Blue Jay Barrens

Ants Emerge

2012-02-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

February 1 brought another day of 60 degreetemperatures. I guess the warmth finallysoaked through the ant mounds, because the Allegheny Mound Ants were out makingrepairs today.

They paid little attention to the ant carcasses bundled upin the Flicker droppings. I waswondering if there was something of nutritional value in the droppings thatwould be of benefit to the ants. Thatmight be the Flickers way of making reparation for ingesting so many of thecolony’s members.

Some of the ants were just patrolling. It’s not unusual for the ants to make awinter emergence, but they tend to stay on the mound during these times. A drop in the temperature will send themquickly back inside. It’s probablypretty risky to leave the vicinity of the nest during the winter season. Ants foraging away from the mound couldeasily be caught by a cold front and get stranded out in the open.

Most of the ants were busy repairing the damage done by theFlickers. The repair material was beingbrought up from somewhere inside the mound.

The priority seemed to be closing the breach at the bottomof the hole and resealing the mound. Ifthe weather allows the ants to remain active, their next act will most likelybe to fill the hole and restore the mound’s surface to its original smoothcurve.

Judging by the smile, I’d say this guy is as happy as I amto be outside on such a beautiful day.

Ant Mound Flicker Droppings

2012-02-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

January 31 high temperatures made it into the mid 60’s, so Idecided to check out some ant mounds to see if there were any ants movingabout. There was no ant activity, but Idid notice several holes left by a foraging Flicker. Flickers on the ant mounds are a regularoccurrence.

Flicker holes are usually narrow and deep. I imagine they get their bill down the holeand then fish for ants with their tongue. I remembered the comment made last week by James Trager about Flickersleaving droppings full of ant exoskeletons on the mound and began to search forsimilar droppings here.

No ants in this rather loose dropping. I was wondering if the snail shell wasalready in place before arrival of the dropping or if it actually went throughthe bird.

This is what I was looking for. There’s a lot of material packed into thislittle nugget.

Here’s a neat ant exoskeleton looking like it just took atrip through a trash compactor. That’s prettygood evidence that the birds are actually feeding on ants.

Crumbling the dropping reveals a great assortment of antparts.

Mixed in with the ants were many Eastern Red Cedarseeds. Apparently the Flickers have alsobeen feeding on the cedar fruits. Thanksfor the tip James. It made for aninteresting investigation.

Wolf Cedar

2012-01-31T03:00:00.000-05:00

The term wolf, when used to describe a tree, refers toexpansive horizontal top growth that spreads in all directions to gobble up asmuch living space as possible. A singleWolf tree can occupy enough space to accommodate a dozen or more typicalvertical growing individuals. EasternRed Cedar genetics usually doesn’t allow the development of Wolf trees, so Iwas surprised to find this specimen.

The Wolf Cedar has developed horizontal branches that extendfar to all sides. A more typical growthpattern is demonstrated by the tree on the right. Their trunks are almost identically sized, sothey are probably both about the same age.

Branches near ground level would have begun their horizontaljourney when the tree was quite small. They should have slowed their growth rate long ago and by now should bedead.

There are plenty of side branches that behavednormally. They are short, dead brancheswith a slightly upward curve.

The unusually long side branches of the Wolf Cedar are stillgrowing. This branch leaves the treeonly a couple of feet off the ground, makes its way far from the trunk and thencurves upward to be topped by normal cedar growth.

The odd pattern of growth continues on up the tree. Deciduous trees exhibit this wolfing behaviorwhen they are grown in the open without competing neighbors. They are able to adjust their growth habitsto fit the existing conditions. Shape ofEastern Red Cedars is dependent on the genetic makeup of the individualtree. The two basic shapes are column orcone and genetics dictates which form the tree will take. The growth pattern is not affected by theamount of neighboring competition. Comparedto its relatives at Blue Jay Barrens, this is one odd tree.

Wrangling Roses

2012-01-30T03:00:00.000-05:00

I decided to drag the material from my invasive cutting overto this brush pile. When firstconstructed, the pile of cedars would have reached nearly to the top of thepicture frame. That was seven yearsago. Those cedars have since decomposedand the mass of the pile has diminished considerably. It receives a few branches each year, but notenough to make up for the rate of decomposition.

Some Multiflora Rose bushes growing near the pile were cutearlier in the year. Since I was goingto be working in the area, I thought I might as well gather up the cut rosesand add them to the pile.

I’ve got some thick leather gloves that I wear when workingwith roses. It’s sometimes possible tomove the entire bush by gathering the thorny canes by the base and dragging themess to its new location.

This specimen proved to be one of the more difficult tomove. As sometimes happens with fencerow roses, this bush had canes in excess of 25 feet long that had gottentangled up in the tree. I managed to getsome of the bush on the brush pile, but the canes still trailed back to a massleft hanging from the tree.

I was fortunate to shed only a little blood while wrestlingthe bush down out of the tree. Multiflora Rose canes tend to grow in a curve. A long cane will be stretched straight outwhile it’s being pulled, but once free from the tree, the inherent curve causesit to whip around and encircle the person doing the pulling. It’s no fun to be suddenly hugged by a thornyrose cane.

I finally got the bush sort of rounded up and on top of thebrush pile. Tips of canes are stillwaving around, so it remains a challenge to keep from being scratched. The next task is to consolidate the coils ofcanes into a controlled collection.

I used the cut brush to collect the canes and force them inand down on top of the pile. Each branchcontained a few more canes until the rose bush was confined to the boundariesof the pile.

The final step was to add heavier material on top to furthercompress the rose. Rose canes decomposequickly, so they’ll disappear by next fall. I would normally climb on top of the pile at this point and pusheverything down further. I skipped thatstep because most of the brush on top was Autumn Olive and crabapple, both ofwhich were covered with short spear-like branches. I had no desire to end my day with puncturewounds in my ankles and legs.

Taking Out Some Invasives

2012-01-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

While mowing this area earlier in the year, I found a fewwoody invasives that were too large for the mower, so I left them to be cutlater. I finally got back there with thesaw to remove those size XL invasive plants.

Tuliptrees are quick to grow in the more moisture rich soilsin this part of the field. It doesn’ttake long for them to develop into a fair sized tree.

I’m still finding Autumn Olives. Usually it’s just one plant and I find itbefore it begins to produce fruit. Thereare several massive Autumn Olive shrubs on properties close to Blue JayBarrens, so I expect the influx of seed to continue. I’m just glad to have reached the point wherethe seed is no longer produced here.

The seed for this American Crabapple, Pyrus coronaria,probably came from trees growing near the house that were planted many yearsago as part of an Ohio Division of Wildlife habitat improvement program. Over the years, I haven’t found more than a dozenof these volunteers growing in the fields and fence rows. That’s rather surprising considering thethousands of little apples the parent trees have produced.

Care must be taken when working around this crabapple. The short branches form a sharp spine at thetip that is capable of penetrating most material used for jackets, pants orboot soles. This tree had three trunks,but the branches were so entangled that the tree sections had to be cut apart.

With the invasives removed, the field is lookingexceptionally nice. The mild weather andabundant fruit crop have allowed the birds to lead a relatively stress freelife this winter. The clusters of sumacfruits, a last resort food of most birds, remain untouched.

The Flowering Dogwoods are loaded with flower buds. They should make a beautiful display in thespring. I’m really anxious to see howthis field develops during the next growing season.

Fallen Tree Brush Piles

2012-01-28T03:00:00.000-05:00

Not all of the brush piles I construct are the result ofcedar clearing. Occasionally a tree willfall or lose a large load of branches and I will gather them up into a smallpile on the site where they fell. Iusually do this when the branches have fallen into an area that I am managingas an open field.

The result is a small pile that has a rather short lifespan. While it exists, the combinationof large loosely arranged branches attracts a variety of wildlife species.

Many bird species hang around the piles and leave behind theseeds contained within fruits upon which they’ve been feeding. An eater of Multiflora Rose fruits obviouslyspent time here. A shallow pile of brushprovides an ideal environment for the germination of seeds and the growth ofyoung plants. Some very healthy rosebushes sprout from these piles.

I keep finding more roses with fresh growth. I hope this out-of-season growth is puttingsome stress on the rose plant.

The roses have been removed and their remains added to thetop of the pile.

Many other woody plants have taken advantage of theexceptional growing conditions within the boundaries of the brush pile. Winged Sumac, Fragrant Sumac, Sassafras andWild Black Cherry are sharing this pile. These are all species that are readily spread by birds.

The Fragrant Sumac is heavily loaded with flower buds, so itshould be a prime source of early spring nectar. This will be a good place to search for someof the rarer early season butterflies.

The pile was built from the branches of this dead tree. Woodpeckers and other cavity nesting birdsmade good use of the tree before it fell. Unless there’s a safety issue involved, I’ll leave dead trees to fallnaturally. I also like to leave thetrees to decompose where they fall. While it grew, the tree took its needs from the soil on that site and Ithink it’s proper for the soil to receive back what it earlier gave up.

Cedar Clearing

2012-01-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

With a nice corridor linking the brush pile to the cedarclearing area, I’m ready to begin cutting cedars.

At this point in the process, I like to go around and cuteverything that can be handled by Big Loppers. This gets a lot of the eye blocking greenery out of the way and givesyou room to work with the saw around the larger cedars.

To help carry the smaller cedars, I use a willowy seven footcedar as a bundling strap. I put thestrap on the ground and lay a bunch of cut cedars across it. I then grab the strap on each side of thepile and lift the whole collection up to move to the brush pile.

When I pile the material, the top of the cedar strap iscaught between the brush pile and the material being carried. By taking the butt of the cedar and forcing itin and down through the pile, you can bind the material and affix it snuggly tothe side of the pile. Additional bundlescan be stacked up to a height of about four feet. Trying to go any higher is usually unsuccessfulbecause of the difficulty of holding the bundle together as you lift it forplacement. I like to call this the JellyRoll method of stacking cedars. Itreally works best with cedars in the five foot range. The cedars shown here are about twice thatsize.

After I’ve finished with Big Loppers, I use Little Bow totake out the larger trees. I just startat the corridor and keep working outward until I reach the edge of the workarea.

Stumps give a good picture of the density of the cedarstand. Little Bow does a good job ofcutting things close to the ground, so there are no tall stumps left. It’s really a nuisance to trip over cedarstumps when you walk through the prairie. I would also like to avoid the pain involvedwith kneeling down to look at a plant and getting jabbed in the shin by a cedarstump. By next winter the stumps willhave turned gray and will be hardly noticeable. It may take 15 or 20 years before they decompose and disappear.

I managed to add some bulk to the brush pile before beinghalted by thawing ground. The brush pilebase is as large as it will get. A fewmore hours of clearing will take the height up to its maximum limit. Weather forecasts are predicting a slightlywarmer trend with more rain, so I don’t know when I’ll be seeing frozen groundagain.

Dragging cedars across frozen ground gives the vegetation araked appearance, but there’s no soil compaction and the plants suffer verylittle damage. If my activities werecontinued into the warm afternoon, I would create a muddy, trampled path in thethawed earth. By the middle of nextsummer, there won’t be any evidence left of my dragging activities.

Even if I don’t get back to this project this year, I’vemade a clearing large enough to bring in a lot of sunlight. The prairie vegetation should respondfavorably to the new situation.

Cedar Clearing Preparation

2012-01-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

Weather conditions continue to be unsuited to doing clearingwork in the prairies. Frequent rainshave left the soil saturated with water, making it highly susceptible to damage fromthe trampling it would receive while I cleared cedars. I’ve taken advantage of the occasional fewhours of frozen ground in the early mornings to do some clearing at the sitenext to the old log landing. As the daywarms, the ground quickly thaws and becomes muddy, so I have to be quick to getanything accomplished. I stop work assoon as the ground begins to feel soft.

The first task when beginning work on a new clearing site ischoosing the location of the brush pile. I try to pile the brush as high as possible while minimizing the basalarea of the pile. In order to accomplishthis, I use large cedars as a support for one side of the pile. The cedar on the right side of the photo andthe double cedar a little farther back will act as the supports for thispile. When I made my first pile in thisfashion, I was concerned that there might be negative effects to the growingcedars, but this appears not to be the case. Cedars that received piles over 20 years ago are still healthy andcontinue growing while the brush rots down around them.

I monitored the brush pile site through the last growingseason to make sure there were no important plant species that would becovered. Mosses and Golden Ragwort werethe dominant species and these are common to many areas of Blue Jay Barrens. Choosing a suitable brush pile site takesmore time and planning than any other aspect of cedar clearing.

Big Loppers and Little Bow are my tools of choice forclearing cedars. Big Loppers will cutanything up to two inches in diameter. Little Bow, a standard 21 inch bow saw, will handle the rest of what Itypically clear, which is usually less than six inches in diameter. I prefer to use hand tools for my managementwork because they are quiet and allow me to enjoy the sounds of birds and othernature as I’m working. In addition, theyare easy to carry from the barn to the job site, they never fail to start whenI’m ready to begin work and they don’t produce any unpleasant odors when inoperation.

Clearing starts with a path that begins at the brush pileand runs up through the center of the clearing area. The path needs to be wide enough for a personto easily travel while hauling a mass of cedars. Dragging brush is much easier if you don’thave the surrounding growth snagging on you or the brush as you proceed to thepile.

This size corridor is ideal. I can move some large loads of brush through here without difficulty. I also personally benefit by being betterable to view the clearing job ahead. AsI walk the corridor, I’m able to look to each side and see the numbers ofdifferent sized cedars to be cut and decide in what order I should proceed withthe clearing.

I begin the brush pile by building a vertical wall againstthe support trees. This barrier helps tocontain the material I will push in from the front side. The initial cedars in the pile must be longerthan the distance between the support trees, so they will be properly anchoredat each end. I build up to a height ofabout five feet before starting to add width to the pile.

This is what I accomplished before the ground began to getsoft. From here I’ll begin general clearingand increase the width of the brush pile. I just need another frozen morning.

Ant Mound Predation

2012-01-25T03:00:00.000-05:00

Ant mounds, built by the Allegheny Mound Ant, Formicaexsectoides, suffer a bit each year from foraging animals seeking potentialfood items buried in the mound. Usuallyit’s just some shallow digging that does little damage to the integrity of themound.

The animal that did this must have been more ambitious thanmost. There was quite a pile of dirtbrought up from this hole.

The opposite side of the mound showed an even moreaggressive excavation. I don’t know whatthe animal was after. There was noevidence of anything edible in the spoil or left inside the excavation.

Crumbs from the digging are still perched atop the nearbyIndian Grass stalks. That means it wasprobably done last night. Heavy rain thenight before would have quickly washed this evidence away.

This explains all of the dirt piled outside the holes. The excavation goes completely through themound. There was still no evidence ofwhat motivated the animal to do this much work.

These galleries would have been filled with ants during thesummer. In January, the ants arenormally not active outside the mound, but depending on temperatures andsunlight, are often present within the mound. I’ve read that winged queens sometimes overwinter in the colony andwinged queens seem to be a treat for any animal. Foraging animals don’t just dig for the funof it, so I’m sure there was something worthwhile to be found here. I just couldn’t find a clue to what it was.

Fallen Tree Mystery

2012-01-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

I stopped by one of the fallen tree areas to have a seat on alog. There are enough good sitting logshere to accommodate a bus load of people.

As I prepared to sit, I sighted along the tree trunk and sawhow the lower trunk had fallen between two closely spaced trees and the treetop had fallen between two others. Itreminded me of the path of a croquet ball through the wickets.

Then I noticed that the base of the tree was several feet tothe side of the stump hole. Since fallingtrees seldom bounce or roll, the base of the tree is normally located right atthe stump hole.

When I stood in the stump hole, I couldn’t see how the tree couldpossibly have fallen the way it had. Itcould have gone between the first set of trees, but that would have put the topof the tree far from the second set of trees. I always love finding a little mystery when I’m out walking.

The tree had been dead for many years before falling, sothere were very few lateral roots left on the stump. The amount of soil still clinging to the rootball indicates that the tree has only been on the ground for a year ortwo. It definitely did not fall and thenhave trees grow up around it.

The scar on this ash helped explain the events that tookplace as the tree fell. The side of thefallen log that ended facing up was the side that would have faced the groundif the ash had not intervened. As thetree fell, its bent section connected with the ash and caused the tree to makea 180 degree twist in the air. This putthe top between the two trees outside the original line of fall and left a longscar on the side of the ash.

The twist occurred with enough force to flip the lower partof the trunk away from the root hole and smash the base of the tree oppositethe ash.

The fall would have been a neat thing to watch. This is a good example of why you want tokeep plenty of distance between yourself and a falling tree. You never know for sure what direction it’sgoing to go.

Fragrant Sumac in the Prairie

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

Being a native plant doesn’t mean that the plant cannot alsobe invasive. I consider a native plantto be invasive if it becomes established in a desired ecosystem and has theability to replace the existing plant complex with something else. The invasive designation is based onmanagement goals. This means that asingle species can be both a desirable native plant and an invasive plantdepending upon where it is found at Blue Jay Barrens. A good example of this is the Fragrant Sumac,Rhus aromatica, shown here invading a tall grass prairie, but growing a hundredyards away as a desirable native understory shrub.

This process of ecosystem replacement is called successionand is a natural and perpetually occurring event. Grassland is taken over by brush – Brushgives way trees – Trees grow into forest. If the process was never disrupted, all wewould have is forest. The idea ofecosystem management is to inject intentional disruptions that hold successionat a particular stage.

The Fragrant Sumac forms a dense stand of branches thateventually eliminates the tall grasses and prairie forbs. The branches of the sprawling shrub can beovertopped by the tall grass, so the incursion is often hard to detect untilthe sumac is well established and expanding its territory.

I find a lot of value in Fragrant Sumac when it grows in afield edge or shaded understory situation. These buds will develop into early spring flowers that are visited by awide variety of butterflies, moths, flies and beetles. In my management activities, I try to leaveplenty of these shrubs in a condition to bloom.

When a patch of Fragrant Sumac gets out of control in theprairie, I work to reduce its vigor or eliminate it entirely. This clump of sumac was mowed and will besprayed in the spring.

There’s very little left in the way of prairie vegetation atthe heart of the sumac infestation. Thegreen grasses are bluegrass and fescue, both of which are non-native andundesirable in the prairie. I’lleliminate the grass along with the sumac. Deciding what must go and what can stay is one of the hardest jobs ofecosystem management. When you get tothe point of actually eliminating a species, you just hope that your decisionto take that action was correct.

Cedar Bonsai

2012-01-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

Annually mowing a young Eastern Red Cedar stimulates growthand causes the tree to become thick with branches. I’ve removed a couple of side branches fromthis small cedar to show the area cut by the mower and the resulting profusionof branches.

I think of the result as a cedar bonsai. The mower doesn’t display the care andplanning that a bonsai master would use in shaping the tree, but you get asense of the bonsai when you see the tiny tree.

A normally growing tree would display just one top. The effects of mowing have left this cedarlooking like a thick shrub. It should beno surprise that this growth phenomenon occurs. Junipers related to the Eastern Red Cedar are commonly used as landscapeplants because of their tolerance to pruning.

This cedar is old enough to be head high by now. Somehow it was missed in my earlier cedarremoval efforts and was trimmed by the mower on at least two separate occasions.

The mower cuts the cedar off at a height of about fourinches. This removes the upper growingpoints, but doesn’t bother the side branches. The result is a cedar that gets continually wider with each cut.

The cedar can end up with some ridiculously thickgrowth. If it had been left to grownaturally, this portion of the trunk would probably have been without branches. Instead, it developed a tight mass ofbranches that was quite effective in shading out surrounding growth andclaiming a spot on the prairie. If Iever run out of things to do, I may go around the field and create some littlePrairie Bonsais.

Unstressed Deer

2012-01-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

The stress of winter is supposed to be one of the primaryfactors in reducing the deer population. This winter has been so easy on the deer that I think they’re stillputting on weight.

The doe with the injured leg is not only still alive; she’slost that gaunt look of two months ago and appears as healthy as the rest. At this rate, she’ll survive the winter andgo on to have two or three fawns in the spring.

I’m beginning to wonder if she’s got some other worldlyforce helping her. Those eyes definitelylook possessed.

The Crows aren’t afraid, but they prefer not to have thedeer facing them.

Apparently, it’s much safer to stay behind the deer.

The maturing fawns are still showing the cuteness of youth.

This youngster is already showing signs of hismaleness. Those bumps behind the eyesare the buds that will become antlers late next summer.

Removing Fallen Tree Top

2012-01-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

Temperatures have been cold enough at night to freeze thesurface of the ground. I’ve takenadvantage of this condition to do some work in sensitive areas that wouldsuffer damage if I tramped around on them while things were soft and muddy. The ground tends to thaw by late morning, soI don’t have a lot of time to accomplish these tasks. I mentioned earlier that I had to remove thisfallen tree top from one of the barren areas.

The debris will be going on top of what’s left of the brushpile created during my 102 degree clearing. Fortunately, I wasn’t carrying any fever when I decided to remove thetree top. The remains of a cedar cut forthe log in its trunk was the original base for the brush pile. The old stump can be seen in the upper rightof the photo. Decomposition has greatlyreduced the pile, but there are still branches that will take a few decadesmore to disappear.

Tiny Leavenworthia uniflora plants are scattered all overthe area of the downed tree top. A cleanup job is always more interesting when you have to watch where you put yourfeet. An inadvertent twist of a bootsole could wipe out a dozen of these uncommon plants.

I began work by removing the main trunk and then the largerbranches. From there I gathered the armloads of small branches and twigs. As Iworked through the mess, I tried to bundle branches so I could minimize thenumber of trips across the barren to the brush pile. I was also trying to hurry, because the crustof frozen ground wasn’t very thick and I was afraid it would soon thaw.

Here’s an example of why it’s a bad idea to be runningaround in the woods when it’s windy. When the wind brought down the tree top, branches stabbed several inchesinto the soil. They would have gonedeeper if they hadn’t hit bedrock. Falling branches could easily spear a person who happened to get intheir way.

This ought to be a little more attractive to brush piledwelling wildlife.

The tree top is gone, so the Leavenworthia can growunhindered and I can search for trap door spiders without falling overbranches. While I was working, I noticedsome small cedars that should be removed, but that will have to wait until theground either refreezes or dries up.

Fence Row Work

2012-01-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

I had the idea years ago to save management projects nearthe house for those occasions when I didn’t have time to drag my tools out tosome distant project. That scheme didn’twork as well as I had intended. It seemsthat I would still favor the distant projects over the close, because I knewthat I could always pop out in those odd few minutes and work close to thehouse. This old fence row is one ofthose close projects that I chipped away at for many years. One end is almost to the corner of the barn,so all I had to do was carry the tools out of the barn and start to work. The fence row was a solid screen when Ibegan, but I made so little progress that the openings would grow closed fasterthan they were created. A couple ofyears ago, I decided I would just have to declare this to be a legitimateproject and give it the time it deserved.

The most persistent shrub in the fence row is the FragrantSumac. Its flowers provide a valuableearly season nectar source, so I’m not trying to entirely eliminate theshrub. I just try to keep it short andcontained to one area.

Fragrant Sumac reacts very favorably to mowing. The cut shrub will respond by producing amass of rapidly growing shoots. Theflowers develop on year old growth, so blooms are lost for the comingyear. To mitigate this loss, I only mowa portion of the shrubs in any one year. This patch will have two or three good flowering years before it againneeds to be mowed. Fragrant Sumacspreads by sprawling branches that fall to the ground and develop roots. To keep it from spreading, I cut the sumacsbefore the long branches develop.

No matter how thoroughly you search for trash, there’salways more to be found. Ceramicinsulators are a pretty common find in the old fence rows.

Old rolls of wire fence are also common. This is going to be a chore to remove. Grape vines have penetrated the center of thewire roll and will need to be cut away. The bottom part of the roll has been anchored to the ground by treeroots.

The odd thing about this roll of fence is that it was neverused in this fence row. The closespacing of the bottom wires identifies this as poultry fence. This was originally used to fence a poultryyard associated with a chicken coop located in the center of the field. When the coop was removed to allow farming ofthe field, the rolled wire was carried over and placed here.

The fence row is now open enough to allow prairie vegetationto enter the gap. Indian Grass hasalready begun to grow in close to the trees. I think I’ll reduce the shade further by removing some of the horizontalbranches reaching out into the field. It’s nice to look out the window and see a successfully completedproject.

January Rain

2012-01-18T03:00:00.001-05:00

This could pass as a typical January photo of Blue JayBarrens if that was snow obscuring the view instead of rain. Thunderstorms and 60 degree temperatures arenot the norm for this area in the middle of January. A quick moving storm front produced about aninch and a half of rain, most of which fell within an hour. That certainly erased all traces of the snowstorm from a few days ago.

Here is why I mow wetter areas first. Once the spring rains begin, the ground isjust too soft to mow without causing damage. In normal years, the spring rains tend to arrive in months like March orApril that are more traditionally identified with spring.

The upland water was moving away fast, so I splashed my waydown to the creek to see what flooding was occurring. This certainly isn’t the gentle flow I wasadmiring a few days ago.

If obstacles won’t move, the water goes around. This curve will be a little bit wider by thetime the water subsides.

The walking trail crosses the creek here because it’susually just one long step to get across the water. This definitely isn’t a good time to becrossing.

This bridge is the least susceptible to being moved by floodwater. There’s still a bit of clearanceunderneath, but the water appears to be striving to reach up as it passesbeneath the bridge supports. From hereit looks like there are two creeks converging above the bridge.

The actual creek channel is in the background of thephoto. The curved section can’t handlethe water fast enough and the excess has left the channel to travel overland.

The next bridge upstream is in a more precariousposition. It won’t take too much morewater to change the structure from a bridge to a raft. A large portion of the watershed for thiscreek is located upstream of Blue Jay Barrens. Differing land uses allow more soil erosion to cloud the water withsediment. Even so, this water is cleanerthan the average stream of comparable size and the almost sediment free waterfrom the Blue Jay Barrens tributaries improves the quality even more.

The bare soil areas that partially define the barrens looklike they would be easily eroded, but the runoff water they produce isclear. A healthy biotic crust of algae,lichens and mosses combines with a well defined soil structure and a pebblysurface to create an erosion resistant landscape.

The result is clean water leaving the barrens. But, the integrity of the barrens soils iseasily disrupted through disturbance. This is why I have issues with the deer and turkey that trample andscratch the soil surface. Damage causedby these animals can easily result in an active erosion situation that could bedifficult to correct. Management is justa matter of watching and reacting properly to changes.

Snow Walk

2012-01-17T03:00:00.000-05:00

The day following the snow storm was windy and cold, but thesun came out and made it look warm. Snowplayed just a minor role in the recent storm. The only uniform snow covering was in the cedar thickets where thestrong winds couldn’t penetrate. Notenough to impede walking, the snow was just enough to let you know it was trulya winter day.

The transformation from a rainy 60 degrees to snowy 20’s wasrough on the soil. Soil particles werepushed up several inches on rapidly forming columns of ice. With temperatures fluctuating from daytime40’s to overnight 20’s, frost heave has been an almost constant event thisyear.

Water table is at its maximum levels and the creek keepsgurgling along. These conditionsnormally foretell fish traveling far up the creek during the spring spawningruns. That often spells disaster for thecreek breeding salamanders.

Two days of below freezing temperatures is enough to createsome impressive ice formations. Surfacewater trickling down exposed roots can build thick icicles. Roots trailing in the water form wide feet atthe water’s surface.

The deciduous woods was pretty well blasted by thewind. Much of the snow is hidden in theleaf litter.

In the wind shadow of the cedars, snow caught on the leavesof the Big Bluestem and gave the illusion of a deep accumulation. Where wind made it to the grass, the snowdisappeared down to ground level.

I found the tracks of a big dog on one of the trails. There are only two animals in Ohio that I consider dangerous. Number two on that list is the domesticdog. This looks to be the track of afairly large individual.

The pond quickly froze over, but the area fed byintermittent springs remains open. Thiswater is heavily visited by birds and other animals during cold weather. The variety of visitors grows with each coldday. So far this year, icy conditionshaven’t lasted more than a few days, so the number of animals searching foropen water has been low.

Snow Day Birds

2012-01-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

A little bit of snow and cold weather always means anincrease in bird activity at the feeders. Even though our latest snow totaled less than half an inch and the lowtemperatures stayed in the high teens, the birds mobbed the feeders.

Of course the Blue Jays were here. They’re still hard to count, but it wasevident that there numbers were up.

This is the first Fox Sparrow I’ve seen this year. It stayed on the fringes of the Blue Jay mob.

Eastern Towhee numbers are never high in the winter, but wealways have a few.

The male Red-bellied Woodpecker takes sunflower seeds fromthe feeder and stuffs them into this hole in the dead tree. After he builds up a small cache, he settlesdown to eat the seeds.

There are always plenty of Song Sparrows. During the breeding season, our yard istypically part of two or three different Song Sparrow territories.

Mourning Doves may visit the feeder anytime during the day,but they are most concentrated in the first couple of hours after sunrise. During the day, the flock either sits in orforages beneath the trees in the field west of the yard.

House Finches are becoming increasingly common. I see them every winter, but they disappearin the summer. I don’t know where thenearest breeding location is.

The snow is quickly melting and the temperatures aresupposed to be back in the 40’s soon. About two buckets full of sunflower seed and cracked corn disappeared onthis snow day. Once the snow is gone,things will probably go back to the more normal half bucket per day.

Winter Opossum

2012-01-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

When temperatures dip well below freezing, nocturnal animalsthat are susceptible to the cold will often venture out in search of foodduring the slightly warmer daytimes hours. Opossums are common foragers around the bird feeding area, but arerarely seen during the day.

When I saw this guy making his way through the field besidethe house, I knew where he was headed. Ihurried around and met him as he arrived at the feeder.

Opossums normally don’t react to my presence if I moveslowly and don’t crowd. They act asthough I’m just another animal taking advantage of the food supply. The ears and tails are susceptible tofrostbite during cold weather and always look a bit ragged on the olderspecimens.

If I do get too close to the Opossum and it decides toleave, it will begin its escape with an exaggerated slow motion walk. I guess I’m not supposed to notice that it ismoving.

It’s unusual to find an adult Opossum that looks sleek andclean. This one has notches in its ears,a ripped place on its side and a scabby, mangled tail. It may be different in the southern portionof their range, but I don’t think our cold winters do them much favor.

Once they feel they’ve gotten away from me, they move onwith more haste. I doubt that they arecapable of outrunning any legitimate predator. It’s fortunate that they have excellent reproductive success andintroduce many new Opossums into the population each year.

A Camera Critters submission.

First Signs of Spring - Going Fast

2012-01-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

My year has started out wrong and I don’t know what to do tofix it. I spend the winter inanticipation of spring. There arecertain signs I look for that indicate spring is not far away and I feelenergized each time one occurs. Myproblem is that so many of my signs of spring have already been realized. Salamander Breeding is always the first, butthat happened back in December before winter really got started. Next comes the Woodcock mating display, whichis normally a February event. I’ve had aWoodcock displaying since November and there are currently at least two malescalling and spiraling in the field behind the house. Now the turkeys have jumped ahead of theSpring Peepers and claimed the number three slot for signs of spring 2012.

Wild Turkey displays are typically an early Marchevent. I heard my first turkey gobblecome from the woods on New Years Day. They’ve been heard a few times since then and now they’ve come into theyard to show me that they weren’t just letting loose with a few straygobbles. The Toms are displaying withfull vigor. They’re going to be somemighty tired birds by the time the breeding season ends.

This looks like the scene of a sit-com. The gents, dressed in their finest suits withmatching red bowties, are falling over each other in their attempts to impressthe lady. “Hey Baby. Hey Baby.” She doesn’t look at all impressed.

Between displays, the Toms forage along with the hens.

But they’re all alert to the possibility that a hen might bereceptive to renewed courtship activities. If the Peepers start calling, I’ll just have to concede that spring hastruly arrived. Maybe I should startplanting my garden.

Wrapping up the Mowing

2012-01-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

The weather has been perfect for winter mowingactivities. I managed to finish all ofthose areas that I thought were critical for this year. Odd cloud formations often signal a change inthe weather. The clouds and the officialweather forecasts were telling me that this was probably my last good mowingday for a while.

The field doesn’t look quite as cheerful beneath gray rainclouds. This section was mowed last yearfor the purpose of killing the invading Black Walnuts. Black Walnuts sprout late in the spring andthen grow very rapidly. There’s only ashort time in which to safely spray the walnuts before they get too tall. During the optimum spraying time last year,it rained every day I was at home, so the spraying didn’t get done. I mowed around some of the tallest sprouts soI didn’t dull JR’s blade. It’s amazinghow much growth the stump sprouts can produce in a single growing season.

The valley at the trail head was once filled with SmoothSumac and other brush. I’m still workingto get rid of some Multiflora Roses and a few miscellaneous other species.

I’m coming close to eliminating the invasives from thisarea. A few years ago, the red flagsmarking invasive plants were too numerous to count. Now they’re hard to spot.

Years ago, I put a priority on management work near thewalking trails. My goal was to make itpossible to take a short walk without seeing all of the work I still had aheadof me. The problem is my habit of addingnew goals to the bottom of my management list more rapidly than I remove themfrom the top. I sometimes have to remindmyself that this was once a scene of Multiflora Rose, Autumn Olive and BushHoneysuckle. At least now, except forthe bright green fescue, I’m looking at a landscape of native species.

The trail was established when the primary cover wasfescue. Over the years, Indian Grass hasmade its way down hill from the east. The six foot wide trail has proven to be an effective barrier to theadvance of the Indian Grass. In openfields, Indian Grass advances rapidly along the lines of the prevailingwinds. At Blue Jay Barrens that meansthat Indian Grass is quite effective at colonizing areas to the east by way ofwind blown seed. Movement to the west ismore sedate and a mowed trail can be a formidable barrier.

The Indian Grass managed to jump the gap in the sectionwhere the trail narrows to four feet. The crossing occurred ten years ago, but movement to the west has onlyaveraged about one foot per year.

This is the area of missing Monardas. Scattered plants managed to flower higher onthe hillside, but the die out was complete in the level valley floor. I don’t expect any blooms this year, but Ihope to see the plants starting to come back.

I marked a few young roses for elimination. They only had one or two canes each, so theycan’t really be referred to as bushes. Ithink they are sprouts from very small roses that got mowed off last year. I think I can say that the invasive shrubsare now under control.

Perimeter Patrol

2012-01-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

I use descriptive titles for my management work that usuallysuggest a more complex activity than is perceived by the casual observer. The typical passerby will identify my actionsas mowing along the fence. They don’tsee me inspecting the fence for physical damage, clipping invasive trees andshrubs, picking up trash, searching for signs of invasive species infestations,or doing any of the other management activities that I attach to the job ofmowing the fence line. I like to call thismy Perimeter Patrol.

DR Brush is the machine of choice for working up close toobstacles. The DR is lighter and moreeasily maneuvered than JR. It willfinesse its way around fence posts and caress fence wire without doing theleast bit of damage. DR Brush has notrouble clipping off shrubs like these raspberries that grow almost directlybelow the fence wire. The DR is alsoslightly narrower than JR and can slip through some of the tight places betweentrees and fence.

I make two passes along the fence. One pass would be sufficient, but the easiestway back to the barn is the way I came out, so that gives me the twopasses. It’s just the road fence thatgets this extra attention. The road is aprime source of unwanted things entering the property and I want to make surethat anything threatening the field is identified before it can do too muchdamage.

There’s always at least one fallen tree resting on thefence. The trees between the fence andthe road aren’t large enough to do any real damage. They’re just a chore to deal with.

The area between fence and road contains the trees that fellin past years. The remains of theoriginal field fence run right along the edge of the road. I’ve removed most of it so it wouldn’t be ahazard to passing vehicles. I didn’tthink that was a very good location, so I built a new fence farther into thefield. There’s really no reason foranything or anyone to be traveling in the area between road and fence, so Ithink that’s a very good place for old trees to rest while decomposing.

I keep most trees away from the fence so the growing treedoesn’t swallow the wire, but I have left several young oaks. It’ll be many years before the trunk diameterincreases enough to touch the fence. Assuming I’m around when that happens, I’ll slip a board between thefence and the tree. As the tree grows,it will push against the board and force the fence wires away. Future fence managers won’t have to worryabout these oaks having fence wire trapped within their trunks.

I found an especially heavy load of litter along the fencethis year. I usually gather it up andtake it along with me as I mow, but my litter bag filled too quickly, so I hadto leave the trash to be picked up later. Besides what was actually up against the fence, I could see a lot morecloser to the road. I’ll have to comeback soon with one of my big bags.

More Field Mowed

2012-01-11T03:00:00.000-05:00

Conditions have been pretty much perfect for mowing. The Indian Grass is dry and is still standingin a nearly vertical orientation. I’mgetting an even cut that makes it easy to see any undesirable plants in mypath. In the distance, just past the largeEastern Red Cedars, is the last bit of field I mowed and beyond that is theformer Multiflora Rose thicket.

There were no rose bushes or other exotic invasive plantsgrowing with the Indian Grass. The onlythreat to the integrity of the prairie was the cedar infestation. It’s impressive to have an area growuntouched for eight years without having any major management issues.

Soils in this field have formed over shale bedrock and havea pH below neutral. The Deerberry shrubsgrowing here don’t show any of the signs of die back exhibited by the membersof their species growing on the high pH limestone based soils.

The short grass portion of the field showed a similar lackof invasive species. The red flag marksa lone rose found growing here.

Several small Blackjack Oaks were found hidden by the tallgrass. Fortunately, I spotted theirleaves soon enough to avoid mowing them over. The oaks will be encouraged to grow while the row of trees behind isthinned. The goal is to allow moreinteraction between the two isolated fields.

These cedars are producing too much shade and haveeffectively stopped the advance of the prairie grasses. Removal of a few trees and pruning the lowerbranches of a few others should improve the light conditions. Sunlight may appear plentiful beneath thetrees right now, but winter sunlight is of no benefit to the warm weathergrasses. By next summer, the angle ofsunlight will be from the right of the picture and the line of trees willproduce a shadow that will be almost continuous through the day.

The time of long shadows comes quickly in January. By the time the mowing is finished, I’vemanaged to work up a sweat. It lookssunny, but in fifteen minutes that will all be gone. I’ll be thoroughly chilled by the time I getJR back to the barn.

After looking over what I’ve just finished, I like to take aquick look at what’s to come. One moresection will complete my mowing work in this field.

The moon, looking extremely man faced, escorts me back tothe barn. I’ll keep working on mowingprojects for as long as the weather allows. Winter is my most active time of hands-on management at Blue Jay Barrensand weather usually dictates what form the management activities will take.

Preparing to Mow

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve moved on up to mow the next section of field away fromthe rose thicket area. Mowing the fieldsis not about making things short. I’mnot trying to make the fields look manicured. Mowing is a means of searching every square foot of field area andeliminating those elements that are detrimental to the continuation of ahealthy native ecosystem. The cut area identifiesthe portion of the field that has been searched. A patch of tall Indian Grass would beimpossible to search for invasive plants by any means other than mowing.

Invasives in short grass areas are easier to see. I normally don’t mow the short grass areas,but this is such a small area within the Indian Grass stand that it’s easier toinclude it than mow around. It’s alsopossible that my OCD is strongly enough developed that I can’t mow just part ofa unit.

There are several three foot tall Eastern Red Cedars growingalong with the Indian Grass. A cedar ofthis size is just beginning to create a shade induced dead zone around itsbase. Cedars were last cleared from this field in March 2003, so this guy hashad at least 9 years to reach this stage.

Growth rings in the stump show at least eight years. This was probably a seedling at the time Iwas cutting its larger relatives.

If the cedars have reached the size where they are capableof shading out surrounding vegetation, I’ll gather them up and place them onthe brush pile. In situations where I’mpreparing to mow, I’ll even pile the small cedars to keep them from being adistraction while I’m searching for invasives.

For clipping little cedars, I’ll use my Little Loppers. I bought this long handled pruner in 1986with just this purpose in mind. They arestrong, light weight and will easily cut anything up to a one inch diametercedar.

They’ve worn a bit over the years. The cutting edge has developed a notch fromcutting many thousands of cedars. Thenotch seems to help grip the larger cedars and make them easier to cut. Based on the rate of wear, I’d say LittleLoppers has at least another 40 years of useful life left.

Cut cedars sometimes remain upright after beingsevered. To avoid the possibility ofmistaking them for a still growing tree, I’ll flip them on their side as theyare cut. Many young cedars will dienaturally during their first few years of life. At an age of three or four years, the cedar will develop a bushy,multi-branched top. From that point onit will put on a lot of annual growth. Icut everything that looks to have reached this stage. My decision to cut younger cedars is usuallybased on how many tiny cedars I find and how much time I have available todevote to the project.

I found this spider egg sack suspended from one of the lowbranches of a little cedar. The entiresack has been encased by a covering of dried mud. The hole in the top of the sack is supposedto be the exit hole made by ichneumon wasps that parasitized the eggs.

Inside the structure, I found a silken mass with a few emptycasings that could be from wasp pupae. My fingers aren’t the most delicate of instruments when it comes todissecting tiny insect structures.

I didn’t have a handy flag with which to mark this smalloak, so I used my handkerchief. It kindof looks like I’ve put a blanket on a faithful pet. I was fortunate to have a spare hanky forthis purpose. I’ve been know to tearstrips from my shirt to use as markers. Tearing pieces from my shirt doesn’t bother my wife, but she does getannoyed when I continue to wear the shirt.

Stalking Roses

2012-01-09T03:00:00.000-05:00

Running out in divergent courses from the former MultifloraRose thicket are a fence row and a small creek. Both of these are grown up in trees and are favorite travel corridorsfor the local songbirds. Over the years,birds feeding on rose fruit in the thicket have dropped rose seed the length ofboth lines of trees. Now I’ve taken onthe task of locating and eliminating these roses.

I’m beginning my assault from the edges of the triangularfield contained within the bounds of the tree corridors. When attacking a rose bush, it’s always agood idea to have a clear line of retreat.

JR is the perfect tool for taking down single rosebushes. In open situations the rosecanes are pushed away from the machine operator before being cut. This greatly reduces the number of scratchesI suffer. If there’s room to keep movingforward, the bush is chopped enough to lay flat to the ground for rapiddecomposition.

In situations where your access is limited to one side ofthe bush, JR pushes the cut canes forward into a mass. This mass of roses represents the accumulatedgrowth of seven separate bushes that were consolidated and moved aside. The flags in the foreground indicate thelocations of the rose stumps. There willbe no problem reaching the sprouts when I come back next spring to treat themwith glyphosate. The cut canes dryquickly and will easily crumble to the ground next winter.

Roses that grow in the shade often produce long canes withwidely spaced buds. It’s best to cutthese high enough to leave several buds for producing sprouts in thespring. This insures enough leafy growthto absorb glyphosate and kill the plant.

Many of the roses growing beneath the trees are showingfresh green growth. This is what Inormally expect to find in late March. I’m sure we’ll have some freezes yet this winter that will put an end tothese little sprouts. I just hope thecycle isn’t so badly messed up that I don’t have a good cluster of sprouts tospray in April.

Salamander Eggs

2012-01-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

The pond is now full of salamander egg clusters. Jefferson Salamanders are always the first tobreed at Blue Jay Barrens, so the eggs probably belong to that species.

I’m assuming the salamanders moved into the pond on December27. Rain began on the evening ofDecember 26 and continued well into the next morning. This would have been perfect for salamandermigration. It wasn’t until January 1that water conditions were clear enough to see the eggs. High winds kept the water choppy, so it washard to get a picture.

All of the egg clusters are attached to the rush stubblethat I left while preparing the pond for salamander breeding. This puts all of the eggs in the deepestwater, so they are not likely to be affected by fluctuating water levels.

Reflections in the water make it hard to get a good count ofthe number of egg clusters. In a couplemore months the angle of the sun will move to a position that eliminates thereflections and allows easy late day viewing of the pond bottom.

Night shots with the flashlight better show the eggclusters.

This is the normal winter pool level. Unless we suffer a severe drought, the eggswill be well covered with water and there should be a good crop of salamanders.

Woodpecker Knocking

2012-01-07T03:00:00.000-05:00

I was working in the basement the other morning when Ithought I heard a knock at the door. Istopped what I was doing and went upstairs to see who it was. There was no one. I went back to the basement and soon heardthe knock again. No one around, but Idid hear the knock just before opening the door and I had a pretty good idea ofwhat it was. I waited upstairs until theknock came again and caught this Downy Woodpecker tapping away at the fasciaboard around my porch.

He took off when he noticed me looking out the window.

The woodpecker was busy exposing Carpenter Bee tunnelsrunning inside the board. This sectionof tunnel was opened several weeks ago, but I never caught sight of thebird. The tunnels were cleared ofeverything edible, so I wasn’t expecting the woodpecker to return.

This time a different tunnel was under attack. The larder looks full. There are definitely some shiny insect partsshowing through the holes.

I used some forceps to draw the bee closer to the opening. Carpenter Bees spend the winter inside unusedtunnels. I imagine this guy will bewoodpecker food before too long.

A Few Tracks in the Snow

2012-01-06T03:00:00.000-05:00

I love to go out after a snow and view the tracks leftbehind by animals going about their normal business at Blue Jay Barrens. I’ve been wondering what animal has beendigging up the mulch in my garden beds. It looks like it has been Crows. There has been a group of eight Crows that are always in sight of the yard. I often see them, but they’re quick to leaveif they detect any movement from the house, so I rarely get to see what theyare up to.

The Indian Grass seed is supporting a variety of sparrowsized birds. The amount of seed producedthis year should be able to sustain the flocks well into spring.

The snow wasn’t deep enough to cover the Voles as theycrossed the mowed paths. Voles travelingin the open will create an unbroken path through shallow snow.

Mice normally travel through the snow in a series of shortjumps. Individual foot prints are easyto see along with a mark made by the tail.

It looks like there’s a Domestic Cat in the area. The line of tracks is very distinctive. You can imagine the cat as it walked along inthat line. The individual tracks aresmall and will show four toes and no claw marks.

Cottontails have been scarce this winter. I only saw one set of tracks during mywalk. Excessively wet weather often hasnegative effects on Cottontail nesting success. Frequent rains can fill the shallow nest hole with water and cause theyoung to die from drowning, exposure or illness.

Gray Squirrels have been active every day so far this winter,but their numbers are also down from past years. The most common Gray Squirrel nest type atBlue Jay Barrens is a mass of cedar bark strips placed high in the branches ofan Eastern Red Cedar. These nests wouldbe susceptible to moisture infiltration from frequent rains. It’s not unreasonable to believe that a fewnestlings were lost because of the unusually wet conditions we experiencedduring the last year.

Of course, you don’t have to go far to find Whitetail Deertracks. The morning after the snowshowed every trail to the yard filled with deer tracks. There were deer tracks to be found everywhereI walked. If deer had been this numerouswhen I bought the property, I might have named it Deer Track Valley.

Snow

2012-01-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

Blue Jay Barrens got its first snow of the season on January2. A total of two inches accumulatedbefore noon and the rest ofthe day was a mix of wind, sun, clouds and snow showers. You would have thought we were finallysettling in to winter, if it weren’t for the predictions of a rapid warm-up backinto the 50’s.

The flakes were large, but they were dry enough to settledown through the Indian Grass without sticking to the stalks. There was enough warmth left in the ground topartially melt the snow and allow it to settle into a denser layer.

Ant mounds are always easy to see after a snow. Their snowcap will melt as soon as the sun emerges.

Snow on the ground makes it easy to view the trees andshrubs in the woodland understory. Thepresence of a Sycamore on a steep slope is usually an indication of a wetweather spring. These moisture lovingtrees can survive on the steep slope because of the added water provided by thespring. The spring flow is often notenough to sustain a large tree, so the Sycamore will likely not grow to extremeproportions.

A snowy background provides the best conditions forillustrating the sprawling growth habit of the Fragrant Sumac. The trunk of this low growing shrub may reach20 feet long, but that length sprawls along the ground and drapes over otherwoodland shrubs. In some situations thisplant can become aggressive enough to displace other vegetation and produce aFragrant Sumac monoculture.

New fallen snow always enhances the esthetic qualities ofthe creek. I’m anxious for the snow tomelt quickly, so the creek will be in shape to be beautified by the next newfallen snow.

Robins were busy digging in the wet leaves lining the creekand its tributaries. I haven’t yet seenthem gathered in large flocks. Mostgroups contained around a dozen individuals.

The tall grass does a good job of hiding the snow, but it’seasy to see in the areas of sparse vegetative cover. The afternoon skies showed a few patches ofblue that gave the appearance of a pleasant day. The strong wind and below freezingtemperatures made you feel otherwise.

The clouds looked to be coming in as waves, but they wereactually moving to the south in columns. Each band stayed intact and moved quickly from right to left across thesky. I could imagine the bandsstretching all the way to Lake Michigan, whichappears to have provided the moisture for this event.

Rose Area - Post Mow

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-05:00

Mowing the rose area this year was nothing like the terrorof last year. I never had to use thereverse gear on the mower and I only suffered a single scratch. I really enjoy viewing this scene withoutrose bushes. There are still a few rosesin the flanking tree lines that I’ll work on cutting through the winter.

The sparseness of red flags indicates that very few rosessurvived from last year’s efforts. Ionly marked six live bushes in the former rose thicket. I’m still amazed at the success of thisproject.

The incidence of rose bushes was higher in the neighboringfield. The entire number of markedbushes was just around two dozen, so treatment next spring should be fairlyeasy.

The Indian Grass was in perfect condition for mowing. When the stalk has dried, it is easily cutand chopped by the mower. This allowsthe cut material to be more uniformly spread. It’s also easiest to mow when the stalks are still standing upright.

A cut cedar showing green growth will soon return as a tall,thick bush. It’s hard to spot some ofthe smaller cedars hidden in the Indian Grass, so it’s important to watch forthe bright green patch that indicates a young cedar stump.

It adds to the mowing time, but it’s important to take the timeto clip these little cedar bases. Thecedar won’t die on its own and will require even more time to remove later on.

Dried Goldenrod stalks easily break up and disappear intothe stubble. A scattering of youngWinged Sumacs were cut, but the large specimens were left. Their fruits have all dried and are hangingin tight clusters for use by the birds if needed later in the winter.

The Allegheny Mound Ants had just one mound in thisfield. The mounds are much more commonon higher ground where the soils are drier and more easily drained.

I’ll continue my mowing efforts further into the field tothe extent of the Indian Grass stand. The area beyond these cedars has never been mowed by me, but evidence ofAutumn Olive and Multiflora Rose growth now makes it necessary.

Rose Area - Pre Mow

2012-01-03T03:00:00.000-05:00

Despite the frequent rains, most of the low lying areas atBlue Jay Barrens are still firm. Aswinter progresses, these areas will become increasingly soft, so those that arescheduled to be mowed need to be done fairly soon. This is the area of the rose thicket that Itook out last year. This area needs tobe mowed so I can detect any rose sprouts that will require treatment nextspring. I’m also going to mow a portionof the adjoining field that hasn’t been mowed for several years.

The masses of rose canes left after last year’s mowing havepartially decomposed and are now covered by plant material produced this year. Very few rose sprouts survived the mowing andglyphosate treatment. The area isquickly filling with a mix of native species.

It’s hard to imagine that this was a solid mass ofMultiflora Rose bushes just one year ago. If I didn’t know the history of the site, I would say that it could beleft untouched. The fact that there arestill a couple of healthy root masses supporting rose canes means that the areamust be thoroughly searched and those roses destroyed. Mowing is the surest way of examining everysquare foot of field area and finding those remaining roses.

The neighboring field is in the process of transitioningfrom goldenrods to Indian Grass. Itwon’t be many years before the Indian Grass has taken over.

The Indian Grass is thickest near the center of the narrowfield. Shade from trees along the fieldedge has slowed the progress of the tall grass, but the Indian Grassadvancement continues. Small shrubs andtrees are beginning to show themselves in the grass. JR stands ready with a fresh batch of redflags to be used as markers of invasive species in need of elimination.

There are a few Eastern Red Cedars becoming established inthe Indian Grass. I clip these off atground level prior to mowing just to make certain that there is no green growthleft to maintain the plant. When cut offat the ground, cedars will not sprout or continue to grow.

I also searched through the Indian Grass for Oaks that Ididn’t want to cut. This would be a nearimpossible task if the oaks didn’t maintain their leaves so long into thewinter.

The Goldenrod and Indian Grass areas contained severalMultiflora Rose bushes. I suspected thatwould be the case since the former rose thicket would have produced seedsenough to easily pollute the surrounding area. With the thicket no longer in existence, the influx of new rose plantsshould be greatly reduced.

I always find a few bird nests while mowing. This nest was built in a goldenrod that hadbranched in response to a gall attack.

Living Raft

2012-01-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

I found this raft of living arthropods floating in theoverflow pool of the water garden. Riding the surface tension of the water, they have been drawn togetherinto a colorful wriggling mass.

At first glance, the living raft appeared to be just anothercollection of debris floating across the water. There’s always something floating in the water. Usually it’s just dust or accumulated pollenor debris from the dwarf pine that hangs over one edge of the pool. On rare occasions there will be something strangetrapped by the water, so I stop and take a look every time I go past.

The sun reflecting from the little bodies caused the wholecluster to sparkle. Besides thosecreatures already forming large aggregations, there were many floating as pairsor single individuals. As the wind movedthe large group around the pool, it collected the single drifters into itscongregation.

It was hard to get a good look at the raft with the windblowing it constantly around the pool, so I scooped it up in a shallow bowl andtook it to a sheltered place for observation. The raft seemed primarily composed of various species of Springtails andMites. These are common creatures of thesoil ecosystem that live near the surface of the soil or in decomposing plantmaterial covering the soil. Besidesbeing active creatures, they can exist by the thousands in a square foot ofsoil surface area. It’s no wonder that afew of them would fall into a pool of water set flush in the ground.

The various species of Springtails and Mites definitelydominated the mix, but there were other soil arthropods present. This small spider stood free of the water andran unencumbered over the bodies of its companions.

A few of these denizens of the soil look quite largecompared to the others, but the largest was just at the one millimeter mark. This is what’s underfoot when you walkthrough the fields. They play a vitalrole in the decomposition of organic materials, release of plant nutrients andcontrol of soil born diseases. It’s notoften that they come out to display themselves in such an easy to view array. After the photo shoot, I released all backonto dry land. I also quickly washed thecereal bowl and put it back in the cupboard, before my wife saw what I was doing.

Lost Trademark

2012-01-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

I saw something in the water ahead that looked to be a pieceof trash, but I was too familiar with that blue color to not recognize what Iwas seeing. I headed up to take a closerlook.

The more animals you have in an area, the more likely it isthat you’ll find one dead. Blue Jays area favorite of Cooper’s Hawks and I’ve seen many that were taken by thehawks. This is the first time in 26years that I’ve found one dead without an apparent cause.

My first thought was of the West Nilevirus and the sharp drop in the Blue Jay population when the virus came throughthis area several years ago. This isjust one bird though and it’s a fact of life that birds die. Because of their small size, we rarely noticea bird carcass. Being freshly dead andfloating in the middle of the creek made this individual impossible tomiss.

I’ve always been impressed by the pattern and colors of theBlue Jay. I enjoyed the opportunity toget a close look. The fanned tailprovided a view that I rarely observe while watching living specimens.

The Blue Jay must exhibit every shade of blue imaginable. What a disservice it is to just describe thisbird as being blue with black and white markings.

I fished the bird out of the creek and left it on the bank. It’ll be gone by tomorrow. There are plenty of Raccoons, Opossums andother animals that would make quick work of a Blue Jay meal. It’s somewhat sad to see the Blue Jay in thiscondition, but as I’m taking this shot, I’m listening to a chorus of Blue Jaysup on the ridge busily scolding some interloper into their territory. The population is still healthy and that’swhat is really important.

Deer

2011-12-31T03:00:00.000-05:00

The deer now have their full coats and are ready for thecold of winter. The question is whetheror not we’re going to have cold weather this winter. Our pattern of frequent rains and milddaytime temperatures seems to be holding strong. That’s not to be taken as a complaint, justan observation.

They all look strong and healthy. Their full fluffy coats look very well keptand there are no signs of gauntness or bare ribs. It’s been a while since I’ve seen lateDecember deer looking so fit.

Nighttime temperatures still dip below freezing and heavyfrosts are a normal morning feature. These deer are still carrying a coating of frost on their backs. The deer hair provides such superb insulationthat body heat won’t melt the frost and the deer don’t feel the chill.

The twins are still traveling with their mother. They are totally independent now and don’tlook to her for guidance, but they’ll remain companions until next spring.

They come looking for cracked corn. Each tiny bit must be picked upindividually. They can’t end up withmore than a few kernels for their efforts. Corn isn’t an ideal food for deer, but what they get here isn’t morethan a little treat. To remain healthy,they need to get out and consume the mixed browse to be found scattered acrossthe fields and woods.

The twins may have declared independence, but they stillexhibit some traits of young siblings. There’s always that concern that your brother is getting a little morethan his fair share.

Creek from Below

2011-12-30T03:00:00.000-05:00

The resting bench sits at the edge of the trail along thecreek. It’s a peaceful place torelax. Hills on two sides tend to muffledistant sounds. This is also the zonethat is so often devoid of birds and other animal life. Maybe the bench itself acts as some sort oftalisman that warns away the wildlife.

The bench has been in place for 25 years and shows no signsof wear. It seems that a squirrel haschosen this year to chew the edges of the seat. Squirrels are the one animal that I do see at this spot on a regularbasis. They often cover the seat withacorn shells, but this is the first time they’ve actually shown aggressiontowards the bench.

Up there at the top of the slope is where I enjoy the viewof the creek from above. Sitting with myback to the tree allows for an excellent view of the creek and floodplain.

The creek hugs the toe of the slope. The floodplain to the right is often coveredwith water, but the creek makes no move in that direction. The energy of the rushing water works againstthe rocky slope. At some point, Ibelieve the release of some large rocks into the creek will change the balanceand cause the water to work against the shallow bank. It could be decades before that happens.

The rocky bottom provides ideal conditions for a wealth ofstream insects. Mayflies, Stoneflies,Water Pennies, Fishflies and many others abound here.

The water burbles quietly through this stretch. You’re aware of the sound of the stream, butit isn’t loud enough to interfere with hearing the activity in the surroundingwoods.

The waterfall is visible far upstream of thebench. This is probably the most stablestream rock formation on the property. The solid slabs of limestone bedrock stand up well to the erosive effectsof the flowing water. The resting benchhas a great view of the creek and is a wonderful place to spend some idletime. My problem is that I can’t seem tosit for more than a few seconds before the creek entices me into the channel.

Spring Flow

2011-12-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

Water that sustains a stream comes fromunderground. Water from rainfall andsnow melt filter down through the earth. When the water in the soil reaches an elevation higher than the streambed, it reemerges and flows down the creek channel. These points of emergence are normally illdefined and impossible to detect. Onesource of water is easily detected and is referred to as a spring.

A spring is a single point where water flows from theground. There is usually some type ofnoticeable hole from which a trickle of water emerges.

The rate and duration of the spring flow is determined bythe speed and distance the water travels through the ground beforeemerging. The subterranean conditions atBlue Jay Barrens allow for easy water movement. Underground channels have formed a network of arteries that carry springwater to the point of emergence. Attimes of heavy flow, it’s even possible to hear water gurgling along belowground. This ease of water movementmeans that the flow won’t last and the spring will cease to flow during the dryseason.

The trip through the soil leaves the water clear andclean. In extremely cold years, thecreek is covered with ice everywhere except where warm spring water enters thechannel. It then becomes easy to locatethe springs because of the abundance of birds that flock there to drink.

Underground channels that feed this spring form a tiny cavesystem beneath the soil. There have beenmany times that I’ve seen Jefferson,Smallmouth and Streamside salamanders disappear into springs. I would imagine this to be an idealenvironment for subterranean salamanders such as these.

Twisted Cedar

2011-12-28T03:00:00.000-05:00

It’s often suggested that I prune or remove misshapen ordamaged trees from Blue Jay Barrens. IfI was landscaping a lawn, I might engage in such activities. In a natural setting, there are always treesthat don’t conform to the arborist’s standards. I enjoy the unusual shapes and would never remove something just becauseit was different. This cedar hasovercome an almost fatal disaster and now claims space on a rough patch ofprairie.

I can’t be certain, but I feel that the first step on theroad to deformity came when the cedar was twisted by a violent wind. The trunk shows one complete spiral betweenthe ground and the bend.

The bend most likely occurred at the same time as thetwist. It’s likely that the trunk brokeas the tree was twisting. The top wouldhave then provided more leverage and made it easier for the wind to complete afull twist.

The pressure on the outside of the bend caused the bark tosplit and peel to each side. The pinchedarea on the inside of the bend began growing together and now appears as aseamless join.

When viewed from above, the bend shows the exposed heartwood of the trunk. Slow growing cedarson the dry prairies produce a very decay resistant inner wood. Even though it has been exposed to the elementsfor more than 20 years, the wood shows no signs of rotting.

Branches of fallen cedars often have a difficult timereorienting their growth to an upward direction. The result is always an interesting freestylesculpture. This particular specimen remindsme of Mammoth tusks and deer antlers. IfI was looking for something to liven up the yard, I don’t think I could do anybetter than some of these odd shaped cedars.

Christmas Prairie

2011-12-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

I took a short afternoon walk on Christmas day to check outthe condition of the prairies. It’s beenan odd season so far. There have been noaccumulating snows and no long periods of excessively cold temperatures. Daytime temperatures have recently been inthe 40’s or above and rain has occurred every few days. The prairies look much as they did two monthsago.

Even the less stout grasses are still standing tall. We would normally have had at least onesignificant snow by now. The grassstalks should be showing the effects of bearing that snow load.

Eastern Red Cedars are still showing a lot of green, butthere are a few patches of red and brown showing up. The stresses of winter can slow the processof photosynthesis within the cedar leaves. Reduced levels of chlorophyll in the leaves means less green coloration onthe tree.

Whether it’s the individual genetic makeup of the tree orthe conditions specific to the site, some trees consistently show early signsof stress regardless of the weather. This pillar shaped cedar stands apart from the others and is alwaysbright red by this time of year. It willlook this way all winter, but will once again be bright green next spring.

Christmas was a pleasant day for a walk. Temperatures were in the in the low 40’s andthe sun was bright and cheery. A strongbreeze kept the cedars in constant motion. That leftward lean to the cedars is wind induced.

A small plane passed over several times while I wasout. It’s common for local pilots tocharter flights to view the Serpent Mound located about a mile west ofhere. I’m guessing that someone got sucha flight as a Christmas gift. As theplanes swing around to make another pass over the Mound, they commonly travelthrough the skies of Blue Jay Barrens. Sometimes they actually circle me as I work. I don’t know how interesting I am from theair, but I like to think that my antics add some value to the experience.

Inside Cedars

2011-12-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

The tall cedars of the prairies always look large andimpenetrable. They’re like granitemonuments intended to occupy a solid space that is inviolable by anything thatmight approach. In some ways theyperform just such a function and are living landmarks that have survived themany changes around them.

On closer inspection, small patches of sky can be perceivedthrough the cedar canopy. The treeappears less solid than it did from afar.

From inside, the tree seems almost light and airy. Plenty of room in here, if you can maneuveraround the branches. The upper part ofthe tree is a favorite roost site of hawks and owls. A fine selection ofsuitable perches here, good protection from the elements and a nice visualscreen to hide the birds of prey from bothersome crows.

It may be hard to see in from the outside, but you can get agood view over the prairie from high inside the tree. I’m assuming that smaller creatures wouldhave an easier time than I did in trying to maneuver upward through the crowdof cedar branches

When birds feast on cedar berries, it’s inside the canopythat they sit to enjoy their feast. Squirrels nest inside the cedars and move from tree to tree withoutbeing seen by predators. It’s well worththe time to stick your head inside the branches of a few cedars to see whatmight be living inside. Even if all yousee is cedar, it’s from a perspective that offers its own unique qualities thatare equally attractive as the covering of green foliage seen from the outside.

How Many Blue Jays?

2011-12-25T03:00:00.001-05:00

My property was named Blue Jay Barrens because Blue Jays andBarrens were two things that I could count on seeing any day of the year. Blue Jays are still plentiful and areespecially noticeable when they come to the house for their morningfeeding. I’ve tried on numerousoccasions, but I’ve never been able to get an accurate count of Blue Jays inthe yard.

For one thing, they never stay still. There are always birds moving to and from thefeeding area.

When numbers do build up on the ground, something spooksthem into flying off in all directions.

They also spread out over a fairly large area. They’re at both feeding stations, scatteredacross the lawn, in nearby trees and sitting in trees up to 150 yardsaway. Constant movement between thesevarious areas makes it impossible to have any confidence in my count.

Even when they’re on the ground, they’re not always easilyseen. You never know how many are hiddenbehind one of the trees.

I guess that I’ll just have to stick with my estimate thatthere are a bunch of Blue Jays living at Blue Jay Barrens and not get tooconcerned with the actual number. Justseeing them surround the house is a pretty good Christmas present.

Turkey Hens

2011-12-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

The Wild Turkey hens have been slowly aggregating intolarger flocks. Flock size is nowherenear what it will be in late winter, but I’m sure it will be impressive whenall of the smaller flocks finally get together. Regardless of flock size, the feeder area is a standard gathering areafor the turkeys.

The lawn seems to be a greater attraction than the handfulof grain they can glean from the feeder. The non-native lawn grasses stay green well into winter and continue togrow as long as the ground remains unfrozen. At this time of year, the lawn is the largest concentration of greenleaves at Blue Jay Barrens.

The flock will typically spend an hour or more roaming theyard and picking blades of grass. Withgroundskeepers like these, you don’t have to worry about your lawn lookingraggedy during the winter.

The turkeys cycle between grazing and searching for crackedcorn chips. When the flock gets larger,the dominant hens will monopolize the corn area and the rest of the birds willhave the yard. There are some subordinatemembers of the flock that don’t even try for corn. They immediately head for the lawn and spendtheir entire stay eating grass.

There are two bearded hens this winter. This is the younger. I’ve seen the older guarding chicks for thelast three seasons. This may be one ofher young.

There must be a little bit of hunting dog in this hen. She seems to have gone to point.

This hen seems embarrassed to be caught preening. I guess I should have made it clear that thephoto shoot was not over. The turkeysare always a lot of fun to watch.

The Creek from Above

2011-12-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

In between the rains, we’ve had some beautiful sunny afternoons. I took a little break to relax on the bluff overlooking the creek. This is one of my favorite places to sit, despite the fact that I rarely see any birds or other animals from this vantage point. Things are particularly attractive at this time of year. By the time spring arrives, floods and snow will have made a mess of the leaves in the floodplain.

This fallen tree once formed a dam that resulted in the creek filling with gravel. The obstructing branches were torn away in a flood, so the creek has returned to its earlier stone bottom. I personally find this condition to more attractive.

The upstream view is partially hidden by the trees, but the creek is still visible.

The water is quite clear and the stones are particularly clean this year. There have been years in the past when manure from cattle grazing in upstream pastures has increased fertility levels in the water and caused algae to cover the rocks. Cattle numbers have since been reduced and nutrient levels have dropped to more natural levels.

The waterfall is producing a merry splash and gurgle. The sound sometimes carries quite a distance.

My resting bench looks rather lonely down there by the trail. I purposely kept the bench away from the vicinity of the waterfall, so I could hear what was happening in the surrounding woodland. I enjoy the sound of the waterfall, but it can be a little overpowering at times.

Unidentified Hawthorn

2011-12-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

Blue Jay Barrens is not a place where you are likely to find trees and shrubs growing in their traditional forms. Most bear visual expressions of their struggle to survive in the dry shallow soil that typifies this area. This Hawthorn is an excellent example of a plant surviving despite some terrible hardships. It has been here longer than I have, but it never seems to get any larger. Its failure to produce flowers and the resulting fruits has made it impossible for me to be positive of its species.

The lichens have pretty much covered the trunk and older branches. There aren’t many woody plants that avoid becoming the base for a lichen colony. I’ve not noticed that the lichens do any harm to their hosts.

The branches are an excellent show of the ravages of disease and pestilence. How many different afflictions can one plant suffer? There are cracks, swellings, pits, lesions, deformities and shriveled leaves in abundance.

This is not an example of healthy growth. To look at it, you would think that the shrub was dead or at least in its last season.

A closer examination reveals a legion of healthy buds ready to bring forth a new bounty of fresh green leaves next spring. The new leaves will bring a sense of normalcy back to the Hawthorn, at least for a time. As summer progresses, the new growth will be attacked. By fall it will look as it does now.

I don’t know how long this clump of Hawthorns can keep up its cycle of vigor and despair. Flower buds appear each spring, but if they open at all, the flower is almost unrecognizable. I just keep hoping that one good flower will produce one good fruit, so I can have that information to help with my identification. Maybe next year.

Cedar in Rock

2011-12-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

Cedars are amazing in their ability to grow in a wide rangeof conditions. In rich soil, theyquickly become towering giants. In lessthen ideal conditions, they take a more leisurely path to grandeur. Even in the most inhospitable situations,they manage to survive. This cedargrowing from a stone is one of my favorites.

The small tree emerges from a narrow fissure at one end ofthe stone. The opening is no wider thana dozen sheets of paper, but the tree has managed to penetrate the gap with itsroots and has survived here for at least several decades.

When I first encountered the tree about 25 years ago, it wasnot much smaller than it is today. Itwould be an interesting tree to have growing near the house. It’s like a natural bonsai. The stone couldn’t be moved though, becauseit’s really the end of a bedrock slab protruding above the soil. I also imagine that the roots have penetratedto a point where they are able to access a reliable source of moisture. The little tree manages to stay green allsummer.

There seems to be a natural pruning cycle at work here thatmaintains the tree’s dainty appearance. Instead of the inner needles dieing and falling away as you see in thelarge trees, it’s the outer needles on this little guy that do an annual dieoff. New sprouts from farther down thebranch grow out to replace what was lost.

I found a small earthen structure affixed to one of thestems. The inside was chambered in afashion similar to an ant gallery. Thestructure crumbled quickly as I pried it open. There were no occupants.

The structure or its former occupant seems to have had someaffect on the branch it covered. So,here’s another instance where I’ve found something new, but learned very littleabout it. Each time my mind tucks away anew bit of information; it also stores a myriad of questions about the samesubject. My awareness of things that Idon’t know always outpaces my acquisition of new facts. I’m happy with the amount of knowledge I’vegained over the years, but I sometimes think my greatest achievement lies inthe great wealth of unknowledge I’ve amassed in my lifetime.

Planning Some Fence Row Clearing

2011-12-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve been examining an overgrown section of old fence rowthat is going to be cleared out this winter. Working in a location like this can be something of a puzzle. Things can be so tangled that you don’t knowwhat to go after first. Should you firstremove the fallen tree or is it better to cut away the vines or are the thornyrose bushes your first priority? Nomatter where you begin, it’s going to be difficult.

There are some positive aspects of the clearing chore. Your work area is generally a fairly narrowcorridor that rarely exceeds 20 feet in width. That means there’s lots of edge to work from. If you can’t penetrate from one side, you mayhave better luck on the other. Withvines like Japanese Honeysuckle tying everything together, there’s still plentyof challenge.

Hazards abound in old fence rows. Number one on the list is generally the oldfence wire. Rusty wire can be difficultto see when camouflaged by small shrubs and vines.

Fence is especially dangerous when it’s down against theground. Broken pieces of wire can easilypenetrate the soles of shoes and less durable boots or slash deep cuts acrossunprotected ankles and legs. The spacingbetween wires is perfect for catching a foot and causing a fall. I’m very careful to find the location of allwire before tackling a fence row project.

Old fence rows have also been known to conceal various junkitems. Rusty pieces of metal are themain hazard, but broken glass is also common. If you’re going to be working in this kind of area, it’s wise to makesure your tetanus shot is up to date.

There are also some neat things to be found in the fencerows. This tree stump has been hollowedout by decay, but it has remained water tight. It contains a shallow, leaf filled pool. I couldn’t find anything currently living here. This would be an interesting pool to checkduring mosquito season.

Once you get into it, the work goes pretty fast. This area was cleared last year and showswhat things look like when the invasive shrubs and vines have beenremoved. After taking out the invasiveplants, I like to let things grow for a year so I can evaluate the health andvariety of the remaining native plants. The clearing will continue here, but I will leave the healthy, rare orotherwise interesting individuals.

Goldenrod Forest

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

Too many people treat Goldenrod as a weed. I’ll admit that it will quickly take over anabandoned field and can create acres of a seeming monoculture. You really can’t fault it for that since it’sa native plant just taking advantage of conditions we’ve created. I’ve always thought of Goldenrod patches asfour foot tall forests. Life in the Goldenrod Forest exists in distinct layers. At the top are organisms living among theflowers, below this are those that interact with the leafy part of the plant,next come stem borers and gall makers followed by life on the forest floor.

It’s during the winter that ground level life flourishes inthe sunlight. Goldenrods produce achemical agent that inhibits the growth of other plants. The plants that do grow alongside theGoldenrods are those that are resistant or tolerant of the chemicalinhibitor. It’s not surprising that mostof these resistant species are not likely to cause undue competition for theGoldenrods.

Ferns grow in abundance on the floor of the Goldenrod Forest. Spleenworts in particular produce some luxuriant growth. I see this same species growing in thedeciduous woodland and the cedar thickets, but those populations don’t come closeto producing the density of plants found among the Goldenrods.

Thick carpets of moss cover the ground in some areas. The moss beds are identical to those found inthe standard woodlands.

Other low growing species have also found a home among theGoldenrod stalks. Blue-green Sedge iscommon in the field, but the most vigorous plants seem to be those surroundedby Goldenrods. The sedge is probablybenefiting by the absence of competitive plants that grow in areas not affectedby the Goldenrod’s chemical growth control.

Despite its aggressive nature, Goldenrods are only atransitory population in the field ecosystem. They are eventually replaced by other species capable of resisting thechemical growth inhibitors. At Blue JayBarrens, Indian Grass has been rapidly encroaching on the GoldenrodForests. Where once the Goldenrodscovered many acres, only scattered patches remain. A couple of these patches seem difficult forthe Indian Grass to infiltrate, so the Goldenrod Forests should remain for manyyears to come.

Ice Crystals

2011-12-18T03:00:00.000-05:00

One of the positive aspects of cold weather is the creationof frost formations. Conditions are bestwhen the soil surface is saturated with water and humidity levels arehigh. Cold nighttime temperaturescombined with plenty of moisture can create some wonderful works of ice art.

Water wicking up the grass blade has been transformed intoimpressive crystalline rods. Thesestructures are incredibly fragile. Theslightest touch could cause them all to shatter. In one case, the warmth of my breath meltedeverything before I could capture a shot.

Grounded leaves take on a new brilliance when decorated bythe sharp angled ice crystals.

It looks like the ice crystals are trying to mimic thepappus on these boneset seeds.

These crystals all formed in the span of one coldnight. Rising daytime temperaturesquickly put an end to their existence.

What an amazing collection of crystalline structures. This is another one of those wonders that cannot be experienced from a standing position. I know many people who will not put their faces close to theground. If I want them to see something,I have to lift the object to their eye level. Even then some will shy away. There are so many small things that are such a joy to view. It’s a shame people won’t make the effort tosee them.

Skull

2011-12-17T03:00:00.000-05:00

The skull seems to be the most common skeletal part founddecorating the Blue Jay Barrens landscape. At least half of my bone finds are skulls. I suppose the head yields little of interestto most predators and scavengers. Meatladen bones from the rest of the animal are carried off and either chewed orconsumed. The tough bones of the skullare also more resistant to decomposition, so they remain recognizable for alonger period of time. This Raccoonskull was hidden beneath the leaves before I brought it back into the light.

Dentition is important in the proper identification of theskull. By counting the teeth, you cannarrow the range of possible species. Theupper jaw tooth count in this case is 20, which is normal for several genera inthis area. It’s easy to eliminatesmaller mammals like moles or shrews and you certainly wouldn’t mistake thislittle skull for a bear. Those species that might have a similar sizeare foxes and dogs. These are ruled outbecause their cranial ridges begin at the eye sockets and travel back to mergesomewhere near the back part of the skull. In Raccoons, the ridges quickly merge between the eye sockets andcontinue back across the top of the skull as a single ridge.

The profile also tells you this isn’t a fox or a dog. With a little bit of imagination you can putfur, ears and nose in place and make a good guess. It’s easier when all the teeth are inplace. I’ve had enough dogs growl at methat I’ve gotten pretty good at recognizing that tooth grin. I would point out that the snout is shorterthan the normal dog, but there are so many specialized dog breeds that canine snoutlengths and shapes can vary considerably.

I left the skull on top of the leaves. It’ll be interesting to see how long it staysin place.

I have to end with the image of an alien face emerging fromthe toothless jaw. It would beinteresting to take a skull and see just how many faces I could find hiddenthere.

Tree Holes

2011-12-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

Tree cavities are important as nesting and denning sites for many species of animals. When I’m out walking, I try to keep an eye on the holes to see if I can spot any signs of life inside. I’ve enjoyed viewing a wide selection of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians using tree holes as a temporary shelter.

Blue Jay Barrens has no shortage of trees with holes that are suitable for habitation by a variety of organisms. The woods don’t have much to offer in the way of commercial timber trees, but it’s of blue ribbon quality when it comes to offering diverse habitat for animal species.

The majority of tree holes began at the site of dead branches. The decomposing branch allowed decay to invade the heartwood of the tree trunk. When the branch finally fell away, it was easy for animals to excavate a nice cavity within the tree. As the tree tries to grow over the cavity, a ring of growth forms that gives the whole thing the look of a ship’s port hole.

Sometimes a hole is dug though the bark to the interior of a healthy living tree. These often have a more oval appearance and if they are not maintained, the tree will try to seal the hole. This hole was about 40 feet above my head, so I couldn’t examine it closely enough to tell for certain whether this was the case here or if it was actually a branch site.

The holes come in all sizes. There are cavities large enough to accommodate a sprawling raccoon as well as holes that seem perfect for the smallest cavity nesting birds.

Some trees have decay running the length of the trunk. As more wood decomposes, cavity size increases. Eventually, the cavity runs the length of the tree.

Sunlight filling the winter woods makes each hole stand out as a dark target, but there’s usually minimal tree hole activity at this time of year. During the spring and summer, most of these holes become impossible to locate. After the leaves emerge, dark shadows and dappled sunlight provide an effective camouflage. My summer walks will occasionally afford me glimpses of tree holes, but unless I make a conscious effort to seek them out, they will most likely remain unnoticed.

Fallen Tree on the Barrens

2011-12-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

I have a standing rule that prohibits trees from falling on the barrens. I was dismayed to discover that one tree was apparently challenging my authority. The collection of branches looked to be the beginning of a brush pile, but where did it all come from?

There’s the source. The branches were once the top of this Tuliptree. The living portion of the tree was apparently concealing a dead top. Tall isolated trees are often the recipients of lightning strikes. That may have caused the death of this tree top.

The surprising thing is the distance the top traveled from tree to clearing. If the top had just tipped and come straight down it would have remained in the cedar thicket. Sometimes I believe the trees are conspiring to give me more work. Maybe they just crave attention.

The brittle branches appear to have shattered on impact. Pieces are scattered in a circle 75 feet across. This is a significant portion of this small barren opening.

The branches would naturally decompose if left in place and in most areas I wouldn’t do more than remove the larger pieces. These branches managed to cover an area in which I earlier found an abandoned trap-door spider burrow. I’m hoping to find an active burrow and see the spider, but it would be impossible to conduct a search with all of the branches in the way. This is also an area that has a good population of Leavenworthia uniflora. In order to avoid causing soil compaction or otherwise causing damage to the Leavenworthia, I’ll come out this winter when the ground if frozen and remove the branches.

The decision of whether or not to remove fallen branches is not made arbitrarily. My management efforts are intended to produce specific results. Every time I cut a tree, move a branch or pull a weed, I ask myself if the result of that action will be a positive step towards achieving my management goals. If the answer is anything but yes, I’ll just wait to see how things develop.

Ice Storm Aftermath

2011-12-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

Weather forecasters are predicting a snowy winter ahead. Not only does deep snow make it difficult for me to do my management work, it can have a devastating effect on the trees. These cedars are a good example of what can happen when a heavy load of snow and ice accumulates in the tree tops.

Conditions were perfect for a tree toppling disaster. The soil on this site is deep and moist. Cedars sprouted up close together and gained height rapidly. At the time of the ice storm, these trees were tall, but had very narrow trunks. They had little strength and depended on each other for additional support. When the first tree began to lean, it created a domino effect that took down most of the stand.

Because of the pattern of the falling trees, a few were left upright. The result was a mess of trees going in all directions. This reminds me of some of the photos I saw after the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

Some of the leaning trees produced side branches that continued the vertical growth. Seeing this seemingly normal orientation arising from the tangle of tree trunks makes me imagine an aerial garden sprouting from some modernistic scaffolding. This arrangement won’t work for long. Eventually, the weight will be enough to bring the trees the rest of the way to the ground.

Most trees die when they end up flat on the ground. This cedar must have a treemendous will to live. It began life on the bank of a small drain. The fall exposed the bulk of the root system and laid most of the trunk on the ground. I would never have expected this tree to survive, but it is still alive and growing. If you follow along the trunk to the top of the tree, you’ll find healthy branches heading for the sky.

Mushroom Massacre

2011-12-13T03:00:00.001-05:00

The masses of fungi brought on by the excessively rainy summer have produced some interesting encounters this year. Despite the fact that the cold nights have frozen the fungi several times, there are still many species looking fresh and alive. It was surprising to find a mass of parts that looked like the remains of a mushroom explosion.

Little pieces of fungus were scattered all over. The larger chunks displayed distinct bite marks.

This is the only whole specimen I found and it’s been moved. The base of the stem is resting on top of the leaves and it’s only by chance that the mushroom is in an upright position.

Closer examination shows that there’s been some nibbling around the edges of the cap.

The amount of scattered debris made me wonder how tasty this fungus actually was. If it was really good to eat, wouldn’t the culprit have eaten everything instead of just tearing it to pieces? I kept looking for clues of what animal was responsible for this mess.

Judging by this piece of fungus lodged about four feet up a tree, I would guess squirrels to be cause of the mushroom massacre. I’ve seen them eating different types of fungi, but they usually take one to a safe perch before dining. Maybe this squirrel carried a bit of the berserker gene.

Sumac Fruit

2011-12-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

Winged Sumac is the most consistent producer of fruit at Blue Jay Barrens. Regardless of the weather experienced during the growing season, the sumacs always produce a hefty crop of fruit.

The plump fruits begin the winter season with a bright red coat covered in short hairs that produce an acid substance. It may be this acidic compound that causes most birds to ignore this potential food source. By mid-winter, the meat of the fruit will dry to form a leathery coat around the seed. If the birds are finding plenty to eat, they’ll avoid the sumac. It’s just in years of hardship that they’ll turn to the sumacs as a source of emergency rations to carry them through to spring. Mockingbirds are about the only species I’ve seen eat sumac fruit on a regular basis. I’ve also seen Carolina Wrens picking insects out of the fruit clusters.

Winged Sumac grows to a height of 15 or 20 feet and will spread by rhizomes to produce a large thicket. I leave scattered clumps of tall sumacs, but periodically mow the rest of the sumac patches to keep them at a manageable size. If left unchecked, Winged Sumac can easily take over a whole field to the detriment of the grassland species. By mowing sumac patches in rotation every three or four years a short height is maintained, but fruit production remains high.

Untouched clusters of sumac fruit are an indication that the birds are finding an adequate food supply. In a typical year, other food sources carry the birds through winter and the sumac fruits are still present in the spring. To find the sumacs stripped of their fruits before the end of winter, usually means that the birds are in serious danger of starving to death before spring arrives.

Keeping scattered patches of sumacs unmowed allows me to enjoy the beauty of the mature plant. Winged Sumac is not a species that exhibits uniform growth patterns between in individuals. Each oddly shaped shrub is unique in form, but they all share a similar texture and color that creates a striking display. It’s also the older specimens that develop the interesting colonies of lichens on their trunks. I enjoy the Winged Sumacs in all seasons, but I’m especially cheered to see the fruits still untouched at the end of winter.

Split Gill Fungus

2011-12-11T03:00:00.001-05:00

I found some wonderful fungi on a dead branch that fell out of a Tuliptree. This is a Common Split Gill Fungus, Schizophyllum commune. The literature describes it as a common fungus of worldwide distribution, but it’s something that I rarely encounter here.

The Split Gill Fungus is a type of shelf fungi. The fruiting body emerges from dead wood and develops into a horizontal fan. The gills on the lower side of the fan produce the spores. In some places the fungi emerged as scattered individuals.

In other locations, a tight mass was produced. It may just be my mood of the season, but when I see this I can’t help but think of some date based confection covered in powdered sugar.

One of the defining characters of this fungus is the thick layer of white hairs covering the upper surface. At first glance, I thought these were still wearing a covering of frost.

Even when packed tightly together, the individual fungus will spread itself in a way that facilitates the spread of the spores. They look like something you should be seeing on a coral reef instead of a dead branch.

I might have named these the Cat’s Paw Fungus. It’s not hard to imagine a cat reaching out to grab you. I’m not sure how well these fungi will fare at ground level, but their plummet from the tree certainly afforded me several moments of pleasurable observation.

Puttyroot

2011-12-10T03:00:00.001-05:00

I’ll admit that the winter woodland landscape can appear rather desolate compared to the lush growth of summer, but it’s far from being a floristic wasteland. Plants in general exhibit a wide range of different survival strategies. A key factor in that survival is the ability to capture enough sunlight to produce and store the energy needed for life. Many plant species have adapted to a life cycle that allows them avoid competition with other plants by utilizing the winter sunlight.

Winter plants are often small, ground hugging species. The area near the ground warms more quickly and remains warm longer than the air just inches above. Sometimes the difference can be minimal, but it’s enough to allow photosynthesis to be a little more efficient. Low growing plants are also less likely to lose moisture to dry, winter winds. Unfortunately, many people fail to notice the winter greenery because they believe no plants would be growing in winter.

A few years ago, I was having a conversation with a person in their woods when the person began kicking and scuffing at a leaf similar to the one shown here. I watched for a few seconds and then asked if he had something against orchids. He gave me a puzzled look, something I’ve come to expect when I talk to people, and asked what I meant. I pointed out that the leaf he was mangling belonged to the Puttyroot, Aplectrum hyemale, an orchid that does the majority of its growing through the winter. I had to get his face right down to the ground before he could clearly see that it was a fresh, green and growing leaf. Just for the record, I asked him to get down and look at the leaf. I didn’t push him down.

Puttyroot leaves emerge in late fall and persist until spring. They’re a rather common plant in many woodlands, but people don’t notice because their minds tell them that botany season is over. I’m always bothered when I see a picture of a winter landscape with a caption that says “It’s winter, so nothing is growing here now.” The plants may not be up poking you in the face, but if I couldn’t find a few plants taking advantage of the winter sunlight, I’d be wondering what was wrong.

By the time the flower blooms in early summer, the leaf is gone. This is unfortunate, because the flowers are almost impossible to see. The best strategy for viewing Puttyroot in bloom is to find the winter leaves and then revisit that spot during the blooming season. But don’t miss the chance to get a close look at these lovely leaves. The lumpy, wrinkled appearance makes some people think the leaves are diseased or damaged. This is the natural look and I think it just gives the leaves a bit of character.

A close-up of the leaf reveals some very attractive patterns and designs. I think the wave pattern created by the two bands of veins is particularly neat. The whole image reminds me of the most common and sought after pattern bred into so many of our common houseplants. It you’re out enjoying a winter’s stroll, pay some attention to what might be green and growing beneath your feet.