Turkey Families

I’m seeing a lot of young turkey families right now. The excessive spring rains must have either delayed nesting or caused early nest to fail, because the young are usually much larger by this time of year. These two hens are still maintaining separate family units. By the end of July I should be seeing merged flocks of larger young birds.

These little guys may be young, but they are already capable fliers. It only takes 8 to 10 days from hatching for a turkey to be able to fly. As soon as they can fly, the hen takes her brood into the trees at night to roost.

It surprises me that these turkey families can spend as much as an hour wandering around the lawn without attracting any hawks. We have a resident Cooper’s Hawk pair that make quick work of any unwary Mourning Dove or Blue Jay in the yard. It seems to me that these little turkeys would make an ideal meal. Maybe I think that just because I would prefer to eat turkey.

It may appear that the hen is conducting lessons in proper grooming, but this is not the case. Grooming is an instinctual behavior that the young would learn even if raised apart from any adults. From the hen, the young will learn the boundaries of the territory they will inhabit. They also learn the most likely places to search for the food they’ll need to survive.

The grooming session makes it appear that a troupe of contortionists has taken up residence in the yard. Or it could be the turkey equivalent of yoga. These excursions into the yard usually take place in the early morning. The yard may be one of the few open places that the young turkeys can go to dry the morning dew out of their feathers. When they get a little bit older, the morning visits will stop.

Baby Raccoons

It’s been a bumper year for young animals. I found these two young Raccoons scrounging for food beneath the bird feeder. They don’t seem bothered by my close proximity.

Raccoon pelt coloration can vary greatly. The individual in the foreground displays the typical coloration of a wild Raccoon. Except for some facial markings, the other has a completely black pelt.

Uncommon coloration often gives rise to stories of strange animal sightings. A glance at this black individual wouldn’t automatically suggest a Raccoon. Raccoons have a rather close relationship to bears and the black Raccoon looked a lot like a bear cub as it moved about.

Both use the same technique to pick up bits of cracked corn. The corn is trapped between the front paws and then lifted to the mouth. Their small paws seemed better able to accomplish this feat than the larger paws of an adult Raccoon.

Here is the classic stretch your legs to the limit and arch your back defensive posture. A mature Raccoon would actually expose some teeth and show a menacing face as part of the attempt to scare away a threat. This baby has a look that makes you think he wants to be petted.

A Camera Critters submission.

Absent Monarda

Things always change. Sometimes it’s a slow gradual change that allows you to adjust to the new conditions. Other times it’s a quick change that leaves you wondering what happened. The Monarda fistulosa has given me both this year. At the slow end of the scale is another slight increase in the size and numbers of Monarda populations.

The quick change took place here at the site of my oldest and largest population of Monarda. The level center section of this small valley has always provided an almost solid blanket of Monarda blooms that brought in swarms of bees and butterflies. As you can see, the flowers are not here now.

This area was solid with Monarda blooms last year. Now Monarda is completely absent; not just the blooms, but also a complete absence of plants. There is some Monarda growing in the background where the ground begins to rise from the valley floor. During the late winter and spring, the level part of the valley was frequently inundated and was almost constantly saturated. This amount of moisture is uncommon, but it has happened in the past without loss of the plants.

The fact the slightly higher and drier ground around the perimeter of the site still contains a good stand of Monarda, makes me think the water was somehow a factor in the disappearance. This same site suffered a Monarda die-off about seven years ago when the plants were all killed back by a late freeze. It took a couple of years, but the Monarda eventually returned. I expect that the plants will once again reclaim this area.

The most disastrous effect of the Monarda disappearance is the loss of a prime gathering area for the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. There are still plenty of flowers scattered around, so the moth population shouldn’t be hurt, but I’ll really miss the spectacle of dozens of these magnificent moths buzzing around the same small area. Maybe with no moths to distract me, I’ll see something even more wondrous.

Pond Goes Dry

This is what the pond looked like on Tuesday morning. During the spring it seemed to rain every other day and the pond never lacked for water. In mid June the rain stopped and we’ve managed to miss most of the storms that have come through this area. The pond usually goes dry around the first of July, so this is not an unusual situation. In fact, it went dry on July 10 of this year and then a rain on July 11 created a one foot deep pool.

As the pond began to refill, Gray Treefrogs filled the shallow pool with eggs. Thousands of tadpoles resulted from that mating spree. They put on a lot of growth in just two weeks.

In situations like this, the raccoons fill their bellies with tadpoles. I get the impression that the raccoon’s dinner is spiced with mud.

A string of hundred degree days can make the pond dry up in a hurry. This is what it looked like on Wednesday evening. It’s always sad to see the water disappear, but that’s what’s necessary in order to keep the pond such a great place for springtime breeding frogs and salamanders. When the pond water goes, so do all of those aquatic predators that do such a good job of consuming tadpoles.

Tracks of raccoons, opossums and skunks show that many species were benefiting by the plight of the stranded tadpoles. I sometimes rescue some of the tadpoles before everything is completely dry, but that wasn’t possible this year because everything I have that holds water is already full of treefrog tadpoles. Treefrogs manage to get eggs into any available body of water and they know where all of my water supplies are located. If we get rain that puts water back into the pond, I can guarantee that the treefrogs will once again fill it with eggs.

Many species of butterflies like to feed on the decomposing tadpoles. Their numbers will increase each day until the mud dries completely.

Even the exposed mud benefits some species. Several wasps were busy carrying off balls of mud to use in the construction of their nests. Many insect species will utilize the exposed soil of the pond bottom during the dry time. I suppose there are some of those that depend on the dry pond conditions just as much as others depend on the periods of inundation.

Wild Senna

I really enjoy seeing attractive native plants increase their numbers. Wild Senna, Senna marilandica, was very uncommon at Blue Jay Barrens when I first began managing this property. Each year I find new locations for this plant. It’s now becoming common in the former crop fields.

This lovely plant easily reaches a height of five feet. I think of it as the monster version of its close relative the Partridge Pea. Compound leaves radiate from a central stalk and give the plant an almost shrubby appearance.

The leaves show a sensitivity to disturbance and respond by closing the leaflets when roughly handled. As a child, I was always fascinated by the ability of plants to make rapid movements such as this. My favorite was the common houseplant known as the Sensitive Plant. I remember being in trouble on several occasions when my mother took me along on visits to the neighbors and I prodded their Sensitive Plants until every leaflet was tightly closed.

At the base of each petiole there is a small nectar producing gland. Ants usually stake out these positions and harvest the nectar. The plants probably receive some protection from predation by having the ants present.

Of course, the plant serves as a home and food source for many insects and other small animals. Whenever I see a bee oddly positioned on a flower, I assume that it is being eaten by something. At this time of year, yellow flowers usually mean yellow crab spiders.

I think one measure of a plant’s worth is the number of different animal species it’s able to support. The sight of an unblemished plant makes me wonder why it’s not being eaten. I was recently being given a garden tour by someone who prides herself on using native plantings in the landscape. As I bent down to view a larva busily chewing a leaf, she reached out, picked the leaf, threw it on her sidewalk, mashed it with her foot and then thanked me for calling the offending creature to her attention. I usually don’t offer my opinion unless asked, but once asked, I’ll divulge all of my thoughts without trying to be diplomatic. My face must have had a look of disapproval, because she asked me what was wrong with stomping that worm. I tried to explain to her the miracle of a random collection of native plants transforming into a functional ecosystem with native animals living and cycling along with the plants. I don’t think I convinced her and I think she was perturbed by my referring to her carefully planned planting beds as a “random collection of native plants”. Anyway, the tour ended shortly after the stomping incident.

The more you look, the more insects you find. At first glance I thought this was an Assassin Bug nymph and wondered if the approaching beetle might be in danger. A closer look makes be think it’s actually a Spiny Plant Bug. Instead of a beetle predator, it’s more of a competitor. It would be nice to just sit and watch these insects go about their normal business, but it seems that as soon as I get close enough to see what’s going on, the insects detect my presence and begin moving towards cover.

Gulf Fritillary - July 10, 2008

This photo of a Gulf Fritillary is my reminder to always have my camera with me when I leave the house. The Gulf Fritillary is a southern species that rarely ventures this far north. I was in my vegetable garden when I noticed an oddly orangish butterfly heading across the field towards me. I grabbed my camera out of its holster and powered it up. By the time the butterfly got to the garden, I had zoomed the lens out as far as it would go and was ready to take a picture. The butterfly dropped down into a clump of Butterflyweed about 40 feet from me. I took this shot as soon as I was close enough to see my subject. It’s not the best of shots, but it is enough to document what I saw. A second later the Gulf Fritillary was back in the air and continuing on its journey. Had I not had the camera with me, I would have missed documenting this rarity. My rule is to have a camera hanging from my belt whenever I leave the house. I may still miss the shot, but it won’t be because I didn’t have a camera.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Gray Treefrog - May 22, 2008

There are many things that I have come to expect to be a common part of the natural cycle at Blue Jay Barrens. They appear each year and I greet them with the same wonder and excitement that I displayed on our first meeting. The Gray Treefrog is a perfect example of this. I rush out to greet them at their first spring call and see them daily up to the time cold weather finally sends them seeking a sheltered place to spend the winter. I feel sorry for people who lose interest in common things. Even the most common of species still has many secrets that we have not yet discovered. I plan to continue observing and enjoying everything that I’m lucky enough to encounter.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Pots - May 5, 2005

Growing plants in pots has really helped me understand the growth habits of some of these prairie and barren plants. Within the pots, I’ve tried to recreate a close approximation of the natural conditions the plants might encounter, so these plants are not luxuriating in the best of commercial growing mixes. It’s very satisfying to watch the plants go from seed to maturity. I have found that it’s difficult to maintain some of these plants for long periods in pots, but it’s not because the plants don’t survive. After the plants mature, seeds get spread to all of the other pots and the plants establish themselves where they can best grow. It kind of messes up the record keeping process when the aluminum tag on the pot clearly states that species A was planted here three years ago, but the pot is now full of species D and species A is now filling the pot that used to belong to species G.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Mating Black Rat Snakes - June 6, 2006

I enjoy wildlife encounters and don’t mind having animals share my living area. I try to keep them outside of the house interior, but I don’t mind if they occupy the attic, garage or crawl space. My wife and I were in the family room when we heard scraping, rustling and thumping coming from the attic. I climbed up to see what was happening and found these two Black Rat Snakes in a love embrace. It’s just a coincidence that they got tangled up with an old shed skin. It was actually the skin that was making most of the noise. I hope a lot of eggs resulted from this union.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Harsh - January 29, 2009

Weather conditions can quickly change. This is the scene five days after the picture I posted yesterday. Everything has a thick coating of ice. Snow is accumulating atop the ice and adding its weight to the load. When I see this photo it’s the sound of falling trees that I remember. First would be the gunshot like pop as a branch in the top of a tree would break. After a couple seconds of silence there would be a crash like a crystal chandelier hitting the floor. This went on for hours. So many branches fell that I was beginning to wonder if there would be a woods left. Thoughts of how much winter work I would accomplish were replaced with concerns over how much additional work the ice damage was going to cause.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Gentle - January 24, 2009

A sunny January day with no snow on the ground is priceless. This is the perfect day for cedar or brush cutting. Temperatures are cool enough for you to wear a thick layer of clothes as protection against the rough branches or thorns. You don’t overheat, so the working conditions are very comfortable. The shortness of the daylight period makes you stop before working yourself to death. An abundance of this type of day during the winter means a lot of work can be accomplished. Unfortunately, this is not typical January weather.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Dancing Deer - February 3, 2007

Having a constant parade of wildlife passing outside my window allows me to witness all manner of animal behavior. Whitetail Deer often enter the yard in large numbers during the winter. The more animals you have in one place, the more chances you have for interaction between those animals. Trying to show dominance and claim a place in the feeding area is a commonly seen behavior when deer crowd together around the corn pile. This scene reminds me of a Far Side cartoon where the animals decide to get up and imitate people by walking on two legs. The deer looking on have a bewildered expression that makes you think they are wondering why their friend has decided to stand erect.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Clouds - July 25, 2005

I would like to think of Blue Jay Barrens as a self contained ecosystem functioning independently and isolated from the outside world. Of course, that’s not the case. Outside forces play a great role in shaping Blue Jay Barrens. Sometimes the outside effect is beneficial and other times it’s destructive. I see clouds as a reminder of those things that are absolutely outside of my control. Sometimes beautiful and other times frightening, clouds continually pass through the Blue Jay Barrens world. All I can do is observe and experience their passing.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Henry's Elfin - April 12, 2009

Henry’s Elfin is an uncommon little butterfly that makes its appearance in early spring. Redbud is the host plant and the butterfly times its emergence so that it can lay eggs on the Redbud flowers. Sometimes the butterflies congregate in small swarms that resemble chocolate candy drops bouncing in the air. The adult butterflies are only around for a short time in the spring and I tried for many years to capture one in a good photo. The weather during that time usually seems to be rainy or windy, so it’s hard to find perfect conditions for getting photos. I crawled a long distance through dried Indian Grass stalks in pursuit of this individual.

NOTE: I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

Anglepod - June 22, 2007

I’m away on a ten day excursion and have left the computer behind. So as not to have a ten day gap in posts, I’ve selected some of my favorite pictures from my pre-blogging days and set them up to automatically post one each day until I return. They may not be the best photo quality, but each identifies something of significance to me and to Blue Jay Barrens. I’ll continue my practice of current posts on July 27, 2011.

This image of the Anglepod, Matelea obliqua, represents one of only three times that I’ve seen this plant bloom at Blue Jay Barrens. Anglepod demonstrates the characteristics that cause me so much frustration with many of the plants here. Even though the plants are very abundant, they rarely bloom and I have never seen them produce seed. I’d love to have some Anglepod growing near the house so I could study its growth pattern, but it’s going to have to give me some seed before that can happen.

Skunk

I’ve had quite a variety of animals visiting the yard this week. Part of the reason I have a yard is to make wildlife viewing a little easier. Animals are often hard to see because they’re screened by vegetation. They are most easily observed when they enter a clearing and the chance of your being present when they come into view is greatly increased if the clearing happens to surround your house.

Since there aren’t a lot of native plants that can tolerate repeated cuttings with the mower, my lawn is primarily of alien origin. It’s composed of various grasses, a few clovers and a wide variety of broadleaved plants. There are even some Eastern Red Cedars that survive continued mowing and have taken on a bonsai like quality. It may not be native, but it’s certainly diverse and that diversity enhances its attractiveness to wildlife.

Beetle grubs abound in the lawn and attract those species that feed on grubs. One common visitor is the Striped Skunk. This youngster is so intent on digging out grubs that he hasn’t noticed that I’ve come well within his spraying range.

Patterning on Striped Skunks is extremely variable. I’ve had individuals range from almost full white to those that are pure black. I prefer the skunks to have at least some white so I can see them when I walk through the yard in the dark. This one has a very attractive white cap. If this guy doesn’t look up soon he’ll be foraging beneath my boots.

I’ve been spotted and the skunk is quickly departing. When given a choice between running and spraying, skunks will usually run. Based on my experiences, it seems that running is a reflex response and spraying is a voluntary act. Since a skunk can only hold so much spray at one time, it makes sense that it would not be used unless absolutely necessary. I just hope I don’t run into the odd skunk that has a reflex spray response.

July Prairie Garden

The Prairie Garden has finally reached a condition of near respectability in the eyes of most people. Many don’t tolerate that period of growth necessary for the plant to reach flowering stage. This is the view seen from the direction of the road.

I suppose the garden would appear better tended if I had the border neatly identified with a traditional stone or wood decoration instead of having everything just spilling into the grass. Since the native plants insist on claiming a little more of my yard each year, a fixed boundary would be impractical. This is the view from the driveway.

The Prairie Garden has really developed a diverse mix of species. When I started the garden 16 years ago, I called it the Barrens Garden because I didn’t think I would get any lush growth on such a poor site. It looked barren-like for the first few years, but after the plants took hold it took on a whole new look.

Purple Coneflower is the plant that people associate with a real garden. They tell me that my plants are pretty and suggest that I try some of the new varieties that offer larger blooms and brighter colors. I guess they don’t understand my purpose in creating a mini-prairie by using native seed.

Despite their lack of sophistication, I would put my coneflowers up against any of the popular cultivars.

The flower head itself is mesmerizing. It’s like one of those optical illusion pictures. First the rows of florets seem to swirl off to the right and then they appear to be going left.

The Gray Headed Coneflowers aren’t as showy as the Purple. Despite this, they manage to attract a wide range of insect visitors. Pollen, nectar and yummy petals cause these flowers to get a lot of attention.

Baptisia flowers have been replaced with green seed pods. These plants go through many changes through the season and they always stand out. There seems to be something mysterious in everything they do. This plant was started in 1995 and didn’t bloom until its fourth season. It has bloomed every year since.

The Nodding Wild Onion project continues. The blooms are looking particularly healthy this year. Plenty of small bees are busy pollinating the flowers.

Six healthy blooming plants this year. The cage must be performing adequately to keep the predators away.

The tip end of the False Gromwell flower stalk is still blooming, while the lower end is ripening seeds.

The American Aloe is in full bloom. Like many of the plants in the Prairie Garden, the American Aloe has scattered seed and significantly increased the number of plants.

I’ve noticed one positive effect of the Prairie Garden burn this spring. Except for the small portion of the garden protected from the burn by the wet towel, there has been a total absence of Oxeye Daisy. About six plants came up in the towel area. I pulled all of the plants before they could ripen seed. I’m anxious to see what the Daisy population is like next year.

Several weedy species are still present around the edges of the garden. The most common are English Plantain and Black Medic. Since the garden enlarges itself every year, these edge areas have had less time for the natives to take control. In five years the natives will have the weeds suppressed in this area and the edge of the garden will be another 18 inches into the yard.