MEADOWLARK GARDENS ON 10-27-21 - PART 3

The new-ish conservatory is taking shape.  There has been some planting in the surrounding flower beds... 

and the small flock of Canada Geese were nearby. 

This is one of the geese I noticed before with the deformed wings.  There are two of them.  I was very happy to see their family had not left them.  It looked like these two had had their misshaped wings surgically shortened by a veterinarian.  At least I think so as they weren't as noticeable as before.  Better for them for walking or swimming, and getting around generally.  I was happy they were getting the care they needed, these two.  Another flock of geese flew overhead just as I was taking this one's photo.  I looked up and they were a lovely sight, as any bird is in flight.  But when I saw this photo later on my laptop, I was a little sad that this poor goose, nor its sibling, would ever be able to join them, or ever fly themselves.  They are in a safe place, however, with plenty of space to roam in the garden, and I am thankful that those who run it are taking care of them.  I am also thankful that their goose family is sticking with them.

In the visitor center I saw a poster giving out information.  Good to see, as with people coming and going, maybe we can all get the word out how human food is so bad for wildlife.  It is not only the Canada Geese who can be affected.

Here are a small number of geese on the other lake, probably the ones we saw flying over our heads.  

They are using the drainage/filter for a resting spot.

These were gorgeous in the sunlight.  Can't quite get the right effect in these photos but I was really taken with them.  Called Chinese silver grass (botanical name Miscanthus sinensis), it is an herbaceous perennial grass that is slow in growth at a young age but can reach a mature height after two to three years from 3 to 7 feet.  

It also goes by the names Eulalia, Japanese silver grass, Eulalia grass, and Zebra grass.  It is native to eastern Asia throughout most of China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea.  It is used predominantly for feedstock production for both energy and non-energy end uses.

We are walking along the path and I'm noticing everything around me.  I want to get more information on the trees I pass, and on doing some research I found out these were from the White Oak. Its botanical name is Quercus alba and common names are Eastern white oak and Stave oak. 

Although it is called white oak, it is very unusual to find any tree with white tree bark.  The usual color for the tree bark is actually light gray.  The plant is called white oak because the name comes from the color processed wood which is white.  It is a slow-growing tree that grows only 1 foot to 1-1/2 foot per year.  It can live from 200 to 300 years, and even older trees have been found.

Native to eastern and central North America and found from Minnesota, Ontario, Quebec, and southern Maine south as far as northern Florida and eastern Texas.

Next is the Bottle gentian, a perennial, (botanical name Gentiana andrewsii).  Also known as Closed bottle gentian, Closed gentian and Blind gentian.  It gets its common name from the shape of its blooms.  These late-season flowers are mostly pollinated by bumblebees, the only insect with enough strength to pry open their buds. It is native to northeastern North America.

I took many photos in the garden and there will be two more posts to share. Thank you for following along, and I hope your day is a great one.

MEADOWLARK GARDENS - YESTERDAY'S CRITTER WAS A....

 Snapping Turtle.  Those of us who live with them in the area may recognized him, though must admit I would have a hard time if I had not taken this photo. I have always enjoyed seeing them in our local lakes and ponds.  Like many of the wild things I see, I wouldn't like to get too close to that beak, but I do admire them from afar.  More on him later, but first here are other critters I saw that day, a few of them I have shared in my previous posts.

We walked down to the lake at the bottom of the garden.  There was a small flock of Canada Geese, six of them.  They looked young but were older than the fluffy little goslings I have seen in the Spring, had the distinctive color pattern of the Canada Goose, and yet seemed smaller than a fully grown adult.  I didn't see any parents nearby.  Our little family were approaching the water's edge when I first noticed them, and I saw two hesitate before following their siblings into the lake.  I thought this odd but did I imagine the extra patience in the rest of the family while waiting for the two to follow them into the water?  I registered the hesitation and the others waiting, but then as they all swam across the lake, my attention was taken elsewhere.  

These two turtles, probably Red-eared sliders, weren't too far away and we took our photos.

It wasn't until I downloaded them and looked on my laptop later, that I noticed a dragonfly had settled on the one turtle's nose.  I cropped the photo to take a better look.

Then I saw the Snapping Turtle swimming towards us.  You can't tell but it is almost three times as large as the sliders on the log.  Did you know they can live up to 30 years in the wild?  Since I added this post I read a comment from Jenn over at Cottage Country Reflections.  Jenn gave me a link on a snapping turtle she took photos of, and a lot of information, all of which I found very interesting.  You can find Jenn's post here.  It reminded me of some hatchling snappers I came across when we were in North Carolina back in 2017.  That post is here.  They are near the bottom of the page.

I cropped these photos to get a better look at its face.  It was swimming away it seemed and then turned and headed towards us.  Do you think they are as curious about us as we are about them, or was there an expectation of food?  It would have been sorely disappointed as we don’t feed any animals, unless their circumstances are dire.  Fortunately we have never come across a situation.  I admit, I do feed our backyard birds and squirrels in the winter.  I wonder, however, what a professional would advise?  As you read further down the post you will understand why I am doubting myself, and would appreciate anyone’s opinion on the matter.  

A Snapping Turtle can weigh up to as much as 75 pounds in the wild (and 86 in captivity).  It is an omnivore and its range stretches from Saskatchewan to Florida.When people see a baby snapping turtle in trouble and try to help it, they often pick it up by its tail.  However, if we do that there is a big chance of hurting the turtle by injuring its vertebral column.  There is a video on YouTube here which shows the correct way.  

Here is another photo of the butterflies I shared here if you missed them.  

Below is a collage I put together and as the geese are included, I thought I would tell you my experience with these young geese.  It is something I have never come across before.  As we got back nearer the visitor center I saw the same group next to the path.  They were quite close and I had a good chance to observe them.  One of the geese was a self-appointed guard and he kept a wary eye on us while the others ate.  We weren't that close but I did take a few photos.  However, I decided not to share them as it showed two that had a distressing look to their wings.  They hadn't formed properly and the only description that came to mind was that they looked shredded.  I thought at first that they were in a molting stage, but the more I studied them, the more I realized something was wrong.  When I got home I did a search on line and found photos where other geese looked identical to the two I had seen.  It is called Angel Wing and I found a very informative article at this link.  

The article encourages us to spread the word, and I have copied it to share here:

"Angel Wing is caused by a nutritional deficiency in vitamins and minerals, combined with a high level of carbohydrates and sugars.  While a number of facts are involved, human fed bread is one of the probable causes.  It causes the carpal joint (or wrist) on the wing to grow awkwardly, leaving the wing unable to sit flush at the bird's side (I read in another article that the blood flow is affected and it can't reach the tips of their wings).  This affects their ability to fly and the growth of their primary flight feathers, making them look more like sticks than feathers.  Damage in fully mature birds is irreversible and likely fatal, due to the inability to fly to food sources and rejection from their flocks.  If the bird is young and the diet changes dramatically, however, the damage could be reversed.   Although there are more nutritional foods that humans can provide (like non-moldy cracked corn, wheat, barley or standard birdseed), geese and ducks are grazers and have no trouble finding food on their own.  In fact, feeding them can create an unnatural and unhealthy dependence on us as their food providers, and can lead to other problems, like overcrowding and water pollution.  Help keep our waterfowl happy and healthy by spreading the word about the dangers of feeding them with bread and crackers."

Fortunately for our two little geese, its family seemed to be hanging around to take care of them.  I am not sure how long this will continue but I have read that other healthy geese will stay with one that is not, to take care of them.  Also I am sure the garden will keep an eye on their welfare, and I will make enquiries the next time I go back. We wondered if perhaps they had a sign at the center that we missed.  Anyhow, there are many, many articles online describing Angel Wing, and photos also.  I just couldn't bring myself to share mine, other than the one above and here below in my collage.

The deer photos I took are here.  

The only other bird I could get a photo of that day was the rooster weather vane.  He sits on top of the gazebo keeping an eye on everyone.  Like the loveable frog with the binoculars, he has been here since we started coming to the park 20 plus years ago.

That's all for now.  Next I will have a post about the plants and flowers.

  Thank you for looking and 

     have a great day.