News from the Friends of Reinstein

Nature Sightings at Reinstein Woods

Common milkweed is blooming, providing a source of nectar for returning monarch butterflies. Check for eggs or young caterpillars on the underside of milkweed leaves. Many insects will defoliate leaves from the underside to remain out of sight from hungry birds. Fruits and nuts are beginning to grow on trees. Black walnuts are currently about the size of peach pits. The outer green flesh of the walnuts have a bitter citrus odor to them. Wild grapes are about the size of a bb and remain green in color. Serviceberry or shadbush trees in front of the education center have fruits that are ripe. Cedar waxwings, gray catbirds and American robins are devouring these berries. Dragonflies and Damselflies are very abundant right now. You may see as many as a dozen species as you walk through the preserve. Some of the more striking species include ebony jewelwings, eastern pondhawks, and 12-spotted skimmers. Tiny American toadlets are leaving ponds and hopping about in search of small insects to eat. Painted turtles are seen crossing trails as they search for loose soil to lay their eggs. Spittle bugs are also common along the trails. They are found on plant stalks and create a retreat out of bubbly plant juices they excrete. It won’t be long and the white-tailed deer bucks will begin growing their velvet antlers.