Phenology
Phen-what? Not Phrenology, which is the study of the bumps on your head and if it can tell anything about your mental abilities (it's true!), but phenology - the study of how climate and natural events relate over time.
At the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, we keep a Phenology Journal of bird sightings, plant bloom times, weather and other interesting happenings. Over the course of several years, we can begin to predict when a certain bird will arrive in the spring, or when a plant might bloom.
Updates Coming Soon!
January 2007
| January 24 | Trumpeter Swans; Canada Geese; Tracks of Red Fox, Deer Mice, Mink, Least Weasel, and Long-tailed Weasel |
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| January 25 | Immature Bald Eagle | |
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February 2007
| February 6 | 50 or more Snow Buntings | |
| February 27 | Canada Geese on Muskrat Marsh; Muskrat remains and drag marks near mink tracks on East Mallard Marsh | |
| February 28 | Flock of Snow Buntings, 2 Horned Larks at entrance | |
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March 2007
| March 1 | Horned larks; 50-100 Snow Buntings | |
| March 9 | Least Weasel changing color Spring is in the air! | |
| March 12 | Tussock moth caterpillar; spiders, Bald Eagle on prairie | |
| March 20 | Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle | |
| March 22 | Snow Geese overhead; Red-winged Blackbirds on Mallard Marsh; 1st Meadowlark, 1st Killdeer! | |
| March 23 | Raccoon tracks; 4 Red-tailed Hawks; 10 Double-crested Cormorants; 4 Ring-billed Gulls; Tree Swallow; Chipmunk; 2 White-breasted Nuthatches | |
| March 26 | Western Chorus Frog calling in Center Pond | |
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April 2007
| April 8 | Canada Goose on nest by Mallard Marsh bridge | |
| April 12 | Goldeneyes, Ringnecks, Shoveles, Wood Ducks, Buffleheads, Scaup, Coots, Mallards on south wetlands; Common Loon and 3 groups of about 80 American Pelicans overhead | |
| April 16 | Western Chorus and Wood Frogs calling in Center Pond; Garter Snake; Painted Turtle; Pasqueflowers blooming; Sandhill Cranes; Belted Kingfisher | |
| April 18 | Tree Swallows; Buffleheads; Muskrat; American Coots; Western Chorus Frogs; Wood Ducks; Canada Geese nesting; 40-50 Pasqueflowers blooming; Western Chorus and Leopard Frogs calling | |
| April 23 | Blue Darner dragonfly; Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows; Brown-headed Cowbirds | |
| April 25 | Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows | |
| April 30 | Female red-winged blackbirds return | |
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May 2007
| May 2 | Clay-colored and Savannah Sparrows on Tatanka Trail; Prairie Smoke blooming; Marsh Wrens at Mallard Marsh | |
| May 7 | Swamp Sparrows and Bobolinks; Common Wood Nymph butterflies; June beetles | |
| May 14 | Golden and Heart-leaf Alexander blooming | |
| May 17 | Hoary Puccoon blooming | |
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June 2007
| June 1 | Large-flowered Penstemon; Golden Alexander | |
| June 2 | False Indigo and Dwarf Indigo | |
| June 5 | Bedstraw; Spiderwort; Canada Anemone | |
| June 6 | Prairie Phlox; Dogbane; Yarrow; Prairie Rose | |
| June 10 | White Water Crowfoot blooming in Mallard Marsh | |
| June 15 | Leafy Pondweed fruiting in Mallard Marsh; False Sunflower; Tall Meadow Rue | |
| June 16 | Song Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, and American Goldfinch bathing in bird spa | |
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Check out the list of selected natural events below, which are grouped by year. A complete list is available at the Visitor Center.
Last updated:
December 3, 2008
