Orchids Are Weeds

Okay, so maybe saying that orchids are weeds is a bit of a dramatic exaggeration.  However, while mowing the trails on our St. Joseph County, Indiana property yesterday, I had to slam on the brakes inches from mowing the fourth orchid species that we've documented on our property, October Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes ovalis var. erostellata). If you're a follower of this blog, you may know that the previous three orchids we'd found on our property were Ragged Fringed Orchid (Platanthera lacera), Purple Twayblade (Liparis liliifolia), and Green Twayblade (Liparis loeselii).  After finding the third of those, I asked readers of this blog (tongue in cheek) which orchid species we would find next.  Keith Board has to win some kind of prize for predicting that we would find this species.  My find today is even more interesting because I saw this species growing on the St. Joseph and Elkhart county line on Friday last week and came home to look for it on our property in a young successional wooded area.  I struck out.  I guess I was looking in the wrong place and instead needed to be sitting on a riding mower to find it.

 

Sure, a weed is often defined as a plant out of place.  In that sense, I don't necessarily consider orchids weeds.  However, the more I see and learn, the more I think that many of our orchid species require disturbance to grow, reproduce, and continue to be evident above ground, and without that disturbance, they cease to exist (at least until the disturbance returns) (see the dialog in the comments of this post for a discussion on this topic).  In this case, the orchid I found is growing right at the edge of the trail that I mow regularly, in old-field, with mostly non-native species and weedy native species such as Tall Fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia), and Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans ssp. negundo). 

As seen in the photograph below, the flowers of October Lady's Tresses (also known as Oval Ladies'-tresses) are usually in three spiraling ranks.  The flowers (and specifically the lip) are smaller than many of the other members of the genus Spiranthes, with the lip reaching only approximately 5.5 mm; the other two species that have flowers that minute in the lower Great Lakes region have either a yellow or green spot on the upper surface of the lip.  The lip on October Lady's Tresses is quite recurved and is usually inrolled, giving it a narrow appearance. Another good field character used to help identify October Lady's Tresses is seen in the photograph above... notice that the leaves are present and conspicuous when the plant is in flower. 

Whereas many of our Spiranthes grow in full sun habitats, October Lady's Tresses is more shade-tolerant and does best in openings in woods, along trails, and in young successional woods.  It also is found in thickets and in old-fields.  When forests mature and less light can reach the forest floor, this species tends to be less prevalent, an indication that it requires disturbance. You can see the habitat where I found the plant on our property in the photograph below (it is just about in the middle of the photo).  Not an area that anyone would consider "high quality" by any means.

The range of October Lady's Tresses includes the eastern United States and the province of Ontario.  However, it is not known from more than a large handful of counties in any of the states in which it occurs, and its county distribution is fairly even over its range.  That said, this species is increasing its range and distribution, likely in part due to the increased level of disturbance to our natural areas.  So... is it just a weed?  Certainly a unique and welcomed one on our property!

Photobombed by a Skipper

While taking the photograph below of a Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) plant in one of our native landscaping gardens, a skipper flew into my photograph at the last second...

 

Another Yard Orchid!

Hmmm...

 

Yet another surprise.   Hope to have an update on this one later this year.

The Unexpected Orchid Exhibit Continues

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you may be aware that in the five years that Lindsay and I have lived on our property in North Liberty, Indiana, we located two species of orchids on the land formerly used as hog pasture and currently in an old-field state.  First was Ragged Fringed Orchid (Platanthera lacera) on 4 July 2009, and then on 4 September of that same year I came across Purple Twayblade (Liparis liliifolia) while conducting transect/quadrat sampling on our property.  Two orchid species on our property!  Two species, that is, until this spring. 

Sometime this March I noticed the leaves of an orchid along the trails through our property.  I immediately recognized the orchid as a twayblade (Liparis), but the leaves seemed more narrow than the Purple Twayblade I'd found on our property two-and-a-half years prior.  I decided to keep an eye on this orchid with hopes that it would develop flowers.  Then, one day in late May, Lindsay was walking Bootypants and noticed that the orchid had produced flowers.  She called me at work to let me know, and with much anticipation, I asked if the flowers were purple.  To my amazement and delight, the answer was "no, they're green."  I was aware of the green-flowered form of Purple Twayblade (called Liparis liliifolia forma viridiflora), but I also knew that Green Twayblade (Liparis loeselii), which has narrower leaves than Purple Twayblade, has green flowers.  I couldn't wait to get home and walk (it turned out to be more of a jog) to the far western end of our property to have a look for myself.

Sure enough, that excited confusion that I experienced on 4 July and 5 September 2009 was repeated as I gazed upon a single Green Twayblade plant in flower!  During the sampling I conducted on our property on 5 September 2009, I did see a single narrow-leaved twayblade plant without flowers along the northern boundary of our property that I thought looked like Green Twayblade, but I didn't expect to see this species that normally grows in calcareous wetlands (such as fens, pannes, and sedge meadows) in our weedy old-field, so I assumed that it was probably just a narrow-leaved Purple Twayblade.  I went back to that location the following year and couldn't relocate the plant.  Now I am fairly convinced that the plant I saw on 5 September 2009 after already finding Purple Twayblade on our property was in fact the the same species that I saw in flower on 25 May 2012, Green Twayblade.

Although Green Twayblade (also known as Loesel's Twayblade) usually is found in calcareous wetlands, it is not unprecedented to find it in a shrubby old field such as ours. Homoya (1993) mentions accounts of this species in dry, brushy old-fields (such as ours) and young regrowth forests, but these accounts seem to be rare.  Maybe that's because this species is small and inconspicous and old-fields and young regrowth forests aren't on the top of the list for people to botanize.  Or maybe, as Homoya (1993) suggests, this species is expanding its range south and into different habitats.  Or maybe, just maybe, there is a third species of twayblade in the Great Lakes region that grows in drier conditions and that has yet to be described.

For more information on Green Twayblade, see my recent post at Get Your Botany On!.

Anyone care to venture a guess as to what the next species of orchid to surface on our property will be?  I would say that I would be surprised to find another species, but after what we've seen so far, I wouldn't be telling the entire truth.


Homoya, M.A. 1993. Orchids of Indiana. Indiana Academy of Science. pp. 136-139.

Frozen Fog

Ever wonder what happens when fog freezes?  Well, we get frost flowers! They're not the same frost flowers as those that show up south of here, typically on dittany (Cunila origanoides) and wingstem (Verbesina spp.), but they're beautiful and intriguing nonetheless.  I was lucky enough to be outside this morning at the right time, and below are some of the shots that I took.

Looking out over a foggy winter landscape.

Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

Frost Aster (Aster pilosus) (that's really the common name!)

Frost Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)... okay, the common name of this one is really Eastern Cottonwood

Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)

Canada Rye (Elymus canadensis)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Hungarian Brome (Bromus inermis)

Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

A black-and-white shot

An obligatory Bootypants (Canis bootypantsii) photo

More Dead Animals?!?

I'm beginning to wonder about this place. In the past, I have posted about finding a Big Brown Bat, Star-nosed Mole, and Least Weasel dead on our property in northern Indiana. On March 16, 2009, we added to our mausoleum of mammals after finding these two rodents dead at different locations on our trails.

I believe that these are Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus; I've sent them to Dr. John Whitaker at Indiana State University for a positive identification. You may be thinking... "looks like a mouse to me." Voles differ from mice in having rounder heads, smaller ears and eyes, stouter bodies, and shorter, hairy tails.

Meadow Voles are widespread in North America, found in a variety of habitats in all regions except the southwest and southcentral states. Research shows that their populations are secure, and that they actually seem to be expanding southward. Meadow Voles breed throughout the year, including in the winter if there is enough snow to act as insulation. They are active both during the day and at night. The life span of a Meadow Vole in the wild is up to a year, but is usually less.

Female Meadow Voles are said to be territorial, while the males have ranges that cover three times the area of a female. Unlike the males of other vole species (such as the Prairie Vole, Microtus ochrogaster), male Meadow Voles are promiscuous little guys. To be protected while they forage, these proficient diggers, create tunnels through vegetation and the ground beneath.

Look at those chompers! The diet of the Meadow Vole is comprised mostly of vegetation, though they have been known also to be cannibalistic. They must spend a good part of the day and night eating, as they are known to consume 60% of their body weight every day!

It is unfortunate that we continue to find these animals dead on our property, but doing so gives me a reason to learn more about the species. Even land as degraded as our old field is full of interesting creatures.

100 Yard Birds (And Counting)!

Lindsay and I obtained possession of our 10 acre property and house across the street from a state park on April 30, 2007. We immediately began keeping a yard list of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and spiders. On our yard list, we include any species that is on or can be seen or heard from anywhere on our property. This morning, we reached a milestone; 100 species of yard birds!

I had just poured a bowl of cereal and decided to look at our yard list to find out on what date we started seeing certain birds migrating through last year. Our yard list is kept on a small table under the window in the front of the house, where our feeders are located. I took a quick glance around the base of our platform feeder and immediately saw the raspberry colors of a male Purple Finch! Knowing that this was yard bird #100, I ran upstairs to wake Lindsay up so that she could join me in the thrill of reaching this milestone. She followed me back downstairs and we were able to watch this little finch for a few minutes, and compare it to a male House Finch that also showed up at our feeders.

Below is a complete list of our yard birds to date, in order by date observed. The dates in parentheses are the dates we initially saw or heard a given species. We've also added notes on which species were seen or heard on our property (with notes on nesting) versus those observed from our property. If you are interested in seeing pictures or paintings of any of these species, click on one of the links under the Bird Website Essentials heading to the right and search for the species of interest.

1. Barn Swallow (5/8/2007) - nesting on property, including on front porch
2. Field Sparrow (5/8/2007) - on property, likely nesting
3. Song Sparrow (5/8/2007) - on property, likely nesting
4. Red-winged Blackbird (5/8/2007) - on property, likely nesting
5. Yellow Warbler (5/8/2007) - on property, likely nesting
6. Common Yellowthroat (5/8/2007) - on property, likely nesting
7. White-throated Sparrow (5/8/2007) - on property
8. American Robin (5/8/2007) - on property
9. Northern Cardinal (5/8/2007) - on property
10. Ring-necked Pheasant (5/8/2007) - heard from property
11. Mourning Dove (5/8/2007) - on property
12. Canada Goose (5/8/2007) - flyover; also in wetland at park seen from property
13. Mallard (5/8/2007) - on property in small pond
14. House Wren (5/9/2007) - nesting on property
15. Great Blue Heron (5/9/2007) - on property around small pond
16. Gray Catbird (5/9/2007) - on property
17. Eastern Bluebird (5/9/2007) - on property
18. American Goldfinch (5/9/2007) - on property
19. American Crow (5/9/2007) - on property
20. Killdeer (5/9/2007) - flyover
21. Red-bellied Woodpecker (5/9/2007) - on property
22. European Starling (5/9/2007) - nesting on property
23. Chipping Sparrow (5/9/2007) - on property, likely nesting
24. Double-crested Cormorant (5/9/2007) - seen from property flying over park
25. House Sparrow (5/9/2007) - on property, likely nesting
26. House Finch (5/9/2007) - on property
27. Red-tailed Hawk (5/10-13/2007) - on property
28. Eastern Phoebe (5/10-13/2007) - on property, maybe nesting
29. Osprey (5/10-13/2007) - flyover
30. Warbling Vireo (5/10-13/2007) - heard from property
31. Turkey Vulture (5/10-13/2007) - flyover
32. Willow Flycatcher (5/18/2007) - on property, maybe nesting
33. Blue Jay (5/18/2007) - on property
34. Sandhill Crane (5/18/2007) - flyover
35. Eastern Wood-Pewee (5/18/2007) - heard from property
36. Cedar Waxwing (5/18/2007) - on property
37. Rock Pigeon (5/18/2007) - nesting on property
38. Brown-headed Cowbird (5/18/2007) - on property
39. Tennessee Warbler (5/21/2007) - heard from property
40. Yellow-breasted Chat (5/24/2007) - on property
41. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5/24/2007) - on property
42. Great Egret (5/27/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
43. Red-eyed Vireo (5/27/2007) - heard from property
44. Baltimore Oriole (5/28/2007) - on property, maybe nesting
45. Common Grackle (5/28/2007) - on property
46. Indigo Bunting (5/28/2007) - on property
47. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (5/28/2007) - on property
48. Downy Woodpecker (5/28/2007) - on property
49. Green Heron (6/2/2007) - on property, maybe nesting around pond
50. Black-billed Cuckoo (6/2/2007) - on property
51. White-eyed Vireo (6/2/2007) - on property
52. Tufted Titmouse (6/2/2007) - on property
53. Yellow-throated Vireo (6/10/2007) - heard from property
54. Wood Duck (6/11/2007) - on property around pond
55. Red-headed Woodpecker (6/11/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
56. Tree Swallow (6/11/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
57. White-breasted Nuthatch (6/11/2007) - on property
58. Wood Thrush (6/11/2007) - heard from property
59. Brown Thrasher (6/15/2007) - on property
60. Eastern Kingbird (6/15/2007) - on property
61. Wild Turkey (6/17/2007) - heard from property
62. Cooper's Hawk (8/19/2007) - on property
63. Eastern Screech Owl (8/28/2007) - on property
64. Red-breasted Nuthatch (9/9/2007) - on property
65. Northern Flicker (10/7/2007) - on property
66. Yellow-rumped Warbler (10/14/2007) - on property
67. White-crowned Sparrow (10/14/2007) - on property
68. Dark-eyed Junco (10/14/2007) - on property
69. Mute Swan (10/23/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
70. Black-capped Chickadee (10/24/2007) - on property
71. Ring-necked Duck (10/28/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
72. American Tree Sparrow (11/14/2007) - on property
73. Northern Shoveler (11/17/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
74. Bufflehead (11/17/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
75. Red-shouldered Hawk (11/17/2007) - heard from property
76. Pine Siskin (11/18/2007) - on property
77. Common Redpoll (11/18/2007) - on property
78. Gadwall (11/24/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
79. American Coot (11/24/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
80. American Wigeon (11/24/2007) - seen from property in wetland at park
81. Northern Shrike (11/24/2007) - on property
82. Hairy Woodpecker (11/25/2007) - on property
83. Northern Harrier (12/8/2007) - seen from property
84. Rough-legged Hawk (12/23/2007) - on property
85. Great Horned Owl (1/28/2008) - heard from property
86. American Kestrel (2/9/2008) - on property
87. American Woodcock (3/13/2008) - on property, maybe nesting
88. Ring-billed Gull (3/13/2008) - flyover
89. Hooded Merganser (3/16/2008) - seen from property in wetland at park
90. Pied-billed Grebe (4/1/2008) - seen from property in wetland at park
91. Rusty Blackbird (4/8/2008) - on property
92. Eastern Towhee (4/13/2008) - on property
93. Golden-crowned Kinglet (4/15/2008) - on property
94. Lesser Scaup (4/15/2008) - seen from property in wetland at park
95. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (4/30/2008) - on property
96. Orchard Oriole (5/7/2008) - on property, maybe nesting
97. Barred Owl (10/10/2008) - heard from property
98. Belted Kingfisher (11/6/2008) - on property around pond
99. Snow Bunting (12/21/2008) - on property
100. Purple Finch (3/1/2008) - on property

White-nose Syndrome, or Just White Fungus?

UPDATE 28 JANUARY 2010...

After personally observing the Big Brown Bat discussed in this post, Dr. John Whitaker has told me... "The material on the nose appeared to be from the hibernaculum and was a mixture of dirt and hair stuck to the nose area and peeled right off with a needle. It was not white nose." Good news.

White-nose syndrome has received a lot of press lately. This disorder, which is characterized by a white fungus forming on the muzzle of hibernating bats, is currently known to exist in the northeastern United States and west to Pennsylvania. In just the past two years, it has led to the death of over 100,000 hibernating bats (primarily Little Brown Bat, but also Indiana Bat, Eastern Pipistrelle, Northern Long-eared Bat, and Small-footed Bat). This is bad news if you don't like mosquitos; one bat can eat up to 75 percent of its own weight in flying insects during a single summer.

Photo from New York Department of Environmental Conservation, www.dec.ny.gov

On January 31, before our recent spring weather (which is about to revert back to winter, by the way), I found a dead Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) just outside our back door. The bat was identified as a first year juvenile by Dr. John Whitaker based on my photos. While this little guy seemed pretty small when all folded up, when my coworker Rob Wolfe stretched it out to measure it, the wingspan measured a stunning 310mm! Other dimensions included: total length, 109mm; forearm, 43mm; tail, 41mm; hind foot, 10mm; and ear, 13mm, though this last measurement could have been conducted incorrectly.

Big Brown Bats can be found from southern Canada to northern South America, and into the West Indies. They can live up to 19 years, but many don't make it past their first winter because they don't store enough fat to last through hibernation. While all of our other species of bats migrate south and hibernate in warmer climates, the Big Brown Bat will spend the winter hibernating in cooler areas. They even will become active during this period of hibernation if they become too cold or if their hibernaculum is disturbed.

A variety of insects are eaten by Big Brown Bats during the spring-early fall, including dragonflies, moths, flying ants, flies, lacewing flies, and wasps. Most commonly, however, they feed on beetles.

It is possible that this bat died as a result of the cold temperature that it encountered when it left its hibernaculum. However, the white fungus on its muzzle makes me wonder if this bat could possibly have died as a result of white-nose syndrome, even though this disorder has not been observed as far west as Indiana (yet). The fungus on the bat I found looks a little different than the photos I've seen of bats that have white-nose syndrome. If anyone familiar with this disorder has thoughts on whether this is or is not white-nose syndrome, I would like to hear them.

Freezing Rain's Not So Bad

On December 19, 2008, northern Indiana was slammed with a freezing rain storm. While this storm led to many automobile accidents, down branches, and power outages, it also opened up an opportunity for some pretty unique photos. These photos were taken on our property on December 20.

These photos are both of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans).

This is autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), a nasty weed. Notice the brown scales on the underside of the silvery leaves.

On the left is common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca); on the right is tall ironweed (Vernonia gigantea).

This is the very invasive multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora).

Rare Mammals

Lindsay and I have lived here in North Liberty since Spring 2007. From the time we moved in, we have kept a yard list for birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, mammals, etc. To date, our bird yard list is 99 species; most of those have been seen on our property, but some have been seen or heard from our property but actually occurred across the street.

Most of the mammals we've seen on our property are the common ones... White-tailed Deer, Eastern Cottontail, Muskrat, Raccoon, Eastern Fox Squirrel, Red Squirrel, Oppossum. However, on September 14, 2007, we were surprised to find a dead Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis) in our driveway (with keys for scale). The smallest of the carnivores, these stunning little mammals probably aren't as cute if you're a Meadow Vole. When it catches up to its victim, the Least Weasel will pounce on it, wrap its legs around its prey, and kill it with a swift bite to the base of the skull. And they're fast... they can run up to 6 mph! Because Indiana is at the south edge of their range, Least Weasels are on the Indiana protected species list as Special Concern. Hopefully this wasn't the only one on our property.

Then, on July 13, 2008, I found a second State Special Concern mammal on our property. This time, it was a dead Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata), found in our corn crib. These unique-looking mammals most often prefer moist soils, but also will live in dry meadows. Those strange tentacles on the nose serve a couple of purposes. Along with keeping soil from entering their noses while burrowing, the tentacles also are constantly moving and touching their surroundings during normal foraging activities. Star-nosed Moles feed mostly on earthworms and aquatic insects. Indiana is along the western range of this species, causing it to be considered a species of concern in the state.