What to See This Week

Wood ducks have been notoriously hard to get a photo of. They are common ducks but are very shy and tend to take off quickly. I was able to get a photo of a couple males while hiding behind some shrubs. Although I couldn’t see all of them at once to count, I could hear plenty of them calling.

Always watch your step while walking the wetland trails! This tiny painted turtle was seen at Dutch Fork Wetlands and with a shell only about an inch long these baby turtles are pretty easy to overlook.

Trumpeter swans are some of the biggest birds you can find in Ohio. They have an average wingspan of about 8 feet. This pair was seen at Dutch Fork Wetlands and hung around the Red Barn Reserve for several days last spring.

As soon as the buckeyes start to bloom the flowers attract hummingbird moths and other pollinators. Hummingbird moths are day flying moths that have movements reminiscent of hummingbirds. They hover in front of flowers as they drink nectar.

June is one of the biggest months for fawns. This absolutely tiny one was spotted on a little island in the Bald-Cypress Swamp, staying very still and quiet.

These pawpaws had tons of tiny zebra swallowtail caterpillars, a couple in middle stages, and finally this huge final stage caterpillar. Swallowtail caterpillars have a forked defensive organ near their head called an osmeterium. When disturbed the osmeterium is extended out and releases a strong smell.

The Woodland Garden is always covered in jewelweed in the summer, but this plant stood out! Pictured here is a variegated jewelweed. The Arboretum is home to many beautiful variegated cultivated plants, but it is not every day you see them growing naturally.

This week features one new photo from the Bird Watching Garden. This is a female downy woodpecker. Woodpeckers are quite well adapted to their lifestyle. Getting a zoomed in photo makes it easier to point out some of these adaptations! One thing you will find across different species of woodpecker are stiff tail feathers that help balance them as they move up tree trunks and peck. Another trait is their zygodactyl feet: 2 toes face forward and 2 face back. Most birds have a configuration with three toes facing forward and one back. Zygodactyl feet give woodpeckers more stability while climbing and drilling into trunks.