What to See This Week

In early spring, forest habitat shines with spring ephemeral wildflowers. As the season goes on, flowers begin to bloom in the wetland and prairie habitats at the Red Barn Reserve and Dutch Fork Wetlands. Multiple species of Rubus can be found at The Arboretum and all produce edible fruits later in the year. Pictured here are blackberry flowers.

Look for blue flag iris growing on the edges of wetlands or often straight out of the water. They can spread through rhizomes (underground stems) which allow them to form large patches.

If you visit the new wetland at the Red Barn Reserve, you will likely run into a good number of tree swallows. Their ability to swoop over the water and catch insects midair is impressive. 

While rustling sounds in the woods are often squirrels or chipmunks, sometimes you’re in for a surprise! The plants in the understory have really grown in the last few weeks and this pileated woodpecker was foraging for insects in rotting logs, almost completely hidden by the foliage. No matter how many times you see a pileated woodpecker, you can still get surprised by its large size when it takes off. With a wingspan of up to 30 inches, they are the largest species of woodpecker in Ohio.

Crown-tipped coral fungus is reliably found starting in May every year. There are several species of coral fungus that have a similar appearance at first glance, but crown-tipped coral is always found growing from wood and crown-shaped tips help set this species apart.

Pictured here are two vines often mistaken for each other growing side by side. The brighter green plant on the left is Virginia creeper and on the right is poison ivy. Sometimes Virginia creeper is even mistaken for poison oak, although poison oak is not native to Ohio! While these vines have similar growth habits, and sometimes Virginia creeper has a few leaves with 3 leaflets instead of 5, they have different methods of climbing trees and other surfaces. Both species are native and have great wildlife value and beautiful fall color despite bad reputations.

The Bird Watching Garden has had some exciting visitors over the last couple weeks. Pictured here is a female rose-breasted grosbeak. She almost looks more like a large sparrow or finch due to her coloration; however, she is more closely related to cardinals and tanagers. One of her most defining features is her large bill that is perfect for cracking open seeds.

Rose-breasted grosbeaks are a great example of sexual dimorphism. As is common in birds, the male rose-breasted grosbeak is much more brightly colored, and they are hard to miss when they visit the garden. Keep an eye out for them feeding on sunflower seeds in the Bird Watching Garden!