Category Archives: Wildlife & Plants

An Early Spring Walk in Search of Spring

Wildlife & Plants

Yesterday was March 2, 2020, and it was the first day in many that actually felt almost like Spring has to be close at hand. So, I just had to take a drive and a short hike around Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary in the Town of Bethlehem, NY.

We live only 3 miles from Hollyhock Hollow and for 26 years, I worked out of an office in the midst of the sanctuary. Since my retirement, I have continued to visit the trails of the sanctuary on a regular basis and yesterday, the warm sunshine called my name.

Even though I know that flower called Snowdrops is not native to America, I was very pleased to once again see the showy white blossoms had managed to push their way through the cool soil and leaf litter and survived another winter of upstate New York. Snowdrops are native to Europe and the Middle East, from the Spanish and French Pyrenees in the west through to the Caucasus and Iran in the east, and south to Sicily, the Peloponnese, the Aegean, Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria. The flower has been widely introduced and cultivated throughout Europe and has become widely naturalized in Europe, North America, and other regions and are often found in long-abandoned home sites, which is exactly the case with the patch at Hollyhock Hollow.

Although I did a bit of slipping and sliding down the path to the wildlife pond, I found over 50 American Robins were feasting on the remaining berries of several Sumac bushes. I also note that the pond is still covered in a sheet of ice. But, occasional calls of a Tufted Titmouse and a few Black-capped chickadees I remain convinced that Spring has nearly returned.

Hollyhock Hollow is as geologically interesting as it is biologically. The 140-acre property is underlain with what is called Karst, which means acres of limestone outcroppings on the surface and caves and fissures underground. A main feature of the sanctuary is the Onesquethaw Creek.

The Onesquethaw Creek is a 14.5 mile-long creek in Albany County, New York. It is a tributary of the Hudson River. It rises in the town of New Scotland, to the west of the hamlet of New Salem, in the Helderberg Mountains, and flows to Coeymans Creek in the town of Bethlehem, southwest of Delmar, NY.

O-nis’-kwe-thau Creek is also called Coeymans Creek, which is the name given to the Onesquethaw Creek’s outlet stream at the Hudson is a beautiful little stream. There is a hamlet also called Onesquethaw, (sometimes called Tarrytown) in New Scotland, as well as Oniskethau flats and mountain which is now named Bennet Hill. Onesquethaw is said to have been an early Native American name meaning cornfields, but this attribution was mistakenly based on William Martin Beauchamp’s lack of personal knowledge of the Ma-quaes [Mohawks] language because it seemed similar to the Mahican word for maze. The Mahican’s originally owned the land before it was lost to the Ma-quaes [Mohawks] during the Beaver Wars of 1628. The land was deeded to Teunis Slingerland and Johannes Apple by representatives of the three races (clans of the Ma-quaes [Mohawks] (Wolf, Bear, and Turtle), owners of the land called “O-nits-quat-haa.” as indicated on the original Slingerlands Land Patent Agreement. The name when translated from the Ma-quaes [Mohawk] language simply means: “Sinking-Stream.” This name is much more in keeping with the actual topography of the land and the Karst that I previously mentioned. During the summer months, it is often interesting to find that the creek has gone completely dry for long sections and then all of a sudden come upon a section where the water is flowing up out of the ground and once again filling the stream as the water makes its way to the Hudson River.

The Onesquethaw Creek is the main drainage through what is now known as the Onesquethaw Valley Historic District, which is a national historic district principally located in the town of New Scotland in Albany County, New York. The Historic District includes 25 buildings and three archaeological sites. It encompasses farmsteads and sites in part of the valley of Onesquethaw Creek. Most notable are eight 18th-century stone houses. The archaeological sites are a grist mill site, sawmill site, and a prehistoric Indian site.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

I spent about an hour poking around the sanctuary, pond, and creek and came away with a renewed sense that nature will soon be blossoming and the woods will once again be full of bird songs.

Forests

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Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem of Earth and are distributed around the globe. Forests account for 75% of the gross primary production of the Earth’s biosphere and contain 80% of the Earth’s plant biomass. Net primary production is estimated at 21.9 gigatons carbon per year for tropical forests, 8.1 for temperate forests, and 2.6 for boreal forests.

Human society and forests influence each other in both positive and negative ways. Forests provide ecosystem services to humans and serve as tourist attractions. Forests can also affect people’s health. Human activities, including harvesting forest resources, can negatively affect forest ecosystems.

A Snag is a Beautiful Thing

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I go for a series of short walks down the road where we live most days during the summer. In the winter when the snow is piled over my head on the side of the road…not so much. But, since we live in the country, my walks always allow me to see and hear some sights and sounds of nature.

Nature comes in many shapes and sizes. One part of nature that I have been observing over the past few years never moves and I have never heard it make any sound whatsoever. But still, this part of nature is very valuable for many reasons. It goes by many names, but I call it a snag.

Yes, that would be a dead or dying tree. Death is a part of life and with trees, the dead and dying provide many environmental benefits, most of which are not really appreciated.

In forest ecology, a snag refers to a standing, dead or dying tree, often missing a top or most of the smaller branches. In freshwater ecology, it refers to trees, branches, and other pieces of naturally occurring wood found sunken in rivers and streams.

Snags are an important structural part of forest communities, making up 10–20% of all trees present in old-growth tropical, temperate, and boreal forests. Snags and downed coarse woody debris represent a large portion of the woody biomass in a healthy forest.

In temperate forests, snags provide critical habitat for more than 100 species of birds and mammals and are often called ‘wildlife trees’ by foresters. Dead, decaying wood supports a rich community of decomposers like bacteria and fungi, insects, and other invertebrates. These organisms and their consumers, along with the cavities, hollows, and broken tops make snags important habitat for birds, bats, and small mammals, which in turn feed larger mammalian predators.

Snags are an optimal habitat for primary cavity nesters such as woodpeckers which create most cavities used by secondary cavity users in forest ecosystems. Woodpeckers excavate cavities for more than 80 other species and the health of their populations relies on snags. Most snag-dependent birds and mammals are insectivorous and represent a major portion of the insectivorous forest fauna and are important factors in controlling forest insect populations. There are many instances in which birds reduced outbreak populations of forest insects, such as woodpeckers affecting outbreaks of southern hardwood borers and spruce beetles.

Every tree dies eventually, and its ecological value continues long after the last leaf falls. Whether it still stands, is reduced to a hollowed stump, or exists as downed wood, most of its “life” occurs in a complex, interesting, unseen world. Imagine a time-share that is used by different species, for vastly different purposes, in every stage of its demise. Most species that use snags are associated with those that are about 15” in diameter though there are many benefits from smaller trees too. No man-made structure matches the ecological usefulness of a sizeable dead tree; and few living things are as overlooked and unappreciated, except of course by wildlife and the vast number of inhabitants at work on its remains beneath the soil.

Nature “gifts” dying trees to enrich habitats. A dead tree is a legacy that can take dozens of years to replace, and in many cases, it will never be replaced. Whenever a tree is cut down needlessly and hauled away prematurely, we short-change our forests and our planet. Dead trees represent one of the finest examples of nature giving back to the environment. A study of a snags relationship with wildlife and organisms above and beneath the soil is a profound example of the fact that individuality and independence within our ecosystems is an illusion.

A Favorite Roadside Wildflower

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One of my frequent walking routes happens to be up and down the road on which we live here in Upstate New York. We live on a well-traveled, but country road in Albany County.

So, I usually take 4-5 walks on the road every day to stretch my legs. This gives me a chance to watch the changing seasons and the comings and goings of numerous species of plants and animals.

After spending the long months of winter when most things are covered in snow, it is great to see the changing of colors during the spring, summer and fall periods.

One of my favorite plants that I see alongside the road is Black-Eyed Susan.

While the Black-Eyed Susan is considered a hallmark of prairies and meadows the wide-spread plant is a biennial that blooms and completes its life cycle in its second year with a showy floral display and is a native plant to a large region of the Eastern United States.

Exceptionally showy and easy to grow, Black-Eyed Susan has a prolonged floral display that attracts butterflies and other beneficial insects. The late-season seedheads attract finches and other birds. A hardy plant that is very drought tolerant, the Black-Eyed Susan will tolerate heat, drought and a wide range of soil types, but does not like poorly drained wet soils.

What is your favorite wildflower?

Name This Tree

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The tree in these pictures is located in my front yard here in Albany County, New York.

It is a deciduous tree and they typically grow 40–60 ft tall and 20–40 ft wide. A 10-year-old sapling stands about 20 ft tall. They can be recognized by their large, heart-shaped to three-lobed leaves, showy white or yellow flowers in broad panicles. In the autumn they bear 8–20-inch-long fruits that resemble a slender bean pod full of small flat seeds, each with two thin wings to aid in wind dispersal. Because of the leaves, they are sometimes confused with the Tung tree in the southern U.S., or the invasive Paulownia tomentosa from China.

Due to their large leaf size, this tree is a popular habitat for many birds, providing them good shelter from rain and wind. These trees have few limb droppage but drop large dark-brown bean pods during late summer. The wood of this tree is quite soft.

They begin flowering after roughly 3 years and produce seed pods after approximately 5 years.

There are two North American species and have been widely planted outside their natural ranges as ornamental trees for their showy flowers and attractive shape, or growing habit. Northern and southern varieties are very similar in appearance, but the northern species has slightly larger leaves, flowers, and bean pods. Flowering starts after 275 growing degree days.

The tree is the sole source of food for an interesting and important moth, as the leaves are eaten by the caterpillars. When caterpillars are numerous, infested trees may be completely defoliated. Defoliated trees produce new leaves readily, but with multiple generations occurring, new foliage may be consumed by subsequent broods. Severe defoliation over several consecutive years can cause the death of trees. Because the caterpillars are an excellent live bait for fishing, some dedicated anglers’ plant mini-orchards of this tree for their own private source of fish bait, particularly in the southern states.

Can you name this tree species? Do you have one or more near where you live?

 

Our Public Lands

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Debates over how America’s public lands should be managed are as old as the system itself, dating back to the early 1900s when President Teddy Roosevelt pioneered our current system. Disagreements have often centered on the balance between energy or resource development and protecting wild places for recreation and wildlife. I and thousands of other American citizens have fought for decades to defend our most treasured wild places—those areas with exceptional characteristics that provide the greatest value when simply left untouched. In countless battles over the years, grassroots groups and local people, all united by the fundamental idea that our federal public lands belong to all Americans and represent a core part of our country’s heritage have worked to defend these magnificent places.

The fact is, a resounding majority of Americans support the protection of our public lands. In a 2016 Harvard Kennedy School study, more than 93% of respondents across the country said it’s important that historical sites, public lands, and national parks be protected for current and future generations.

But recently, ideas are resurfacing that seek to undermine our public lands. These efforts use misleading appeals for “states’ rights” and flawed economic information to remove protections from some of our most special places in order to extract short-term profit. Backed by powerful fossil fuel and extractive industry interests, this systematic, well-organized and multifaceted movement began at the state level and now enjoys support at the highest level of government.

Removing protection for our public lands and turning this land over to private interests for private profit would amount to theft from the American people. These public lands are our legacy. Please don’t stand by and watch this legacy be taken away from us, our children and our children’s children.

Pinellas County Florida 

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It takes me a full couple of days to drive from our New York home to our winter place in Dunedin, Florida (Pinellas County, Florida) but it is always worth the effort.

Aside from getting to visit and play with our two Florida grandkids and our son and daughter-in-law, getting to walk through the park that adjoins our property every morning is a real treat. The birds and other types of wildlife that seem to be everywhere also lift the spirit that has grown tired of the snowy north and the drab browns of the dormant woodlands of Upstate NY.

One of my favorite things to do is catch the sunset on the Dunedin Causeway. Unless it is one of those rare cloudy evenings, there is always something special about a Florida sunset. The wildlife also seems to enjoy the evening and usually puts on a show that makes it difficult not to take some interesting pictures.

We are blessed to have such a great place to occasionally hang our hats, enjoy being with family who has “flown the coop” of the cold Northwoods and spend a little time warming up and enjoying the sights and sounds of Florida nature.

 

A Glimpse of a Bobcat and the Sound of a Raven

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I recently saw in a social media post by a friend that Spring is in the air. I responded that it doesn’t feel that way up here in the North Woods! We are still getting a few snow squalls daily and the cold and wind make it seem like the middle of winter to me.

None the less, I decided to take a few short walks on the country road where we live today because the sun was shining at least. Although it was crisp, I was rewarded twice today with unique wildlife sightings.

On my first walk, I happened to see a Bobcat cross the road in front of me about 25 yards and move into a shrubby field toward the south. I picked up my pace a bit and was able to catch a clear view of the cat and his “bobbed” tail before he/she vanished into the brush. Although we regularly hear and see all sorts of critters in the fields and woods around our home, the sighting of a Bobcat here was a first for me. Interestingly just a few years ago but well into warmer Spring weather I was walking in pretty much the same location when a black bear stepped out of the woods and crossed the road heading north. I not only didn’t speed up my walking pace at that time but came to a dead stop!

The Bobcat is a North American cat with two recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to central Mexico, including most of the contiguous United States. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. It remains in some of its original range, but populations are vulnerable to local extinction by coyotes and domestic animals. (We have loads of coyotes around here.) With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears, the bobcat resembles the other species of the midsized genus Lynx. It is smaller on average than the Canada lynx, with which it shares parts of its range, but is about twice as large as the domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or “bobbed”) tail, from which it derives its name.

Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.

As I was finishing another short walk and about the enter our front door, I heard the low gurgling call of a Common Raven. Although the Raven isn’t all that uncommon in our area, we don’t see or hear them nearly as much as we see and hear crows.

The Common Raven, also known as the Northern Raven, is a large all-black passerine bird. Found across the Northern Hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. There are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance, although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the thick-billed raven, and is possibly the heaviest passerine bird; at maturity, the common raven averages 25 inches in length and 2 1/2 pounds) in mass. Common ravens can live up to 21 years in the wild, a lifespan surpassed among passerines by only a few species. Young birds may travel in flocks but later mate for life, with each mated pair defending a territory.

So, windy and cold or not…I enjoyed the brief encounter with a couple of unique north woods species.

Birding – A Life-long Hobby That Can Be Handed Down

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We are regularly being told that our way of life destroys nature. Over the years society, in general, is becoming less and less connected with nature and natural resources. I think this is a dangerous trend for our future. What we don’t understand, appreciate, or value we will not take care of.

I also think that most people are resistant to this type of information, and often say: “Nothing in nature depends on me!” I believe it is very important for this type of thinking be turned around, because we, the people depend on everything in nature for our very existence.

One way to regain a connection with nature is through the hobby of birdwatching or what most people simply call “birding” these days. I found the video below both interesting and entertaining. It presents a story of how a young boy became a birder and later helped famous birdwatcher and artist Roger Tory Peterson sight what Peterson called the “Bird of the century” and then went on to pursue birding as a life-long hobby which he passed on to his own family. Are you doing the same?

https://vimeo.com/110006283

 

The Tufted Titmouse

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The tufted titmouse is a small songbird from North America that is somewhat common, but still one of my favorite birds to watch all year long.

These birds have grey upperparts and white underparts with a white face, a grey crest, a dark forehead, and a short, stout bill; they have rufous-colored flanks, under the wings. The song is described as a whistled “peter-peter-peter.” (I am ready for Spring when they are among the first birds to start singing.) They make a variety of different sounds, most having a similar tone quality.

Their habitat is deciduous and mixed woods as well as gardens, parks, and shrub-land in the eastern United States; they barely range into southeastern Canada in the Great Lakes region. They are all-year residents in the area effectively circumscribed by the Great Plains, the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The range is expanding northwards, possibly due to increased availability of winter food at bird feeders. The birds are resident all year even in rural areas where there are few bird feeders, while it was noted in an early bird report around 1905 that many of these birds migrated south in winter.

They forage actively on branches, sometimes on the ground, mainly eating insects, especially caterpillars, but also seeds, nuts and berries. They will store food for later use. They tend to be curious about their human neighbors and can sometimes be spotted on window ledges peering into the windows seemingly to watch what’s going on inside. They tend to be a bit shyer when seen at bird feeders; their normal pattern there is to scout the feeder from the cover of trees or bushes, fly to the feeder, take a seed, and fly back to cover to eat it.

Tufted titmice nest in a hole in a tree, either a natural cavity, a human-made nest box, or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. They line the nest with soft materials, sometimes plucking hair from a live animal such as a dog. If they find they find shed snakeskin, they will try to incorporate pieces of it in their nest. Their eggs are under an inch long and are white or cream-colored with brownish or purplish spots. Sometimes, a bird born the year before remains to help its parents raise the next year’s young. The pair may remain together and defend their territory year-round. These birds are permanent residents and often join small mixed flocks in winter.