Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
I saw it from across the yard. A small, white flower that I know wasn’t flowering there last spring. I stopped mowing my yard several years ago, and all of the native grasses and plants have moved in, keeping a different kind of landscaped space, one that is still a low-growing lawn only a few inches tall, and a lot more interesting. I never know what is going to pop up next. I have explored it all, and know where my barren strawberry, trillium, bunchberry, and hepatica are located. This, however, was a most exciting discovery in my own back yard – a bloodroot plant.
How did this bloodroot come into my yard from nowhere? Perhaps I can thank the ants. Bloodroot has a part called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants bring the seeds to their nests, where they eat the elaiosomes. They then leave the seeds in their underground waste storage areas, where the seeds are stored until they can germinate in a bed of nutrient rich ant waste.
Bloodroots have up to twelve delicate petals with a striking inner yellow color. The flower blooms before the leaves unfold. The one plant in my yard could likely become a large colony over many years.
The bloodroot plant has a very interesting folklore history. Bloodroot is named for its orange colored rhizome growing under the surface of the soil. It was used by Native Americans as a dye and herbal remedy made from the red-colored sap. It has been used to promote healthy marriages and families. It has also been used as an anti-plaque or anti-bacterial substance in toothpaste and mouthwashes, but can actually destroy skin tissues.
The smile on my face upon finding this bloodroot plant was a mile wide. We sometimes feel a special connection to a family member, our pets, or a special animal. For me, today I had a special closeness to a bloodroot plant, in my own back yard. It is just one of spring’s delights we can enjoy in our north woods.
For over 44 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 13470 County Highway M. The new exhibit, The Joy of Birds: Feathers in Focus opens in May, 2011. Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Also discover us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org, on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com/ to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Green
Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
Green. Verde. The color of spring. After the last rains, I looked around outdoors, and the color green is everywhere. It is beautiful, in the grass, in the trees. The word itself resembles the old English verb “growan” which means “to grow.” We are definitely seeing the color green and growth in nature in the north woods.
The color green is often seen in nature due to chlorophyll, the chemical known to assist plants with photosynthesis. Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight wavelengths of most colors, but reflects green light.
Many animals such as amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects or fish, use the color of green as camouflage to blend in with chlorophyll green colors. Again, these animals appear green because of reflected light. Some insects or other invertebrates have pigments, sometimes caused by their diet, that give them a green color. Beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and flies incorporate green pigments into their exoskeletons. A species of sea slug is green because it ingests algae, and it transfers the chloroplast cells from its food into its skin, which then allows it to take the sun’s energy just as plants do. The two-toed or three-toed sloth is so slow that blue-green algae grows in and on their fur, hiding them from their predators, the harpy eagles. Green Turtles get their name from a layer of green colored fat that separates their inner shell from their internal organs. There are many other chemicals and pigments that contribute to green coloring in organisms, even including our very own green pigment in our stomach bile.
It might not be easy being green for Kermit the frog, but it is certainly a common color in so much of the natural world. I have longed for a better green thumb for most of my adult life. Some believe that the grass is greener on the other side. Many of us are going green, taking action to help protect the environment. Whatever it may be, the color green is a welcome to us in spring.
For over 44 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 13470 County Highway M. The new exhibit, The Joy of Birds: Feathers in Focus opens in May, 2011. Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Also discover us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org, on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com/ to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
Green. Verde. The color of spring. After the last rains, I looked around outdoors, and the color green is everywhere. It is beautiful, in the grass, in the trees. The word itself resembles the old English verb “growan” which means “to grow.” We are definitely seeing the color green and growth in nature in the north woods.
The color green is often seen in nature due to chlorophyll, the chemical known to assist plants with photosynthesis. Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight wavelengths of most colors, but reflects green light.
Many animals such as amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects or fish, use the color of green as camouflage to blend in with chlorophyll green colors. Again, these animals appear green because of reflected light. Some insects or other invertebrates have pigments, sometimes caused by their diet, that give them a green color. Beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and flies incorporate green pigments into their exoskeletons. A species of sea slug is green because it ingests algae, and it transfers the chloroplast cells from its food into its skin, which then allows it to take the sun’s energy just as plants do. The two-toed or three-toed sloth is so slow that blue-green algae grows in and on their fur, hiding them from their predators, the harpy eagles. Green Turtles get their name from a layer of green colored fat that separates their inner shell from their internal organs. There are many other chemicals and pigments that contribute to green coloring in organisms, even including our very own green pigment in our stomach bile.
It might not be easy being green for Kermit the frog, but it is certainly a common color in so much of the natural world. I have longed for a better green thumb for most of my adult life. Some believe that the grass is greener on the other side. Many of us are going green, taking action to help protect the environment. Whatever it may be, the color green is a welcome to us in spring.
For over 44 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 13470 County Highway M. The new exhibit, The Joy of Birds: Feathers in Focus opens in May, 2011. Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Also discover us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org, on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com/ to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Living in a tree house
Nature Watch,
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
I live in a tree. It is a cedar tree, in fact. I woke up a few nights ago in the middle of my night’s sleep to a scratching noise. After further inspection, I noticed a sound coming from the outer bark of our comfy treehouse. I popped my head out of the main cavity, and was surprised to see a flying squirrel scurrying away. I looked at the side of the tree, and the flying squirrel had been chewing right on our bark!
This treehouse of ours is a bit more square than others. It is, of course, our house rather than a living tree. Imagine my consternation to discover a flying squirrel was chewing away at its cedar exterior. Was it trying to create a nesting cavity in our house?
It turns out that North American flying squirrels use many different types of nests. They have day-time sites to den in which scientists call refugia nests. Their natal nests are used to raise young. During the winter months they live together in aggregate nests, in which large numbers of family and non-family members reside.
The materials flying squirrels use in these nests depend upon what is available. However, in a study done in Canada, almost all of the flying squirrel nests found had strips of white cedar bark within them. Flying squirrels also use moss, lichens, animal fur, bird feathers, leaves and twigs, or even human-made materials such as newspaper or insulation.
The cedar that built our square, A-frame house does not just make good housing materials. Flying squirrels apparently have discovered that there are other benefits of having cedar in their nests. The white cedar bark and wood has insecticidal and water repellent oils.
There are just a few more things worth saying about flying squirrels. Not true fliers, they actually glide using a fold of skin that goes from their front wrist to their hind ankle. They glide up to 120 feet, able to change speed and direction just with movement of their arms and legs. Their fluffy squirrel tail stabilizes them in flight.
Flying squirrels forage for food at night with their keen sense of smell. They will eat plant seeds, leaves, nuts, sap, bulbs, roots, flowers, or bark. More specifically, they will eat mountain ash, juneberry, pin cherry, hazelnut, balsam, and maple seeds. They also will eat fungi or bird eggs, worms, or other small animals. During late winter they will even eat the buds of trees as food becomes scarce.
The siding of our “treehouse” looks a little funny now, with chew marks and scratches in several places, but nothing a little stain wouldn’t hide. Although I am happy that perhaps this flying squirrel isn’t trying to chew a cavity through our house, I also feel lucky to live in the north woods. Flying squirrels are just another animal species to enjoy in our own back yards.
For over 44 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 13470 County Highway M. The new exhibit, The Joy of Birds: Feathers in Focus opens in May, 2011. Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Also discover us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org, on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com/ to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
I live in a tree. It is a cedar tree, in fact. I woke up a few nights ago in the middle of my night’s sleep to a scratching noise. After further inspection, I noticed a sound coming from the outer bark of our comfy treehouse. I popped my head out of the main cavity, and was surprised to see a flying squirrel scurrying away. I looked at the side of the tree, and the flying squirrel had been chewing right on our bark!
This treehouse of ours is a bit more square than others. It is, of course, our house rather than a living tree. Imagine my consternation to discover a flying squirrel was chewing away at its cedar exterior. Was it trying to create a nesting cavity in our house?
It turns out that North American flying squirrels use many different types of nests. They have day-time sites to den in which scientists call refugia nests. Their natal nests are used to raise young. During the winter months they live together in aggregate nests, in which large numbers of family and non-family members reside.
The materials flying squirrels use in these nests depend upon what is available. However, in a study done in Canada, almost all of the flying squirrel nests found had strips of white cedar bark within them. Flying squirrels also use moss, lichens, animal fur, bird feathers, leaves and twigs, or even human-made materials such as newspaper or insulation.
The cedar that built our square, A-frame house does not just make good housing materials. Flying squirrels apparently have discovered that there are other benefits of having cedar in their nests. The white cedar bark and wood has insecticidal and water repellent oils.
There are just a few more things worth saying about flying squirrels. Not true fliers, they actually glide using a fold of skin that goes from their front wrist to their hind ankle. They glide up to 120 feet, able to change speed and direction just with movement of their arms and legs. Their fluffy squirrel tail stabilizes them in flight.
Flying squirrels forage for food at night with their keen sense of smell. They will eat plant seeds, leaves, nuts, sap, bulbs, roots, flowers, or bark. More specifically, they will eat mountain ash, juneberry, pin cherry, hazelnut, balsam, and maple seeds. They also will eat fungi or bird eggs, worms, or other small animals. During late winter they will even eat the buds of trees as food becomes scarce.
The siding of our “treehouse” looks a little funny now, with chew marks and scratches in several places, but nothing a little stain wouldn’t hide. Although I am happy that perhaps this flying squirrel isn’t trying to chew a cavity through our house, I also feel lucky to live in the north woods. Flying squirrels are just another animal species to enjoy in our own back yards.
For over 44 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 13470 County Highway M. The new exhibit, The Joy of Birds: Feathers in Focus opens in May, 2011. Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Also discover us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org, on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com/ to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Phoebes
Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
Here is a question that came from a good Museum friend with whom I always swap nature stories: “I know we both had phoebe nests that had activity the past 2 years. The first year the couple had one set of eggs; the second summer they had 2 sets of eggs. Although I hear them back in the yard, I haven't seen any activity in the second year nest. I was wondering if you were seeing them back and not using their nest?”
Phoebes and humans often share the same house. Every year our Eastern phoebe finds a sheltered spot under the eaves of our house to make her nest, although some birds of this species will consider a porch, windowsills, porch rafters, or even inside a barn. The female builds her nest over several days. Six inches square is about all she needs to build upon, and moss and mud seems to be two of her most common nest-building materials. They also will use mud, lining the inside with grasses, hair, and feathers.
Phoebes are quite loyal to their nests and will often build right on top of the previous year’s nest. They can reuse them for several years, as a little spring cleaning makes an old nest look like new. Under one bridge in New England, generations of phoebes were known to return to breed for over 30 years. At my own house, I have two different nest sites that have been used two different years, but then the nests were abandoned for other places around my house, always under the roof eaves.
She doesn’t like it when I get near her nest, but each year I check in on the phoebe’s young to make sure they’re doing well. I have learned from bird guides that phoebes are more tolerant to humans, but I avoid looking at the nest right before dusk, as the adults may not see well due to the amount of daylight, and not return to their nests. My actions then can end up doing harm to the young birds.
Phoebes are common cowbird hosts, a bird that lays its eggs in other birds’ nests. The young then push out the young to be raised by the adoptive parents. To combat this parasitic bird species, phoebes sometimes will build a new nest floor right over the top of the cowbird eggs.
The Eastern phoebe is a delight to have around in our back yards. They are valuable to us as they consume many pest insects that are also making their homes in our back yards. Their song begins early, and is beautiful to hear. Phoebes typically land on the same roost, and are fun to watch as they repeatedly twitch their tails. They are also fund to watch, as they are active flycatchers, swooping from trees in almost circus-like antics as they move to catch their insect food.
For over 44 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 13470 County Highway M. The new exhibit, The Joy of Birds, Feathers in Focus opens in May, 2011. Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Also discover us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org, on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com/ to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
Here is a question that came from a good Museum friend with whom I always swap nature stories: “I know we both had phoebe nests that had activity the past 2 years. The first year the couple had one set of eggs; the second summer they had 2 sets of eggs. Although I hear them back in the yard, I haven't seen any activity in the second year nest. I was wondering if you were seeing them back and not using their nest?”
Phoebes and humans often share the same house. Every year our Eastern phoebe finds a sheltered spot under the eaves of our house to make her nest, although some birds of this species will consider a porch, windowsills, porch rafters, or even inside a barn. The female builds her nest over several days. Six inches square is about all she needs to build upon, and moss and mud seems to be two of her most common nest-building materials. They also will use mud, lining the inside with grasses, hair, and feathers.
Phoebes are quite loyal to their nests and will often build right on top of the previous year’s nest. They can reuse them for several years, as a little spring cleaning makes an old nest look like new. Under one bridge in New England, generations of phoebes were known to return to breed for over 30 years. At my own house, I have two different nest sites that have been used two different years, but then the nests were abandoned for other places around my house, always under the roof eaves.
She doesn’t like it when I get near her nest, but each year I check in on the phoebe’s young to make sure they’re doing well. I have learned from bird guides that phoebes are more tolerant to humans, but I avoid looking at the nest right before dusk, as the adults may not see well due to the amount of daylight, and not return to their nests. My actions then can end up doing harm to the young birds.
Phoebes are common cowbird hosts, a bird that lays its eggs in other birds’ nests. The young then push out the young to be raised by the adoptive parents. To combat this parasitic bird species, phoebes sometimes will build a new nest floor right over the top of the cowbird eggs.
The Eastern phoebe is a delight to have around in our back yards. They are valuable to us as they consume many pest insects that are also making their homes in our back yards. Their song begins early, and is beautiful to hear. Phoebes typically land on the same roost, and are fun to watch as they repeatedly twitch their tails. They are also fund to watch, as they are active flycatchers, swooping from trees in almost circus-like antics as they move to catch their insect food.
For over 44 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 13470 County Highway M. The new exhibit, The Joy of Birds, Feathers in Focus opens in May, 2011. Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Also discover us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org, on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com/ to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
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