Learn About | Greg Dodge Journal: July 16-31, 2008
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Greg Dodge Journal, July 16-31 |
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Flora Boneset is blooming at various locations around the Wetlands. The flowers should be fairly easy to locate. Look for clusters of small white flowers atop a straight 2-4 foot plant growing close to the water. The leaves of the plant are opposite. The bases of the leaves are joined at the stem of the plant, surrounding the stem (perfoliate) – an interesting configuration. Boneset is also called Thoroughwort, Fever-weed, and Sweating Plant. Besides some lingering Black-eyed Susan, Coreopsis, and Queen Anne’s Lace there are still some Butterfly Weed and Clover blooming in Catch the Wind and Explore the Wild. There's a very large Trumpet Creeper way up high in a tree behind the Sailboat Pond which has many, many trumpet-shaped flowers. I also saw a few Goldenrod flowers about to pop open and there’s at least one Cardinal Flower in bloom in the Wetlands. Most of the flowers or plants that I mention in this journal are considered to be weeds by many people. Of course, one person’s weed may be another person’s favorite flower, or food plant, or may even have medicinal uses. And certainly, many creatures utilize plants that some of us would rip out of the ground or mow down without a second thought. Pokeweed happens to be a food for many birds, especially Gray Catbirds – they love the juicy, deep purple berries. The young shoots of this otherwise toxic plant can be, and are, harvested and eaten by many folks as table greens. The leaves have to be boiled down and well drained before they are eaten. Have you ever heard of Poke Salad, or Polk Salad Annie? I don’t recommend anyone tearing off a Pokeweed leaf and chawin’ it while strolling around the Museum – I wouldn’t eat it, boiled or not. But, like I said, one person’s weed.... Pokeweed grows in many locations around the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. A few particularly large and healthy specimens of this red-stalked, herbaceous plant can be found next to the boardwalk in the Wetlands. Look down between the two “switchbacks” of the boardwalk as you stroll down into Explore the Wild.
Insects I’ve been expecting to see a Wandering Glider for some time now. On the 23rd of July one appeared at the Sailboat Pond in Catch the Wind. As their name implies, Wandering Gliders can show up just about anywhere. These nonstop dragonflies are widespread in their distribution – cosmopolitan. They’re migratory. They lay eggs in just about any temporary body of water including ditches and rain puddles. Wandering Gliders prefer open spaces like fields, mud flats, and ponds where they constantly patrol back and forth. I often see these yellow-gold dragonflies zipping about parking lots. It’s not uncommon to see them trying to lay eggs on the hoods of cars. Apparently, they mistake the shiny surface of the car’s hood as a pool of water! Another dragonfly that I discovered during this period was a Mocha Emerald – they’re brown overall and have green eyes. Unfortunately it was DOR (Dead on Road). These dragonflies are usually found at small, shaded, forested streams. This one was in Catch the Wind on the paved path near the Bird Feeders. There are several locations at the Museum where I would expect to see a Mocha Emerald. I found this one within a hundred yards of two such places. We are entering what I call the season of the caterpillar. While there are certainly plenty of caterpillars out and about during spring and early summer, it’s now that some of the larger and more spectacular caterpillars begin to reveal themselves. They’re not always easy to find, but they do leave clues as to their presence. Partially chewed leaves and frass (caterpillar poop) on the upper surface of leaves or on the ground are good clues. We’re just on the fringe, early in the season, but we should begin to see more and more caterpillars as the season progresses and the caterpillars become more numerous and grow in size. Early in this period, there were five Black-spotted Prominents on a two-foot Black Locust sapling along the path to Catch the Wind near the Bird Feeder Exhibit. The adults of these caterpillars belong to a family of mid-sized moths. The name prominent comes from the adult moth, not the caterpillar, and refers to tufts of long hair-like scales on the fore wings. However, most of the caterpillars of the various species of prominents have two tail-like projections on the rear end, some quite long and whip-like, which makes it easier to at least narrow down their identity as belonging to the prominent family, if not to species. These projections may appear to be antennae to any would be predator, but of course, the head is it at the other end of the caterpillar. There was a mass of Red-humped Caterpillars on a tree next to the entrance to the Mist Garden in Catch the Wind during the last week of this period. There WILL be more caterpillars. Although the Flower Garden in front of the Butterfly House has plenty of nectar-producing flowers at present, many of the flowers now blooming on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop are not big nectar producers. What does that mean? It means that there aren’t many nectar-loving butterflies about in Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind, although a few Eastern-tailed Blues, Pearl Crescents, and Silver-spotted Skippers are still being seen. Some butterflies don’t visit flowers, or nectar. Two of those species, Hackberry Emperor and Red-spotted Purple, are both on the scene. I’ve seen Hackberry Emperors off and on throughout the season. If you happen to be walking through Catch the Wind near the Bird Feeders and a brown butterfly starts buzzing around your head and body, it’s probably a Hackberry Emperor. These butterflies have a tendency to land on people, apparently to suck up salts from sweat. Red-spotted Purples have only recently made an appearance. They are large black butterflies with iridescent blue on the hind wings. They do not have the “tails” on their hind wings as do the large black swallowtail butterflies in our area. Reddish spots can be seen when the butterfly folds its wings over its back. They fly rapidly and erratically. Don’t look for them on flowers but on the ground (especially wet ground) or sitting on a tree leaf. Female Cicada Killers have emerged (see Explore the Wild Journal, July 1-15, 2008). Great Golden Digger Wasps are also active at this time. These large wasps (not as large as Cicada Killers) also dig burrows in the ground. They stock their burrows with Katydids or Grasshoppers (image at left). They visit flowers often, so keep an eye out for them on the Boneset or Goldenrod when it’s in bloom.
Reptiles and Amphibians I noticed a few newly morphed treefrogs on the vegetation surrounding the Wetlands. Both Green Treefrogs and Gray Treefrogs are emerging from the water as adult frogs and taking up positions in the vegetation surrounding the Wetlands. The two frogs pictured are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches in length, still quite small considering that they’ll grow to about 2 inches. You may also notice that the Gray Treefrog (pictured at left) is rather green, especially on the dorsal surface (back). They can vary in color according to their surroundings. All of the young Gray Treefrogs that I’ve seen have been greenish. Of course, most of those have been sitting on green leaves which may have something to do with the observed color at the time that they were seen.
Birds Finally, a Broad-winged Hawk! I had expected to see a Broad-winged Hawk in mid to late April when they first arrive back from their winters spent in South America. They usually slip into the nesting season with little fanfare so they can easily be missed. Broad-wings don’t make very much noise, usually vocalizing only during the early part of the nesting season. When they do call out, it sounds more like a Killdeer’s whistled song, or the song of an Eastern Wood Pewee. The one I saw on July 27 was a molting adult gliding towards the north. Great-crested Flycatchers have been very vocal lately. I most often hear them between the Lemur House and Catch the Wind. I saw a family of House Wrens out for a forage in the low shrubs along the path in that same area. I hadn’t seen or heard a House Wren in over a month. Juvenal plumaged Eastern Bluebirds and Catbirds have also been seen. This is a good time to sit by the Bird Feeders to see what fledglings show up; many parents bring their young to this “free” food source at this time of year. Ruby-throated Hummingbird activity has picked up. Young hummers that were previously still in the nest have now fledged and are taking advantage of the several hummingbird feeders at the Bird Feeder Exhibit. The vast majority of hummers at the feeders will be young male and female hummers, all without the ruby throat of the adult males. Adult females will probably look a bit ragged this time of year due to molt, and of course, the adult males will have iridescent, red feathers on their chins and throats.
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 there, stop and ask what’s new, or let me know what you’ve seen.
Have a good one,
Greg
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