Birds, Butterflies, and Blooms: A walk through Fermilab’s Big Woods

A group of 7 had an exciting mid-day walk.  It was an adventure going along the south path of the Big Woods heading east and looping through the woods back to the Margaret Pearson Trail.  Experts and friends abounded.  Patches of twinleaf and Jacob’s ladder greeted us first, the latter with petals of lavender and soft blue.  Neon red quickly turned our attention to the tree canopy as a Scarlet Tanager was seen, a first for many.  An angle-wing butterfly took off from its resting place.  Two large Red-bellied Woodpeckers courted.  Sunlight dappled through the newly emerging leaves of red oak and sugar maple and we saw a Tiger Swallowtail franticly fly south.  The air was humid like summer.  The group next came upon literally hundreds of large white trilliums, red trilliums, and even a few nodding white trilliums.  The deer had not nibbled them away.  A bridge crossing the creek held an empty chrysalis from an unknown species of butterfly, perhaps a Grey Comma (rare to the Chicago region but common in Fermilab’s restored woodlands).  As ground squirrels hid, we continued down the path and saw a blue-headed vireo, Dutchmen’s breeches, and broad-leaved puccoon (the latter rated a 10 of 10 on the conservative scale).  We looped back to see the hepatica and heard, then saw a Baltimore Oriole.  At the edge of the woods was a nice treat.  Several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were feeding on the newly emerged catkins of a red oak tree.  Marsh marigold blossomed in the nearby wetland.  What a nice way to spend our lunch break, witnessing the ecology of Fermilab’s natural areas.  Hope to see you next time!