On this lovely late-summer morning I set off on the Arboretum’s Wood Duck Trail, my feet squelching on the soft damp ground, where deer tracks are visible. Drone flies (bee and wasp mimics) are visiting flowers along the trail. Someone has stuck a couple of wild turkey feathers in the ground. Good call, as keeping or collecting bird feathers without a permit — regardless of where the feathers are found — is prohibited by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Wild turkey feathers left on the trail are a good reminder that collecting bird feathers without a permit is prohibited.
A double-crested cormorant sits high in a dead tree overlooking Wood Duck Pond, wings partially outstretched. Because their feathers aren’t waterproof, cormorants need to spread their wings to dry them out after swimming. Other than when they’re flying (in often large V-formations), they spend nearly all their time near water, either fishing or resting. Their diet is almost all fish, which they chase underwater with the help of their powerful webbed feet.
A double-crested cormorant dries its wings after swimming.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are buzzing about, stopping to rest on tree branches. Though lacking the male’s flashy ruby-red throat, the female’s green feathers are equally iridescent. These tiny birds are Minnesota’s smallest and will soon begin their migration to the southern states, Mexico and Central America.
Female ruby-throated hummingbirds have bright, iridescent green feathers, but no ruby throat.
I head to the Dog Commons Trails next, which are open to all Arboretum members. Leashed dogs are welcome to explore the trails with their owners, but are not allowed in all other parts of the Arboretum.
The Green Dog Trail is a loop around a former hay field, now full of goldenrods, asters and prairie grasses.
Green Dog Trail, accessible from the Dog Commons parking lot or West Side Trails, circles a former hay field.
A nuthatch calls in the distance. Two wild turkeys walk on the trail ahead of me, see me coming and make a run for it, disappearing into the woods. A grasshopper peeks out from the seed head of wild carrot (aka Queen Anne’s lace or bird’s nest).
The seed head of this wild carrot, or Queen Anne’s lace, is the perfect perch for a grasshopper.
It’s Arboretum Glass Pumpkin Patch weekend at the Arb, and as I drive away, I’m amazed at the contrast between the busyness around the Visitor Center and the total solitude I experienced on the West Side Trails. Seeking a little more quiet and nature, I drive to Spring Peeper Meadow — located on the Arb’s east side with its own tiny lot off W 82nd Street. Spring Peeper Meadow is outside of the Arboretum’s main grounds and no admission is required for entry.
There, flocks of goldfinches are feeding on seeds, moving from one side of the trail to the other, then back again. The males still have their bright yellow breeding plumage but will soon molt and then resemble the females. Partial migrators, some of these birds will stick around all winter while others will head south.
Male goldfinches (left) maintain their yellow breeding plumage throughout the summer but will soon molt and more closely resemble the females.
Dragonflies meander through the air. A butterfly floats past. Bees feed on blooms, extending their long, flexible, hair-covered tongues into their flowers of choice.
A bee with tongue extended feasts on a late-summer bloom in Spring Peeper Meadow.
While the Arboretum may be best known for its beautiful gardens and many wonderful events, its miles of hiking trails are themselves worth a visit.
A map along the trail invites visitors to discover the Arboretum's West Side Trails.
Holly Einess is a Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer. More information about the program is available on the Minnesota Master Naturalist website.