurous year in nature, and I hope the new year brings many more memorable moments for us all.
Finding cool things in nature is easy; you just need to get outside. I’ll see you next year!
November flashed past like a crunchy leaf on a sudden gust of wind. It’s unfortunate for me, because November is my favorite month. It’s when the first snow whispers in, deer camp traditions unfold, great-horned owls raise their nighttime chorus, and waves of sandhill cranes sweep overhead.
But there’s so much more happening out in nature, so let’s take a virtual stroll and see what’s going on out there.
November’s Beaver Supermoon — Photos by BJ Byers
November delivered one of the most striking moon displays of the year: the Beaver Supermoon. Rivaling March’s Worm Moon for the most peculiar name, the Beaver Moon let us admire our favorite celestial stone at its closest, largest, and brightest point of the year.
The Beaver Moon’s name comes from the season’s natural rhythms. November is when beavers finish reinforcing their winter lodges and stocking them with food. Historically, it also marked the period when beaver trapping was most successful.
A prescribed fire burns at Westport Prairie.
If you look out across the landscape and notice large plumes of smoke, you’ll know that prescribed fire season is here. Prescribed fire is often used this time of year to control unwanted plants. It also encourages the growth of native species that support biodiversity. It’s an effective land management tool that we use each season at Westport Prairie and Patrick Marsh.
Prescribed fires mimic a natural process that many ecosystems have adapted to over thousands of years. In fact, if you completely removed fire from the landscape, prairies would eventually disappear.
Common Polypody Fern
When I hear the word “evergreen,” my mind jumps straight to pines, spruces, and other needle-covered trees that hold onto their foliage all year. But, evergreens aren’t limited to trees. Some ferns, like the common polypody pictured above, are evergreen too.
As the name suggests, these plants keep their leaves green through every season. They pick up photosynthesis again in spring once the temperatures begin to rise.
Sandhill cranes make their way to warmer weather.
I’ll leave you with these sandhill cranes soaring overhead. While standing in my backyard recently, I heard the bugling of hundreds of these majestic cranes in the distance. At first I couldn’t see them because they were so high up. Once they were in view, I was amazed to see how many there were!
Like many other bird species that visit Wisconsin, their stay is only temporary as they eventually flock south to warmer weather. This time of year is special because of the sheer number of cranes that pack up and head out before returning in the spring.
Finding cool things in nature is easy; you just need to get outside.
October brought crunchy leaves, frosty mornings, and skeins of honking geese overhead. I couldn’t think of a better time of year to be outside. As I sit here debating which piece(s) of my 8-year-old’s Halloween candy will best fuel my next outdoor adventure, let’s take a virtual stroll and see what’s happening outside right now.
Crimson-colored oak leaves
Most leaves stay green for the majority of the year thanks to a pigment called chlorophyll. This green pigment allows plants to absorb sunlight and convert it into energy through photosynthesis. When the temperatures start to drop, the chlorophyll begins to break down. This reveals other pigments (carotenoids) hidden beneath the green and gives autumn leaves their beautiful yellow and orange colors.
The brilliant reds and purples we see in fall come from a different pigment called anthocyanin. This pigment forms in the fall when sugars become trapped in the leaves. Think of trees like sugar maple, red oak (pictured above), and sumac, which put on some of the season’s most vibrant displays.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker holes
While you’re out admiring the colorful leaves, take a moment to notice the bark on the trees, too. You might spot some interesting patterns, like the neatly drilled rows of holes made by yellow-bellied sapsuckers. These native woodpeckers are easy to recognize by their precise work, each tiny hole they make forms a straight line or even a perfect grid.
These holes, called “sap wells,” are just deep enough to let small amounts of sap flow out, which the woodpeckers drink. The sugary sap also attracts insects, providing an extra snack for the sapsuckers to feed on.
Vermillion waxcap standing tall
While out at Westport Prairie collecting prairie seed for our upcoming planting this year, I came across some brightly colored mushrooms. I had never seen these before and thought it was strange to see them in October. It seemed fitting that they were the color of a jack-o-lantern! These mushrooms are vermillion waxcaps and they do very well in dry, sandy prairies in the fall.
Turkey vultures taking a rest
I’ll leave you with these turkey vultures hanging out on some exposed branches. Like a lot of other birds this time of year, turkey vultures are migrating in great numbers. Watch for them soaring overhead or taking the occasional break like the ones in my photo above.
Finding cool things in nature is easy; you just need to get outside.
Last week brought the autumnal equinox, that special moment when day and night share the sky in equal measure. Though I wouldn’t have minded a little more summer sun, the crisp air and clearer skies feel amazing after the smoky haze of recent months. As the season turns and winter slowly approaches, let’s take a virtual stroll outdoors and see what’s happening!
New England aster in bloom
September brings splashes of yellow and purple across the landscape as goldenrods and asters come into bloom. In the weeks ahead, these fall flowers will put on a spectacular show, drawing in the many pollinators that rely on them for food and survival.
Speaking of pollinators, I’d like to invite you to join us to help create more prairie for pollinators at Westport Prairie. We’ll be holding Seed Collection events on October 1, 8, and 15. Come for one, two, or all three! Training and tools provided. Learn more and register here.
Bumblebee covered in pollen
The other day in my backyard, I spotted a bumblebee on a sunflower, absolutely dusted in pollen. Did you know bumblebees keep collecting pollen until early October? As the weather cools, most of the colony dies off, but the queens stay busy gathering pollen to build up fat reserves that will sustain them through winter hibernation.
When spring arrives, the queen lays her eggs and starts a brand-new colony. The young queens from this new generation will continue the same cycle as their queen before them. It’s just one more reason why planting flowers that bloom into the fall is so important.
Downy gentian in bloom
On a recent hike at Westport Prairie, I came across a small patch of flowers with the most striking shade of blue. The photo above doesn’t quite capture it, but it gives you a sense of just how special the color of downy gentian really is. Part of its charm may be that blue is the rarest flower color in the world, with fewer than 10% of flowering plants producing that color.
I looked into why blue is so rare and the answer was quite complex. It came down to energy cost and pigment instability, which basically means that it takes a lot of energy to produce blue and once it is produced, it’s difficult to maintain. An easier and more common method that plants use is to produce red pigment, which is much easier to produce, and modify it so that it looks blue.
Tiger salamander
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this adorable little tiger salamander that I spotted crossing the road while driving to one of my favorite trout streams. I helped it across so that it wouldn’t get hit by a passing car. This time of year you have an increased chance of spotting salamanders, because similar to birds, they are in peak migration. After spending the summer maturing in breeding ponds and going through metamorphosis, they are now dispersing and on the hunt for deep burrows where they can spend the winter hibernating.
Finding cool things in nature is easy; you just need to get outside.
Remember, you can join us in October at Westport Prairie for one or all of our Seed Collecting events. Learn more and register here. I look forward to sharing another nature update with you next month!
The days are getting (slightly) shorter, the nights are cooler, and the last of the fireflies still flicker in the night sky. Summer seems to be flying by, but there’s still so much to explore before it’s over. I hope you’ll join me on a quick virtual exploration to see nature as it’s happening!
Blue dasher dragonfly
This month’s nature update focuses on the various types of insects you might come across if you were to head outside right now, like the blue dasher dragonfly (pictured above). I found this one in my garden perched on a leaf and was fascinated by its large eyes. They are so much different than our own and it got me wondering what life looks like to them.
It reminded me of a recent camping trip we took just a couple weeks ago. A speedy horsefly was doing laps around my wife Carolyn, looking for an opportunity to land and take a bite. Unable to swat the horsefly, she continued unpacking her things, when out of nowhere a dragonfly swooped in and grabbed the horsefly mid-flight! The dragonfly’s eyesight and speed was extraordinary! Wanting to learn more, I found this short video explaining how dragonflies see the world. I highly recommend watching it!
White-marked tussock moth (caterpillar)
Moving at a much slower speed, this caterpillar that looks like it came straight from an episode of the The Twilight Zone, is the caterpillar form of the white-marked tussock moth. The small “tussocks” or hairlike structures on the caterpillar actually have backwards-angled barbs that cause them to stick into predators, much like the defense of a porcupine. While I had no interest in eating this particular caterpillar, it’s good to know that they can be quite pokey if you were to touch one.
Common looper moth
Speaking of moths, I also recently stumbled upon a creature that looked nothing like a moth, but apparently was. At first glance it looked a small piece of bark from a tree or a shriveled-up leaf, but upon closer inspection, it had legs and wings! I can only imagine how effective this camouflage would be if it were resting on a brown tree branch.
Not knowing what it was, I did a little research and determined it was a common looper moth. Supposedly it got the name “looper” based on its movement as a caterpillar. If you’ve ever seen an inchworm cruising along, the looper has a very similar movement.
Reddish-brown stag beetle
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this terrifying photo of a beetle that I discovered while out with our Prairie Partners intern crew at Patrick Marsh. It was easily two inches long, and was ready to use those pinchers at the drop of a hat! It’s called a Reddish-brown stag beetle and the next time I find one, I’ll take my photo from a little further away!
Finding cool things in nature is easy, you just need to get outside. I hope you take the time to explore, and I look forward to sharing another nature update with you next month.
Fireflies are lighting up the night sky, pelicans have returned to Patrick Marsh, and Eastern bluebird chicks are hatching in nest boxes near you. Summer is here, and there’s so much to experience outdoors right now (if you can handle the heat)! But if the high temperatures have kept you inside, let’s take a quick virtual tour of nature as it’s happening.
Bumblebee on flowering leadplant
With all the wildflowers in bloom, bumblebees are hard at work visiting each one to collect as much pollen as they can. In the photo above, you’ll notice two large pollen baskets attached to the bumblebee’s legs. The pollen is gathered from flowers and packed tightly into specialized structures on their hind legs called corbiculae, where it’s stored for later feeding. Sometimes, they even add a bit of nectar to help the pollen stick together.
Monarch caterpillar on milkweed
It’s also that time of year to check the undersides of milkweed plants! If you’re lucky, you might spot a brightly colored monarch caterpillar happily munching away. Their vivid colors serve as a warning to predators about their toxicity. Because monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed, which contains toxic sap, they become poisonous themselves. Those bright colors are nature’s way of saying, “Eat me, and you’ll regret it!”
My son holding a grumpy toad
While monarch caterpillars are generally safe from predators because of their toxicity, did you know that toads have evolved an immunity to the toxins found in monarchs? They can eat as many monarch caterpillars as they like without any ill effects.
Interestingly, toads themselves are actually poisonous. They store a milky white toxin called bufotoxin in glands on their skin, which can impact the heart and nervous system of predators that try to eat them. But it doesn’t stop there! Some species, like the Eastern hognose snake, have evolved to be immune to the toxin in toads. In fact, toads are their favorite meal.
All of this just goes to show how beautifully complex nature is, and how remarkably good it can be at figuring out ways to eat poisonous things!
Prickly pear cactus flower
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this photo of a blooming prickly pear cactus I came across recently. Unlike monarchs and toads, it isn’t poisonous, but you probably wouldn’t want to take a bite out of it either! While prickly pears are technically edible, I think I’ll keep my distance after seeing all those spines.
Finding cool things in nature is easy, you just need to get outside. I hope you take the time to explore, and I look forward to sharing another nature update with you next month.
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it’s an absolutely wonderful time to be outside. This past month we’ve seen nighthawks swooping overhead, sandhill crane chicks walk clumsily on their stilt-like legs, and tadpoles swimming by our feet. Nature is in full swing!
If you want to see what else is happening outside, join me on this quick virtual tour!
A mighty oak emerges
As you walk through a forest and bask in the shade of the trees overhead, it can be magical to think that many of those trees started out as a seed. While on a camping trip this past weekend with my family, we noticed that some of the acorns on the ground were cracked open. We’ve never seen the inside of an acorn before and upon closer inspection, we noticed that tiny seedlings were emerging. We all got a chance to see the tiniest oak tree in our lives!
Field sparrow nest with eggs
If you were to step out of that forest and into a prairie, you might hear meadowlarks or dickcissels singing nearby. You may even flush a bird from its nest while walking a trail. That’s what happened to me at Westport Prairie. I spotted where a sparrow emerged and flew away. As I gently pushed aside a clump of grass, I discovered a tiny nest, no bigger than a teacup. This nest belongs to a field sparrow that built it in a prairie we planted three years ago!
Garter snake
Maybe a forest or a prairie really isn’t the type of natural setting you’re looking for. A local wetland might do the trick, although you may want to bring a little bug spray along! While doing our annual monitoring of Groundswell-owned land, we discovered a fairly large garter snake sunbathing on the marsh grass. While garter snakes are not restricted to wetlands, it’s not uncommon to find them soaking up the sun near a marshy edge.
Large hail stones
You might decide to skip visiting a forest, prairie, or wetland today and just relax in your yard instead. I was doing just that when golf ball-sized hail fell from the sky a couple of weeks ago. I had never seen anything like it, and I was glad to be home that day so I could quickly run inside!
Finding cool things in nature is easy, you just need to get outside. I hope you take the time to explore, and I look forward to sharing another nature update with you next month.