Despite birding every day for the last week, we decided to do our Blogger Bio Blitz at our own preserve, the Callaway Nature Preserve. The C.N.P. is a 1/4 acre in size and is located in Rockford, a city of 150,000+.
First of all, our bug expert is only nine and he slacked off a bit, so our numbers are low there.
Insects
House Fly
Mosquito
Boxelder Bug
Wood Tick
Bumble Bee
Sweat Bee
Gnats
Cabbage Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly
Tiger Swallowtail
Our expert also found three different types of spiders, some earth worms and a few grubs.
Earth Worm
Our plant list includes:
Trees
American Elm
Mulberry
Weeping Willow
White Ash
White Pine
Mountain Ash
Sycamore
White Birch
Silver Maple
Flowering Dogwood
Red Oak
Bur Oak
Cedar
Shrubs
Nannyberry
Lilac
Weigilia
Juniper
Cranberry Viburnum
Arrowood
Flowers and grasses
Cupplant
Sunflower
Compass Plant
Prairie Dropseed
Prairie Rose
Little Bluestem
Prairie Smoke
Royal Catchfly
Cardinal Flowers
Creeping Phlox
Allium
Monarda
Iris (various types)
Tulips
Morning Glory
Peoni
Yucca
Wild Senna
Virginia Bluebells
Blue Lobelia
Lily of the Valley
Solomon’s Seal
Virginia Creeper
Prairie Trillium
White Trillium
Yellow Trillium
Hosta
Ground Ivy
Violets, white and purple
White Dragon Flower
Hyacinth
Columbine
Tiger Lily
Lavender
Thistle
Dandelion
Daffodil
Mock Orange
Garlic Mustard (Not welcome! On the removal list)
Fern
Eastern Towhee
Birds
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Cooper’s Hawk
Chimney Swift
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Northern Cardinal
Bluejay
American Goldfinch
House Finch
American Crow
Downy Woodpecker
Red-belly Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Mourning Dove
Common Grackle
European Starling
Brown-headed Cowbird
White-throated Sparrow
Animals
Bunny
Red and Gray Squirrel
Feral Cat (on the removal list)
Socks (Blue Healer Mix)
Max (Golden Retriever)
Arizona (Doberman Mix)