Maumee Nature Club

Maumee Nature Club Maumee Nature Club is for people who enjoy the great outdoors. We have walks every few weeks at local parks and preserves.

If you enjoy feeding and watching birds, you may have noticed some different arrivals to your yard over the last few wee...
12/06/2020

If you enjoy feeding and watching birds, you may have noticed some different arrivals to your yard over the last few weeks. This season is proving to be a big irruptive year for migratory birds. Some species that usually migrate short distances, at the most, are being seen far south of their normal range, and in very large numbers. There are different reasons for autumn and winter bird irruptions, but this year the main cause is a shortage of food. Low conifer seed production across Canada’s boreal forests is pushing many birds to search far and wide for nourishment.

Red-breasted Nuthatches have started showing up in larger than normal numbers. These winter visitors resemble the common White-breasted Nuthatch, but are smaller, have a bold stripe through the eye, and are a cinnamon color on the breast, flanks and belly. They have a call reminiscent of a dog chewing on a squeaky toy. You can attract them to your yard by offering sunflower seeds, shelled peanuts and suet. Red-breasted Nuthatches are also quite fearless, and with patience, might learn to eat out of your hand!

At 8,316 square miles, the Maumee River has the largest watershed of any river feeding the Great Lakes. The river begins...
11/21/2020

At 8,316 square miles, the Maumee River has the largest watershed of any river feeding the Great Lakes. The river begins at Fort Wayne, IN, at the confluence of the St. Marys and the St. Joseph Rivers. At Defiance, OH, the Auglaize and Tiffin River tributaries join in to nearly double the size of the Maumee.
A little over 100 miles from the headwaters, as the crow flies, the mighty Maumee empties into Lake Erie at Toledo, OH, along with much of what she picked up along the way, including large amounts of phosphorus, high levels of PCBs and heavy metals. Several plans have been put in place in recent years to help restore the river's quality and save Lake Erie.
Seen here is a small tributary, Black Creek, where it flows into the Maumee from the north, across from Blue Cast Springs in Allen County, IN. (Bonus points if you can find the hornet nest!)

This fall/winter is expected to be an irruption year for northern-wintering species. This means that there will be highe...
10/11/2020

This fall/winter is expected to be an irruption year for northern-wintering species. This means that there will be higher than average movement to the south due to low food availability. Be on the look-out for Red-breasted Nuthatches and Purple Finches. Rarer species like Redpolls, Evening Grosbeak and Crossbills could even make an appearance. The Pine Siskins, seen here, are already around in abundance, with attitude.

Bald Eagles have made a huge comeback across much of the region. Nesting pairs can be found all along the Maumee River n...
09/18/2020

Bald Eagles have made a huge comeback across much of the region. Nesting pairs can be found all along the Maumee River now, whereas just at the start of this century they were absent.

During nesting season, it is advised to keep several hundred feet away from any active nest to avoid disturbing the birds. However, once the chicks have fledged, it is okay to stand right under the nest. Only then can you fully appreciate the size of the structure. Bald Eagles build one of the largest nests of any bird - up to nearly 10 feet wide and/or deep!

A hillside of native wildflowers, including yellow trout lily, Virginia spring beauties and cutleaf toothwort, overlooks...
04/16/2020

A hillside of native wildflowers, including yellow trout lily, Virginia spring beauties and cutleaf toothwort, overlooks the Maumee River at Blue Cast Springs. There is still time to go find some April flowers in your area before the snow falls. Just please remember to stay on the trails unless you need space for social distancing at the park or nature preserve near you.

On the far eastern end of the Maumee River, where she pours forth into Lake Erie, lies Maumee Bay. These waters and surr...
12/12/2019

On the far eastern end of the Maumee River, where she pours forth into Lake Erie, lies Maumee Bay. These waters and surrounding beaches are a good place to find gulls and terns.
The Caspian Terns, seen here, are the largest terns in the world -- the same size as the common Ring-billed Gull. They are easily identified by the massive bright red bill. Adults in breeding plumage have a crisp solid black cap.
The larger Herring Gulls, when in breeding plumage, are distinguished by their pink legs (Ring-billed Gulls have yellow legs), robust build and red spot on lower bill.
The terns have since traveled south to their wintering grounds, but the gulls will stay for the winter around large bodies of water where they can still find a meal.

If you plan on attending the History Hike this Saturday at Blue Cast Springs, you must check "going" on the event page b...
10/17/2019

If you plan on attending the History Hike this Saturday at Blue Cast Springs, you must check "going" on the event page by Oct. 18 to receive a free sheet with old photos and postcards.

https://www.facebook.com/events/397206797899276/

Despite its name, there is nothing common about the looks of this butterfly. Junonia coenia, otherwise known as the comm...
10/07/2019

Despite its name, there is nothing common about the looks of this butterfly. Junonia coenia, otherwise known as the common buckeye, has striking eyespots, perhaps to startle predators. Plantain is an important host plant for the caterpillars, and adults are now fueling up on asters and other late flowers. Like the monarch, buckeyes must also migrate south before the weather turns cold. Come next summer, a new generation will return to the Maumee region.

If you plan on visiting any government owned fish and wildlife areas or parks from now until the end of January, keep in...
10/03/2019

If you plan on visiting any government owned fish and wildlife areas or parks from now until the end of January, keep in mind they might have limited access due to deer reductions. But did you know that the deer in Indiana are not descended from natives to the state? In 1893, the last white-tailed deer was shot in Knox County, extirpating the species from the state. From 1934-1942 and from 1953-1955, a total of 407 deer were brought in from other parts of the country and reintroduced throughout Indiana. 58 years after the last Hoosier white-tailed was killed, hunting was reinstated. By 1975 the deer harvest was nearly 9000, and currently the population is estimated to be around 700,000.

10/02/2019

From the first of autumn until the first frost, it seems like spiders are everywhere. Love them or hate them, none can deny that they play an essential part in the ecosystem by helping to keep the balance of nature. Here is a mesmerizing video from a few days ago of a stunning Marbled orb-weaver building her daily web. While orb-weavers can be on the large side, they are mostly harmless, non-aggressive and are rarely found inside.

Welcome autumn! Many birds are on their southward journey this month. Most hummingbirds prefer flower nectar over feeder...
09/23/2019

Welcome autumn! Many birds are on their southward journey this month. Most hummingbirds prefer flower nectar over feeders, given the choice, but if you have hummingbird feeders keep them up! Ruby-throated hummers will continue to straggle through the area until the first of November.

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New Haven, IN
46803

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