Learn About | Greg Dodge Journal: June 1-15, 2008
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Greg Dodge Journal, June 1-15 |
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Flora June brought the blooming of two Magnolias around the Catch the Wind and Explore the Wild Loop, Sweetbay and Southern Magnolia (or simply Magnolia). Most people are familiar with the large white, fragrant flowers of Southern Magnolia. Sweetbay is often overlooked as its flowers and leaves are not as large as Southern Magnolia, but they are just as fragrant. You can see Sweetbay planted around the Wetlands. Many grow along the boardwalk and are about 10-12 feet in height.
Butterflyweed, Pickerelweed, and Lizard's-tail have come into flower. Don't let the names of the first two fool you, these flowers stand out for both their beauty and their ability to attract nectaring insects. All three flowers can be found in or near the U-shaped pond next to the Ornithopter in Catch the Wind.
Butterflyweed is a milkweed (Asclepia) and attracts Monarch butterflies to lay their eggs on the plant's leaves. Another plant out on the loop that resembles a milkweed but is not related, is Dogbane. If you break a stem of the Dogbane plant a white, toxic, viscous substance will ooze out, much like milkweed. When the plant goes to seed, the seeds are presented in a pod that splits open to reveal fluff-tipped seeds, also like milkweed. Dogbane won't attract Monarchs as a host plant for laying eggs, but it will attract many different butterflies and other insects to its flowers as a source for nectar. Much as the milkweeds have certain creatures that are drawn to it, Dogbane has its own unique set of characters that utilize the plant. As the season progresses we'll most likely run into some of those creatures. Other names that have been used for this plant are Indian Hemp, American Hemp, Indian Physic, and Rheumatism Weed.
Buttonbush (just starting), Trumpet Creeper, Queen Anne's Lace, and Rose (not the invasive white-flowered Multiflora Rose but the pink native varieties) are blooming as well. Buttonbush is hard to resist for butterflies and other nectar-loving insects. Trumpet Creeper is favored by hummers. A variety of insects are attracted to Queen Anne's Lace; Black Swallowtails may lay eggs on the plant. Look for beetles on the Rose, especially Longhorn and Soldier Beetles.
Currently, the star of the show is the Lotus down in the Wetlands. With its huge green pads and large, fragrant, pastel-colored flowers, Lotus is hard to beat. The pads provide cover and shade for many breeding frogs and other creatures living in the Wetlands. Lotus is spectacular.
Insects With the heat comes more insects, and for the ode (dragonfly and damselfly) lovers among you, good news. June has brought us five more species of dragonfly. Eastern Pondhawk, Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Widow Skimmer, Great Blue Skimmer, and the tiny yet very distinctive Eastern Amberwing have all joined the growing list of twenty-one species seen since the first of the year.
The common names of dragonflies are in most cases very descriptive. Twelve-spotted Skimmers have 3 black spots on each of its four wings (3 x 4 = 12 spots). Widow Skimmer? Don't know for sure, but I'll bet it has something to do with the black, crepe-like markings on its wings.
One of the plant bugs, the Eastern Leaf-footed Bug, showed up on the nearly gone-by Ox-eye Daisies in Catch the Wind. Leaf-footed Bugs suck the juices from plants. You may be familiar with their close relatives, Squash Bugs, from your vegetable garden. All of the Leaf-footed Bugs that I've seen at the Museum were on daisies. The bugs' rear legs are "flattened" making the legs look somewhat like tiny leaves.
Butterfly activity seems to be picking up. A number of Mourning Cloaks made a showing during this period. These large dark butterflies don't sit still for long. Look for them on the ground, or more likely, buzzing by on their way to and from one place to another. Gray Hairstreaks have also been seen. Gray Hairstreaks, as most hairstreaks, are small and should be looked for nectaring on flowers (pictured above on Butterflyweed). A butterfly at home down low in the grass is the Common Buckeye. Buckeyes, with their "eyed" wings, have been out for sometime this spring but I've noticed an increase in their numbers in the past few weeks. Large (great) and showy, Great Spangled Fritillaries are also on the scene. The upper surface of the wings have a velvety, soft appearance.
Reptiles and Amphibians On the first day of June I heard Narrow-mouthed Toads calling from the Wetlands. They're about 1-1.5 inches in length. They spend a good deal of their time in the woods in burrows or under rocks or logs so they're tough to find visually. I heard their lamb-like "baaaa" calls coming from the Wetlands when the thunder storms of late May and early June brought them out to breed. I've yet to see one.
There have been 12 species of frogs and toads heard or seen since January around the Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind Loop. The Wetlands is full of the tadpoles of most, if not all, of those twelve species – a tadpole stew.
I noticed several small Pickerel Frogs in the Wetlands that were still wearing tadpole tails. Pickerel Frogs bred earlier this year in late winter/early spring. These "tailed" frogs are the offspring of that earlier breeding and are now ready to become full-fledged frogs.
In the previous journal entry (5/15-5/31) I made note of the Museum's turtles leaving the water to lay eggs. I discovered two of their nests this past week. Both were dug up, the eggs left broken alongside the nest. Presumably, Raccoon. The nests can still be seen. One is at the main entrance to Explore the Wild, a small hole dug in the bare soil just to the right of the entrance. The other is about 30 feet further up the path towards Catch the Wind.
Birds Unlike insects, birds don't necessarily thrive in the heat. Many birds take a break from the midday heat to rest in the shade, at times with their bills agape, panting from the heat. Unfortunately, at this time of year many birds have no choice but to be active – they have young on the nest or recently fledged young to attend to. The adults have to feed those young birds, and it's a non-stop occupation.
The Museum's nesting Cooper's Hawks are busily hunting and feeding their young. You can occasionally see one or both of the adults soaring over the Wetlands, or over the bird feeders in Catch the Wind. On one occasion I saw the male frantically flapping towards the nest area with what looked to be a Mourning Dove in its talons and carrying another unidentified bird later the same day – with several irate, smaller songbirds in hot pursuit.
I saw a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers feeding their fledgling. Frenetic from the start, these tiny little bundles of energy were rapid-fire feeding insect after insect to the whining, begging youngster – bill wide open and wings flapping at its sides.
On June 12th I saw two Green Herons flying out of the Wetlands on a northeast heading. Later, I saw two more. Still later, a single bird hiked it up and over the trees to the northeast. Were they different birds? The same birds making several trips to and from the Wetlands? Don't know for sure. No matter, it seems these birds have discovered the "stew" in the Wetlands.
Thanks to the Museum Staff and Guests who have pointed out their sightings to me or who have shared their own experiences with me out on the Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind Loop.
As always, if you see me out on the Loop, stop and ask me if there's anything new going on, or let me know what you’ve seen.
Have a good one,
Greg
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