Creeping bellflowers are also blooming near the road to Minister Lake. These tall plants have tiers of purple, bell-shaped flowers and are originally from Europe. Along the hillsides of Minister Lake, you’re likely to find white snakeroot blooming. Early settlers used to believe that the roots of this plant cured snakebites. Unfortunately, the plant is actually toxic and can cause “milk sickness.” This occurs when the plant’s toxins pass through the milk of cows into humans!

Learn more: Freckmann Herbarium-Creeping Bellflower

                  Freckmann Herbarium-White Snakeroot

Wild Cucumber

The Latin name for the wild cucumber, Echinocystis lobata, means hedgehog bladder and perfectly describes the strange fruit of this plant.

Inside the fruit are 4 brown or black seeds that are eventually shot out of the plant by hydrostatic pressure at speeds up to 25 mph!

This viney plant is a member of the gourd family and has tiny, white flowers from July to late August. It’s found in moist soils near the trails at CWES.

Jack in the Pulpit

When the pulpit of jack-in-the-pulpit withers away in fall, a red cluster of berries is seen. These berries are best avoided, as they create an intense burning in the mouth if eaten.

This odd plant blooms from April to June in the shade of woods and forests, and can actually change sex from one year to the next! If it is a plentiful year and the plant has stored lots of food, the next year it will produce female flowers and two sets of leaves. If the plant has not had a good growing season, the next year it will produce male flowers and one set of leaves. The female plants produce the stalk of red berries that we see in the fall.

White Baneberry

White baneberry is also called doll’s eyes because of the strange and poisonous berries it produces. The word “bane” actually means to cause death.

This plant likes the damp, shaded woods of CWES, and produces a stalk with a cluster of tiny white flowers from May to June.

Photo by Emmet Judziewicz
All images were taken from the Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Garter snakes mate in early spring in a huge mass, usually one larger female with dozens of smaller males-only one of which will successfully breed. By late August and early September, garter snakes give live birth. A single female may produce up to seventy young!

As the temperatures cool, these creatures look for good places to hibernate. Sometimes they are found in our basements and garages as they search for ideal spots.

Common garter snakes are found in every county of Wisconsin. They eat frogs, toads, salamanders, fish, earthworms, and insects. They can bite, but have no fangs or poison. Instead, they protect themselves by producing a very stinky musk to deter predators. If they can evade their enemies, they may live up to ten years!

Learn more:  Animal Diversity Web

EYES: Did you know that snakes have no eyelids? Instead they have clear scales that cover their eyes. These scales are shed along with the other scales on the snake’s body. A good way to tell when a snake is about to shed is to look at their eyes, if the scales covering them are a cloudy color they will shed soon.

EARS: Snakes have no ears, instead they hear by feeling vibrations on the ground. This is similar to the way that humans can “feel” music when we are near a speaker that is turned up.

TONGUE: Have you ever noticed that snakes often stick out their tongues? They do this to pick up scent molecules from the air on their tongue which get transferred to an organ on the roof of their mouth called the Jacobson’s organ. This special organ then delivers information to their brain and tells the snake what is around them.

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From early August until mid-October, warbler species are in migration mode. Like most small songbirds, warblers usually migrate at night. Most of these birds are smaller than a black-capped chickadee. They usually flit quickly among the trees in groups and can be tricky to identify in fall when they have molted from their bright breeding plumage into drab fall colors.

This week there is a good chance that you will see a mixed flock of several species of warblers in the woods at CWES. The one that you are most likely to see is the yellow-rumped warbler, who will be working its way toward Mexico and Central America for the winter. The yellow-rumped warblers will be searching for insects and fruit to fuel them on their journey.

Learn more:  Cornell Lab of Ornithology

​Yellow-rumped warbler photo by Laura Erickson

Hear this bird’s song

Bittersweet nightshade is a viney plant which winds its way along the wooded edges of CWES (especially near the driveways). Most of the nightshade species in Wisconsin are exotics, and all produce toxic berries. Bittersweet nightshade is the most commonly found invasive nightshade in Wisconsin.

Did You Know? The term nightshade comes from Renaissance Italy, where noblewomen put a drop of the plant’s juice in their eyes to dilate their pupils and make them look more attractive.

Learn more: Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

The giant puffball is the largest of the sixteen species found in Wisconsin, and is edible when fresh and solid. These fungi can reach the size of volleyballs, and weigh up to 40 pounds! The large puffballs that we see above ground are only the fruiting bodies of the fungus (much like a plant’s flowers). The rest of the fungus is growing hidden below it and looks like a mass of tiny tangled threads. These masses are called mycelium and are often found beneath the bark of rotting logs.

Eventually, the puffball’s outer skin dries out and cracks, puffing out the 7 trillion tiny spores found inside. The spores are just slightly smaller than a human red blood cell. If you were to line them all up, they would wrap around the earth’s equator!

Learn more: Tom Volk’s Fungus Site

Hummingbirds begin to slowly leave after Labor Day, with the males taking off first and the females and juveniles following later. Hummers from Wisconsin will fly all the way to Central America to overwinter. The little birds will put on a whole gram of additional fat before they set out on their long journey. That’s a lot of weight for a bird that weighs less than two pennies (about 4 grams) to start off with!

Did you know? Hummingbirds are the only bird that can fly both backward and forward. Their wings beat an amazing 53 times per second and can propel them at speeds of 50 mph. To fuel their fast pace, the birds consume about twice their weight in nectar and insects a day. We’d need to eat over 200 cheeseburgers each day to do the same!

Learn more:  Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Most of Wisconsin’s dragonflies overwinter in the mucky bottoms of ponds as a nymph or egg… but not all! Populations of adult green darner dragonflies migrate south in the fall, with their mature offspring returning to us in the spring. These three-inch long blue and green dragonflies feed on prey as large as other dragonflies! If you keep your eyes open you may see one or two by Minister Lake.

Meadowhawk Dragonfly

Flying about the boardwalk at Minister Lake you will also see meadowhawk dragonflies, a species common in the late summer and early fall. This type of dragonfly can be identified by the way that it holds its wings slightly forward when still, and by its small size (about 1.5 inches long).

Damselfly

​If you’re lucky, you may also see a few damselflies. These delicate cousins of the dragonfly typically rest with their wings tightly closed, while dragonflies rest with their wings spread. They also have much thinner and smaller bodies than dragonflies.

Learn more:

Wisconsin Butterflies

Animal Diversity Web

You will find aquatic nymphs (young) of both dragon and damselflies in Minister Lake at this time of year. Once a dragonfly nymph emerges from its egg, it may stay in the nymph stage anywhere from a few weeks to several years depending upon the species and conditions. Dragonfly nymphs breathe through gills on their abdomen, while damselflies get their oxygen through three “tails” located on their rear.    Damselfly (left) and dragonfly nymph (right)These nymphs are ferocious predators and will consume anything they can capture: other nymphs, fly larvae, tadpoles, and even small fish! They also have a unique hunting adaptation: their long lower jaw is extendable and can shoot forward to nab food. When not hunting, the hinged jaw folds flat against the nymph’s body . Nymphs shed their exoskeletons as their grow, eventually shedding one last time to emerge as a winged adult. Their leftover skins are called exuviae, and they sometimes find their way into D-nets. Learn more: Buglopedia​

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With the fall equinox this week, the days will begin to grow shorter. Birds get ready to migrate when shortening days and changing weather conditions trigger internal hormone responses. They then begin to eat great amounts of food in order to store fat for their long journeys. Keep an eye out as waterfowl begin to flock together and stopover at Sunset and Minister Lake. You’re likely to see sandhill cranes, geese, mallards, loons, and maybe even trumpeter swans.

Why do birds migrate? Birds that rely on such food as aquatic creatures, insects, or mammals that hibernate must move further south to find prey as winter approaches.

Migration operations: Most small insect-eating birds like sparrows, warblers, wrens, thrushes, and vireos migrate at night using circumpolar (visible year-round) constellations to guide them. Flying at night reduces the threat of predation and overheating for these avians. Herons, gulls, waterfowl, and hawks migrate during the day and use the position of the sun to direct them.

High-flying hawks: The second week of August is the peak migration time for many raptor species. Keep an eye toward the skies and you might be lucky enough to see one of these graceful birds:

Accipiters: hawks with short wings and long tails that hunt between trees and shrubs, such as sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks.

Buteos: hawks with wide wings designed for soaring, such as the broad-winged hawk.

Falcons: raptors with slim tapered wings meant for speed, like the American kestrel and the merlin.

Fast Food: Scientists have noticed that American kestrels tend to migrate at the same time as green darner dragonflies. These clever falcons snack on a moving insect feast as they travel.

Kettles of Birds: Broad-winged hawks often migrate in groups called kettles. These groups soar on high wind currents, expending as little energy as possible.

Learn More: Hawkridge

This week at CWES look for the fruit of wild grape vines in wooded areas, as well as near the shores of Sunset and Minister Lakes. These creeping vines are capable of covering trees and shrubs, blocking their light, and killing them. However, the plant also has many good qualities. Small bees and flies visit its tiny white flowers early in summer,and several moths feed on its leaves. Its fruit is a favorite of both birds and mammals, who disperse the 2-6 oval seeds found within it.

Learn more: Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

These crafty critters bury their food in the fall, typically one nut at a time. They then find their buried treasure in the winter and spring by smell, sometimes digging through a foot of snow to get to it. The acorns that are overlooked will grow into new oak trees, a benefit for both parties. Besides nuts, gray squirrels eat tree buds, fruit, mushrooms, insects, and sometimes even bird nestlings.

These familiar creatures use their multi-purpose tails for rudders when climbing, insulation when tucked around them in the winter, or as an umbrella from falling rain and snow. In the approaching cold months they will search for a tree cavity in which to shelter. If one isn’t found, they will build leafy nests, called drays, that we often see high in bare trees. These nests provide protection from harsh winter elements.

Learn more and view pictures of skulls and tracks: Animal Diversity Web

 Grey squirrels weigh about 1 pound

An acorn eaten by a squirrel

Acorns are an important crop for many creatures. Squirrels, blue jays, woodpeckers, and insects love to eat the protein-rich morsels. One creature even lays its eggs inside acorns: the acorn weevil. A few days after the eggs are laid, grub-like larvae emerge and feed on the acorn meat. When fall arrives, they chew their way out of the acorn by creating a small circular hole. Then, they burrow into the soil to pupate (similar to a butterfly’s chrysalis stage) over the winter. In summer the adults will emerge from the pupae and begin the whole process over again. After the acorn weevils are done with the nut, other insects may make it their winter home. Look for these tiny shelters strewn along the trails at CWES.

An acorn weevil grub (left) and adult (right).

During this week, the eight species of bats in Wisconsin begin preparing for winter in different ways. Big and little brown bats are gathering together in abandoned mines and caves and getting ready to hibernate. They are full hibernators and will keep their body temperatures just high enough to keep them alive. These bats will lose 1/4 -1/2 of their weight over the course of the winter. Even while hibernating the bats must briefly wake to urinate and drink moisture from cave walls. Hibernation sites are crucial to the bats’ survival. If disturbed often while hibernating, a bat may not retain enough energy to make it through the rest of the winter.

Not all Wisconsin bats will hibernate here. Red, silver-haired, and hoary bats will journey to southern states in search of warmer places in which to hibernate. Sometimes these bats are found migrating along with flocks of small birds.

Did you know? When bats hang upside-down their toes lock in place with special tendons so that they don’t have to use any energy to stay put. And…

Big brown bats sometimes hibernate in our attics and walls, because their bodies are able to withstand sub-zero temperatures. The oldest bat on record was a 33 year old little brown bat. Bats are in a family called chiroptera which means “hand wing” in Greek. This refers to the thin membrane of skin stretched across a bat’s finger bones which lets them fly. 

Learn more: Bat Conservation of Wisconsin

This little brown bat could crawl through a hole 1 cm wide!

 A bat’s toes relax in a curled position, helpig them to hang upside-down.

Keep an eye out for woolly bear caterpillars at this time of year. They are the larvae of the Isabella tiger moth. According to folklore, the longer the caterpillar’s reddish brown bands the shorter and milder the coming winter will be. Unfortunately, the myth isn’t true. As woolly bears grow and molt their old tight skin, their new skin has more brown and less black fuzz.

After a season of feeding on dandelions, asters, birches, clovers, and maples, woolly bears begin to search for overwintering sites under bark, rocks, and logs. Caterpillars hibernate there in often sub-freezing temperatures. When spring arrives, the woolly bears awaken and create fuzzy cocoons in which to transform into moths.

Did you know? Woolly bear caterpillars have a wonderful defense mechanism. The tiny, sharp hairs that cover the caterpillar’s body can detach and cause irritation. This works especially well when a predator has already put the caterpillar into its mouth-ouch! Some people are also sensitive to the woolly bear’s hairs, so be careful when handling them.

Learn more: Enature

Bald-faced hornets create the paper nests that we see hanging from trees at CWES. These nests were made by many female workers who chewed up wood fibers and then added a secret ingredient- their own spit -to stick things together. With the first frost these workers die, leaving behind a paper nest that won’t be used again.

Just before her workers die, the queen hornet lays eggs containing new queens and drones (males). After these hornets mate, the new queens hide from the approaching cold in crevices and under tree bark. The only surviving members of their colony, they will hibernate through the winter. Come spring, they will begin to build new nests and lay their first eggs. These will hatch into sterile females that will continue building the nest and care for new eggs. These colonies may hold as many as 400 hornets which mainly eat other insects.

Did you know? Paper wasps create the small honeycombed nests that hang underneath the eaves of buildings. They have a very similar lifecyle to the bald-faced hornet. Bees, however, have a very different winter routine from both hornets and wasps. Bee hives remain active through the winter, using honey stores for fuel. The worker bees surround the queen and shiver to generate enough heat for survival.

Learn more: Harvard University

A large paper nest made by the bald-faced hornet

An inside view of a nest. At one point these tiny cells each held a developing hornet egg.

These amazing birds are beginning to stretch out their 6 foot wingspans and head south. You can tell a soaring vulture from other birds by the way that they hold their wings in a strong V-shape and tend to rock in flight. Bald eagles hold their wings level with their bodies when they fly. If the wind is right, a vulture can soar for 6 hours without flapping its wings. Look for them high above Sunset or Minister Lake.

Vultures eat mostly carrion (dead animals) and some plant material. They play an important role in cleaning up waste that might otherwise spread disease. To help them locate their pungent meals, these birds have an excellent sense of smell. They also have very strong stomach acid that kills the bacteria and viruses often found in their food.

Though the vulture doesn’t have many natural predators, it does have some pretty clever (and gross) defenses. If a turkey vulture has been feeding on carrion and is approached by a predator, it will vomit as a defense strategy! The smelly substance deters the predator and can even sting its eyes, plus the vulture has lightened its load and may take off more quickly.

The vulture has another cool adaptation-literally! On hot days, vultures will urinate on their legs to cool them off. The strong acid in their urine also kills bacteria on their legs and feet, and helps keep them healthy.

Did You Know? According to DNA evidence, vultures are actually a member of the stork family. Their weak feet aren’t built for grasping and piercing prey like those of the raptors. Also, a vulture is not actually a buzzard. Buzzard is the British word for hawk.

Learn more: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 Notice the V-shape of this turkey vulture in flight. This shaps is called a dihedral.

Check out the large nostrils and featherless head of this vulture. The lack of feathers helps it stay clean after eating decaying matter.