Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thank you for making our field trip a resounding success! I learned quite a bit and had a wonderful time, and I hope all of you did as well. One really cool thing I enjoyed was seeing those chrysalids from the caterpillar that changes its chrysalis colour to camouflage with its surroundings. Also, I thought those quail were awesome.
I wanted to pass on what Meagen said to me after the program was over: she said it was really nice to be able to work with a group that was really interested and knowledgeable about the topic, and that you guys were great.
If you have any photos from the trip you really liked (including photos of Young Naturalists, as long as parents approve -- I will not post any photos of Young Naturalists that parents don't approve first, in writing or email) you are welcome to send them to me at my email address (my name at uc.org) and I will post them here.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
October sightings
Reminder: KWFN YN tomorrow morning! Hope to see you all there.
As promised, our sightings from last month:
As promised, our sightings from last month:
- Mourning cloak butterfly
- Rabbit
- Chipmunk
- Juncos
- Grackles
- Goldfinches
- Cedar waxwing
- Jelly cup fungus
- Golden-crowned kinglet
- Canada geese
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
November program reminders!
Just a couple of reminders:
Wings of Paradise is this weekend! I've sent out an email -- if you didn't get it, please let me know so that I can send it to you. I included a map and the list of people who are coming. The program will be about Monarch butterfly migration, and it should be really interesting! And what a great time of year to be reminded, just a little bit, of what summer is like...
Also, if you haven't sent your photos to me yet, I'm looking forward to seeing them! I have a couple already and I'll be posting them here once I've added a small copyright note to them.
I hope everyone is enjoying the snow. I'm looking forward to getting out my skis this weekend. And my birdfeeder is full of all sorts of critters, including a Cooper's Hawk who thought maybe I was providing a buffet for him. Also, I've seen big flocks of Snow Buntings in fields along the road as I'm driving -- always a sure sign that winter's really here.
My next thing to post will be our sightings from the October meeting. Hopefully I can get to that tomorrow!
Random cool bird fact:
"Although breeding and nonbreeding males look quite different, the Snow Bunting has only one molt each year and no true "Alternate Plumage." After the molt in the late summer the male looks brownish with a brown and black striped back. Underneath the colored feather tips, the back feathers are pure black and the body feathers all are white. The male wears off all of the feather tips by actively rubbing them on snow, and he is immaculate white and jet black by the time breeding begins."
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (2003). All about birds bird guide: Snow bunting. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Snow_Bunting_dtl.html
Wings of Paradise is this weekend! I've sent out an email -- if you didn't get it, please let me know so that I can send it to you. I included a map and the list of people who are coming. The program will be about Monarch butterfly migration, and it should be really interesting! And what a great time of year to be reminded, just a little bit, of what summer is like...
Also, if you haven't sent your photos to me yet, I'm looking forward to seeing them! I have a couple already and I'll be posting them here once I've added a small copyright note to them.
I hope everyone is enjoying the snow. I'm looking forward to getting out my skis this weekend. And my birdfeeder is full of all sorts of critters, including a Cooper's Hawk who thought maybe I was providing a buffet for him. Also, I've seen big flocks of Snow Buntings in fields along the road as I'm driving -- always a sure sign that winter's really here.
My next thing to post will be our sightings from the October meeting. Hopefully I can get to that tomorrow!
Random cool bird fact:
"Although breeding and nonbreeding males look quite different, the Snow Bunting has only one molt each year and no true "Alternate Plumage." After the molt in the late summer the male looks brownish with a brown and black striped back. Underneath the colored feather tips, the back feathers are pure black and the body feathers all are white. The male wears off all of the feather tips by actively rubbing them on snow, and he is immaculate white and jet black by the time breeding begins."
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (2003). All about birds bird guide: Snow bunting. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Snow_Bunting_dtl.html
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
October program
All right everyone! Hope you're ready for a spectacular fall weekend. We'll be out taking photographs of fall colours and possibly fall critters.
This means you need to remember to:
I'd like to try to have my own laptop there so that we can see some of the photos we've taken on a larger screen, but I'd like most of our time to be spent actually taking photos. I would really like to put some of your photos up here on the blog, and maybe even show them to the adult club in January!
If you don't have a camera of your own, we are going to try to have a few extras along with us to share.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday!
Just a reminder: I'll have a sign-up sheet for November's trip to Wings of Paradise. I need to know how many people are coming so that I can let Wings of Paradise know, and so that I can make sure I have the correct funds!
This means you need to remember to:
- bring along a camera if you have one -- digital or film
- dress for the weather!
I'd like to try to have my own laptop there so that we can see some of the photos we've taken on a larger screen, but I'd like most of our time to be spent actually taking photos. I would really like to put some of your photos up here on the blog, and maybe even show them to the adult club in January!
If you don't have a camera of your own, we are going to try to have a few extras along with us to share.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday!
Just a reminder: I'll have a sign-up sheet for November's trip to Wings of Paradise. I need to know how many people are coming so that I can let Wings of Paradise know, and so that I can make sure I have the correct funds!
Monday, September 29, 2008
September 2008: Bug Hunt!
Thanks again to everyone who came out for our first meeting of the year! We had a great time, despite the rainy weather. After sightings, we played the insect punch game outside, and then we took our nets and our jars out into the damp morning and did a very thorough search for critters without backbones -- the invertebrates.
I'm happy to report that our list was long and impressive, despite the weather! We saw or caught:
In addition to the invertebrates, Young Naturalists also caught or saw:
Remember, our next meeting is going to be about Nature Photography. If you have a digital camera, please remember to bring it. This is a rain-or-shine program; if we can't go outside, we'll bring nature inside. More information will follow!
I'm happy to report that our list was long and impressive, despite the weather! We saw or caught:
- white faced meadowhawks
- other meadowhawk species
- white-marked tussock moth caterpillar
- a different species of tussock moth caterpillar
- bumblebee
- blow fly
- spread-winged damselfly (male)
- milkweed bug nymphs
- aphids
- long-horned grasshopper (female)
- a species of eupelmid
- several different leafhopper species
- cucumber beetle
- yellow jacket wasp nest
In addition to the invertebrates, Young Naturalists also caught or saw:
- tadpoles
- leopard frogs
- a spring peeper
- minnows
- great blue heron
Remember, our next meeting is going to be about Nature Photography. If you have a digital camera, please remember to bring it. This is a rain-or-shine program; if we can't go outside, we'll bring nature inside. More information will follow!
Sightings September 2008
It was great to see everyone at the meeting this weekend! We'll be making sure to post our sightings after every meeting. So here's the list of things Young Naturalists saw over the summer:
- black swallowtail butterfly (egg, caterpillar and adult)
- red-bellied snake
- cicada (cases)
- ruffed grouse
- deer
- groundhog
- great blue heron
- raccoons
- rabbits
- woolly aphids
- yellow warblers
- bats (hoary, little brown and big brown)
- timber wolves
- flying squirrel
- star nosed mole
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
September program
All right! Some of you are probably wondering what the plan is for our first meeting, which is Saturday, September 27th, at 10:00 am at the Nature Centre.
This month we're going to be doing a program on insects.
We will be catching insects, including (hopefully!) lots of butterflies, praying mantis, dragonflies, beetles, and more. We have great nets, jars and terrariums, as well as a microscope and some magnifying glasses. We'll be using field guides to identify as many of the critters as we can. We'll create a list of the insects we catch and/or identify for our sightings book, too!
We'll also be playing a great insect game, and depending on time and weather we may have a craft as well.
If you have an insect field guide that you like to use, feel free to bring it along! Otherwise, you don't need to bring anything. Please remember to dress for the weather!
Early fall is a great time to be looking for insects. Praying mantis, for example, are in the process of finding mates and laying eggs; monarchs are starting to store up on energy in preparation for their trip south. Dragonflies are mating and laying eggs so that their nymphs will hatch before winter, during which they'll hibernate before becoming one of the first aquatic critters to be active in the spring time.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
This month we're going to be doing a program on insects.
We will be catching insects, including (hopefully!) lots of butterflies, praying mantis, dragonflies, beetles, and more. We have great nets, jars and terrariums, as well as a microscope and some magnifying glasses. We'll be using field guides to identify as many of the critters as we can. We'll create a list of the insects we catch and/or identify for our sightings book, too!
We'll also be playing a great insect game, and depending on time and weather we may have a craft as well.
If you have an insect field guide that you like to use, feel free to bring it along! Otherwise, you don't need to bring anything. Please remember to dress for the weather!
Early fall is a great time to be looking for insects. Praying mantis, for example, are in the process of finding mates and laying eggs; monarchs are starting to store up on energy in preparation for their trip south. Dragonflies are mating and laying eggs so that their nymphs will hatch before winter, during which they'll hibernate before becoming one of the first aquatic critters to be active in the spring time.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
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