Black-bellied Whistling-duck

Originally posted on another platform by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region.

On the search for a new bird? You might spot a black-bellied whistling-duck at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri! Over the past 5 years, summer sightings are becoming more common.

Photo: Black-bellied whistling-duck perched on a fence post by USFWS.

#animal #bird #fowl #duck #nature #wildlife 

Running Buffalo Clover Brought Back from Near Extinction

Originally posted on another platform by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region.

The power of partnership has brought the running buffalo clover back from the brink of extinction. Learn more about the recovery and proposal to delist: https://go.usa.gov/xVbhn

Photo: Running buffalo clover by USFWS.

#Plant #EndangeredSpecies #USFWS 

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Keep an eye out for sandhill cranes in fields, prairies and marshes. Their bright red crowns can make them easier to spot!

Photo: Sandhill crane in Wisconsin courtesy of Christopher Wenzel. 

#Animals #Birds #SandhillCrane #Nature #Wildlife #Wisconsin #WI 




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Monarch Caterpillars

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

We found not one, not two, but three monarch caterpillars on a single common milkweed plant! Milkweed in northern Minnesota is looking great and getting ready to bloom.

Photo: Monarch caterpillars by Courtney Celley/USFWS. 


#plants #animals #milkweed #insects #caterpillar #butterfly #butterflies #nature 

Indiana bats at Sodalis Nature Preserve

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Biologists counted 197,419 endangered Indiana bats this winter at Sodalis Nature Preserve in Missouri - 30,000 more than in 2015! The uptick is likely due in part to increased survey efforts, but the population appears stable after the installation of bat gates.

Photo: Indiana bats at Sodalis Nature Preserve by Lori Pruitt/USFWS. 




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Upland Sandpiper

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Not all shorebirds prefer the shore! Watch for upland sandpipers in prairies and grasslands where they often perch on fence posts and stumps.

Photo: Upland sandpiper by Gary Eslinger/USFWS. 

#animals #bird #sandpiper #nature #wildlife #USFWS 




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Trillium

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Have you spotted any blooming trillium this spring? Blooms appear as early as April, starting out bright white and eventually turning pink.

Photo: Large-flowered trillium by Sara Giles/USFWS. 

#plants #wildflowers #trillium #nature 

#USFWS 




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Canadian Wild Ginger

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Are all of the sunny spots in your garden taken? Canadian wild ginger provides early ground cover for the shady parts of your native garden.

Photo: Canadian wild ginger courtesy of Andrew Cannizzaro/Creative Commons.https://flic.kr/p/GwfUyR

#plants #wildflower #WildGinger




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Eastern Redbud ( Cercis canadensis)

#Wednesday

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

The blooms of eastern redbud trees brighten the landscape and provide an important early nectar source for insects like butterflies. Redbuds also provide shelter and nesting materials for birds and mammals.

Photo: Eastern redbud by Brenda Loveless.https://flic.kr/p/SYj53n

#plants #trees #EasternRedbud #nature




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Tundra Swans

#Tuesday

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Tundra swan families stick together through the fall and winter. By the spring, when breeding season begins, last year's young have split off into groups away from their parents.

Photo: Tundra swan by Jim Hudgins/USFWS. 

#animals #birds #swans #nature #wildlife #USFWS 




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Yellow-rumped Warbler

#Monday

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Yellow-rumped warblers eat a variety of insects and fruits. If you’re lucky, you may even see one stop by your bird feeder for seeds and suet!

Photo: Yellow-rumped warbler courtesy of Kelly Colgan Azar/Creative Commons.https://flic.kr/p/Tm6N65




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Tundra swans are moving through the midwest on their way to arctic breeding grounds

Swanny swan swans, as Dr. Seuss would call them.


From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Tundra swans are moving through the midwest on their way to arctic breeding grounds. You may see them in flight or resting on open waters.

Photo: Tundra swans courtesy of Steve Gifford.https://flic.kr/p/aSakh2




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Hog-nosed Snake

#Thursday #USFWS

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Eastern hog-nosed snakes are harmless to people. Even though they can hiss and pretend to bite, they’re much more likely to roll over and play dead, giving off a foul smell to confuse predators. 

Photo: Hog-nosed snake by USFWS. 




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Wildflower Blooms

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

#USFWS

It feels like #spring in some parts of the #Midwest, while others are still recovering from #winter. Wildflower blooms are ahead in some states and delayed in others, but the sharp-lobed hepatica is blooming throughout the region!

Photo: Sharp-Lobed hepatica by Jessica Bolser/USFWS. 

Spring Ice

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

As ice begins to break up and melt, waterfowl, beavers, muskrats and more will start utilizing open channels. What have you spotted on open waters lately?

Photo: Spring ice by Jim Sinclair/USFWS. 




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The Unsettled Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis)

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Buff-breasted sandpipers spend summers in arctic breeding grounds and winters in South America. You may get to spot one as they pass through!

Photo: Buff-breasted sandpiper courtesy of Brian Wulker/Creative Commons. https://flic.kr/p/p4fWHE

#USFWS #Animal #Bird




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Pasque Flowers (genus Pulsatilla)

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Have you spotted any wildflowers yet? Pasque flowers are among the first to bloom. This bunch was spotted at Windom Wetland Management District in Minnesota last March.

Photo: Pasque flowers by Scott Ralston/USFWS. 




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Ruddy Duck

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

#USFWS #Animal #Bird #Duck

These cartoonish looking ducks can be quite aggressive during the breeding season. They’ve even been known to chase rabbits that feed along the shore!

Photo: Ruddy duck by Alex Galt/USFWS. 




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American Bison in Illinois

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

#USFWS

Adult male bison can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds! Females are much smaller, weighing no more than 1,000 pounds.

Photo: American bison in Illinois by Trevor Cyphers/USFWS. 




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Eastern Meadowlark

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Look forward to hearing the sweet, lazy whistles of the eastern meadowlark. They’ll be returning to their summer breeding grounds soon. If you can’t wait, take a listen now: http://bit.ly/2lFKrQn

Photo: Eastern meadowlark courtesy of John Carrel/Creative Commons. https://flic.kr/p/j9rWw9




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