The Naturalists' Club

The “snowbirds” have returned.  If you live near an open field or keep a bird feeder stocked, chances are a fluttering entourage of dark-eyed juncos has already checked in. These dapper little sparrows spent the summer deep in Canada’s boreal forests, busily raising families and feasting on insects. Now that winter is tightening its grip, they’ve headed south in search of more forgiving weather and easy meals.  Take a closer look at your flock and you may notice something curious:…

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Flora of Forest Park now available This publication, written by Dave Lovejoy and sponsored by the Naturalists’ Club, provides a history of the Park dating back to the first Park Commission in 1883.  It also examines changes in the Park’s flora since the time of Luman Andrews’ Flora of Springfield of a century ago.  Readers with some familiarity with the scientific names of plants will find this book easier to use, but common names are also included and there is…

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May 2020 – Meeting Minutes Naturalists’ Club Meeting 18 May 2022 Attendance – 38 Speaker:  Leslie Duthie – Native Plants – Why They Matter Leslie Duthie, who retired in 2019 after decades as horticulturalist at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, ended the monthly meetings for 2021-2022 with a report on the advantages of gardening with native plants.  An important short answer to the question “why use natives?” is that native plants attract native wildlife.  Among the natives mentioned and the animals dependent…

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It’s OK to feed wild birds – here are some tips for doing it the right way Julian Avery, Pennsylvania State University Millions of Americans enjoy feeding and watching backyard birds. Many people make a point of putting food out in winter, when birds needs extra energy, and spring, when many species build nests and raise young. As a wildlife ecologist and a birder, I know it’s important to understand how humans influence bird populations, whether feeding poses risks to…

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I took a walk yesterday in the Ed Piela Wildflower Garden in Stanley Park, Westfield.  The flowers are coming up both native and exotic.  My companions were interested in the different varieties of trilliums you see along the trail. First, we came to the Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) with its bold white flower and bright yellow center.  Many of these are in bloom her right now.  You might expect such a dramatic blossom would be hard to misidentify, but there is…

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I can distinguish no less than eleven shades of green in the hillside I see before me.  I name them: lime green, forest green, emerald green, olive green, sea green, shamrock, neon, yellow-green, pale green, blue-green and grass-green. This patchwork of hues brings a smile to my face this time every year here in the hilltown where I live.   Fresh, light-colored twinkly catkins stand out against the dark-colored pine needles that have weathered the winter.  Even a single rhododendron…

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Who put Pepper in my Footprint? View Video With about twelve inches of snow on the ground my husband and I decided to hike up Mt. Tekoa.  We took turns breaking trail as it was exhausting going.  If we didn’t make it to the top we agreed that was okay, but we’d trudge along as far as we could.  When we hit the ridge, snowmobilers had packed the snow and it was much easier going, so we made it to…

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Last summer I had a pair of red-shouldered hawks in the woods out back.  Every morning they would come up from the creek and circle with their repetitive cry. They are back this year, calling to each other.  I have been practicing with my long lens and caught these pictures on February 24.  I could hear them during the blizzard on March 14 and am wondering how they fared.