The sun is setting behind Pool F. 4/16/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
April 24, 2015: Winding Cinder Path
This winding cinder trail can be found in the northwest hills area of the park. 4/4/15 (Kevin Kane)
Monday, April 27, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
April 22, 2015: April Wetland
A stream feeds part of the central wetland complex, looking northeast towards Jensen farm. 4/4/15 (Kevin Kane)
April 21, 2015: Sunset Silhouette
The sun sets behind a tree in the central wetland area. 4/4/15 (Kevin Kane)
Friday, April 24, 2015
April 20, 2015: Clearing Trees
Cleared trees along the path to the south of the south lake. 4/20/15 (LaDan Omidvar)
The Iowa Conservation Corps cleared ash and Siberian elm trees from an area along the path to the west of the savannah. The AHHP management plan says to not remove eastern red cedar, black willow, and a few other native trees.
April 19, 2015: Canada Goose
Thursday, April 23, 2015
April 18, 2015: Black Hawk
A "bird" of a different feather stopped at the Park this morning.
As part of a "plane down" training exercise with the Ames Fire &
Police Departments the Iowa National Guard flew in this Sikorsky UH-60
Black Hawk helicopter, which landed just north of the main parking lot
and east of the maintenance building. 4/18/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
April 16, 2015: Purple Martin Workshop
Dave Duit (President IPMO)
dave@iamartin.org
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
April 15, 2015: Spring Wetland
A northwest and north view across Pool F, towards the highlands. 4/15/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
April 14, 2015: American Toad
The high-pitched trills of American Toads are now being heard at
the Park. (Boreal Chorus Frog calls are also part of the pond chorus.)
This American Toad was found at Pond J. 4/18/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
Thursday, April 16, 2015
April 13, 2015: Western Grebe
Only my 5th record for Ada Hayden Heritage Park, this Western Grebe
was found on the south lake in the company of Pied-billed Grebes.
Western Grebes are more commonly found west of the Rockies. [This is a
digiscoped photo.] 4/13/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
April 12, 2015: "Encaustic Prairie" by Josianne Ishikawa's
AMES, Iowa — Iowa State University College of Design students were honored with awards and showcased their work at the April 8 combined reception for the annual Focus Grant and APEX student juried exhibitions at the Iowa State Memorial Union.
Encaustic Prairie
Integrated visual arts graduate student Josianne Ishikawa of Ames created a mixed-media installation called "Encaustic Prairie" (cyanotype, textile, encaustic). She created 28 11-inch-square encaustic paintings on wood panels as well as a video essay recorded at Ada Hayden Heritage Park and in the encaustic studio in the ISU Food Sciences Building.
The installation includes an altar composed of prairie grass and a wax bowl of prairie-plant seeds placed at the base of the wall-hung painting assembly.
Ishikawa said she wanted to show her appreciation and bring attention to the importance of Ada Hayden's work save the prairie. The first woman to earn a doctorate from Iowa State, Hayden was an assistant professor of botany for 30 years and curator of the ISU Herbarium (now the Ada Hayden Herbarium) from 1934 until her death in 1950. She is known for her conservation work to preserve Iowa’s tallgrass prairie.
In developing her project, "I wanted to combine the symbolism of an ancient land (Iowa’s prairie) with an ancient art form (encaustic)," Ishikawa said.
Heather Sauer, Design Communications, (515) 294-9289, hsauer at iastate.edu
April 11, 2015: Ruby-crown Kinglet
The "ruby-crown", which is normally hidden, is visible on this
agitated male Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This species and their cousins, the
Golden-crowned Kinglet, are making a push northward through our area. 4/10/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
April 10, 2015: Bloodroot
Bloodroot at the Park is in bloom. Unfortunately, I have only found one small patch in only one location. 4/12/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
April 9, 2015: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
This male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was found at the bluff area, which was just a stop-over on his way up north. 4/10/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
Sunday, April 12, 2015
April 7, 2015: Mother Goose...
A goose has found a quiet spot to nest...
Apr 6, 2015: Conservation Corps
A Conservation Corps crew was busy cutting down and removing
non-native brush and trees from the savannah woods area (located along
the south side of the Park). 4/6/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
Before, 4/4/15 (Kevin Kane)
4/6/15 (Wolf Oesterreich)
Before, 4/4/15 (Kevin Kane)Thursday, April 9, 2015
Saturday, April 4, 2015
April 3, 2015: Erv's Field Notes #78
Muskrat. 4/1/15 (LaDan Omidvar)
Thursday, April 2, 2015, sunny, breeze from northwest, 63 degrees F.
I parked at the Harrison Street lot and walked the path around the west arm of the south lake. Signs of spring are everywhere. The grass is greening up along the path after a nice shower of rain last night and Robins were looking for earthworms there. The wetlands are beginning to dry up from a lack of rainfall this spring. Wolf Oesterreich saw the first dragonflies of the season yesterday, the migratory Common Green Darner.
Although I remembered to bring my binoculars, I did not have my spotting scope. I could see a large mixed- species flock of ducks in the middle of the south lake. The wetland that we call Pond G had a few ducks on it. I identified Northern Shoveller, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Pintail, and Gadwall. Pairs of Canada Geese were seen on all of the ponds visible from the path, including the south lake. A flock of ten Redhead ducks flew in and landed on the west arm of the lake and then immediately began swimming toward the larger flock in the middle of the lake. A grebe was also swimming in the middle of the west arm of the lake. It looked slightly larger than a Pied-bill Grebe, possibly an Eared Grebe, but I could not identify if for certain. A pair of Common Grackles and a Yellow-shafted Flicker flew over.
A crew from Iowa Conservation Corps will begin working on the savanna restoration next Monday, April 6. The following week they will be removing ash and Siberian elm trees from an area along the path to the west of the savannah. Our management plan says to not remove eastern red cedar, black willow, and a few other native trees. When making the decision to remove or not to remove a tree, I am reminded of Aldo Leopold’s essay “With Axe in Hand.” In this essay, Leopold struggles in his own mind whether to remove a birch tree that is growing too close to a pine tree that he planted. He weighs the benefits of the birch against those of the pine. He admits that he loves pine trees. The pine is one of 40,000 pines that he planted on his little farm but he muses that the birch got there on its own and it provides food for Ruffed Grouse, a bird that he likes to hunt. He does not say which tree he removed; I’ll guess it was the birch.
Eastern red cedar, provides good cover and berries for wildlife; a Long-eared Owl wintered in the cedars in 2013. Cedars will often invade native prairie areas and can become dominant if not controlled by fire. Cedars cannot tolerate shade. When crowded by other trees, they lose their lower branches and become spindly and less valuable as habitat. In northern Missouri and southern Iowa, the locals refer to cedars as the “green glacier” because they slowly take over the landscape. The next time you drive I-35 between Ames and Des Moines take notice of how the eastern red cedar is taking over several marginal areas that aren’t farmed. Cedars have expanded in the loess hills in western Iowa and the hills are much different today than when Lewis and Clark saw them. I hope the city will be able to manage the restored prairies at Hayden Park with prescribed burns and keep the cedars under control.
Erv Klaas
Apr 2, 2015: Common Snapping Turtle
While passing Pond J (diminished to two pools) I noticed this set of tracks (above left) entering the south pool. I immediately thought "turtle tracks". Another set left the north end and headed towards the north pool. Then I spotted a dark object in the water at the north end. This Common Snapping Turtle (above right) emerged from the water and started towards Weir H/J.
Despite what you may have heard, one should never hold snapping turtles by the tail. The spine may be damaged by doing so. 4/1/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
April 1, 2015: Wolf's March 2015 Wildlife Report
Two Eurasian Collared-Doves were found on the 13th, a new record
(#269) for the Park List. I was barely able to snap one photograph
before they flew off. They are roughly 1 inch longer than Mourning
Doves and weigh more (7 oz vs 4.2 oz). Eurasian Collared-Doves also
have squared tails and the "collared" mark on the nape. 3/13/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
A total of 74 avian species (plus 1 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 4th highest March among 18 years of records. This total is 44 species more than last month and 5 more than March 2014.
Wolf. Oesterreich
A total of 74 avian species (plus 1 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 4th highest March among 18 years of records. This total is 44 species more than last month and 5 more than March 2014.
Listed below, following the species’ names, are the date(s) of
sighting(s), plus the occasional miscellaneous information regarding numbers,
gender (♂=male, ♀=female), age (im=immature, ju=juvenile, abp=adult breeding
plumage, ad=adult, anb=adult non-breeding), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and
location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard).
The order follows the 55th Supplement (2014) to the American
Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North
American Birds and the 14th Supplement to the 7th
Edition (1998).
AVIAN
GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 8 (132+), 9 (131+), 10 (9), 13 (500+), 14 (300+),
SNOW
GOOSE: 13 (400+), 16 (200+), 25 (~100), 30 (~60), 31 (1)
CACKLING
GOOSE: 1 (1), 3 (1), 8 (2), 11
CANADA
GOOSE: 1-31
TRUMPETER
SWAN: 1 (6 ad + 3 ju), 14 (1 ad), 23 (3 ju)
WOOD
DUCK: 19 (5♂ + 2♀), 22 (4♂ + 3♀), 24 (4♂ + 3♀), 25 (2♂ + 1♀), 26 (1♂ + 1♀),
GADWALL:
13 (1♂ + 1♀), 17 (5♂ + 2♀), 18 (11+), 19 (18+), 20 (12+), 21 (9+), 22,
AMERICAN
WIGEON: 17 (5♂ + 3♀), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 22 (1♂ + 1♀), 25 (4♂ + 1♀),
MALLARD:
1-31
BLUE-WINGED
TEAL: 23 (5), 25 (3♂), 26 (5♂), 27 (4♂), 28, 29 (4♂ + 1♀), 30-31
NORTHERN
SHOVELER: 22 (2+), 23 (2), 24 (4), 25 (19+), 26 (16+), 27 (17+), 28,
NORTHERN
PINTAIL: 9 (6♂ + 2♀), 10 (1♂), 11-12 (1♂ + 1♀), 13 (3♂ + 3♀), 25 (2♂ + 1♀),
GREEN-WINGED
TEAL: 12 (2♂ + 1♀), 17 (2♂ + 2♀), 21 (2♂), 22 (6+), 23 (13),
CANVASBACK:
9 (35♂ + 5♀), 10 (3♂), 13 (4♂), 14 (2♂ + 2♀), 17 (4♂ + 2♀),
REDHEAD:
8 (3♂ + 4♀), 9 (1♂ + 1♀), 10 (1♂), 14 (5♂ + 3♀), 17 (3♂ + 2♀), 21 (7),
RING-NECKED
DUCK: 8 (4♂ + 1♀), 9 (10♂ + 3♀), 10 (9♂ + 2♀), 12 (3♂), 13 (6♂ + 1♀),
LESSER
SCAUP: 8 (5♂ + 2♀), 9 (4♂ + 4♀), 10 (3♂), 12 (9♂ + 2♀), 17 (12+), 18 (20+),
BUFFLEHEAD:
12 (1♂), 14 (2♂ + 1♀), 17 (2♂), 18-20 (2♂ + 1♀), 22 (4♂ + 1♀), 23 (13),
COMMON
GOLDENEYE: 8 (1♂), 25 (2♂ + 1♀)
HOODED
MERGANSER: 20 (1♂ + 1♀), 22 (1♂ + 1♀), 25 (2♂ + 2♀), 26 (3♂ + 2♀),
COMMON
MERGANSER: 13 (1♂), 25 (2♂ + 1♀)
RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER: 21 (2♂), 25 (3♂ + 4♀), 30 (1♂)
RUDDY
DUCK: 23 (30), 27 (1♂), 31 (10+)
RING-NECKED
PHEASANT: 13 (1♂), 14, 16-17, 19, 21, 23-27, 31
COMMON
LOON: 30 (1)
PIED-BILLED
GREBE: 20 (1), 22-23 (1), 25-28 (1), 29 (3), 30 (4), 31 (3)
DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT: 25 (1), 30-31 (3)
GREAT
BLUE HERON: 18 (1), 21-22 (1), 23-26 (2), 27 (4-5), 28 (3), 29 (2), 30-31 (1)
TURKEY
VULTURE: 23 (5), 30 (2), 31 (3)
BALD
EAGLE: 6 (1 im), 7 (1 ad + 1 im), 11 (1 ad), 13 (1 ad), 14 (1 im), 15-19 (1
ad),
SHARP-SHINNED
HAWK: 28 (1)
COOPER’S
HAWK: 12 (2), 14 (1 ad), 19 (1 ad), 20 (1 im)
Accipiter sp.: 1 (1 BY)
RED-TAILED
HAWK: 2 (1), 5-7 (1), 10 (1), 12-13 (2), 14 (1), 15 (2), 16 (1), 17 (2), 18
(1),
AMERICAN
COOT: 22 (4), 23 (19), 24 (11), 25 (5), 26 (10), 27 (5), 28, 29 (16), 20 (3),
KILLDEER:
12-13 (2), 14 (1), 15 (3), 16 (7), 17 (1), 18 (3), 19-22 (2). 27-29 (1), 30-31
(2)
WILSON’S
SNIPE: 31 (1)
AMERICAN
WOODCOCK: 25-26 (1), 30 (2)
RING-BILLED
GULL: 12 (2), 13 (5), 15 (10), 16 (2), 17 (4), 18 (8), 19 (1), 22 (8+), 24 (5),
ROCK
PIGEON: 20 (1)
MOURNING
DOVE: 7-9, 11-12, 14-15, 17, 19-20, 22, 24-31
EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVE: 13 (2 BY)
GREAT
HORNED OWL: 25 (1)
BELTED
KINGFISHER: 31 (1)
RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER: 1, 8, 14-15, 19, 31
DOWNY
WOODPECKER: 1-8, 10-17, 19-26, 30-31
HAIRY
WOODPECKER: 5, 10, 14, 19, 24
NORTHERN
FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 16 (1), 18-20 (1), 23 (2), 25 (1)
NORTHERN
SHRIKE: 1-2 (1), 17 (1), 24 (1)
BLUE
JAY: 2, 5-6, 13, 16, 19-20, 23-25, 27-31
AMERICAN
CROW: 1, 3-31
PURPLE
MARTIN: 31 (1)
TREE
SWALLOW: 30 (6+), 31 (15+)
BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE: 1-31
WHITE-BREASTED
NUTHATCH: 1, 5, 8, 15, 17-18, 20, 23, 27, 30
GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET: 27 (2)
EASTERN
BLUEBIRD: 14, 15 (1♂), 20 (2♂), 23 (1♂ + 1♀), 27 (1♂ + 1♀), 31 (1♂ + 1♀)
AMERICAN
ROBIN: 2 (1), 5 (4 BY), 6 (4), 7 (1 BY), 10-31
EUROPEAN
STARLING: 1-7, 10-15, 17-26, 28-31
CEDAR
WAXWING: 6 (5), 7 (27 BY), 8 (7 BY), 11 (3 BY), 12 (10), 20 (1 BY), 28 (1 BY)
AMERICAN
TREE SPARROW: 2-3 (1 BY), 5-8 (1 BY), 9 (2 BY), 10-11 (1 BY), 20 (1),
SAVANNAH
SPARROW: 23 (1)
FOX
SPARROW: 14 (1 BY), 23 (1 BY + 8), 25 (1 BY), 26 (2), 27 (1 BY + 2), 28 (2 BY),
SONG
SPARROW: 1-3 (2), 4 (1), 5 (2), 14 (1), 16 (1), 19 (1), 22 (10+), 23 (32+),
24-31
SWAMP
SPARROW: 24 (3), 27 (1), 30-31 (1)
DARK-EYED
JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1-31
NORTHERN
CARDINAL: 1-31
RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD: 9 (1♂ BY), 10 (40+ ♂/♀), 13-16, 17-18 (1♂ BY), 19-31
EASTERN
MEADOWLARK: 31 (1)
RUSTY
BLACKBIRD: 30-31 (1♂)
COMMON
GRACKLE: 13 (1♂), 16, 18 (17+), 19-31
BROWN-HEADED
COWBIRD: 14 (2♂ BY)
HOUSE
FINCH: 1-31
AMERICAN
GOLDFINCH: 2, 4 (3 BY), 7, 9, 20-23
HOUSE
SPARROW: 1-31
MAMMALIAN
AMERICAN
MINK: 23 (1)
WHITE-TAILED
DEER: 5-6 (3), 8 (2), 10 (28), 13-14 (7 BY), 16 (3), 24 (5), 26 (1), 27 (3),
FOX
SQUIRREL: 1-4, 6-8, 10-21, 23-31
THIRTEEN-LINED
GROUND SQUIRREL: 20 (1)
EASTERN
COTTONTAIL: 1-9, 11-15, 17-24, 26-31
REPTILIAN
NORTHERN
PAINTED TURTLE: 14 (5), 16 (24+), 17 (1), 18 (5), 19 (1), 20 (30+), 21-22,
AMPHIBIAN
BOREAL
CHORUS FROG: 31
NORTHERN
LEOPARD FROG: 29 (1)
LEPIDOPTERA
EASTERN
COMMA: 13 (2), 30-31 (1)
MOURNING
CLOAK: 11 (1), 20 (2), 30 (2), 31 (1)
WOOLLY
BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth): 11 91), 30 (1)
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