moonrise, sunrise and UN-wooded isle

Here are a couple links to articles defending non-native species.  Perhaps we’ve gone overboard when we consider that all non-native species are bad for the environment and must be removed.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22129621.400-loving-the-alien-a-defence-of-nonnative-species.html#.VQhFp2bN4Tk

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140724-invasive-species-conservation-biology-extinction-climate-science/

All photos were taken in Hyde Park (Chicago) during the last few weeks.  Habitat destruction at Wooded Isle photos are at the end of this post

Bohemian waxwing

Bohemian waxwing

male and female white-winged scoter

Female red-breasted merganser with a few white-winged scoters

moonrise over Lake MIchigan

 

sunrise over Lake Michigan

mystery track with 2 inch red ball for scale

common merganser showing off red foot

lots of healthy trees cut down

middle of the wooded isle

near Osaka Garden

lots of very old, very big trees were cut down, dogs for scale

wood chips from all the trees cut down, dog for scale

Poplar trees cut down from bobolink meadow

brush cut down, lots of habitat for nesting birds removed

Young oak tree–all replacement trees are going to be 3 inches wide

red oshier dogwood taken out too. Don’t know why it was on the hit list, native and not invasive

About Us and Contact Us

Beyond the screen of your laptop and your smartphone, nature is alive and well!  Come enjoy!

Jane Masterson is a local photographer and Hyde Park Nature Walk guide.  When she was an adjunct college professor, her students observed plants and birds, collected data and tested hypotheses to try to answer questions such as why some plants bloomed earlier than others and why woodpeckers migrated through before orioles.  And while she no longer teaches at the college level, Jane still enjoys encouraging others to explore the Chicago wilderness.  She promises, no quizzes!  Whether you’d just like to look at the photos of Hyde Park wildlife on this blog or want to come out for a Nature Walk, Welcome!

Next Nature Walk:

Moon watch and Nature walks on hold for now.

Interested in helping save Hyde Park’s wild spots:  habitat for our local wildlife and migrating birds may be replaced by a music venue and concession stand unless you speak up.   Want to help prevent this?  Check out savethisspace.com  and sign up for emails from jacksonparkwatch.com

Contact us with any questions or to discuss setting up a time for a Nature Walk.  Feel free to call (773 – 502 – 3159) or to fill out the form below:

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Sunrise walk and more butterflies/moths

All these of photos were taken in the Hyde Park area during the last couple of weeks.   Feel free to join us on a nature walk/moon watch tonight at 6 pm.  We will start at the east entrance of the Museum of Science and Industry.

red spotted purple butterfly

bunny at 47th Street and Cornell

monarchs mating

indigo bunting eating grass seeds

white underwing moth– forewing pattern provides camouflage IF the moth is resting on a birch tree

sunrise

sundog- bright spots in the sky caused by refraction of sunlight by tiny ice crystals

juvenile double crested cormorant-The feather structure of cormorants decreases buoyancy so they are better able to catch fish underwater. This feather structure also makes their feathers less waterproof than other water birds’ feathers and so they spread their wings to help them dry faster.

green heron

juvenile black-crowned night heron

purple martins lining up– thinking of heading south?

Mostly herons and butterflies

All photos taken in Hyde Park during the last couple of weeks.  Baby raccoon video was taken in Indiana but a raccoon family was spotted in Jackson Park this past Saturday.

The next nature walk/ moon watch is this Sunday, August 10.  We’ll meet at the east door of the Museum of Science of Industry at 6 pm  for the nature walk and meet at the Field house on the Point for the moon watch at 7:30 (moon rises at 7:43).

 

cone flower

I saw lots of herons on an evening walk including this great blue heron

black-crowned night heron

juvenile black-crowned night heron

double-crested cormorant having trouble swallowing a fish

young purple martin begging from a sibling

white-faced meadowhawk dragonfly

spotted sandpiper looking more grown up but no spots yet

very beautiful great blue heron

Museum of Science and Industry

green heron peeking out of nest

juvenile mallards with their mom

song sparrow singing

song sparrow showing off

tiger swallowtail

monarch butterfly on coneflower

Nature walk/Supermoon watch tonight (rain date, Sunday July 13)

Meet at east door of Science and Industry Museum tonight at 6:30 pm.  Meet at the Fieldhouse on the Point at 8:15 pm for 8:26 moonrise.  Hope to see you there. Rain date, Sunday 6:30 pm for walk,  9 pm for moonrise at 9:10 pm)

None of these photos, except the rainbow ring around the sun, were taken in Hyde Park.  All of these birds can be seen in Jackson Park.

This is a courting display.  I’ve seen a more dramatic version of this head bob but this guy gets extra points for displaying during a strong wind.  This call has been described as sounding like a rusty pump handle.

blue jay fledgling

hungry blue jay fledgling

“To see a Sun or Moon Halo…you need high, thin cirrus clouds which are usually at altitudes above 20,000 feet. These high altitude cirrus clouds are mostly made of ice crystals which refract the sunlight much like a prism will.  Your typical rainbow is seen as a partial circle or arc. Rainbows are round but the ground prevents you from seeing the full rainbow unless you are high above it…or below it like today.” parphased from Boston weather man

Eastern Towhee singing “drink your tea”

fledgling baltimore oriole (3 photos)  The Jackson Park orioles have fledged too but I saw an oriole sitting on her nest today so we may get a second batch of fledglings.

     

cedar waxwing