Nature Watch
May 21, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Locals like to call the time between when the snow melts and when the trees leaf out “mud season,” and with good reason. We may have had a short mud season this spring, but get out into the woods to discover a flowering spring treat: ephemerals.
Spring ephemerals are short-lived wildflowers that take advantage of a narrow window of opportunity when the sun rises higher in the sky and stays out longer, but before trees completely leaf out and block sunlight from reaching the forest floor. These opportunistic flowers will sprout, flower, wither and die back all in the space of about a week.
Often the first wildflower noticed by casual walkers is the trillium, a plant belonging to the lily family that has a large, often white, three-petaled flower above three broad bracts that look like leaves. These white flowers slowly turn into a shade of purple in the middle of spring.
Another ephemeral is hepatica, named from its leaves, which, like the human liver have three lobes. As part of the doctrine of signatures, it was once believed that plants were created for the use of human beings and as such, each plant displayed a signature of the purpose for which it was created - hepatica was thought an effective treatment for liver disorders. In marshy areas, look for skunk cabbage, a strong-smelling plant that Henry David Thoreau once called the “hermit of the bog.” Other spring wildflowers include spring anemone, spring beauty, wild geranium, marsh marigold, and bloodroot.
Being among the very first plants to grow and on the drab forest floor, spring ephemerals’ flowers stand out and attract pollinators like bees. Ants also play a role in the life cycle of these plants; after flowering, the spring ephemerals typically produce a small black seed with an energy-rich sac attached to it. Seeking food, ants gather the sacs and carry them to underground nests, leaving behind the seeds underground in their “garbage pile”, and essentially planting the seeds.
Watch for the flowers of spring ephemerals on woodland spring hikes, but avoid picking the flowers or digging up the plants, which are often rare or fragile and play an important role in the woodland ecosystem. If you are looking for some great places to hike and find spring ephemerals, try out the Forest Lodge Nature Trail, 9 miles east of Cable on Garmisch Road.
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, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Spring Birds
Nature Watch
May 13, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
If you have bird feeders at home, this past week you might have found the songbirds “eating you out of house and home.” My parents are feeding at least a pound of bird seed a day. There are many species of birds at my parents’ bird feeders, and almost daily my mother lists off to me the birds she’s seen. Here’s a list of returned migrants and year-round resident birds list from one day this past week: song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, white-crowned sparrow, chipping sparrow, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, mourning dove, purple grackles, slate-colored junco, Eastern towhee, chickadees, blue jays, American goldfinch, American robin, ruby-throated hummingbird (yes-they’re back!), red-bellied woodpecker, purple finches, cardinal, red-winged blackbird, evening grosbeaks, rose-breasted grosbeaks, Baltimore oriole, brown-headed cowbird, and red-breasted nuthatch. Species seen in their yard include a catbird, house wren, flicker and yellow-bellied sapsucker. Other species visiting include chipmunk, red and gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit and white-tailed deer. The striking blend of colors is a continued pleasure to the eye.
The particular species that caused me excitement while feeder watching this week included the rose-breasted grosbeak, evening grosbeak, and Baltimore oriole. Go outdoors and listen for the rich, warbling song of a rose-breasted grosbeak, sounding a bit like a robin that has taken singing lessons. These birds prefer to nest in deciduous woodlands, especially at the edges. They eat seeds, fruits, buds and insects. The nest, an open cup of sticks, twigs, grasses, decayed leaves, or weed stems, is lined with fine twigs, roots or hairs that they place in trees or shrubs. The nest of this grosbeak is so thinly constructed that the eggs can sometimes be seen from below through the nest. The male spends about 1/3 of its day participating in the incubation of the eggs. When you hear the male, it probably means it is near or actually on the nest.
The large, stocky finch with a bright yellow back, rump and underparts, is the evening grosbeak. Their song, a series of short, musical whistles, appears not to be used in the functions of mate attraction and territory defense. Evening grosbeaks nest in coniferous forests, built mostly by the female and constructed loosely from sticks, moss, lichen and rootlets. The inside can be lined with grasses, roots, lichens, hair and plant fibers. Evening grosbeaks feed on a wide variety of natural foods such as seeds (especially maples,) small fruits, insects and other invertebrates. Some years you may see flocks at feeders, while in other years they stay further north and are not seen in their winter range. Results from the Christmas Bird Count show that the evening grosbeak is an irruptive species across much of North America. Long-term research shows that these birds exhibit a biennial pattern of irruption; plentiful years followed by years when low numbers are reported.
I squealed with delight this week at the arrival of the brilliant orange and black Baltimore oriole. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore, after whom the city of Baltimore, Maryland is named. Young male Baltimore orioles do not have adult plumage until the fall of their second year. In spite of this, some first-year males with female-like plumage succeed in attracting a mate. The orioles appetite consist of caterpillars, fruits, spiders, and nectar. Their gourd-shaped nest is hung from the thin branches or a fork in a tall tree, and is woven from hair and plant fibers. In our backyards, they can be enticed to visit feeders with oranges, nectars, grape jelly, or peanut butter. Most feeders are orange, as orioles probably recognize the color orange from afar, matching their own plumage; if they spot the bright orange color of an oriole feeder, they usually drop down to investigate.
While watching the orioles feed on oranges and grape jelly this past weekend, I started wondering: like many humans, can birds have a food allergy to jelly containing high fructose corn syrup? I looked to our regional bird expert, Laura Erickson’s birding blog, where participants recommended feeding only small amounts of natural grape jelly, real grapes, or grapes mashed in with jelly. One birder shared the following from Kent Mahaffey, manager of the San Diego Wild Animal Park: “Natural nectars contain 12% to 30% sugars, while jams and jellies are more than half sugar…We do our best for them when we stick as closely as possible to their natural diets.” Could it be that we need to shop at the nearest health food store for our birds as well?
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.
May 13, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
If you have bird feeders at home, this past week you might have found the songbirds “eating you out of house and home.” My parents are feeding at least a pound of bird seed a day. There are many species of birds at my parents’ bird feeders, and almost daily my mother lists off to me the birds she’s seen. Here’s a list of returned migrants and year-round resident birds list from one day this past week: song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, white-crowned sparrow, chipping sparrow, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, mourning dove, purple grackles, slate-colored junco, Eastern towhee, chickadees, blue jays, American goldfinch, American robin, ruby-throated hummingbird (yes-they’re back!), red-bellied woodpecker, purple finches, cardinal, red-winged blackbird, evening grosbeaks, rose-breasted grosbeaks, Baltimore oriole, brown-headed cowbird, and red-breasted nuthatch. Species seen in their yard include a catbird, house wren, flicker and yellow-bellied sapsucker. Other species visiting include chipmunk, red and gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit and white-tailed deer. The striking blend of colors is a continued pleasure to the eye.
The particular species that caused me excitement while feeder watching this week included the rose-breasted grosbeak, evening grosbeak, and Baltimore oriole. Go outdoors and listen for the rich, warbling song of a rose-breasted grosbeak, sounding a bit like a robin that has taken singing lessons. These birds prefer to nest in deciduous woodlands, especially at the edges. They eat seeds, fruits, buds and insects. The nest, an open cup of sticks, twigs, grasses, decayed leaves, or weed stems, is lined with fine twigs, roots or hairs that they place in trees or shrubs. The nest of this grosbeak is so thinly constructed that the eggs can sometimes be seen from below through the nest. The male spends about 1/3 of its day participating in the incubation of the eggs. When you hear the male, it probably means it is near or actually on the nest.
The large, stocky finch with a bright yellow back, rump and underparts, is the evening grosbeak. Their song, a series of short, musical whistles, appears not to be used in the functions of mate attraction and territory defense. Evening grosbeaks nest in coniferous forests, built mostly by the female and constructed loosely from sticks, moss, lichen and rootlets. The inside can be lined with grasses, roots, lichens, hair and plant fibers. Evening grosbeaks feed on a wide variety of natural foods such as seeds (especially maples,) small fruits, insects and other invertebrates. Some years you may see flocks at feeders, while in other years they stay further north and are not seen in their winter range. Results from the Christmas Bird Count show that the evening grosbeak is an irruptive species across much of North America. Long-term research shows that these birds exhibit a biennial pattern of irruption; plentiful years followed by years when low numbers are reported.
I squealed with delight this week at the arrival of the brilliant orange and black Baltimore oriole. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore, after whom the city of Baltimore, Maryland is named. Young male Baltimore orioles do not have adult plumage until the fall of their second year. In spite of this, some first-year males with female-like plumage succeed in attracting a mate. The orioles appetite consist of caterpillars, fruits, spiders, and nectar. Their gourd-shaped nest is hung from the thin branches or a fork in a tall tree, and is woven from hair and plant fibers. In our backyards, they can be enticed to visit feeders with oranges, nectars, grape jelly, or peanut butter. Most feeders are orange, as orioles probably recognize the color orange from afar, matching their own plumage; if they spot the bright orange color of an oriole feeder, they usually drop down to investigate.
While watching the orioles feed on oranges and grape jelly this past weekend, I started wondering: like many humans, can birds have a food allergy to jelly containing high fructose corn syrup? I looked to our regional bird expert, Laura Erickson’s birding blog, where participants recommended feeding only small amounts of natural grape jelly, real grapes, or grapes mashed in with jelly. One birder shared the following from Kent Mahaffey, manager of the San Diego Wild Animal Park: “Natural nectars contain 12% to 30% sugars, while jams and jellies are more than half sugar…We do our best for them when we stick as closely as possible to their natural diets.” Could it be that we need to shop at the nearest health food store for our birds as well?
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.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Migratory Birds
Nature Watch
May 11, 2008
By Susan Benson,CNHM Director of Education
Wood thrush or American redstarts; they might be just one bird species, but they both share two habitats. How amazing that the same individual bird that returns to our yard each spring spent the winter further south. Many neotropical migratory birds breed in North America and spend our “winter” in Central or South America.
Over the years, land in North and South America has changed dramatically due to human land uses. Current human population pressures in Central and South America force people to clear forested land for homes, fuel, and agriculture. In these tropical habitats, bird migrants compete with resident birds for smaller habitat areas. These migratory birds might also be hunted for food or removed as pests of agriculture.
In the U.S. there is more forest cover now than at the turn of the century, but the forests are fragmented into smaller parcels, affecting habitat quality for wildlife that depends on interior forest conditions. Even small roads, running through a forest, fragment it and affect forest interior ground nesters. Nest predators such as brown-headed cowbirds, blue jays, raccoons, and feral cats gain access to songbird nests in these smaller forested areas. Wood thrushes and American redstarts are two birds that although present in the northwoods, can be affected by fragmented forests.
Wood thrushes forage for food on the ground, picking up insects and the occasional berry. Female wood thrushes build their nests in deciduous forests as low as six feet off the ground in tree branches.
Although it is a very common species of Eastern forests, the wood thrush is of high conservation concern because of steady, long-term population declines throughout its range for many reasons. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Bird Population Studies, this species has declined 43% since 1966. Declines in wood thrush populations have been linked to acid rain and forest fragmentation. This species seems dependent on large tracts of mature forest in some parts of its range, but is tolerant of disturbance in other areas. In a study done by Hoover (1995,) he found a 12% nesting success in a 22 acre forest while there was a 72% success rate in a 300 acre forest. In winter, wood thrushes are vulnerable to deforestation in the lowlands of Central America. The brown-headed cowbird frequently parasitizes wood thrush nests. In some parts of the Midwest all of the Wood Thrush nests contain at least one cowbird egg, and some may contain up to eight.
American redstarts hover while gleaning foliage, flushing out the hiding insects. They move rapidly while foraging, flashing their wings and tail to flush insect prey. They prefer second growth deciduous forests that contain abundant shrubs. Nest sites are located at the crotch of a branch from the main trunk of a tree. Nests are placed from 3-45 feet above the ground. They winter in the southern United States, Mexico, Central and South America. Declines have been seen in some areas, but the species is still widespread and abundant. Cowbird parasitism has been reported at 20% for this species.
While birding around the house this spring, enjoy these bird species. Listen for the flute-like sounds of the wood thrush or the varied musical see notes of the redstart.
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.
May 11, 2008
By Susan Benson,CNHM Director of Education
Wood thrush or American redstarts; they might be just one bird species, but they both share two habitats. How amazing that the same individual bird that returns to our yard each spring spent the winter further south. Many neotropical migratory birds breed in North America and spend our “winter” in Central or South America.
Over the years, land in North and South America has changed dramatically due to human land uses. Current human population pressures in Central and South America force people to clear forested land for homes, fuel, and agriculture. In these tropical habitats, bird migrants compete with resident birds for smaller habitat areas. These migratory birds might also be hunted for food or removed as pests of agriculture.
In the U.S. there is more forest cover now than at the turn of the century, but the forests are fragmented into smaller parcels, affecting habitat quality for wildlife that depends on interior forest conditions. Even small roads, running through a forest, fragment it and affect forest interior ground nesters. Nest predators such as brown-headed cowbirds, blue jays, raccoons, and feral cats gain access to songbird nests in these smaller forested areas. Wood thrushes and American redstarts are two birds that although present in the northwoods, can be affected by fragmented forests.
Wood thrushes forage for food on the ground, picking up insects and the occasional berry. Female wood thrushes build their nests in deciduous forests as low as six feet off the ground in tree branches.
Although it is a very common species of Eastern forests, the wood thrush is of high conservation concern because of steady, long-term population declines throughout its range for many reasons. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Bird Population Studies, this species has declined 43% since 1966. Declines in wood thrush populations have been linked to acid rain and forest fragmentation. This species seems dependent on large tracts of mature forest in some parts of its range, but is tolerant of disturbance in other areas. In a study done by Hoover (1995,) he found a 12% nesting success in a 22 acre forest while there was a 72% success rate in a 300 acre forest. In winter, wood thrushes are vulnerable to deforestation in the lowlands of Central America. The brown-headed cowbird frequently parasitizes wood thrush nests. In some parts of the Midwest all of the Wood Thrush nests contain at least one cowbird egg, and some may contain up to eight.
American redstarts hover while gleaning foliage, flushing out the hiding insects. They move rapidly while foraging, flashing their wings and tail to flush insect prey. They prefer second growth deciduous forests that contain abundant shrubs. Nest sites are located at the crotch of a branch from the main trunk of a tree. Nests are placed from 3-45 feet above the ground. They winter in the southern United States, Mexico, Central and South America. Declines have been seen in some areas, but the species is still widespread and abundant. Cowbird parasitism has been reported at 20% for this species.
While birding around the house this spring, enjoy these bird species. Listen for the flute-like sounds of the wood thrush or the varied musical see notes of the redstart.
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.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Spring
Nature Watch
May 6, 2008
By Susan Benson, CNHM Director of Education
Could we have had a record snowfall in April this year? It surely felt like it, and let us hope that the snow is behind us, as May is perhaps the most exciting month for regional phenologists. Many northern Wisconsin bird species have returned and some of the later species such as warblers and shorebirds are on their way, either to develop territories here or rest briefly before heading to final destinations farther north. May forests are full of bird songs, most of them sung by males. In most cases, the males will stake out a territory and use their call to attract a female of that species to them. By now it’s likely that sandhill cranes have built a nest near open water in a grassy area. The fuzzy yellow-brown chicks are born within 30 days so should be hatching in mid-May. White-throated sparrow, tree sparrows, and song sparrows have arrived. May 7-15 is when Museum phenologists have recorded hummingbirds as having returned to this area.
Listen in the evening for the male American woodcock, which has the most elaborate display to attract females. One of my most favorite spring activities is to sneak up close enough to observe this ritual. The male gives repeated "peents" on the ground, stomps his feet, dips his bill, and then turns and repeats the sound and motion in several directions. After several buzzes the woodcock leaps into the air. As he gets higher, his wings begin to whistle using his outer primary wing feathers; he continues to climb in wide spirals until he's almost out of sight. He comes down in a zig-zag, diving fashion, chirping as he goes. After landing he buzzes again, and if he's lucky a female joins him. Males repeat this performance up to twenty times during an evening.
During some years (that have less April snow), a few species of flowers have already bloomed during April, while others make their first appearance in May. Dandelions are among the first plants to pop up in the spring, and I have observed them blooming in Ashland. Species such as hepatica and bloodroot should be blooming soon; other species such as starflower, trillium, lilac, blue-bead lily, Canada mayflower, forget-me-nots and marsh marigold will be seen during the coming weeks.
Keep your eyes out in the forest for one of my favorite signs of spring, the blooming leatherwood, a woody shrub that grows up to 8 feet, but is usually smaller. The small, yellow bell flowers are delicate and beautiful. As its name suggests, the stems are soft, leathery and very pliable, yet still very strong; the stems can actually be tied into knots. The bark is fibrous and can be peeled off in strips and woven into twine.
Most insects should be hopping, buzzing, crawling and flying around by now. The abundance of mosquitoes can be at its highest during May, due to the spring ponds, puddles and other wet areas where they lay their eggs. In Wisconsin, dragonfly nymphs change into adults two different times a year. The spring species emerge all at once in May and early June when the days grow longer and temperatures get warmer. The summer species develop at separate times throughout late June, July, and August.
When will you record your first mosquito this season? Email your spring observations to the Museum at info@cablemuseum.org and be sure to include information on the date observed, name, and the town in which you made your observations.
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.
May 6, 2008
By Susan Benson, CNHM Director of Education
Could we have had a record snowfall in April this year? It surely felt like it, and let us hope that the snow is behind us, as May is perhaps the most exciting month for regional phenologists. Many northern Wisconsin bird species have returned and some of the later species such as warblers and shorebirds are on their way, either to develop territories here or rest briefly before heading to final destinations farther north. May forests are full of bird songs, most of them sung by males. In most cases, the males will stake out a territory and use their call to attract a female of that species to them. By now it’s likely that sandhill cranes have built a nest near open water in a grassy area. The fuzzy yellow-brown chicks are born within 30 days so should be hatching in mid-May. White-throated sparrow, tree sparrows, and song sparrows have arrived. May 7-15 is when Museum phenologists have recorded hummingbirds as having returned to this area.
Listen in the evening for the male American woodcock, which has the most elaborate display to attract females. One of my most favorite spring activities is to sneak up close enough to observe this ritual. The male gives repeated "peents" on the ground, stomps his feet, dips his bill, and then turns and repeats the sound and motion in several directions. After several buzzes the woodcock leaps into the air. As he gets higher, his wings begin to whistle using his outer primary wing feathers; he continues to climb in wide spirals until he's almost out of sight. He comes down in a zig-zag, diving fashion, chirping as he goes. After landing he buzzes again, and if he's lucky a female joins him. Males repeat this performance up to twenty times during an evening.
During some years (that have less April snow), a few species of flowers have already bloomed during April, while others make their first appearance in May. Dandelions are among the first plants to pop up in the spring, and I have observed them blooming in Ashland. Species such as hepatica and bloodroot should be blooming soon; other species such as starflower, trillium, lilac, blue-bead lily, Canada mayflower, forget-me-nots and marsh marigold will be seen during the coming weeks.
Keep your eyes out in the forest for one of my favorite signs of spring, the blooming leatherwood, a woody shrub that grows up to 8 feet, but is usually smaller. The small, yellow bell flowers are delicate and beautiful. As its name suggests, the stems are soft, leathery and very pliable, yet still very strong; the stems can actually be tied into knots. The bark is fibrous and can be peeled off in strips and woven into twine.
Most insects should be hopping, buzzing, crawling and flying around by now. The abundance of mosquitoes can be at its highest during May, due to the spring ponds, puddles and other wet areas where they lay their eggs. In Wisconsin, dragonfly nymphs change into adults two different times a year. The spring species emerge all at once in May and early June when the days grow longer and temperatures get warmer. The summer species develop at separate times throughout late June, July, and August.
When will you record your first mosquito this season? Email your spring observations to the Museum at info@cablemuseum.org and be sure to include information on the date observed, name, and the town in which you made your observations.
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.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Frogs & Butterflies
Nature WatchMay 1, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Although snow seems to want to stay, there are still many signs that tell us winter is coming to an end. Really! The loud, peeping chorus of spring peepers was heard last week. These frogs are among the very first to call and breed in the spring, often beginning when there is still ice on our lakes and snow on the ground. These frogs are found in temporary (vernal) spring ponds, or permanent ponds, marshes and ditches; following the breeding season they move into woodlands or fields. Peepers are easier to identify because they call out their name – peep, peep, peep. Sometimes peepers call while sitting under grass clumps or in crevices in the earth, allowing them to amplify their call; this technique also makes it difficult to track exactly from where the sound is coming. Other frogs to keep your ears out for include the western chorus frog that sounds like a person’s thumb pulling down a comb; the wood frog is said to sound a little like a squeaky duck quacking.
Last week’s warmth brought out a lot of butterflies. One of the most common during the warm spring days is the mourning cloak, black with yellow on the edges. These insects hibernate as adults, secreting natural antifreezes such as sorbitol into their bodies as the weather cools. They then find shelter under loose bark, in debris, or in a crevice under a roof overhang. Now, in the spring, mourning cloaks are the first to come out as their dark colors experience solar heating. Their spring food includes mostly tree sap, especially that of oaks. They walk down the trunk to the sap and feed head downward. Males will bask in the spring sun awaiting receptive females. Eggs are laid in groups circling twigs of the host plant. Caterpillars live in a communal web and feed together on young leaves, then pupate and emerge as adults in June or July. Due to their hibernation, the mourning cloak has a greatly extended adult span. While a period of about two weeks is a typical life span for most adult butterflies, mourning cloak adults live for up to eleven months. Other butterflies to keep an eye out for include the Milbert’s tortoise shell, red admirals, and the small blue spring azure.
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.
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Although snow seems to want to stay, there are still many signs that tell us winter is coming to an end. Really! The loud, peeping chorus of spring peepers was heard last week. These frogs are among the very first to call and breed in the spring, often beginning when there is still ice on our lakes and snow on the ground. These frogs are found in temporary (vernal) spring ponds, or permanent ponds, marshes and ditches; following the breeding season they move into woodlands or fields. Peepers are easier to identify because they call out their name – peep, peep, peep. Sometimes peepers call while sitting under grass clumps or in crevices in the earth, allowing them to amplify their call; this technique also makes it difficult to track exactly from where the sound is coming. Other frogs to keep your ears out for include the western chorus frog that sounds like a person’s thumb pulling down a comb; the wood frog is said to sound a little like a squeaky duck quacking.
Last week’s warmth brought out a lot of butterflies. One of the most common during the warm spring days is the mourning cloak, black with yellow on the edges. These insects hibernate as adults, secreting natural antifreezes such as sorbitol into their bodies as the weather cools. They then find shelter under loose bark, in debris, or in a crevice under a roof overhang. Now, in the spring, mourning cloaks are the first to come out as their dark colors experience solar heating. Their spring food includes mostly tree sap, especially that of oaks. They walk down the trunk to the sap and feed head downward. Males will bask in the spring sun awaiting receptive females. Eggs are laid in groups circling twigs of the host plant. Caterpillars live in a communal web and feed together on young leaves, then pupate and emerge as adults in June or July. Due to their hibernation, the mourning cloak has a greatly extended adult span. While a period of about two weeks is a typical life span for most adult butterflies, mourning cloak adults live for up to eleven months. Other butterflies to keep an eye out for include the Milbert’s tortoise shell, red admirals, and the small blue spring azure.
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.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Phoebes & Juncos
Nature Watch
April 24, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Hellos and Goodbyes
I said “hello” this week to one of my best friends, and welcomed her back to my home in the woods. Her name is Phoebe. Some might know her as the Greek goddess of the moon, or the interesting character from the sitcom Friends. She arrived this past Wednesday, April 16, and will spend her next few months visiting me and talking with me every day. Technically, her name is Eastern phoebe. Any birder knows who I am talking of, the bold bird friend that can be observed from the arctic circle to the equator. Phoebe is one of the New World flycatchers and is a very aggressive insectivore, better known to me as the bird with a tremendous personality.
Phoebe’s color is a gray-brown, and she is a sparrow-like flycatcher with a light breast and a black bill. Every morning she greets me with her two syllable “fee-bee,” “fee-bee.” The first “fee-bee” goes down in pitch, and the second goes up. While some people might nod their heads at me in greeting, Phoebe has the habit of greeting me while bobbing her tail downward and upward again. She has a few places in my yard that seem to be her favorite perches every year, and she never appears to mind my human presence. This is one species that seems to thrive among any kind of development.
We share the same house. Every year Phoebe finds a sheltered spot under the eaves of my house to make her nest, although some birds will consider a porch or even inside a barn. 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. She doesn’t like it when I get near her nest, but each year I check in on her young to make sure they’re doing well. Phoebes are common cowbird hosts, and to combat this parasitic bird species, phoebes sometimes will build a new nest floor over top of cowbird eggs.
The eastern phoebe is the first flycatcher to arrive up north in the spring. Why does the phoebe come back so early and how does it survive when there are no insects to eat? The first field guide I looked at says that phoebes also eat berries and seeds, mostly in winter; insects and the occasional small fish or frog during other times. Phoebes also don’t go very far south for the winter, flying only to the southern United States. All other flycatchers winter in Central or South America and do not show up here until May when insects are available here.
At the same time I am greeting the phoebes around my house, I am also saying goodbye to the slate-colored juncos. Sunday morning I went for a short walk and was serenaded by the flash and song of what seemed like 40 or more juncos. This bird is a delightful uniform pale gray bird with its upperparts sharply defined against its white belly, aptly described as "leaden skies above, snow below." During the fall these small birds will fly south to inhabit much of the United States and northern Mexico in their winter flocks. During winter they will become frequent visitors to the yards of homes where food has been put out, preferring to scratch the ground for an easier meal.
Spring migration begins in around April 7th-12th as juncos fly over much of the eastern and Midwestern states on their journey north to Alaska and Canada. These birds will build up fat reserves before migrating in the spring, and will move northward rapidly in flocks of up to 100 birds. They will sometimes be accompanied by other sparrows. Male juncos will usually arrive early to establish territory for their nests. I say goodbye to these birds now, knowing they will soon find themselves the summer companion of the canoeist in the Canadian forests.
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.
April 24, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
Hellos and Goodbyes
I said “hello” this week to one of my best friends, and welcomed her back to my home in the woods. Her name is Phoebe. Some might know her as the Greek goddess of the moon, or the interesting character from the sitcom Friends. She arrived this past Wednesday, April 16, and will spend her next few months visiting me and talking with me every day. Technically, her name is Eastern phoebe. Any birder knows who I am talking of, the bold bird friend that can be observed from the arctic circle to the equator. Phoebe is one of the New World flycatchers and is a very aggressive insectivore, better known to me as the bird with a tremendous personality.
Phoebe’s color is a gray-brown, and she is a sparrow-like flycatcher with a light breast and a black bill. Every morning she greets me with her two syllable “fee-bee,” “fee-bee.” The first “fee-bee” goes down in pitch, and the second goes up. While some people might nod their heads at me in greeting, Phoebe has the habit of greeting me while bobbing her tail downward and upward again. She has a few places in my yard that seem to be her favorite perches every year, and she never appears to mind my human presence. This is one species that seems to thrive among any kind of development.
We share the same house. Every year Phoebe finds a sheltered spot under the eaves of my house to make her nest, although some birds will consider a porch or even inside a barn. 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. She doesn’t like it when I get near her nest, but each year I check in on her young to make sure they’re doing well. Phoebes are common cowbird hosts, and to combat this parasitic bird species, phoebes sometimes will build a new nest floor over top of cowbird eggs.
The eastern phoebe is the first flycatcher to arrive up north in the spring. Why does the phoebe come back so early and how does it survive when there are no insects to eat? The first field guide I looked at says that phoebes also eat berries and seeds, mostly in winter; insects and the occasional small fish or frog during other times. Phoebes also don’t go very far south for the winter, flying only to the southern United States. All other flycatchers winter in Central or South America and do not show up here until May when insects are available here.
At the same time I am greeting the phoebes around my house, I am also saying goodbye to the slate-colored juncos. Sunday morning I went for a short walk and was serenaded by the flash and song of what seemed like 40 or more juncos. This bird is a delightful uniform pale gray bird with its upperparts sharply defined against its white belly, aptly described as "leaden skies above, snow below." During the fall these small birds will fly south to inhabit much of the United States and northern Mexico in their winter flocks. During winter they will become frequent visitors to the yards of homes where food has been put out, preferring to scratch the ground for an easier meal.
Spring migration begins in around April 7th-12th as juncos fly over much of the eastern and Midwestern states on their journey north to Alaska and Canada. These birds will build up fat reserves before migrating in the spring, and will move northward rapidly in flocks of up to 100 birds. They will sometimes be accompanied by other sparrows. Male juncos will usually arrive early to establish territory for their nests. I say goodbye to these birds now, knowing they will soon find themselves the summer companion of the canoeist in the Canadian forests.
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.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
April
Nature Watch
April 17, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
April showers have not exactly been on our list of weather events so far this month, but we are all wishing for them! Here is the good news. In the early part of the 20th century, an entomologist named Andrew Delmar Hopkins tried to describe the relationship of elevation, latitude and longitude to the coming of spring. Roughly speaking, Hopkins’ Law of Bioclimatics calculates that spring moves northward by about 12 miles per day. Elevation and longitude also factor in, predicting spring’s later arrival at higher elevations and westward longitudes.
Bird migration is in full swing by April. During a typical spring, waterfowl and black bird species are usually the first birds back in large numbers. During April, birdwatchers should be seeing new species just about every day. Some of the birds are seeking out nesting and breeding territories, while others are stopping to eat for a few days before continuing their northward journey. My own observations have been: April 3, turkey vulture; April 4, first robin and killdeers; April 7, great blue heron and kestrels; April 8, wood ducks and hooded mergansers; April 9, mallard duck; April 10, a pair of crows, the male flying a circle to attract the female; April 11, reports came in via the phone during the blizzard that red-winged blackbirds, grackles and many other bird species were flocking to bird feeders for sustenance.
Common loons should be arriving in the north this month. These birds have been spending the winter along the Atlantic coast; by the end of March they will have ventured north of the Carolinas to begin their inland flight. During this flight loons need to follow rivers and lakes because they can’t land on anything other than water.
In spite of all this spring snow, there are a few more signs of spring we should continue to look forward to seeing or hearing soon: spring peepers chirping, grouse drumming, bloodroot blooming, dandelions blooming, and our favorites – ticks and mosquitoes biting. Do you have your own spring phenology observations you have been recording? Send your Email to the Museum to info@cablemuseum.org and we will include your data in our phenology database. Please be sure to record your name, name of observation, the date sited, and town in which you observed the animal or plant 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.
April 17, 2008
By Susan Benson,
CNHM Director of Education
April showers have not exactly been on our list of weather events so far this month, but we are all wishing for them! Here is the good news. In the early part of the 20th century, an entomologist named Andrew Delmar Hopkins tried to describe the relationship of elevation, latitude and longitude to the coming of spring. Roughly speaking, Hopkins’ Law of Bioclimatics calculates that spring moves northward by about 12 miles per day. Elevation and longitude also factor in, predicting spring’s later arrival at higher elevations and westward longitudes.
Bird migration is in full swing by April. During a typical spring, waterfowl and black bird species are usually the first birds back in large numbers. During April, birdwatchers should be seeing new species just about every day. Some of the birds are seeking out nesting and breeding territories, while others are stopping to eat for a few days before continuing their northward journey. My own observations have been: April 3, turkey vulture; April 4, first robin and killdeers; April 7, great blue heron and kestrels; April 8, wood ducks and hooded mergansers; April 9, mallard duck; April 10, a pair of crows, the male flying a circle to attract the female; April 11, reports came in via the phone during the blizzard that red-winged blackbirds, grackles and many other bird species were flocking to bird feeders for sustenance.
Common loons should be arriving in the north this month. These birds have been spending the winter along the Atlantic coast; by the end of March they will have ventured north of the Carolinas to begin their inland flight. During this flight loons need to follow rivers and lakes because they can’t land on anything other than water.
In spite of all this spring snow, there are a few more signs of spring we should continue to look forward to seeing or hearing soon: spring peepers chirping, grouse drumming, bloodroot blooming, dandelions blooming, and our favorites – ticks and mosquitoes biting. Do you have your own spring phenology observations you have been recording? Send your Email to the Museum to info@cablemuseum.org and we will include your data in our phenology database. Please be sure to record your name, name of observation, the date sited, and town in which you observed the animal or plant 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.
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