Recently at Nixon Park
A full slate of spring!
Field Notes on Frogs and Toads
When visiting Anson B. Nixon Park, you may be fortunate enough to spot one of four species of frogs or the American Toad. The fifth species of frog is one you'll more likely hear than see, the Spring Peeper; look for a separate post about them in the
Water Striders and Water Spiders
Crossing a footbridge at the park this week I saw a frenetic kerfuffle of water striders on the surface of the creek. My surprise at seeing them so early in the year sparked some research; here's what I found. Our creek water striders are in the Aquarius remigis
March at Nixon Park
The poem of spring continues to unfold, with a stanza here and there reminding us just how cold winter was. Heard and seen, but not yet photographed - Tree Swallows! I've been working on project that incorporates iNaturalist observations in the Anson B. Nixon Park Project into a
More About Skunk Cabbage
How long has skunk cabbage been around? Our local skunk cabbage is a relative of fossils reaching back 72 million years. Using the molecular clock (a method of estimating the age of plant groups by DNA changes) our local species developed roughly 12 million years ago. At that time he
Harbingers
Every small shift in the forest is driven by huge astronomical events. In late February the sun slides northward along the horizon and days lengthen. Sunlight strikes the earth at a more direct angle, and the warming begins. Orion, our winter companion, begins his slow departure from the night sky.
A Quick Nature Walk Survey
I'd like to begin hosting/leading more or less informal nature walks at the Nixon Park this spring. I am asking anyone who would like to participate to let me know their preference for day and time by completing this brief survey. Please feel free to share with
Tools for Identification
Names are the way we humans build relationship, not only with each other but with the living world... imagine what it would be like going through life not knowing the names of the plants and animals around you... scary and disorienting — like being lost in a foreign city where you
Recently at Nixon Park
Snow from the late-January storm is still on the ground. For nearly three weeks nights have dipped into single digits, wind chills pushed well below zero, and daytime readings struggled to climb above freezing. It could be worse. As tough as February 2026 has been more than three feet of
Droughts and Springs
Precipitation levels have risen since the 2024 drought but wells and streams remain on the dry side of normal. According to this week's U.S. Drought Monitor for Kennett Square drought was declared on February 03. Drought declarations are driven by weather station data, groundwater levels in wells,
Redheads
I had a text from my birder friend Gerry who sighted two redhead ducks on the small pond the park - a rare visit in the local sense, but not totally unexpected as migration follows its familiar pattern. Migration happens in stages over time, it's not a single
SNOW!
Our most recent snow accumulated six to eight inches topped with a taxing and tiresome icy crust. This is followed by a stretch of intense cold that (as is forecast at this writing) will not top the freezing mark for nearly two weeks. Difficult footing and daunting wind-chills made my