Testing, testing: A new format for the Season Watch Podcast!
The Season Watch podcast is the newest addition to KAXE's popular phenology programming. Thanks to John Latimer's dulcet tones and outdoor wisdom, the KAXE community has been asking for more, and we're happy to provide!
You can find the special seasonal production as part of the Phenology podcast feed. Phenology can also be found on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, and Google Podcasts.
I'm pondering breaking the month down into four podcasts of shorter length — let me know what you think.
This week, we're talking fledgling birds, frogs that sound like a banjo, and many beautiful wildflowers!
Here's a quick recap of the episode, for those of you who prefer reading to listening:
- On your commute, keep an eye out for the dinner-plate sized flower discs of the cow parsnip! These plants grow up to 10 feet tall, with stems almost 2 inches in diameter. Want to see a photo? Check out iNaturalist observations of cow parsnips in Minnesota.
- While walking, keep an ear out for birds. They sing less in July, enabling beginning birders (like me) to listen to just a few individuals at a time. It's much easier to learn that way! Plus, fledglings are out and adorably begging for food from their parents. It's fun to watch the young 'uns explore the world outside the nest.
- On the water, listen for the “plunk” of the green frog. It sounds like a banjo with very loose strings.
- In the open, admire all the prairie wildflowers. The vibrant orange of the butterfly milkweeds will soon be joined by black-eyed Susans, as well as a whole suite of pollinators. (At this point, I go off on a tangent about bees.)
- In the forest, check out the beautiful twinflower. They have paired harebell-shaped flowers and are lovely denizens of the boreal forest floor.
- In town, enjoy the fast-paced singing of the house wrens! They're flitting into and out of small birdhouses, feeding their chicks and getting ready for a second clutch of eggs. If you get the chance in the non-breeding season, take a look inside. They pack those nest boxes chock-full of twigs!
Have a lovely week!
