Archive for 2009Page 2
Arb Sightings 10/2/09
While this report is coming a day late, there has been no shortage of interesting sightings this week! The weather, finally, seems to be acting more autumn-like, as temperatures are now struggling to reach the mid-60’s. The arboretum has received more than two inches of rain (and still counting!) between today and yesterday; this October […]
Arb Sightings 9/24/09
Yesterday we finally had our first significant migration push. While the winds were light, they were from a northerly direction, which means birds, dragonflies, and butterflies were all heading south. On yesterday’s birdwalk 31 species were sighted in the Arb, with highlights being seven species of warbler (including very good looks at a Palm Warbler […]
Arb Sightings 9/17/09
Today’s date belies the weather we’re experiencing right now in south-central Minnesota. Last year on this date the temperature was comfortable in the low 70’s; today it feels like mid-summer with temperatures in the mid-80’s. While we should have only a few more hot days like today left, rain appears to be quite rare in […]
Arb Sightings
Hello! It’s been a while since anything has been posted about the Linnaeus Arboretum, but that will now change. Beginning this Thursday, a weekly update of “Arb Sightings” will be posted to keep readers informed of what’s being observed in the arboretum. These posts will serve as a sort of phenology guide to events in […]
Perry’s Putrid Plume Prods Primeval Sense
Here’s the latest roll-out of the serial tabulation of public impressions of Perry‘s complex, magnificent fragrance (#4 in the series). For the previous installment, click here. Note the change in perceptions over time. I thought that the fragrance changed significantly over the couple of days that Perry was in flower (though she/he was only in […]
An Animalically Fragrant Ruby Tuesday
For all of you Perry the Corpse Flower fans out there, Perry’s smaller cousin, Ruby, is now putting on a spectacular display, both visual and olfactory, in the Gustavus greenhouse (click here and here for posts on Ruby and her/his fans from last spring, along with graphic descriptions of his/her vile/sublime fragrance). Below are thumbnails […]
Early May Sparrows
If you have bird feeders at home, right now you should be looking for three birds on the ground below your feeders: White-throated Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, and Harris’s Sparrows. White-throated Sparrows began appearing under the Interpretive Center’s feeders during the last week of April. Notice the bird’s bright black-and-white striped crown with a clear yellowish […]
April Showers…
On this rainy day in late April, I’m looking forward to the bright, vibrant colors of May. We desperately need today’s rain, as so far this spring has been another dry one and the next ten days’ forecast calls for no precipitation. But it is certainly looking greener, and many of our trees now have […]
Remembrance of Corpse Flowers Past
This blog post will immortalize, to the extent that the Tubes of the Internet are Immortal, some of the comments left by visitors to Perry the Corpse Flower. Her/his sibling Bob, who flowered at the Marjorie McNeely (aka Como) Conservatory last spring produced similar impressions – those are stored in the memories of thousands of […]
Spring Robins (by the hundred)
Right now is peak time for visitors to the Linnaeus Arboretum. Winged visitors, that is. For the past few days there have been several hundred, maybe even over a thousand, American Robins flying around the Interpretive Center and feeding on the leftover crabapples and cranberries. Some of these days are just downright noisy with all […]