What is a wyrmling?? The term means "young dragon". We would like to share some flora and fauna writings by our local middle school students. These students have experienced the Dragon through field trips to FODR properties which included paddles, hikes, and water investigations. Many of their teachers have participated in our Dragon Run Environmental Academy Mentorship program.
American Bullfrog by Bella - St. Clare Walker Middle School
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In murky, muddy waters of the Chesapeake watershed you might be able to spot the American Bullfrog, Aquarana catesbeianus, hopping and croaking around in the waters. This tiny frog, with skin that helps it to blend in with its swampy surroundings, and its webbed feet that helps with swimming and to move quickly, sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish from its surroundings. American Bullfrog’s length doesn’t change much when it comes to gender with them being 6-8 inches in length, however, sometimes the males could weigh more than the females.
The American Bullfrog is known for both its odd name and its hunting skills. American Bullfrogs hunt by ambushing their prey. While the American Bullfrog can and will eat anything edible, it's commonly known to eat tiny rodents, newts, bats, and small birds. Some predators of the American Bullfrog are snapping-turtles, raccoons, and other big mammals. American Bullfrogs are part of the family Ranidae and are related to toads, and treefrogs. If you’re searching for this frog you might be able to find it in swamp-like habitats like the Dragon Run, and places with brackish waters. To stay alive, Bullfrogs have learned to act certain ways. A few of these ways are puffing out their chests, making loud noises, and being aggressive to protect territory. American Bullfrogs are not known, as of 2024, to be endangered in fact if anything the American Bullfrogs population seems to be rising with its conservation status being listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN. The reason the American Bullfrogs conservation status is at its least concerning phase is because of how they adapted over time and got better at camouflaging with its environment, as well as female Bullfrogs being able to lay about 12,000 eggs in mating season.
American Bullfrogs can be found in many habitats and are amazing hunters. Though these frogs might disgust many people with their appearances and slimy skin, if you take a good look at how these frogs behave and react to many situations, you’d notice how interesting these animals are. While the American Bullfrog may have a negative contribution to other watersheds and ecosystems where it is invasive, it does play a part in helping the Dragon Run ecosystem. 
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Mature Bullfrog photos by Kevin Howe
Listen to a bullfrog:
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Ovenbird by Layla - St. Clare Walker Middle School
Photos by Kevin Howe
A small bird with a loud call or chirp that likes to live somewhere leafy like woods or a forest, that will be our little friend the Ovenbird. The Ovenbird is a small songbird that likes to inhabit leafy forests or woods close to the ground. They migrate so when migration happens they would go and nest in a variety of forests for breeding. They will only nest if the spot has some sort of closed canopy cover, big enough trees, and a bit of ground. Any kind of cover their usual spot are closed canopy forests for when breeding needs to occur. Ovenbirds feed on mostly insects but also seeds and fruits. Some predators of the Ovenbird are raccoons, skunks, Red squirrels, Eastern gray squirrels, and weasels.
Oven birds are also known as Furnariids; their scientific name is Seiurus aurocapilla. Some physical adaptations of the Ovenbird are olive-brown heads, necks, and backs with a noticeable white ring around their eyes and a small line of orange on the top of their head. Their important behavior traits include ground foraging to find their food since they mostly spend their time on the forest floor, their territorial song they use during migrating to establish and defend their territory, and finally, Ovenbirds actually don’t hop, they are able to walk and navigate the forest floors with ease.
The Ovenbird status is stable so they are of least concern. The biggest/main threats to Ovenbirds are deforestation, burning, grazing, and increase in agriculture. Conservation efforts focus mainly on maintaining and restoring appropriate habitats.
The Ovenbird status is stable so they are of least concern. The biggest/main threats to Ovenbirds are deforestation, burning, grazing, and increase in agriculture. Conservation efforts focus mainly on maintaining and restoring appropriate habitats.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird by Kinsey - St. Clare Walker Middle School
"Tweet tweet!” Sounds like spring is around the corner which means birds are starting to come back from migration in the south. One bird that really stands out with its flaring red feathers around its neck and the shiny green and blue feathers on their back. This bird is known as the Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris.) The Ruby Throated Hummingbird is attracted to tubular shaped flowers such as the trumpet vine, which is where their long beak comes into play. Their beak is slender and black as one might say like a straw to collect nectar from the flower. These beaks are also used to catch their prey such as insects, flies, gnats and aphids. These small birds grow up to be around 3.5 inches long and weigh less than a quarter of an ounce. The Ruby Throated Hummingbird has an adaption which causes their bones and muscles to fly straight up, forward, backward, and straight down.
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Photos by Kevin Howe. Male above, Female below
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There are several ways this hummingbird has adapted to its environment. The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds can also move their wings up to 50 times a second. This can help them fly away from their predators such as hawks. Another adaptation that this species has is entering a state of torpor. Torpor mostly happens at night and is a period of inactivity for the bird which slows its heart rate, body, and other organs down to save energy. Because of its many ways to adapt it has a very small risk of extinction. Thanks to the protected resources of the Dragon Run Swamp, this hummingbird and many other species are able to survive in this natural environment. |
The Great Horned Owl by Carson - St. Clare Walker Middle School
Photos by Kevin Howe
The bubo virginianus (commonly known as the Great Horned Owl) is an apex predator in most ecosystems. They have brown or gray feathers and are known to be excellent hunters. These nocturnal predators are known to eat a variety of different animals. The animals they eat are usually small to medium sized. This includes rodents, baby racoons, snakes, skunks, and rabbits.
This type of owl is known to live in most parts of the Americas. They can be found in areas ranging from deserts to forests. These predators are not endangered and are of least concern. They have a healthy population throughout multiple ecosystems. Even though they are not endangered, they are still protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
This type of owl is known to live in most parts of the Americas. They can be found in areas ranging from deserts to forests. These predators are not endangered and are of least concern. They have a healthy population throughout multiple ecosystems. Even though they are not endangered, they are still protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Mature with Young
The Great Horned Owl is known to live in most parts of the Americas. They can be found in areas ranging from deserts to forests. These predators are not endangered and are of least concern. They have a healthy population throughout multiple ecosystems. Even though they are not endangered, they are still protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
This owl (like other owls) is known to not build their own nest, but use abandoned nests for shelter. These owls can live for 14 years and 30-40 in captivity. They are non-migratory and stay around their home for most of their life. Though very rarely, these owls might move further up or down to warmer or colder areas for better temperatures, though not far. Other than that, they stay in one area.
Even though these owls are apex predators, some threats still apply to them. This includes pesticides, anticoagulant rodenticide, habitat loss, and vehicle collisions. To combat these dangers, Great Horned Owls had to make certain adaptations. Some of these physical adaptations include special feathers for cooling and being sneaky, the color of their feathers for camouflage, and special eyes for seeing in the dark. Some behavioral adaptations of these owls include hunting at night for little competition, a special hoot for mating, and being solitary except for mating.
This owl (like other owls) is known to not build their own nest, but use abandoned nests for shelter. These owls can live for 14 years and 30-40 in captivity. They are non-migratory and stay around their home for most of their life. Though very rarely, these owls might move further up or down to warmer or colder areas for better temperatures, though not far. Other than that, they stay in one area.
Even though these owls are apex predators, some threats still apply to them. This includes pesticides, anticoagulant rodenticide, habitat loss, and vehicle collisions. To combat these dangers, Great Horned Owls had to make certain adaptations. Some of these physical adaptations include special feathers for cooling and being sneaky, the color of their feathers for camouflage, and special eyes for seeing in the dark. Some behavioral adaptations of these owls include hunting at night for little competition, a special hoot for mating, and being solitary except for mating.
A Young Great Horned Owl
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All of these characteristics and adaptations are what makes these owls great. We are lucky that Great Horned Owls are not endangered, unlike some other species. Let's do our best to keep these amazing creatures from being endangered. Just observe these spectacular species from afar and learn to live in this world with them.
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