May 25th, 2012
American Bison by Jim Peaco
For North American hoofed mammals, the month spanning a couple of weeks on either side of Memorial Day is the height of the birthing season. Most elk calves, deer fawns, and bighorn sheep lambs are born during this time. Moose and pronghorn also birth their young after spring is well underway. However, there is one hoofed mammal of the American West that births its babies sooner. American Bison (bison bison) may begin calving as early as April, sometimes dropping their young to an earth that is still covered in snow.
While some young ungulates such as pronghorn and mountain goats appear much like miniature adults, baby bison look quite different than their parents. Their coat is reddish brown or golden, much lighter than the dark brown and nearly black hair found on adult bison. Baby bison lack the curving horns found on adults of both sexes, although a close inspection of a newborn bison’s head by an expert can reveal the tiny buds from which its horns will grow.
Healthy, adult bison are essentially immune from predation. However, wolves and grizzly bears will readily attempt to catch newborn bison. If a bison herd stands its ground against a potential predation attempt by wolves, the young are normally safe. If the herd panics and young bison are separated from the adults, they are much more easily taken by wolves.
Impressive and powerful, it’s not likely that anyone would describe an adult bison as “cute.” But for the first couple months of life, their babies certainly fit the definition, perhaps an odd descriptor for little ones that may one day weigh a ton.
Tags: American Bison, bison, deer, elk, mammals, Moose, Mountain Goat, nature, Pronghorn Sheep, wildlife, wolves, yellowstone
Posted in Jack Ballard | No Comments »
May 24th, 2012
Nashville Warbler by Josh Haas
After expanding our property last year with the acquisition of more land I could hardly wait for spring 2012 to come so we could hit our trail and target the new areas that would likely bring more yard birds to check off the list. At the end of last year we were at 94. Within the last three weeks, we’ve added six birds. Amazing! Also with those six birds came 100.
So what is a yard list? Well for any enthusiast into birds, mammals, reptiles, etc. a yard list is a running tally to keep track of any of those things you see from or in your yard. You can create multiple lists and have your own rules because they are your lists. For instance, the rule we have for our yard bird list is that we have to physically be on our property when we see or hear the bird. The bird can for instance be flying or perched outside our property lines but as long as we are on the property and the bird can be unmistakably identified, it counts. This is a fun way to keep track of the different things seen on your property and also makes time at home more fun. The last few birds that made our list were great migrants like the Prothonotary Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Hooded Merganser. A great feature in the Audubon app is listing. I keep our yard list up to date in the app on my iPhone and then Sync my content to my FREE account on the www.audubonguides.com website.
What bird made our 100? Our 100th bird was the Nashville Warbler. I’ve been walking our trail for the past few weeks as migration has really turned on hoping for mornings or evenings where birds have fallen in. The funny thing about the Nashville Warbler yesterday was that I wasn’t even out of the house yet. I awoke to him calling right outside our window! It’s always a good morning when I awake to nature instead of the Marimba on my iPhone. =) I love how the 100th bird came but a part of me was hoping it’d be on the trail with my family. Having said that, maybe during our family walk tonight, 101 will be added to the list! I wonder what it will be…
To hear the sound of a Nashville Warbler, click HERE
Tags: birding, birds, Common Merganser, Lincoln's Sparrow, Michigan, Nashville, nature, Prothonotary Warbler, Warbler, warblers, wildlife
Posted in Entries by Josh Haas | 1 Comment »
May 23rd, 2012
Ocelot © C. Allan Morgan
A little cat has been making big news in Arizona. Back in November 2009, a remote camera in the Huachuca Mountains, placed by volunteers with Tucson-based Sky Island Alliance, captured a blurry but recognizable photo of an Ocelot. This was the first solid evidence for the species’ presence in Arizona in almost 50 years.
Tantalizing to be sure, but anyone who spends time in the wild knows just how rare it is to see even the relatively common Bobcat. That’s why it was so exciting to hear on February 8, 2011 that dogs had treed an Ocelot in the Huachucas. The animal, which appeared to be a healthy adult male, was allowed to go on its way unharmed after photo and video documentation. It was much grayer and shorter-nosed than the more familiar tropical subspecies, as befits an Ocelot of the colder, more arid Southwest.
Four months later, the Monument fire swept through the southern part of the Huachuca Mountains, causing many to fear for the life of this very special feline neighbor. The story recently took an optimistic turn in late April, when a private citizen’s remote camera captured new Ocelot photos in the Huachucas. These are being examined by biologists with the Arizona Game & Fish Department and compared with the 2011 photos. Whether or not the spot patterns match, we know that there is still at least one Ocelot roaming Arizona’s “sky islands.”
Less than 40 miles as the raven flies from the Arizona encounters, other remote cameras at El Aribabi Conservation Ranch in Sonora, Mexico have recorded multiple Ocelots and at least one Jaguar in addition to Bobcats and Mountain Lions. The bigger felines can no longer travel freely where the border fence has been completed, but I’m glad there’s room for the Ocelot to slip through.
-Sheri Williamson
Tags: animals, arizona, bobcat, cats, felines, Jaguar, mammals, Mexico, Mountain Lion, nature, Ocelot, wildlife
Posted in Entries by Sheri Williamson | No Comments »
May 22nd, 2012
Black-bellied Plover, adult breeding by Lisa Densmore
Location: Sanibel Island, Florida
I had just arrived on a long-awaited trip to Florida. First stop, Sanibel Island. First activity, walk the beach. Second activity, grab my camera. The two-miles of strand from the front door of my condo at Sanibel Arms West to the landmark lighthouse on the southern tip of the island was an unexpected birder’s delight. One surprise among the dozen or so species of shore birds was a plethora of Black-bellied Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) darting here and there at the edge of the gentle waves that lapped the shelled-laden sand.
Black-bellied Plovers winter on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida as well as much of the Pacific and Atlantic coastal areas. They are a rarity inland, except for around the Great Lakes. As most migratory birds have already headed north by now, I thought these Artic inhabitants would be long gone, en route to their tundra nesting sites. This male was already bedeckt in his mating plummage, however, he seemed as content wetting his toes in the 80-degree water as I did.
Breeding Black-bellied Plovers are strikingly black and white with a frosty crown and nape. Ironically, Black-bellied Plovers are distinguishable from American Golden-Plovers and Pacific Golden-Plovers in part by their half white belly that extends from their legs to their tail. American Golden-Plovers and Pacific Golden-Plovers have totally black bellies. At an average 11 ½ inches, Black-bellied Plovers are also an inch or two longer. That said, they were only dwarfed by the Sanderlings on Sanibel’s beach the day I took this picture.
Tags: American Golden-Plover, birding, birds, Black-bellied Plover, Florida, nature, Pacific Golden-Plover, Plovers, Sanderling, wildlife
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May 21st, 2012
Sandbur by Jungle Pete
Take great care when walking on
A grassy dune or beach
Avoid the spiny sandburs
Is the lesson I would teach
Oddly it is classified
As a grass with flattened blade
The well protected prickly seed
Inflicts a pain I would not trade
To any other person
The one-seeded fruit may look benign
But as a kid the stalk of spurs
Was used like a cat-of nine
By bullies armed with barbed bouquets
A devilish construction
Persecuted mercilessly I was by
Weapons of grass destruction
The biological intent although
Is not to cause one dread
The seeds instead attach themselves
And from there the grass can spread
Food it is for larval forms
Of several butterflies
Like satyrs and many skippers
Just before they metamorphasize
The many forms of sandbur species
All members of the genus Cenchrus
Have caused a many manly men
To tiptoe along the seashells
The last thing I’ll say
I’ve saved for last
Please watch your step
For this pain in the grass
Tags: butterflies, Florida, Grass, Grassbur, Sandburs, Satyrs, seashells, seed, Skippers, species, weeds
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May 18th, 2012
Common Dandelion by Lisa Densmore
Location: Chateaugay Lake, NY
I grasped the base of the plant below its jagged-edged leaves, urging its roots to release their tenacious hold on the dark brown soil. Gotcha! I gave the green and yellow clump a satisfying fling into a nearby wheelbarrow. Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) have always been the bane of my lawn. By late April, they’ve already poked their annoying yellow blooms above my otherwise green grass. For every dandelion I uproot, three sprout in its place. The cursed yellow flowers grow everywhere, not only around my house, but also along roads, in fields, along hiking trails, even in the sand at the beach! This could be a hopeless war, but I wasn’t ready to wave the white flag. As the general of my attack on dandelions, I decided to get more information about this enemy ground force.
As it turns out, the weed I’ve tried in vain to eradicate is a nutritious herb, valued in Europe and the sub-Indian continent for a myriad of medicinal uses. Though bitter when eaten alone, it is a nutritious enhancement in many recipes, loaded with vitamins A, C, K and B6, potassium, manganese and a number of other important nutrients.
Common Dandelion by Lisa Densmore
The Chinese and Indians gathered wild dandelions to treat boils, bronchitis, pneumonia and ulcers for centuries, though the Arabs were likely the first to cultivate them. As early as 900 AD, they used the root of the plant as a cure for liver disease. Today herbalists brew dandelions into tea, toast it, mixed it into tinctures, and dry it to derive various health benefits from this common plant such as reducing hypertension and stabilizing mood. Perhaps if I try eating the darn things my mood will improve when I pluck them from my yard.
Tags: Common Dandelion, flowers, nature, Plants, weeds, wildflowers
Posted in Entries by Lisa Densmore | 3 Comments »
May 17th, 2012
American White Pelican by Jack Ballard
It’s often assumed that pelicans consume small fish which they catch in their large, sac-like bills. But sometimes their catch is substantial. Biologists studying American White Pelicans at Idaho’s Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge last summer discovered an unusual fish tag expelled by a pelican on a small island. Two things made the tag out of the ordinary.
First, the tag was from Montana. Montana biologists identified it as belonging to a Brown Trout tagged in the Big Hole River. Evidently a pelican scooped up the trout in Montana and then flew 300 miles to Idaho. The fish was either digested along the way, or the tag lodged in the bird’s bill or digestive system and was expelled at a later time. Perhaps more notable was the fish’s size. At the time the brown trout was tagged, it weighed over two pounds and was 18 inches long. Pelicans, it seems, are happy to snag big trout.
Although anecdotal in nature, the discovery of the tag seems to lend some credibility to the theory that abundant white pelicans may hamper efforts to restore endangered arctic grayling on Montana’s Big Hole River. The Big Hole is home to a small population of river-dwelling grayling whose survival seems perpetually precarious. Some observers believe the large flocks of pelicans that frequent the river in drought years may be consuming significant numbers of the endangered grayling. If a pelican can chomp an 18 inch trout, it can certainly munch an adult grayling. I suppose a pelican can eat whatever it wants, but let’s hope those on the Big Hole stick with trout.
Tags: American White Pelican, birding, birds, Brown Trout, nature, Pelicans, trout, wildlife
Posted in Jack Ballard | 1 Comment »
May 16th, 2012
With spring upon us, migration is in full swing. Reports of new arriving birds every day bring hope that the breeding season is just around the corner. For some, it’s already started. When it comes to Raptor Migration, traps for good viewing are mostly determined by geographic funnels or specific ridge paths the birds take year after year. One of these geographic funnel points is Whitefish Pt. in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Lillian on the Hawk Deck with Mom by Josh Haas
A short, 6 hour drive from home and we make the trek to Whitefish Pt. each spring to enjoy the splendor. Counting in the fall for the Detroit River Hawkwatch, this yearly weekend is my way of getting my Hawkwatch fix after being away from it for months. This would be the first year for baby Lillian and also her first real trip. She was an angel and even found herself on the deck one day, although she was asleep! The weekend was oddly warm in the UP and completely void of clouds, which makes Hawk-watching tough. Many birds are almost stratospheric and stream by undetected but for the ones at lower altitudes, making the 17.5-mile journey across to Canada from the point is no easy feat. While many migrating songbirds will cross huge spans of water, Raptors don’t prefer it. As long as the winds are right and the birds have some guts, they’ll go for it. For some, however, this takes some time.
Juvenile, Red-Shouldered Hawk by Josh Haas
While watching the movement of Raptors, it’s especially important to look for distinguishing characteristics in individuals to keep track of them. Many of the birds (especially juveniles) will start the trip across only to turn around and return to the point. This can go on all day, which begs the question: “How do counters keep from counting these birds multiple times?” Every Hawkwatch has a counting protocol specific to the site. The protocol takes into account such activities to keep the data consistent from year to year. For Whitefish Pt., one example of protocol is with Buteos (ex. Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, etc.) They are tallied at the end of the day as the greatest number seen in a given hour. For more information on possible Hawkwatch sites near you, check out www.hawkcount.org.
Dark Morph, Red-tailed Hawk by Josh Haas
Tags: birding, birds, Buteos, Hawks, Michigan, mogration, raptors, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk
Posted in Entries by Josh Haas | 2 Comments »
May 15th, 2012
Red Admiral © Kent McFarland
If you live in eastern North America, it would be surprising if you had not noticed an invasion of butterflies this spring. For us in the upper Midwest, it was most notable after strong south winds in mid-April, when one weekend saw a tremendous influx of Red Admirals. While this species often prefers to feed on sap or rotten fruit, dozens gathered on blossoms of flowering crabapples, Eastern Redbuds, and other trees which were blooming earlier than usual due to the very warm weather we had in March. Many hundreds of Red Admirals also passed overhead, speeding north.
Red Admirals tend to stage these large northbound movements every so often. While we had seen some years with big numbers, this year has been unprecedented. One factor believed to trigger these movements is high overwinter survivorship. Like many other butterfly species, Red Admirals overwinter as adults; this occurs in the southern states in North America. Mild winters like the last one favor many adults making it through until spring.
Red Admiral, caterpillar © Leroy Simon, David Liebman
Red Admiral larvae feed on nettles. I have only found them on stinging nettles and consider their hosting Red Admiral larvae as one of their only redeeming values! I’ve recently found the tell-tale rolled up nettle leaves that indicate a small Red Admiral caterpillar is sheltered inside. A fresh generation will soon be on the wing.
Two close relatives, the Painted Lady and American Lady, have also staged good movements this year. We saw a few in April, but by mid-May we were beginning to see them much more frequently. Finally, our mild winter also meant good survivorship for local species that overwinter as adults, in particular Question Marks and Commas.
At a time when I often lament the dwindling abundance of common species, especially in the urban areas where I live and work, the super-saturation of butterflies this year has simply been a joy to behold.
Red Admiral © Rick Cech
Tags: American Lady, butterflies, caterpillars, larvae, nature, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, species, wildlife
Posted in Julie Craves | No Comments »
May 14th, 2012
Mahogany Seed by Jungle Pete
When the fruit fell from the tree it clanged on the hood of the car with the force of a well hit baseball. It rolled off the grill, falling to the pavement with the sound of the crack of a bat. The rock hard exterior of the fruit had cleaved into four neat quarters, each maintaining a slim connection to the adjacent quarter. Inside, several dozen reddish-brown, winged seeds had separated from the core, while a few had been ejected upon impact. Today, this is a commonplace occurrence in department store and grocery store parking lots of South Florida where the West Indian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagon) has been planted.
The long sought-after hardwood is native to many islands in the Caribbean as well as extreme South Florida. Over harvesting has reduced the range and abundance of this tropical species, which most likely found its way to Florida millennia ago on the winds or waves churned up by tropical storms or hurricanes.
Shoppers might find it hard to believe the seemingly ubiquitous tree that has been planted prolifically is recognized as a threatened species. Most wild specimens are found on the hardwood hammocks (aka tree islands) of the Everglades. Mahogany can grow to fifty feet in height with a sixty foot spread. It’s an excellent shade tree and as landscapers recognize the importance of using native species, the mahogany is found more and more in urban areas.
The adage “never park beneath a coconut tree”, which is understandably a useless sentiment for most of North America, should apply to the West Indian Mahogany as well. The problem though, is the popularity of this species in parking lots and the inability of most people to identify it. The main telltale clue is the brown mahogany fruit growing upright on a tufted stalk. At this time of the year, a good sized tree could have fifty or more. They don’t all fall at once. Some ripen, split and expel their seeds while still attached to the tree. But the rest? Bombs away.
Tags: Everglades, Florida, Mahogany, native species, North America, seeds, species, trees, West Indian Mahogany
Posted in Entries by Jungle Pete | No Comments »
