10/11/2026
Another Turnbull update from Carlene!
Friends and Family,
One mid-September morning while walking the Pine Lake Loop, I noticed this Cabbage White Butterfly with black tips on the forewings drinking flower nectar. Since it had just one black spot in the center of each upper forewing this one was a male. A female would have had two black spots. Their wingspan ranges from 1.25 to 2 inches and adult butterflies will live from 5 days to 3 weeks. It is called a "cabbage butterfly" because its caterpillars love to eat plants in the cabbage family, such as kale, broccoli, and cauliflower (and cabbage).
Farther down the path was an American Goldfinch that was molting into its muted autumn colors (who knew!). Both the males and females will look very similar through winter helping them to blend into dry, weedy fields and evade predators when snow and bare branches dominate the landscape. They are the only type of finch that molt their feathers twice a year - once in late winter and again in late summer. They may migrate south only if it gets below 30 degrees and there isn’t an abundant supply of seeds.
On Winslow Pool were two male Mallard ducks with just a random smattering of bright green head feathers that showed they were molting! In late summer, the males go through what they call an “Eclipse” molt. They lose their bright green head feathers and look more camouflaged like females, with mottled brown heads and bodies. This drab look helps them hide from predators while they are flightless for their surprisingly long 30 to 45 days during the molt. Their signature glossy green head feathers grow back in autumn (the "Nuptial" Molt) in preparation for the winter breeding and pairing season.
In late September, soon after I turned into the Refuge, I saw several cars pulled to the side of the road and people pointing cameras and binoculars into the distant trees. I grabbed my camera and asked what they were looking at and they told me they were watching a big bull moose with a large rack! I was excited to see him in the distance and later as I looked at my pictures I noticed that the cow was by his right side. Well, after all it's rutting season. The moose are on the move!
Soon after I began the Pine Creek Auto tour, I once again saw cars pulled over and people with cameras looking up to a ridge. It took me a few minutes to see through the trees but there was a cow moose and her young calf grazing on the tasty leaves. After about 10 minutes we all spotted another healthy bull moose with large antlers moving through the forest towards them. Well, that was thrilling to see too! Soon thereafter they left the ridge and disappeared into the trees.
An interesting fact is that a prime adult bull can grow a massive rack spanning up to five feet across and weighting up to 40 or 50 pounds! Hard to believe that they drop their heavy antlers every winter and grow a new set in the spring. The wide, flat, shovel-like part of the antler is called the “Palm” and the sharp, finger-like spikes sticking out along the outer edge of the palm are called “Tines” or “Points.”
MOOSE SAFETY: The National Park Service states that 120 feet is the closest a person should get to ANY moose. And here's a couple of good guidelines: Hold your arm straight out, close one eye, and put up your thumb. If your thumb does not completely hide the moose, you're too close. And if a moose suddenly stops eating, stares directly at you, or changes its behavior, you are too close and need to back up! Bull moose are especially aggressive and territorial during the fall breeding season (September through October), so give them even more room during these months!
Enjoy the beauty of Fall!
Carlene
