Midest Region Refuge System

January 4		Bald Eagle flew past Visitor Center
January 12		Flock of Snow Buntings on Mallard Marsh (1/8 mile) trail
January 24		Winter storm; 47 mph wind gusts
January 25		Fox tracks around West Mallard Marsh
January 30		Caterpillar alive and crawling on Mallard Marsh trail; mouse vents and trails on snow
January 31		Fox hunting on hill south of West Mallard Marsh

February 2006

February 1		Fox tracks and urine in Oak Savannah; Mouse vents/tracks and mink tracks/holes on Mallard Marsh trail
February 3		3 swans flying over Mallard Marsh/barn
February 8		Ice on Mallard Marsh 13-24 inches thick; found water fleas, water penny, scud, and midge larvae
February 14		Snow buntings
February 22		Horned larks at entrance

March 2006

March 1		Adult Bald Eagle flying over Visitor Center; Horned Larks at entrance to PWLC
March 6		Prairie Pothole: Spring tails, approx. 60 geese flying over, 2 Bald Eagles flying over
March 10		Mink on west Mallard Marsh in a.m.
March 22		First Red-Winged blackbird heard on Mallard Marsh
March 31		First Tree Swallows on Muskrat Marsh, 3 voles

April 2006

April 5		Approximately 30 Pelicans and 42 Trumpeter Swans on Ringneck Slough, 2 Bald Eagles in talon dive; Great egret, red mites; Western Chorus Frogs calling in Center Pond; adult and immature Bald Eagles over Visitor Center; Tree Swallows around barn/dorm/Visitor Center
April 8		Tree Swallows around barn/dorm/Visitor Center
April 10		Mink at Adams Pond
April 12		Pasqueflowers blooming on west hillside by Ringneck Slough; Northern Flicker (yellow shafted), pocket gopher pushing soil up by amphitheater
April 13		Green Darner Dragonfly; Wood & Western Chorus Frogs calling in Center Pond
April 17		Blue-winged Teal, Northern Harrier over Mallard Marsh and around Center
April 18		6 Painted Turtles, male and female Red-winged Blackbirds at Mallard Marsh; House Finches and nests below deck; Fairy shrimp and predaceous diving beetles in Center Pond; Garter Snake by Visitor Center entrance
April 19		Male and female Brown-headed Cowbirds, 2 Blue-winged Teal, Painted Turtle at Mallard Marsh; Western Chorus Frogs calling, swarm of feeding Tree Swallows at Prairie Pothole
April 23		Clay-colored Sparrow by Visitor Center
April 25		Savannah Sparrow calling at Pollinator Garden; Prairie Smoke blooming, Leopard Frog calling on hillside by Ringneck Slough
April 26		Swamp Sparrow calling loud & clear at Mallard Marsh Bridge; Yellow-rumped Warblers in Oak Savannah
April 27		Cliff Swallows at barn; 2 male and one female Purple Martin checking out gourd houses by barn, 8:00 9:00 a.m.; Adult Bald Eagle and Double-crested Cormorants over Visitor Center

May 2006

May 11		Water Mites, Fishing Spiders, Cyclops, Orb Snails, Predaceous Diving Beetles, Damselflies, Gilled Snails at Center Pond
May 13		Chimney Swifts at Oak Savannah and Adams Pond; Red-winged Blackbirds mating and Bobolink over Mallard Marsh; Red-tailed Hawk over Oak Savanna
May 14		Golden Alexander blooming around Visitor Center
May 17		Bobolinks along Mallard Marsh trail
May 18		Chimney Swift Around Visitor Center
May 23		Monarch Butterfly near Frog Pond
May 25		Canada Anemone and Hoary Puccoon blooming near Visitor Center
May 26		Common Yellowthroat singing at Frog Pond; Least Flycatcher in Oak Savannah
May 30		Crickets singing, Monarchs and Bobolink at Pollinator Garden; Penstemon and Leafy Spurge blooming in Native Pollinator Garden

June 2006

June 1		Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Garter Snake, Common Yellowthroat, Pied-billed Grebe, Viceroy, Monarch, and Fritillary butterflies; Aster blooming along Wetland Way Trail; Sedge and Marsh Wrens, Mourning Cloaks and Eastern Blue butterflies near Mallard Marsh; Hoary Puccoon, Prairie Turnip, and Blue-eyed Grass in native prairie
June 2		Blanket Flower blooming behind Visitor Center
June 5		Yarrow blooming near parking lot
June 7		Narrow-leaved Cattails blooming, Pondweed flowering, Painted Turtle, damselflies, mink scat, Marsh Wren along Mallard Marsh Trail; Birdsfoot Trefoil, Bedstraw, False Indigo, Blanket Flower, False Sunflower, Large-flowered Penstemon, Dwarf Indigo near Visitor Center
June 8		Wild Rose blooming below Visitor Center deck; Immature Purple Martin at gourd houses near barn
June 9		Prairie Phlox, Yarrow, Oxeye Sunflower, Dogbane, Spiderwort blooming near Visitor Center
June 10		Cedar Waxwing along Tatanka Trail
June 12		Grasshopper Sparrow, Sedge Wren, Clay-colored Sparrow, Green Heron (overhead), Great Egret along Mallard Marsh Trail; Monarch caterpillar near Visitor Center
June 13		Male and female Eastern Bluebirds catching insects near Visitor Center; Yellow-headed Blackbirds, White-water Crowfoot blooming by Adams Pond; Monarch Caterpillar along trail to Adams Pond; Immature Purple Martin by gourd house
June 14		Pondweed and Aquatic Buttercup blooming by Mallard Marsh; Purple Coneflower, Penstemon, Oxeye, Wild Iris, Buttercup blooming along Tatanka Trail
June 15		Thimbleweed, mating Tiger Swallowtails by Visitor Center
June 16		Virginia Rail calling at Mallard Marsh
June 19		Prairie Lily blooming along Tintah Trail
June 20		Twelve-spotted Skimmers, Gray-headed Coneflower blooming by Visitor Center
June 21		Common Milkweed, Meadow Rue blooming by Visitor Center
June 22		Snowy Milweed blooming, Eastern Phoebe by Visitor Center; Black-eyed Susan and Purple Prairie Clover blooming; Dot-tailed Whiteface dragonfly near Pollinator Garden
June 22		Dead Star-nosed Mole on Tatanka Trail near Prairie Pothole
June 26		Bobolinks between Mallard Marsh and Oak Savannah, Grey Treefrog on Milkweed leaf along Tatanka Trail
June 28		Silverleaf Scurfpea, Purple and White Prairie Clover, Prairie Coneflower, Blanket Flower along Tatanka Trail; Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower, Wolfberry, Wood Lily, White Camas in native prairie; Tiger Swallowtail, Cloudless Sulphur, and White Cabbage butterflies around Visitor Center; Blue Vervain blooming, pair of Eastern Bluebirds at Pollinator Garden; Butterfly Weed blooming below deck; Compass plant blooming near barn; Wild Bergamot blooming along Mallard Marsh Trail
June 30		Showy Tick Trefoil along Tatanka Trail; Common Wood Nymph below deck

July 2006

July 2		Cedar Waxwings at Adams Pond Oak Savannah; Brown Thrasher at Oak Savannah; Purple Prairie Clover blooming along Tatanka Trail
July 6		New Jersey Tea by Visitor Center; Queen Annes Lace blooming on Mallard Marsh Trail
July 10		Anise Hyssop, Monarchs, Tortoiseshell Beetle larva, Dickcissel, Clay-colored Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows, Marsh and Sedge Wrens on Tatanka Trail
July 11		Halloween Pennant dragonfly behind Visitor Center; Blue Darner dragonfly at Adams Oak Savannah
July 17		Huge (dead) Tiger Salamander larva on Mallard Marsh Bridge
July 18		Milkweed pods, Blazing Star blooming, Indiangrass heads emerging; White-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly, Red Meadowhawk dragonfly, Blue Darner dragonfly on Tatanka Trail; Showy Tick Trefoil, Prairie Dock, Compass Plant, Cup Plant on Mallard Marsh Trail
July 19		Slender Mountain Mint, Wood Betany on Tatanka Trail
July 28		Question Mark butterfly on entrance path

August 2006

August 1		Brown-eyed Susans, American Goldfinches on entrance path
August 15		Salamanders moving near Mallard Marsh
August 22		Bottle Gentian and goldenrods on entrance path
August 23		Rain salamanders migrating to hibernation spots
August 25		Yellow Garden Argiope and Banded Argiope spiders on entrance path

September 2006

September 12		Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on Visitor Center trail
September 18		Male and female Sora Rails, Franklins Gulls at Mallard Marsh
September 19		Black Swallowtail; Great Blue Heron circling and squawking over Mallard Marsh; Barn Swallows at entrance
September 20		Black Swallowtail and Monarchs on Pollinator Trail
September 21		Northern Leopard Frog, crickets, grasshoppers, Monarchs, ladybug near dorm parking lot
September 27		Jerusalem Artichoke on north side of Mallard Marsh bridge
September 28		Dark-eyed Juncos and Eastern Bluebirds at Visitor Center; Yellow-rumped Warbler and Eastern Phoebe
September 29		Red-bellied Snake on Tatanka Trail; Treefrogs in Oak Savannah and near Mallard Marsh bridge

October 2006

October 2		Sora Rail on Mallard Marsh bridge; 30 lesser Canada Geese flying over Mallard Marsh
October 3		Eastern Bluebirds at Amphitheater
October 14		Golden-crowned Kinglet outside of Dining Hall
October 18		Common Snipe along Tatanka Trail; 30 Scaup on northwest edge of Ringneck Slough
October 26		One Bufflehead at Adams Pond

December 2006

December 12		Coopers Hawk between barn and dorm

Last updated: December 3, 2008