News from the Friends of Reinstein

Nature Sightings

If you have walked the trails at Reinstein Woods any morning in the last few weeks, you may have noticed either snapping turtles or painted turtles laying their eggs in loose soil along the trails. Black cherry trees just lost all of their flower petals. Baltimore orioles have finished weaving their hanging nests. There are 3 oriole nests in close proximity to the education center. Dragonflies and damselflies are abundant right now. Look for dot-tailed whiteface dragonflies perched on water lilies, 12-spotted skimmers in flight over ponds, or the delicate flight of ebony jewelwings on beech tree trail. Little wood satyr butterflies flutter among low-lying vegetation along the trails. Eastern tiger swallowtails are frequently observed sipping nectar from dame’s rocket flowers. The fragrant pink water lilies are in full bloom right now. Their vibrant colors will remain for the summer months. The “Jug-o-rum” call of bull frogs and the “banjo pluck” call of green frogs can be heard in the wet areas of the preserve. Soon the small American toadlets will be emerging from the ponds after completing metamorphosis.