Cat Patrol
Why oh why is this cat outside? They kill literally billions of birds across North America each year before we even mention their damage to the small mammal population, the majority of these strikes being for play or to satisfy an instinctual need – not survival. Let us also remember the safety of these furry family members as we enter the cold weather season apart from all of the other threats such as vehicles, chemicals, larger mammalian predators, and so on. Please, please, please keep your cats in your home. They live far longer this way and your vet bills will go down as...
Read MoreFall Fun Facts
Have you ever noticed how some deciduous trees retain their leaves while others around them are bare? I learned some interesting facts the other day about why that might be. Trees such as this gorgeous oak tree may retain their leaves once they die, referred to as marcescence, for a number of possible reasons. For one, retaining dried up, brown leaves could help protect the oak’s acorns or buds from bitter frost. It could also protect the growing buds from getting nipped by whitetail deer early in the spring. In addition, I’ve heard that for saplings it could be important to...
Read MoreFall Pond
Make sure some of your Sunday is outside enjoying the end of the fall foliage season. It is hard to imagine ponds like this one could be covered in ice in a couple of months…
Read MoreAutumn Leaves
There have been a lot of bright pink autumn leaves to go along with the lemon yellow painted on the trees during this fall foliage season. The past week has yielded some gorgeous October weather. If you look a little closer you may end up seeing something other than a leaf flying off in the breeze – that is a Yellow-rumped Warbler flitting between the trees, one of millions on the move right now. Migration started strong again last night behind another cold front, and it should continue through the weekend. Good birding, and good autumning! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreGrowing Season
Have you ever wondered why the Lake Erie plain is loaded with grapes? Being that Lake Erie is shallow and lower in volume compared to the other Great Lakes, it frequently reaches freezing temperatures and glazes over with ice each winter. As the spring thaw progresses and temperatures rise, the gradually warming lake acts as a refrigerator on the adjacent plain. Cool air rushing off the lake surface keeps grape buds from opening before the danger of killing frost has passed. As fall approaches, the lake is at a balmy 73 degrees, on average from sunny summer days, and keeps the plain warm...
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