After a cold winter and a rainy spring, the weather is finally perfect to get out into the Arb! In these last couple of weeks, you can get out and see the wildflowers blooming, the leaves on the trees budding, the flooding Cannon River and the geese and their newborn…
Arb Notes
During the annual frog and toad survey that happened in Week 4, we were very fortunate to see and hear at least one River Otter (Lontra canadensis) in the retention pond near the Lower Arb entrance. For the frog and toad survey, we start around sunset and go on a…
With a funky tune in the background, a plump, long-beaked brown bird treads daintily, bobbing its body back and forth while keeping its head perfectly stable and keeping up with the beat. You might have seen such a video (if not, here’s an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6nj9AgY7M) — and truly, what a…
With what may be the last of the snow, southern Minnesota has seen a flurry of activity amongst its many feathered and furry creatures. Hibernators have risen from their dens and nests; migrators touch down on the glassy surface of the Lyman Lakes. The squirrels in the area have been…
The city of Northfield recently published a press release confirming that emerald ash borers have started to infest Northfield ash trees (see northfieldmn.gov). This is bad news for the campus arboretum, as green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) makes up 20-30% of the trees in the lower Arb. Green ash is found…
The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the heaviest-flying native bird in North America and has an average wingspan of 185 to 250 centimeters. Due to their size, they require around a 100-yard runway to take off. Trumpeter Swans breed in habitats that are open and near shallow water bodies, like…
For the majority of the long, frigid, Minnesota winter, Lyman Lakes and the Cannon River freeze over, and layers of snow cover the frozen lake. As a result, it may seem like the lakes are dormant and in a stagnant state, but that is certainly not the case. While there…
Flip through an older bird guide and you might find yourself at a loss, even if you are well-versed in birding. “A Pigeon Hawk? What is that?” You would know that it’s probably a bird of prey — a bird of prey that might even specialize in catching pigeons —…
The Spike Mussel (Elliptio dilatata) is a rather unique mussel. Besides its odd name of “Lady Finger,” not many species of mussels have a spike on their shell that can grow up to 12.7 centimeters. The shell of the organism is relatively thick as well, one of the hardest of…
Although commonly known for their famous appearance in the movie “The Killer Shrews,” short-tailed and long-tailed shrews are not dangerous… to humans. With their thirty-two razor-sharp teeth and venomous neurotoxin, hunting insects, earthworms and even small mammals is possible. However, because of their extremely fast metabolic rate (their highest recorded…