Have you ever felt a plant leaf that felt like flannel? If you have, that plant was probably mullein, also called flannel plant because of the texture of its large leaves. Mullein is a biennial which means that during the first year of its life the plant only produce leaves. During its second year it creates leaves and a tall spike of yellow flowers. Mullein is not native to the United States and came here from Europe during the mid 1700’s. It likes sunny sites with dry soils or sand, and often grows in disturbed areas. If it finds itself in just the perfect spot it can get as tall as 10 feet during its second year!

Did you know?

The dried flower stalks of mullein were once dipped in wax and used for torches.

Learn more:  Robert Freckmann Herbarium

Sight: Birds of prey have phenomenal long-range eyesight. An eagle’s eyesight, for example, is at least 4 times better than ours. American kestrels can even see in the ultra violet light range, allowing them to follow the urine trails of small mammals.

Smell: Members of the canine family such as coyotes and foxes have noses that are a million times more sensitive to odors than ours. It helps that they have about 25 times the number of olfactory (smell) receptors that we do. Another helpful factor is that their noses are constantly wet. A wet nose picks up more scent molecules than a dry one. You can test this out by dabbing a bit of water on your own nose and comparing your smell-ability.

Taste: If you were a butterfly, bee, or housefly, your taste receptors would be on your feet instead of in your mouth. This helps them quickly decide what plants to feed on, as well as which ones are best for laying their eggs.

Hearing: Owls have an amazing sense of hearing. Barn owls, for example, can catch their prey in complete darkness using only their ears. Snowy owls can catch prey under almost ten inches of snow with their incredible hearing!

Touch: The star-nosed mole may win the prize for best sense of touch, but many nocturnal creatures also rely on this sense. Skunks and raccoons, for example, use their whiskers to help them avoid obstacles and search for food in the dark. Imagine their whiskers working as your outstretched hands might if you were trying to find your way through a pitch-black room.

This late bloomer will unfurl its flowers from August to September around the sandy shores of Sunset Lake. The small, purple flowers attract many species of bees. If you take a closer look at the bell-shaped flowers, you will see that they actually have a built in welcome mat for these winged visitors. Within each flower is a tiny landing strip of tiny spots, which guides insects towards the bloom’s nectar. As a bee heads toward the center of the flower, they get coated in pollen which may then pollinate the next false foxglove bloom they enter.

Learn more: Robert Freckmann Herbarium

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Earlier this summer, a female snapping turtle dug a hole in a sandy spot near water and laid 25-80 eggs in it. These eggs were just a bit smaller than a ping-pong ball and just as round. Now, after almost three months, the tiny snapping turtles inside them are ready to emerge. Keep an eye out for these quarter-sized youngsters in the evenings when they leave their nests in groups to head towards the water.

Snapping turtles live in a variety of places such as slow moving rivers, streams and ponds. In these habitats, snapping turtles quickly extend their long necks to grab small fish, plants, and carrion.

A snapping turtle continues to grow during its entire life, which may be up to 30 years! A large snapping turtle may eventually weigh 30 pounds or more. Once they are this size, few creatures will hunt snapping turtles, but as babies many birds and mammals will try to catch them for a snack.

Did you Know?  A snapping turtle’s body is much larger than its shell, so it can’t hide inside of it like smaller species can. However, its powerful jaws deter other animals from bothering it.

Learn more: Animal Diversity Web

This intriguing bird is one of the first to begin its southward migration. Nighthawks are now beginning to flock up and begin their long journey to South America where they will spend the winter.

Though this bird is named a nighthawk it is neither a hawk nor a nocturnal hunter. The common nighthawk actually hunts at dawn and dusk. Animals that are most active at these times are called crepuscular. As the nighthawk hunts insects in the air, it makes a nasal “peent” call. If you follow the call, you may get a glimpse of this long-winged bird. A great clue that you’ve found one is the white patches near the tips of the bird’s wings. The rest of the bird’s body is a mottle grey and brown which gives it excellent camouflage from predators.

Did you know?

The nighthawk’s wide mouth makes it an insect-eating machine. In a single day one bird can catch over 500 mosquitoes!

Learn more: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Many different aster and goldenrod species bloom in the woods and near the lakeshore at CWES during August. There are 24 different species of goldenrods in Wisconsin and 30 aster species, many of which can be tricky to distinguish from one another.

Learn more:

Learn more about goldenrods: Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

Learn more about asters: Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

Before the leaves fall this autumn, search for a small spider that uses them for camouflage from both predators and prey. This spider is a funnel weaver, and it uses its silk to create a cocoon-shaped web that is often wrapped up in a leaf.

The spider hides in one side of this clever funnel web and waits for an insect to walk past the other end. When it’s prey passes by, the spider feels the vibration and grabs its food with lightening speed. Look for the unusual web of this spider spun in low leaves, shrubs, and window wells. If you peek into its funnel, you should just be able to make out the spider waiting at the other end.  

Did you know?

Studies have shown that you are never more than 10 feet away from a spider! But don’t worry, this is a fact to celebrate. Without spiders, populations of insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, and flies would be out of control, birds and other small creatures would be missing meals, and hummingbirds would not have the silk that holds their nests together.

Learn more: University of Minnesota Extension

Spikes of cattail flowers will soon turn to puffy seeds around Minister Lake. These seeds are connected to fluffy hairs that help the wind disperse them. Any seeds that aren’t blown away by next spring will be used by songbirds to line their nests. In fact, the entire cattail plant is used by various wetland creatures for shelter, food, or both. Red-winged blackbirds, geese, and ducks are a few of the bird species that nest among the nine-foot tall plant. The muskrat is another creature that depends upon the cattail. It nibbles on the tasty roots, and uses the leaves and stalks to build its lodge.

Not only is this plant important to wetland species, but humans have long eaten its roots, young shoots, and pollen and used the cattail’s dried leaves to make baskets, furniture, paper, and string.

Did you know?

Just one cattail plant can produce 250,000 seeds! 

Learn more: Robert Freckmann Herbarium