Nature Watch
July 30, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Ferns are the living dinosaurs of the plant world. They dominated the earth 300 million years ago and evolved into thousands of different species, some of which are still are found in diverse habitats throughout the world.
Ferns are not flowering plants and therefore do not reproduce from seeds. Instead, ferns produce dustlike spores that drop to the ground and grow into small plants which in turn produce a fertile offspring, the sporophyte, that we know as a fern. Ferns also reproduce through their rhizomes, which spread widely underground.
Ferns prefer filtered sun or shade, protection from high winds, enough space to grow to maturity, and an undisturbed root environment. Ferns prefer slightly acidic soils with a high percentage of humus to aid in water retention and drainage.
Ferns have an interesting history reflected in folklore and legends. Fern “seeds” were thought to make one invisible. Whoever obtained these “seeds” was thought to be able to find buried treasure, understand the language of birds, and have the strength of forty men. Throughout history, they have been an important source of food, drugs, and fibers.
With the exception of some species of algae, bracken ferns are the most widespread plants in the world. They will grow in most soils and can be found in shady, moist habitats as well as dry, sunny areas. In order to protect themselves, bracken ferns produce bitter-tasting compounds that discourage animals and insects from eating them. Ferns also generate substances that may act as natural fungicides, preventing the plants from getting certain diseases.
A partial list of other delightful ferns to keep an eye out for in the region’s forests include, maiden-hair, ostrich, interrupted, and sensitive. Hope you enjoy the looking!
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Fireflies
Nature Watch
July 23, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Most anyone who is asked would be able to share a memory of firefly experiences throughout their childhood. The topic has come up several times this past two weeks with Museum visitors, shortly after I observed my first fireflies for the summer season. Sometimes called lightning bugs, fireflies are neither flies nor bugs, but are beetles, the most numerous order of all insects. About 130 different species of firefly illuminate summer nights around the globe.
The telltale flash you see on a summer evening is made by male fireflies flashing patterns of light to attract females, who signal in response from perches in or near the ground. When the male sees the female’s flash he continues to signal and moves closer. Eventually, through a series of flashes, they find each other and mate. Although other insects can produce light, fireflies are the only insects that can flash their light on and off in distinct signals.
Each species of firefly sends different mating signals. For example, the male firefly of the species Photinus pyralis beams a single half-flash while flying upward. To our eyes, the flash looks like the letter “J” spelled out in the night air. The female responds with a single flash.
Another species, Photinus consumilis, signals his mate with a rapid succession of flashes. She responds with two beams. In general, males will not fly down to a female that sends the wrong species signal. However, some females of differing species have evolved the ability to mimic the response flashes of species other than their own. As the male flies down to a mimicking female, he may be captured and eaten.
Here’s a fun way to learn about local fireflies. Go outside at different times during the evening and watch for their twinkling signal. Gently catch the fireflies in a jar. Make sure that air is provided by punching holes in the container lid. Observe the flashing pattern, counting the number of flashes and recording how long they last and the time between flashes. Record your data for five minutes.
Next, return to your capture site and release the insects. Wait one hour and return to your site. Recapture fireflies and repeat your observations. If you notice a different flashing sequence, you probably have a different species. Happy firefly hunting!
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
July 23, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Most anyone who is asked would be able to share a memory of firefly experiences throughout their childhood. The topic has come up several times this past two weeks with Museum visitors, shortly after I observed my first fireflies for the summer season. Sometimes called lightning bugs, fireflies are neither flies nor bugs, but are beetles, the most numerous order of all insects. About 130 different species of firefly illuminate summer nights around the globe.
The telltale flash you see on a summer evening is made by male fireflies flashing patterns of light to attract females, who signal in response from perches in or near the ground. When the male sees the female’s flash he continues to signal and moves closer. Eventually, through a series of flashes, they find each other and mate. Although other insects can produce light, fireflies are the only insects that can flash their light on and off in distinct signals.
Each species of firefly sends different mating signals. For example, the male firefly of the species Photinus pyralis beams a single half-flash while flying upward. To our eyes, the flash looks like the letter “J” spelled out in the night air. The female responds with a single flash.
Another species, Photinus consumilis, signals his mate with a rapid succession of flashes. She responds with two beams. In general, males will not fly down to a female that sends the wrong species signal. However, some females of differing species have evolved the ability to mimic the response flashes of species other than their own. As the male flies down to a mimicking female, he may be captured and eaten.
Here’s a fun way to learn about local fireflies. Go outside at different times during the evening and watch for their twinkling signal. Gently catch the fireflies in a jar. Make sure that air is provided by punching holes in the container lid. Observe the flashing pattern, counting the number of flashes and recording how long they last and the time between flashes. Record your data for five minutes.
Next, return to your capture site and release the insects. Wait one hour and return to your site. Recapture fireflies and repeat your observations. If you notice a different flashing sequence, you probably have a different species. Happy firefly hunting!
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Third week of July
Nature Watch
July 16, 2008
By Sue Benson
CNHM, Director of Education
What is new in the natural world this next week? In the bird world, watch around your house for the Eastern phoebe—gray-brown above, and white below, and often seen pumping its tail when perching— it has begun its second nesting brood. By now pheasants and ducks have hatched, and egrets and great blue herons will have fledged from their nests.
The first generation of monarch butterflies is appearing right now. Male katydids can be heard at night as they rub their legs over their rasped and ridged wings like a fiddle and bow as they call. They can be seen as they feed in oak, cherry, and maple trees. In the world of spiders, the young ones, called spiderlings, can be seen riding the wind to new homes by casting their long-spun threads into the air from tree tops.
Deer flies are now out in force. The adults are hardy, strong fliers; males feed on flower nectar, honeydew, plant juices, and other liquids. Deer fly females feed on the blood of many warmblooded animals, including humans. When they bite, you feel it! Deer flies do not have piercing/sucking mouthparts like mosquitoes. Instead, they bite a hole in your skin with their strong mandibles, put a little saliva-like material in the wound to keep the blood from clotting, and then lap up the blood with a sponge-like proboscis.
Wild raspberries are beginning to ripen. Wild bergamot, a lavender colored flower, will begin blooming. Queen Anne’s lace is a white flower, so called because the flower resembles lace. The tiny red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace. Watch for these flowers in sunny areas.
Become a phenologist! Plant your own butterfly garden, and see what comes for a visit. Turn on a night light and observe and record what flies in—try looking at different times during the summer to see different moth species.
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
July 16, 2008
By Sue Benson
CNHM, Director of Education
What is new in the natural world this next week? In the bird world, watch around your house for the Eastern phoebe—gray-brown above, and white below, and often seen pumping its tail when perching— it has begun its second nesting brood. By now pheasants and ducks have hatched, and egrets and great blue herons will have fledged from their nests.
The first generation of monarch butterflies is appearing right now. Male katydids can be heard at night as they rub their legs over their rasped and ridged wings like a fiddle and bow as they call. They can be seen as they feed in oak, cherry, and maple trees. In the world of spiders, the young ones, called spiderlings, can be seen riding the wind to new homes by casting their long-spun threads into the air from tree tops.
Deer flies are now out in force. The adults are hardy, strong fliers; males feed on flower nectar, honeydew, plant juices, and other liquids. Deer fly females feed on the blood of many warmblooded animals, including humans. When they bite, you feel it! Deer flies do not have piercing/sucking mouthparts like mosquitoes. Instead, they bite a hole in your skin with their strong mandibles, put a little saliva-like material in the wound to keep the blood from clotting, and then lap up the blood with a sponge-like proboscis.
Wild raspberries are beginning to ripen. Wild bergamot, a lavender colored flower, will begin blooming. Queen Anne’s lace is a white flower, so called because the flower resembles lace. The tiny red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace. Watch for these flowers in sunny areas.
Become a phenologist! Plant your own butterfly garden, and see what comes for a visit. Turn on a night light and observe and record what flies in—try looking at different times during the summer to see different moth species.
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
July
Nature Watch
July 9, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
July is a great time for watching natural phenomena. Fireflies are now active, creating a flashing light that serves as a signal to potential mates. Each species of firefly can be distinguished by the amount of time between its flashes. Much more can be observed in forest, water, air and field.
Bald eagles can be seen fledging in late July, about 70 to 98 days after hatching. Before this even, the young have been practicing flapping for weeks before their first flight. IF one falls from the nest the parents usually feed it on the ground. The parents encourage the babies to fledge by flying around the nest carrying food. After fleding, they usually stay with their parents for six weeks, continually being fed during this time. The young watch their parents fish, but don’t learn to catch fish for quite a while. They begin “catching” carcasses on shoreline and then pick up dead fish floating in the water. The immature eagles won’t get the distinguishing white head until they are three to five years old.
Jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum – this is the call of the bullfrog. In July, bullfrogs can be heard wooing mates or defending territory with their deep, loud call. Male bullfrogs are territorial and defend their territory by calling out to warn intruders. If that doesn't work, a shoving match may commence. Smaller males that cannot compete with large males for territories have evolved a trick of hiding out near the large calling male, intercepting females on their way to the larger male. Females lay eggs in large, jelly-like masses that can measure a yard across.
Wintergreen is one of the last wildflowers to bloom. It features white, waxy flowers that hang like little bells beneath the leaves. The newer, light green leaves have a tasty wintergreen flavor; dried leaves can be steeped to make tea which some consider to be a good headache remedy.
Cattails shed thousands of silky seeds in late July. Cattails can also reproduce vegetatively through their extensive underground stems. Cattails are very important for many animals, providing a place for the red-winged blackbirds to nest and hide their young, a place for fish to hide under the water, and as a food source for muskrats and young ducklings.
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
July 9, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
July is a great time for watching natural phenomena. Fireflies are now active, creating a flashing light that serves as a signal to potential mates. Each species of firefly can be distinguished by the amount of time between its flashes. Much more can be observed in forest, water, air and field.
Bald eagles can be seen fledging in late July, about 70 to 98 days after hatching. Before this even, the young have been practicing flapping for weeks before their first flight. IF one falls from the nest the parents usually feed it on the ground. The parents encourage the babies to fledge by flying around the nest carrying food. After fleding, they usually stay with their parents for six weeks, continually being fed during this time. The young watch their parents fish, but don’t learn to catch fish for quite a while. They begin “catching” carcasses on shoreline and then pick up dead fish floating in the water. The immature eagles won’t get the distinguishing white head until they are three to five years old.
Jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum – this is the call of the bullfrog. In July, bullfrogs can be heard wooing mates or defending territory with their deep, loud call. Male bullfrogs are territorial and defend their territory by calling out to warn intruders. If that doesn't work, a shoving match may commence. Smaller males that cannot compete with large males for territories have evolved a trick of hiding out near the large calling male, intercepting females on their way to the larger male. Females lay eggs in large, jelly-like masses that can measure a yard across.
Wintergreen is one of the last wildflowers to bloom. It features white, waxy flowers that hang like little bells beneath the leaves. The newer, light green leaves have a tasty wintergreen flavor; dried leaves can be steeped to make tea which some consider to be a good headache remedy.
Cattails shed thousands of silky seeds in late July. Cattails can also reproduce vegetatively through their extensive underground stems. Cattails are very important for many animals, providing a place for the red-winged blackbirds to nest and hide their young, a place for fish to hide under the water, and as a food source for muskrats and young ducklings.
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility in Cable at 43570 Kavanaugh Street or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
Friday, July 4, 2008
It's Summer
Nature Watch
July 4, 2008
By Sue Benson,
CNHM, Director of Education
You may have noticed the monarch caterpillars on the milkweed, the just-fledged birds being brought into the feeder, and that dragonflies are everywhere. You might also be asking yourself, “What is that flower along the roadside? Why do some fireflies light up in the air and others on the ground? What are the things to watch for in nature right now?” The study of the annual recurrence of seasonal change is referred to as phenology. Summer is a great time to be on the look-out for these phenomena.
Start by looking for monarch caterpillars. They are more visible during this part of the season than any other time in the summer. The caterpillars feed only on milkweed plants and are immune to its natural toxins. These toxins give the caterpillars and adult monarch butterfly an unpleasant taste, which protects them from predation by birds or other creatures.
Dragonflies, the small rulers of the sky, are also abundant right now. The dragonfly life cycle consists of three stages – egg, nymph and adult. They begin their lives as a nymph living underwater, where they eat other aquatic creatures. In some species, this nymphal stage can last for as long as four years. When the nymph is completely grown and ready, it will crawl up the stem of a water plant and emerge, ready to change from an underwater predator into an aerial one. With almost a 360 degree field of vision and the ability to sight their insect prey up to 33 feet away, makes them a formidable predator. Adult dragonflies can live up to two months. They are also capable of flying speeds of 30 to 60 miles per hour and can travel up to 85 miles per day.
Another flying insect regularly active in the summer are fireflies. As young larvae, fireflies eat earthworms, snails and slugs – they actually sometimes follow a slime trail to the slug. After locating their meal they inject a fluid into their prey to immobilize and eventually digest it. As adults, each individual firefly species has a unique process for courtship. Flying males emit a pattern of flashes while in search of females on the ground. Females do not often fly, but respond to the males of their species with a similar flash pattern. Some females will mimic the mating flashes of another firefly species in order to prey upon the unexpected suitor.
A flash of color might also grab your attention as to what is blooming. Ox-eye daisies, a drought-loving flower common along the roadsides, are white with yellow centers. Orange and yellow hawkweed abounds, growing at least 10 inches tall, with a dandelion-like flower. It is said to have been given its name because people believed hawks would tear the plant apart and put its juice in their eyes to give them their superior vision. Keep an eye out for the bright pink fireweed and milkweed flowers and the yellow butter and eggs and bird’s foot trefoil.
Other neat things in nature to watch for include bass fingerlings moving in and out of wetland areas for food and cover, painted turtles hatching and evidence of raccoons having raided their nests, and the first cicadas buzzing. Wild blueberries are also usually ripening about this time. As soon as the sun sets, Saturn and Venus are close together in the western sky. Enjoy the “Once in a Blue Moon” opportunity as July has two full moons; the first on July 1 and the second on July 30.
Become a phenologist! It’s easy. The only prerequisite to participate is that you must live somewhere where there are bird songs and trees.
Brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. They invite you to visit their facility in Cable on 43570 Kavanaugh Street or at the website at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about their exhibits and programs.
July 4, 2008
By Sue Benson,
CNHM, Director of Education
You may have noticed the monarch caterpillars on the milkweed, the just-fledged birds being brought into the feeder, and that dragonflies are everywhere. You might also be asking yourself, “What is that flower along the roadside? Why do some fireflies light up in the air and others on the ground? What are the things to watch for in nature right now?” The study of the annual recurrence of seasonal change is referred to as phenology. Summer is a great time to be on the look-out for these phenomena.
Start by looking for monarch caterpillars. They are more visible during this part of the season than any other time in the summer. The caterpillars feed only on milkweed plants and are immune to its natural toxins. These toxins give the caterpillars and adult monarch butterfly an unpleasant taste, which protects them from predation by birds or other creatures.
Dragonflies, the small rulers of the sky, are also abundant right now. The dragonfly life cycle consists of three stages – egg, nymph and adult. They begin their lives as a nymph living underwater, where they eat other aquatic creatures. In some species, this nymphal stage can last for as long as four years. When the nymph is completely grown and ready, it will crawl up the stem of a water plant and emerge, ready to change from an underwater predator into an aerial one. With almost a 360 degree field of vision and the ability to sight their insect prey up to 33 feet away, makes them a formidable predator. Adult dragonflies can live up to two months. They are also capable of flying speeds of 30 to 60 miles per hour and can travel up to 85 miles per day.
Another flying insect regularly active in the summer are fireflies. As young larvae, fireflies eat earthworms, snails and slugs – they actually sometimes follow a slime trail to the slug. After locating their meal they inject a fluid into their prey to immobilize and eventually digest it. As adults, each individual firefly species has a unique process for courtship. Flying males emit a pattern of flashes while in search of females on the ground. Females do not often fly, but respond to the males of their species with a similar flash pattern. Some females will mimic the mating flashes of another firefly species in order to prey upon the unexpected suitor.
A flash of color might also grab your attention as to what is blooming. Ox-eye daisies, a drought-loving flower common along the roadsides, are white with yellow centers. Orange and yellow hawkweed abounds, growing at least 10 inches tall, with a dandelion-like flower. It is said to have been given its name because people believed hawks would tear the plant apart and put its juice in their eyes to give them their superior vision. Keep an eye out for the bright pink fireweed and milkweed flowers and the yellow butter and eggs and bird’s foot trefoil.
Other neat things in nature to watch for include bass fingerlings moving in and out of wetland areas for food and cover, painted turtles hatching and evidence of raccoons having raided their nests, and the first cicadas buzzing. Wild blueberries are also usually ripening about this time. As soon as the sun sets, Saturn and Venus are close together in the western sky. Enjoy the “Once in a Blue Moon” opportunity as July has two full moons; the first on July 1 and the second on July 30.
Become a phenologist! It’s easy. The only prerequisite to participate is that you must live somewhere where there are bird songs and trees.
Brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. They invite you to visit their facility in Cable on 43570 Kavanaugh Street or at the website at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about their exhibits and programs.
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