 Prothonotary Warbler. Photo Perri Liebl The wooded pond marsh at Picnic Point is a favored habitat for Prothonotary Warblers. While these dazzling yellow warblers with black beady eyes are observed as far north as Wisconsin, their breeding attempts at the pond marsh are rarely successful. Unlike other eastern warblers, Prothonotary Warblers nest in holes in trees, rather than in the open, and at the pond marsh they nest in special birdhouses placed close to the water. Area birders care for these birdhouses and, as in previous years, are holding their breaths that this year's breeding pair will be successful in their efforts. We thank Perri Liebl for providing the photo of the male singing out his heart.
 Cobra clubtail (Gomphurus vastus), Photo Glenda Denniston On her daily rounds of weeding and observing in the Preserve, Glenda Denniston enjoys monitoring the smaller creatures, such as frogs, dragonflies, butterflies and others. Here are a few of her photos. Insects have emerged in full force, after being delayed for some time because of needed prescribed burnings of the prairie this spring. Notice the beautiful markings and the green/blue eyes of the cobra clubtail, named clubtail for the enlarged abdomen tip. they can be found at large rivers and lakeshores and are most abundant in June. This Eastern tiger swallowtail photographed by Glenda is not the usually yellow variety of tiger swallow tails. Females can range in color from the yellow of the male to an almost solid bluish-black. The black form of the eastern tiger swallow tail may be an example of deceptive coloration, mimicring a butterfly with unpleasant taste.
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AuthorGisela Kutzbach and contributors Archives
May 2022
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Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
P.O. Box 5534 Madison, WI 53705 UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve website Documents |
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