If you're a birder or you've ever been around birders, you've got to watch this YouTube video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaX7i1Q7-Rw
27 March 2012
24 March 2012
Frog and Toad Call Quiz - Answered!
I recently posted the following frog and toad call quiz...
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Lindsay and I visited several sites over the last few evenings to conduct frog and toad call monitoring as part of FrogWatch USA. Below is a clip from Chamberlain Lake Nature Preserve. What species do you hear?
If you turn your volume up to 100%, you'll hear these amphibians at roughly the same decibel level that we did.
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Nice job to those who provided answers! In the video/recording, you should be able to hear both Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) and American Toad (Bufo americanus, or Anaxyrus americanus). Also calling during the video/recording is Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens, or Lithobates pipiens), but due to the volume of the other two species I cannot here the latter in the recording.
Pound for pound, Spring Peepers (above) are said to be the loudest animals on earth. At just 2.5 cm long and weighing in at only 3-5 grams, the "peep... peeper" calls of this tiny amphibian measure 110-120 decibels from 10-20 cm away. For comparison, a jet engine 120 feet away produces a sound measuring 120 decibels! Considering that Spring Peepers are often found by the hundreds or thousands in wetlands, you can see how a chorus produced by this species can be deafening.
The call of the American Toad (above) is much more melodic and beautiful than you would expect from a creature with warty skin that produces bitter toxins. The flute-like trill that lasts up to 30 seconds long is belted out at approximately 90 decibels. For comparison, an average conversation measures at approximatley 60 decibels. When a group of American Toads is calling at the same time as a group of Spring Peepers, it is nearly impossible to hear anything else, and you leave with the same sensation you would have after leaving a rock concert.
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Lindsay and I visited several sites over the last few evenings to conduct frog and toad call monitoring as part of FrogWatch USA. Below is a clip from Chamberlain Lake Nature Preserve. What species do you hear?
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Nice job to those who provided answers! In the video/recording, you should be able to hear both Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) and American Toad (Bufo americanus, or Anaxyrus americanus). Also calling during the video/recording is Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens, or Lithobates pipiens), but due to the volume of the other two species I cannot here the latter in the recording.
Pound for pound, Spring Peepers (above) are said to be the loudest animals on earth. At just 2.5 cm long and weighing in at only 3-5 grams, the "peep... peeper" calls of this tiny amphibian measure 110-120 decibels from 10-20 cm away. For comparison, a jet engine 120 feet away produces a sound measuring 120 decibels! Considering that Spring Peepers are often found by the hundreds or thousands in wetlands, you can see how a chorus produced by this species can be deafening.
The call of the American Toad (above) is much more melodic and beautiful than you would expect from a creature with warty skin that produces bitter toxins. The flute-like trill that lasts up to 30 seconds long is belted out at approximately 90 decibels. For comparison, an average conversation measures at approximatley 60 decibels. When a group of American Toads is calling at the same time as a group of Spring Peepers, it is nearly impossible to hear anything else, and you leave with the same sensation you would have after leaving a rock concert.
By contrast, the call of the Northern Leopard Frog (above) is much softer and lower pitched, sounding like a slowly opening creaking door or a deep snore; this species also produces a sound that is earily similar to the sound made when you rub your hand on a balloon. Northern Leopard Frogs are generally less abundant than either of the two previous species in a given wetland, adding to the difficulty in hearing them when other species are calling. In fact, the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan for Northern Leopard Frogs points out that loud calls of other frog and toad species can make it difficult to hear Northern Leopard Frogs.
It isn't even April yet and I've heard seven frog and toad species calling. It will be interesting to see how the year plays out as the calendar catches up with the weather.
20 March 2012
Spring Already??
Lindsay and I have been so consumed lately that even with reports from across the state of blooming spring wildflowers, we hadn't had time to just get into the woods across the street to see what others have been raving about. In fact, without the blogs and list-servs to which I subscribe, I might have lost my mind... at least I was able to live vicariously through the field outings of others for the past couple of weeks. With a string of 80 degree days over the past week, however, Lindsay and I could not help but to put everything else aside and fall farther behind with our other responsibilities to ensure that we had a chance to get to Potato Creek State Park in St. Joseph County, Indiana on 18 March 2012.
It isn't unheard of to see a few forest species flowering in mid-March. For example, Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus, above) is usually the first native species to flower in the pre-spring, often sending up its flowering spathe and spadix structure in wet mucky forested areas while there is still snow on the ground, sometimes even as early as mid-February. Although Skunk Cabbage was still flowering, some plants had already put up their leaves, a sign that the flowering structures will soon shrivel, leaving a dark brown fist-sized fruiting structure into the summer.
As its common name suggests, Harbinger-of-Spring (Erigenia bulbosa, above) is often one of the first native wildflowers to begin blooming in mesic forests, but mid- to late-March is usually the earliest that you begin to see the tiny carrot-family flowers of these plants peppering the forest floor.
Another early bloomer, Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica, above) often starts flowering at about the same time as the preceding species. This is one of our commonest forest wildflowers. In addition, it can withstand more disturbance than many of its forest associates, and it sometimes can be found in mowed lawns that once supported trees and a rich understory but that sadly have been reduced to a near monoculture of non-native grass.
Limestone Bittercress (Cardamine douglassii, above) is another of the ephemerals that begins flowering in mid- to late-March during normal years. This mustard is very similar to and often confused with Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa), which often grows in areas that are more damp. The flowers of Limestone Bittercress are often tinged with lavender, but they can be white like those of Bulbous Bittercress. One way to tell the two species apart is to look at the upper stems and determine if they are hairy or not... Limestone Bittercress has pubescent upper stems, whereas the upper stems of Bulbous Bittercress are hairless.
One of our most overlooked and underappreciated early-blooming plants is the native shrub American Hazelnut (Corylus americana, above), which can often be found flowering in early March. As seen above, this shrub has female and male flowers in separate inflorescenses on the same plant. In the foreground, you can see the fuschia-colored stigmas of female flowers, while the male flowers in drooping catkins can be seen in the background.
A shrub that is much more conspicuous when in flower in spring in mesic to damp forests is Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), shown above. The yellow clusters of tiny flowers on this species are usually not evident in northern Indiana until early April. Later in the season, these flowers are replaced by bright red berries.
Yet another species that can usually be found flowering in moist woods beginning in mid-March is Sharplobe Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. acuta), pictured above. The leaves of this species are dark purple and persistent through the winter.
Mid-march in mesic forests also brings forth the blossoms of Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata, above). Typical of mustards, the flowers of this species have four petals in a cross-like arrangement. Like many of the other spring wildflowers featured in this post, the flowers of this species arrive early to take advantage of the sunlight that can reach the forest floor prior to the overstory trees producing leaves.
Two species similar in appearance that are often mistaken for one another are shown above and below. Above is Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), a solitary plant of slightly drier woods and slopes that usually begins flowering towards the end of March. Below is False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum), a colony-forming wildflower that usually begins flowering in moist woods in late March.
Lindsay and I were pretty shocked to find some Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria, below) in bloom, since it normally doesn't begin flowering until the very end of March. Lindsay really liked the photo below, as it shows a tiny ant on the uppermost flower. Dutchman's Breeches is similar to another moist forest species, Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis), which begins flowering just a tad later.
One of the most striking spring wildflowers has to be Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), shown below. The bright yellow blossoms of this buttercup family species can start to show as early as mid-March in normal years. You can find this one in wetter, mucky areas and along streams, nearly always associating with Skunk Cabbage.
In addition to these native species, we also saw a couple of sedges (Carex communis and Carex pensylanica) in flower, as well as some willows (likely Salix discolor). To not discriminate against some of the showy non-native species that are in flower right now, below are three that we noted along the woodland trails.
Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor), pictured above, is often regarded as a highly aggressive species. I won't go so far as to say that it isn't, but I don't know that I've ever seen this species away from a home site, or away from a planted colony for that matter. It certainly spreads by rhizomes from its originally planted location, and I wouldn't recommend planting it, but I personally don't put it in the same class as invasives like Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) or Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora).
Similarly, Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) will persist for many years after planting, even in at least partly shaded conditions. I definitely don't consider them invasive, though, as they don't seem to spread and definitely don't outcompete native species, at least in this part of the world.
It is difficult not to have a special place in your heart for the crocus (Crocus spp.), as their opening flowers simply seem to exude spring.
As you can see, although several plants are flowering prematurely this year, many are within their known flowering periods, albeit at the very beginning of those known flowering periods. With this extended warm... no... hot stretch, it will be interesting to see how the spring progresses. I expect that we will still have another snowstorm before we get consistently warm spring weather, but this stretch has sure been pleasant. If you haven't already, I hope you get a chance to get out there soon to experience the spring flora.
It isn't unheard of to see a few forest species flowering in mid-March. For example, Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus, above) is usually the first native species to flower in the pre-spring, often sending up its flowering spathe and spadix structure in wet mucky forested areas while there is still snow on the ground, sometimes even as early as mid-February. Although Skunk Cabbage was still flowering, some plants had already put up their leaves, a sign that the flowering structures will soon shrivel, leaving a dark brown fist-sized fruiting structure into the summer.
As its common name suggests, Harbinger-of-Spring (Erigenia bulbosa, above) is often one of the first native wildflowers to begin blooming in mesic forests, but mid- to late-March is usually the earliest that you begin to see the tiny carrot-family flowers of these plants peppering the forest floor.
Another early bloomer, Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica, above) often starts flowering at about the same time as the preceding species. This is one of our commonest forest wildflowers. In addition, it can withstand more disturbance than many of its forest associates, and it sometimes can be found in mowed lawns that once supported trees and a rich understory but that sadly have been reduced to a near monoculture of non-native grass.
Limestone Bittercress (Cardamine douglassii, above) is another of the ephemerals that begins flowering in mid- to late-March during normal years. This mustard is very similar to and often confused with Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa), which often grows in areas that are more damp. The flowers of Limestone Bittercress are often tinged with lavender, but they can be white like those of Bulbous Bittercress. One way to tell the two species apart is to look at the upper stems and determine if they are hairy or not... Limestone Bittercress has pubescent upper stems, whereas the upper stems of Bulbous Bittercress are hairless.
One of our most overlooked and underappreciated early-blooming plants is the native shrub American Hazelnut (Corylus americana, above), which can often be found flowering in early March. As seen above, this shrub has female and male flowers in separate inflorescenses on the same plant. In the foreground, you can see the fuschia-colored stigmas of female flowers, while the male flowers in drooping catkins can be seen in the background.
A shrub that is much more conspicuous when in flower in spring in mesic to damp forests is Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), shown above. The yellow clusters of tiny flowers on this species are usually not evident in northern Indiana until early April. Later in the season, these flowers are replaced by bright red berries.
Yet another species that can usually be found flowering in moist woods beginning in mid-March is Sharplobe Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. acuta), pictured above. The leaves of this species are dark purple and persistent through the winter.
Mid-march in mesic forests also brings forth the blossoms of Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata, above). Typical of mustards, the flowers of this species have four petals in a cross-like arrangement. Like many of the other spring wildflowers featured in this post, the flowers of this species arrive early to take advantage of the sunlight that can reach the forest floor prior to the overstory trees producing leaves.
Two species similar in appearance that are often mistaken for one another are shown above and below. Above is Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), a solitary plant of slightly drier woods and slopes that usually begins flowering towards the end of March. Below is False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum), a colony-forming wildflower that usually begins flowering in moist woods in late March.
The stunning Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis, below) usually starts flowering in late March at the earliest, but we saw several nice colonies of this plant on 18 March this year. Like many other spring wildflowers, the seeds of Bloodroot bear sugary, fleshy appendages known as elaiasomes; as a result, the seeds are dispersed by ants that are attracted to the elaiasomes.
Lindsay and I were pretty shocked to find some Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria, below) in bloom, since it normally doesn't begin flowering until the very end of March. Lindsay really liked the photo below, as it shows a tiny ant on the uppermost flower. Dutchman's Breeches is similar to another moist forest species, Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis), which begins flowering just a tad later.
One of the most striking spring wildflowers has to be Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), shown below. The bright yellow blossoms of this buttercup family species can start to show as early as mid-March in normal years. You can find this one in wetter, mucky areas and along streams, nearly always associating with Skunk Cabbage.
Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor), pictured above, is often regarded as a highly aggressive species. I won't go so far as to say that it isn't, but I don't know that I've ever seen this species away from a home site, or away from a planted colony for that matter. It certainly spreads by rhizomes from its originally planted location, and I wouldn't recommend planting it, but I personally don't put it in the same class as invasives like Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) or Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora).
03 March 2012
Great Backyard Bird Count - A Late Recap
The 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count was conducted on 17-20 February, and I'm just now getting a chance to provide a recap of results from my four-day count. Results can be posted to the GBBC webpage until 5 March; at this point, Indiana has a total of 138 species, a new state record for the count period.
On the first day of the count I spent a few hours at Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area in LaPorte County. Kingsbury is, I believe, my favorite birding spot in northern Indiana. The wide array of habitat in this approximately 7,000 acre preserve allows for quite a variety of species, from Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) to Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla). The photo above is a shot of the marsh at Kingsbury, a great place for waterfowl in the fall-spring and for shorebirds when the water levels are down in the spring and fall. Most of the birds in the photo are easily identified as Canada Geese. Can you name the other species in the photo? You will probably need to click on the photo to expand it to be able to see the other species.
One of my favorite birds is the Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), pictured above and seen at Kingsbury during my Great Backyard Bird Count there. The bird pictured is a male; a female was also there but didn't make it into this shot.
Often found with Hooded Mergansers are Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), and in this case both ducks were present in a wooded pond at Kingsbury. Like the male Hooded Merganser, the male Wood Duck is one attractive creature.
Our most common hawk, especially along roadsides, is the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicense, above). Kingsbury is a great place to see raptors, especially Red-tailed Hawks and in winter Bald Eagles and Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus).
On Saturday morning, 18 February, Lindsay and I joined Brian Miller and members of South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society for a field trip and count at the lakes at University of Notre Dame. As seen above, we had a pretty nice crowd. St. Joseph's Lake never freezes and has always been a "hot spot" for winter birding in the past because of the variety of waterfowl present. This year, waterfowl were scarce, and we almost had as many people birdwatching as we had ducks! Our highlight was the Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) shown below.
On the first day of the count I spent a few hours at Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area in LaPorte County. Kingsbury is, I believe, my favorite birding spot in northern Indiana. The wide array of habitat in this approximately 7,000 acre preserve allows for quite a variety of species, from Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) to Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla). The photo above is a shot of the marsh at Kingsbury, a great place for waterfowl in the fall-spring and for shorebirds when the water levels are down in the spring and fall. Most of the birds in the photo are easily identified as Canada Geese. Can you name the other species in the photo? You will probably need to click on the photo to expand it to be able to see the other species.
One of my favorite birds is the Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), pictured above and seen at Kingsbury during my Great Backyard Bird Count there. The bird pictured is a male; a female was also there but didn't make it into this shot.
Often found with Hooded Mergansers are Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), and in this case both ducks were present in a wooded pond at Kingsbury. Like the male Hooded Merganser, the male Wood Duck is one attractive creature.
On Saturday morning, 18 February, Lindsay and I joined Brian Miller and members of South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society for a field trip and count at the lakes at University of Notre Dame. As seen above, we had a pretty nice crowd. St. Joseph's Lake never freezes and has always been a "hot spot" for winter birding in the past because of the variety of waterfowl present. This year, waterfowl were scarce, and we almost had as many people birdwatching as we had ducks! Our highlight was the Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) shown below.
In addition to counts at these sites, I also did counts on 19 February at our feeders, our property (while walking the trails), and Potato Creek State Park, and on 20 February in Walkerton while driving home from work and on our property while walking our trails. A list of all birds observed during my count is found below.
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Common Goldeneye
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Horned Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Eastern Screech Owl
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Wild Turkey
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Blue Jay
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Eastern Bluebird
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
26 February 2012
2011-2012 Winter Feeder Count Results
Each winter, Lindsay and I participate in the Indiana Audubon Society Winter Feeder Bird Count, which takes place the 20th to 25th of November, December, January, and February. You can see our reports on surveys from previous years here and here.
Our species counts during each month and overall were similar to those in the past two years. This year, we had 18 species in November, December, and January, and 17 species in February. We tallied 21 species at our feeders during the count periods in 2011-2012; our complete list is included at the end of this post.
Species observed most frequently (those present during all four count periods) in 2011-2012 were Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea), White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), and House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Species observed in greatest abundance during a single count period (with the greatest number observed at one time in parentheses) were American Goldfinch (29 in December, 13 in February), Mourning Dove (28 in December), American Tree Sparrow (24 in February, 18 in January, and 16 in December), House Sparrow (18 in December and 17 in January), European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris, 14 in February), Northern Cardinal (13 in February), and Dark-eyed Junco (13 in December). The most abundant species based on average over the four count periods were American Goldfinch (15.75), American Tree Sparrow (15.25), House Sparrow (10.75), and Mourning Dove (10.5).
Although overall it has been a warm winter, the temperature range during the count period was comparable to in previous years, with a low temperature of 6 degrees Fahrenheit in January and a high temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit in November.
Our biggest highlight of the 2011-2012 count came in December, when Lindsay saw a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) at our feeders on the first day of the count period. Most Gray Catbirds migrate south of here for the winter, but a few stick around, and we were lucky enough to find one at our feeders.
2011-2012 Winter Bird Feeder Count Species ListMourning
Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Gray Catbird
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
House Finch
Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
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| American Goldfinches and House Finches on our platform feeder in November 2011. |
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| Pine Siskin eating black oil sunflower seeds in December 2011. We only saw Pine Siskins at our feeders during the December count period in 2011-2012. |
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| White-crowned Sparrow, a reliable species for us in winter, on our platform feeder in February 2012. Unfortunately, we only saw one individual during each of the four count periods in 2011-2012. |
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| Male Red-bellied Woodpecker at a suet feeder in February 2012. |
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| A sign of the coming spring, a male Red-winged Blackbird, on our platform feeder in February 2012. |
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Gray Catbird
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
House Finch
Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
25 February 2012
Let's Get It Started!
As you may have read in my previous post, (Official Diagnosis.... In Over My Head) I might have gone a bit overboard with my seed purchasing this year. Well, we can't let all those seeds go to waste (plus I need to prove to Scott that all his eye-rolling at me was unnecessary because I can totally pull this off), so it was time to get planting.
After a recent "run-in" with Strongbow cider I have given up drinking so my bar seemed like the perfect place to transition into a make-shift greenhouse. The planters contain starts for 4 different kinds of onions, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, roma tomatoes, wax peppers, bell peppers, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, cayenne peppers, brussel sprouts, okra, eggplant, cauliflower, artichokes, cabbage, and leeks. As you can see we even have them in warming trays and under plant lights.
Looks like a good start to our summer garden. After a few weeks growing indoors they will hopefully be good and ready to transplant outdoors.
Now I'm just left to wonder which one will sprout first! Any guesses?
09 February 2012
Official Diagnosis..... In Over My Head
During my most recent "delusion of grandeur" I convinced myself that I was a master gardener. The result of my delusions has lead to the following!
Yep, that is over 100 different seed packets that will make up the Namestnik garden this year. The mix is a variety of different vegetables, fruits, and herbs, most of which I have never attempted to grow before including a couple vegetables that I had to google because I've never even heard of them.
Please stay tuned throughout this spring and summer as I bring you updates about the triumphs (and disasters) involved with taking on my newest challenge.
05 February 2012
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.
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| Looking out over a foggy winter landscape. |
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| Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) |
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| Frost Aster (Aster pilosus) (that's really the common name!) |
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| Frost Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)... okay, the common name of this one is really Eastern Cottonwood |
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| Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) |
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| Canada Rye (Elymus canadensis) |
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| Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) |
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| Hungarian Brome (Bromus inermis) |
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| Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima) |
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| A black-and-white shot |
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| An obligatory Bootypants (Canis bootypantsii) photo |
04 February 2012
A Roseling By Any Other Name...
... continuing my look back to May 2011 and the excursion that Justin Thomas and I took to study the flora of South Carolina...
At Shealy's Pond Heritage Preserve, we came across this interesting spiderwort... but guess what... it isn't a spiderwort. This is Piedmont Roseling (Callisia rosea), a plant of the southern Atlantic coastal plain and Gulf Coast, known from Maryland to Alabama and Florida.
Don't allow that distribution description to fool you, though... aside from South Carolina, southern North Carolina, eastern Georgia, and central Florida, the county distribution of Piedmont Roseling is pretty spotty. And this distribution is based on the species in the broad sense. Taking a more liberal approach, Piedmont Roseling is found primarily in South Carolina and eastern Georgia, and Grassleaf Roseling (Callisia graminea) has its greatest county distributions in South Carolina, southern North Carolina, and Florida. Most authors currently split Grassleaf Roseling from Piedmont Roseling based on the width of the leaf blades and the width of the blades in relation to the sheaths. However, as noted by Faden (2000),
"So you're telling me that this isn't a spiderwort??" Well, if you must call it a spiderwort, I won't argue. Piedmont Roseling is also called Cuthbertia rosea by some authors, and it was once known as Tradescantia rosea. There it is... Tradescantia = spiderwort. The flowers of species in the genus Tradescantia are subtended by large, leaf-like bracts, whereas those of species in the genus Callisia are subtended by inconspicuous bracts. No matter how you treat it taxonomically, there is no denying that this is one good-looking little plant.
Faden, R. B. 2000. Callisia. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 22, pp. 187-190.
At Shealy's Pond Heritage Preserve, we came across this interesting spiderwort... but guess what... it isn't a spiderwort. This is Piedmont Roseling (Callisia rosea), a plant of the southern Atlantic coastal plain and Gulf Coast, known from Maryland to Alabama and Florida.
Don't allow that distribution description to fool you, though... aside from South Carolina, southern North Carolina, eastern Georgia, and central Florida, the county distribution of Piedmont Roseling is pretty spotty. And this distribution is based on the species in the broad sense. Taking a more liberal approach, Piedmont Roseling is found primarily in South Carolina and eastern Georgia, and Grassleaf Roseling (Callisia graminea) has its greatest county distributions in South Carolina, southern North Carolina, and Florida. Most authors currently split Grassleaf Roseling from Piedmont Roseling based on the width of the leaf blades and the width of the blades in relation to the sheaths. However, as noted by Faden (2000),
"The evidence that this [Callisia rosea] and the following two taxa [Callisia graminea and Callisia ornata] are species, instead of varieties or subspecies, is hardly compelling. It is a matter of the author's preference. The work of N. H. Giles Jr. (1942) clearly demonstrated cytological diversity within Callisia graminea, but the remaining taxa have never been investigated in the same detail. The taxa appear to hybridize when they come in contact."
"So you're telling me that this isn't a spiderwort??" Well, if you must call it a spiderwort, I won't argue. Piedmont Roseling is also called Cuthbertia rosea by some authors, and it was once known as Tradescantia rosea. There it is... Tradescantia = spiderwort. The flowers of species in the genus Tradescantia are subtended by large, leaf-like bracts, whereas those of species in the genus Callisia are subtended by inconspicuous bracts. No matter how you treat it taxonomically, there is no denying that this is one good-looking little plant.
Should you want to find this attractive member of the day lily family (Commelinaceae), your best bet would be to search sandhills and dry, open woods and barrens with sandy or rocky soils. It is also occasionally found along railroads and on roadsides, as well as in grassy meadows and swamp forests.
Faden, R. B. 2000. Callisia. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 22, pp. 187-190.
29 January 2012
Birding the St. Joseph River
Lindsay and I joined Brian Miller and other South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society members on a "river run" along the St. Jospeh River on Saturday, January 28, 2012. As we've heard from those who've been in our chapter for many years more than we have, this used to be a very productive field trip, with large rafts of waterfowl observed at various locations along the river. These days, unfortunately, there is little waterfowl diversity on the river, but it still makes for a fun morning (despite the biting wind).
The battle for most abundant species on the river in the past several years always seems to be between Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). During this trip, we saw more Mallards. Because Mallards are so common, I rarely take the time to look at them in detail. If we didn't have Mallards around here and I saw one in an exotic place on a birding trip, I would probably think that the males, with their iridescent green heads, yellow beaks, and chocolate brown chests were superbly attractive birds.
Although Canada Geese aren't as colorful, there is still good reason to search through gaggles of geese, as there are some more uncommon species that can sometimes be found amongst them. Although we didn't see any similar species on Saturday, I was watching for Cackling Geese (the smaller version of the Canada Goose), Greater White-fronted Geese, and even for Brants.
Along the river at Eberhart Golf Course we saw the highlight of the morning. Lindsay and I were in the last car in a line of members entering the property. We were following the group and watching the river when a duck that was clearly not a Mallard flew in front of us. Lindsay quickly identified the bird in flight as a Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). I hit the brakes and fumbled for the camera; meanwhile, the bird landed and swam farther and farther away from us. By the time I was able to get photos, he was contently as far away from us as possible on the opposite bank of the river. Common Goldeneye is one of the duck species that used to be much more common on the St. Joseph River in winter. They are said to spend winters as far north as possible, so long as there is open water. I wonder if the large rafts that we once had here now winter further north as a result of a warming climate.
Another surprise of our outing was seeing several Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) in a wet spot along the road at the Mishawaka Riverwalk. The two common inland gulls around here are Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) and Herring Gull, with the former being much more common than the latter. The typical parking lot gull is the Ring-billed Gull, and that's what I expected to see as we got closer and saw a flock of gulls along the road, but a good proportion of the gulls we saw at this location were Herring Gulls.
For comparison, below is a shot of Ring-billed Gulls from the same location. Herring Gulls are larger and have thicker bills. They also have pink legs (as compared to the yellow-green legs of Ring-billed Gulls).
Thanks to Brian Miller for leading another successful field trip.
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| Lindsay and other SBEAS members looking at distant Buffleheads on the St. Joseph River |
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| Mallards (male and female) |
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| Canada Geese |
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| A distant Common Goldeneye (male) |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Ring-billed Gulls |
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