Katie Says: Babies, babies, everywhere!

Everywhere you look; there are babies at Briar Bush! Some are obvious, looking different from the adults or those that are still reliant on their parents for food, and some that achieve independence early in life are less apparent.

It doesn’t take long once you’ve arrived at the Briar Bush pond to notice that the water is practically bubbling with tadpoles. Green frogs (which is the true species name and not just a description) of every life stage can be found in the pond, from legless tadpoles to the giant, bullfrog-like adults. What I think is most fascinating about the life cycle of the green frog is that it takes two years for the tadpoles to complete their metamorphosis into their adult form. They spend the winter snuggled beneath a mud blanket at the bottom of the pond, much like their legged elders.

Common grackle fledglings are also taking Briar Bush by storm! Rather than being colored black with beautiful iridescent feathers on the neck and head like the adults, juvenile common grackles are a matte blackish-brown. They are also easy to spot as they mercilessly follow their parents around, constantly squawking to be fed. I had to laugh this week as I saw a young grackle at the bird observatory, begging to be fed while standing atop a pile of sunflower seeds. When not at the bird observatory, the grackles love to flick and throw dried leaves on the ground outside of my office window in the hopes of finding a tasty insect to eat.

If you’ve been to Briar Bush recently and are thinking that there are an unusually high number of chipmunks here in our woods, you’re exactly right; what you’re seeing is a whole forest full of young chipmunks. Young chipmunks don’t emerge from their underground burrow until they are almost fully matured and independent, so by the time we see them above ground, they blend right in with the adults. The next time you’re out on the trails, count how many chipmunks you see or hear and let me know your tally by posting a comment below!

BOA

It is always sad when we lose one of our resident education animals but many of us had a very strong connection to our red-tailed boa constrictor, who was humanly euthanized last week. ‘Boa’ had been here longer than any of us can accurately remember, but it was at least 18 years. He was a very old snake (we think 25 years at least) who lived a good long life despite respiratory and kidney problems. In his old age, he started to deteriorate and we decided to let him go peacefully when he took a turn for the worse. ‘Boa’ was a favorite among the staff and visitors of all ages – we will miss you big guy.

Kristen Haas, Environmental Educator

Katie Says: Create a backyard oasis!

How many of us have looked at those big, expensive, elaborate ponds in backyards and businesses and found ourselves uttering a big sigh? We only wish we had enough money for supplies, time for installation and patience for malfunctioning pumps. But did you know you can add a pump-free, wildlife-attracting water feature to your backyard or balcony in less than a day? Try a container pond!

First, you’ll need your container. Purchase a large flower pot; the best shape is one that has a base almost the same size as the top and does not have vertical sides. Imagine the bottom cut off of a whiskey barrel—in fact, some home improvement stores sell fiberglass versions of this exact design! Next, if the pot has a hole in the bottom of it, you’ll need to plug it using a bit of epoxy.

Do you want your pond level with the ground, making it appear more natural and wildlife-accessible, or are you living in an area where your water feature cannot be dug into the ground? If digging your pond into the ground, have the lip of the container be slightly above the rest of the ground. This will prevent most soil from washing in during rainstorms.

Once you have your container in place, add some native aquatic plants, like pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata.), bulrushes (Scirpus sp.) or waterlily (Nymphea sp.). Besides adding beauty and shelter for any pond residents, these plants will act as natural filters and aerators for your pond, thus eliminating the need for a pump or filter. These plants can either be planted into sand or aquatic plant soil (found at home improvement stores) or can be put pot and all directly into your pond. A wonderful resource for learning more about Pennsylvania’s native and invasive aquatic plants can be found at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/agrs110.pdf You may also want to add other features to your pond, such as submerged places for aquatic animals to hide, and a stick leading out of the pond, to assist stranded insects. (My neighborhood robin uses the stick as a perfect bathing perch.) Fill your pond with cool, refreshing water and congratulations! You’ve created your very own backyard oasis.

Finally, if you’re concerned about mosquitoes, there’s a good chance that your pond will attract natural mosquito controls, such as frogs and tadpoles and predaceous aquatic insects and their larvae. Mosquito dunks are also available as a safe method of control that will not harm fish, frogs or other wildlife.

Once you’ve created your own pond, share your experience and wildlife sightings by posting below!