A Big Day - UPDATE March 20, 2025
Male Fisher
It’s not only the first day of spring, it’s World Frog Day! It’s a little early to celebrate frogs here with up to 30 inches of ice on some lakes, but the North American Bear Center came through with a picture from last summer of its Leopard Frog and Green Frog and the information below:
Hoppy World Frog Day!
Here at the NABC, we currently have 3 frog ambassador species- northern leopard frogs, green frogs, and gray treefrogs. Each of them help to educate our guests on the ecology of some of our local amphibians. Enjoy a ribbet-ing fun fact about each of them!
-Northern leopard frogs are the state amphibian of Minnesota!
-Green frogs are the second largest frog in Minnesota (bullfrogs are the largest).
-Gray treefrogs skin color changes with the color of its background, season, temperature, and humidity. Color may range from gray, green, and brown.
Ambassador northern leopard frog (L) and green frog (R) captured by summer 2024 intern Cami.
Pine siskin (yellow variant)
Pine siskin (yellow variant)
Here at the Wildlife Research Institute a couple days ago, one of the big flocks of Pine Siskins returned and covered the trees and feeders by the hundreds (March 18). Late that day, though, the eagle returned and made a few swoops into the siskins’ feeding area as the eagle grabbed a drumstick and headed off toward its nest about 1.14 mile away, presumably to feed his mate. If he flew 30 mph, it would take maybe five minutes flying time to go round-trip to the nest and back, and he was back in about ten minutes for another swoop. Not connecting on that swoop, he landed in the big red pine at the edge of the yard for the first picture opportunity I’ve had with him in some time. He was nice to sit where the sun would catch his eye and eventually fly off in a direction that would let the sun light his wings. Thank you eagle. I don’t know if the eagle was a reason, but the siskins were back to low numbers the next day. Among the low number, though, was a ‘Yellow’ variant that is more yellow overall with lighter stripes on its downside, and he was nice to pose in the foreground with two of the others in the near background showing their more darkly striped undersides.
Bald eagle sitting
Bald eagle sits
Bald eagle flying
Bald eagle flies
A highlight today was a 5 AM visit by the male fisher before I could put food out for him. He scampered between all the usual places looking for food as I snapped pictures; but in the low light the shutter speed was so slow that they were blurry except for one. When he checked for food immediately outside my desk window, he paused a second under the light showing only his head, and it came out sharp. Thank you fisher.
Then came a new experience. As I immediately put some fat trimmings out for him, I glimpsed him disappearing down his tree. I wondered if he knew what I was doing and if he’d come back. Turning to go in, he was only eight feet away—closer than we’d ever been together. He’d come up the steps, probably truly knowing what I was doing. He immediately bolted down the steps as I turned toward him. Back inside I wondered if he’d come back after the scare. He did. In less than a minute he was up his tree and headed toward the food. He made several trips grabbing pieces of fat trimmings as I snapped pictures. All were blurry, but it was exciting that he seemed to know what I was doing and dared to come so close. He’s been coming for a couple years, so it’s not that surprising that he’d become somewhat accustomed. The one picture that come out will be a good memory picture.
Then it was time to start working.
Thank you for all you do,
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
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