Nature & Wildlife Thread

[JBtheExplorer]

Happy World Wetlands Day!

Welcome to Ottawa Lake Fen. Wisconsin's 128th State Natural Area.

"Ottawa Lake Fen features lakes connected by a deep marsh and extensive shallow marl flats with a unique assemblage of both alkaline and acid-loving plant species. Ottawa Lake is a remnant lake located in an old glacial lake basin at the edge of end moraine deposits. The smaller northern lake is fed by numerous seepage springs, bubbling springs, and cold inlet streams and flows south into the larger Ottawa Lake. An unusually large number of wetland and aquatic plant communities occur within the site including submergent and emergent aquatics, southern sedge meadow, and shrub carr. The extensive fen-like marl flats are dominated by spike rushes along with pitcher plants and gentians. The natural area is also rich in animal life including clams and snails. Wading birds and waterfowl frequent the shallows. Birds include green heron, blue-winged warbler, yellow warbler, and willow flycatcher. Ottawa Lake Fen is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1976."

Marsh Marigold

Eastern Painted Turtle

Dekay's Brownsnake

Part of SNA #128 had a little help from volunteers a few years ago. The area had become thickly wooded, which is not what this area was historically. They removed invasive plants and trees like buckthorn, and also fixed and defined the spring-fed stream that now flows freely again to the lake it feeds. The first photo faces east and was taken the summer before the restoration had started. The second photo faces west and wast taken this past autumn. The area will be monitored as native species regrow, and unfortunately, so will some invasives.

 

[Burd]

It came in the mail, it's not the one I wanted,
I wonder if it attracts Boo Bees?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

View attachment 108300 It came in the mail, it's not the one I wanted,
I wonder if it attracts Boo Bees?

I'd recommend taking out the "butterfly house" section and replacing it with more hollow tubes or stems.

Also, it does not attract Boo Bees. Trust me.

 

[Burd]

It says on the box for lacewings, is that what the slots are for?
Butterfly's and bees don't hang together, storage they put that there.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

It says on the box for lacewings, is that what the slots are for?
Butterfly's and bees don't hang together, storage they put that there.

I'm not sure which section is intended for lacewings, but the slots on the bottom left are typically used for "butterfly houses". The only catch is that butterflies don't actually use them. It's much more likely that non-native European Paper wasps will move in.

 

[Burd]

I may send it back I have a bunch of wood left over from a coffee bar top I me from wine boxes, I'm going to make a few up. They sent me the wrong one anyway, I found a length of 4"X4" post from My bird feeder project I'll drill holes in them and buy some of the tubes at the bird feed store. Wild birds Unl has them. What lives in the sawdust and pine cone Cubbys?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I may send it back I have a bunch of wood left over from a coffee bar top I me from wine boxes, I'm going to make a few up. They sent me the wrong one anyway, I found a length of 4"X4" post from My bird feeder project I'll drill holes in them and buy some of the tubes at the bird feed store. Wild birds Unl has them. What lives in the sawdust and pine cone Cubbys?

I don't know specifically. I've seen a lot of those listed as "insect hotels" and have never really looked any further into each individual section. I imagine they just combine all sorts of nooks and crannies to attract different things.

I've only seen mason bee houses sold around here. They were $16, so I instead made my own for about $4 each. Ended up making about 5 of them. They were fairly active in their first year. I saw Mason wasps and Leafcutter bees using them the most.

Something also made these nests, but I haven't figured out what it is yet.

Don't forget to leave plant stems standing, they'll provide nesting cavities for bees, too. I cut mine to about 2 feet tall.

 

[Burd]

I saw this I was wondering the same the other day looking at pics.
What size of drill bits do you use, I'm going to buy some of the tubes, but to drill holes in wood blocks what size do the bees like.?

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/588...ng-wasp-a-gentle-pollinator-of-summer-flowers

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I saw this I was wondering the same the other day looking at pics.
What size of drill bits do you use, I'm going to buy some of the tubes, but to drill holes in wood blocks what size do the bees like.?

Grass Carrying Wasp. Interesting!


Here's a graphic that should bee helpful to you.

 

[JamieB]

We have wild bees, of some kind of honey bee, we get wasps and mud dobbers, lots of mud dobbers. Now are paper wasps the ones that make the big round ball type nests? I’ve only seen one. Us stupid kids threw rocks till we knocked it down, then fled for our lives!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

We have wild bees, of some kind of honey bee, we get wasps and mud dobbers, lots of mud dobbers. Now are paper wasps the ones that make the big round ball type nests? I’ve only seen one. Us stupid kids threw rocks till we knocked it down, then fled for our lives!

Around here, those big nests are created yellow jackets and bald-faced hornets.Actually have one in my front yard hanging on a neighbor's tree.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

This is one of my favorite wasps. It's a non-aggressive ground-nesting wasp. Great Golden Digger Wasp. For about a week or two last July, it was frequently found on my Orange Milkweed.

 

[Burd]

Sweet. I'm drilling into the wood blocks this week, it'll help a lot. I have a brad point index, it has all sizes up it 1/2". I'll use the drill press. They drill a clean hole in wood.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Sweet. I'm drilling into the wood blocks this week, it'll help a lot. I have a brad point index, it has all sizes up it 1/2". I'll use the drill press. They drill a clean hole in wood.

Just don't drill all the way through the back, and make sure the wood isn't treated.

 

[Lisak1]

You mean like this one @JBtheExplorer ? Discovered this in a magnolia bush the hard way mid-summer while I was trimming. Left it alone until we had had a few hard freezes and then cut it out down. This was an extremely active nest for a number of months, but as long as we didn't bother them they stayed clear of us. I seem to manage to get stung at least once every summer.