Indy Parks Nature Blog

Cooper's Hawk takes an American Coot

2012-01-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, panic ensued at the feeding area outside our bird window at Southeastway Park. A tiny titmouse, in its frantic flight to get away, crashed directly into our window and tumbled to the ground below. The reason for all the frenzy soon was evident. A striking male Cooper's hawk landed on a limb above the lifeless bird, hopped down and swiftly flew off with its prey. We stood there, breatheless, watching the entire event unfold.

So you can imagine the surprise when this past week we came across the scene of another male Cooper's Hawk, this time at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco, TX. Our guide, Kyle, spotted it under a bush near the board walk. Our birding group quietly walked by, many of us snapping photos, as we watched it feed on an American Coot! I had never seen a Cooper's Hawk take such large prey before! I have seen Bald Eagles take coots, but never a Cooper's Hawk. For those that are not familiar with American Coots, they are a black, duck-like bird that can weigh from 1 to 2 pounds. You can view some photos here. A large male Cooper's hawk can weighs less than a pound. Quite a feat for it to kill a coot and drag it under the bush. Kyle thought a female would be able to fly off with the coot. What an amazing sight!

Close Encounter with a Coyote

2012-01-05T16:32:00.001-05:00

Recently, I was in the Rio Grande area of Texas. On New Year's Day, we visited Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge near Los Fresnos, Texas, in search of raptors. They have a fabulous driving tour where we viewed many Northern Harriers, White-tailed Hawks, and Crested Caracara. We counted over 25 Osprey, most of them feeding on fish from the nearby waterway.

When we were almost finished with the loop of the tour, near dusk, we noticed a car stopped by the side of the road. We pulled up slowly, thinking they may be watching a raptor or other bird. Suddenly, I spotted a four-legged creature in the road up ahead. A coyote!

My normal encounters with coyote here in Indiana are from afar. They are usually skittish, dashing quickly into the brush by the side of the road. Sometimes, I spot them in the distance in a farm field on my way to work in the morning. And, one early morning, I had the luck of spotting one loping through the park on the edge of the woods. I was pretty excited one was up ahead and was eager to get a good look.

This one seemed unafraid. It trotted by the other car, stopped for a brief second, as if sizing the passengers up, then moved on, closer to our car.

It kept heading toward our car, as if it was a greeter for the park. I carefully rolled my window down, just in case I could take a photo.

By this time the coyote was almost in front of the car. Then, it surprised me and came right up to my side of the car. If I had reached my hand out of the window, I could have scratched it behind the ears! It stopped and looked at me for a minute, as if to say "Hey, there!" then moved to Eric's side of the car.

The coyote silently vanished into the brush to the side of the road behind the car. Eric backed the car up slowly to take another look. The coyote was lying down, totally unafraid, acting as if it was at peace with us being there. Such an awesome encounter!

Coyotes here in Indiana have an average weight of about 30 lbs, similar to a medium-sized dog. Their food preferences include rabbits and rodents. I usually see them in the rural areas, but there was a good sized population of coyotes at Skiles Test Park on the northeast side of town a few years ago. You could hear them howl whenever a siren sounded! I hope you have the opportunity to see one of these fascinating creatures. Check out this website for more information on coyotes in Indiana.

Snowy Owl near Indianapolis

2011-12-05T16:09:00.001-05:00

This weekend, many people were treated to looks at a true rarity to this area and a gorgeous creature, to boot, --a Snowy Owl! Those of you who are Harry Potter fans may be familiar with his owl, Hedwig. Hedwig is a Snowy Owl.

The owl had been spotted at the Indianapolis Regional Airport in Mount Comfort, formally known as the Mount Comfort Airport. Don Gorney and other birders kept tabs on the bird all weekend. Eric Martin and I were able to drive out there Sunday afternoon to take a peek. My photo above was taken with a point and shoot camera through a car windshield in the rain. The plastic-bag-like-object is the owl. :) It is hunkered down on the ground taking cover from the rain. Even though it wasn't super close, we were still delighted to watch it turn its head while it checked out the coming and goings of the people who came to visit it.

My friend, Don Gorney, was able to snap a better photo on the previous day, Saturday. Thanks to Don for letting me use his stellar photo. With the light barring on the feathers and the pattern on the tail feathers, Don thinks this is an after-hatch year male. Younger birds and females would have darker spots on their feathers. For a photo of a juvenile bird, check out my post from a few years ago of a Snowy Owl I saw in Cleveland, OH.

To see a Snowy Owl brings up mixed emotions. It is such a graceful flyer, floating effortless along as it hunts. But, most Snowy Owls that visit Indiana in the winter do not make it. Many times these owls get hit by cars and trucks as they are sailing across the highway, looking for a meal. Snowy Owls glide very low along the ground, as they search for food, and this puts them right smack in the path of a vehicle.

The Snowy Owl's normal range is in the arctic tundra, throughout Canada and the Northern United States. Snowy Owls have a favorite snack of lemmings. Lemmings are cyclic in nature. Lemming populations will grow in number year after year and the predators, such as owls and fox will increase along with them. Eventually, they will hit a population threshold and the predators will apply too much pressure on the lemming population. The lemming population will plummet and the abundant predators will be forced to look for food elsewhere. The Snowy Owl will move southward looking for other food. These cycles seem to occur about every three or four years. A combo of a good breeding season, producing many juvenile owls, and a possible crash in the lemming population up north may force many Snowy Owls to the south.

If a Snowy Owl finds a good food source, and doesn't meet an early demise from a vehicle, it will tend to stick around for quite a while. As of today, the Snowy Owl was still at the airport. Hopefully, many of you will have a chance to view this gorgeous winter visitor!

Snow!

2011-11-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

This morning at Southeastway Park, we were greeted by a dusting of snow. Though I am not a big fan of driving in the white stuff, I do like the way it looks. Here are a few shots from around the park.

Our bird feeding area looks like it has been generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Little tufts of grass poking through the snow reminds us it was seventy degrees just this past weekend.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) adorned with ice crystals.

Mother nature all mixed up-the grass dressed in rich summer green, the shrub in fall colors, and the dusting of snow. Notice the cardinal in the tree on the right?

Orchid Fest!

2011-11-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we visited Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens for their annual Orchid Fest. What a treat!

We were wowed with stunning floral displays, experts on hand to answer questions and beautiful orchids for purchase.

I honestly was overwhelmed by all the luscious smells and colors, I can't remember what any of the names are of these orchid varieties. So, just enjoy!

Orchid Fest goes through Sunday, Nov. 13th, 2011. Admission is $3 per person or $8 per family.

And, while you are in the area, after you have wowed your senses of smell and sight, why not go up Shelby Street a bit and visit Claus's German Sausage and Meats and delight your tastebuds?! I just discovered this place. Wow! Delicious sausages made in-house. Well worth checking out!!!

Monarch Caterpillars

2011-08-15T15:46:00.000-04:00

Our nineteenth annual Bug Fest is soon approaching, so last week Miranda and I walked around looking for caterpillars for the monarch butterfly station.

We soon hit a small patch of milkweed, only four plants, that was covered with tiny caterpillars. We found about 20 or so of the minute creatures. The caterpillars were only a few days old. To get an idea of how small they are when they first hatch, I have a paper clip in the photo for reference. Please click on the photo to enlarge it on your screen. The caterpillar is to the right of the C-shaped mark on the leaf.

Here I have cropped the photo so you can see it a little better. Notice the teeny stripes on the body. Soooo cute!!!

These little guys are growing like gangbusters, so I will have to post more baby pictures in the future!

On the same note, Naturalist Linda Gilbert from Geauga Park District, up near Cleveland, OH, posted this amazing video of a monarch caterpillar hatching from an egg. The egg is about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. Thank you, Linda for taking the time to film this miraculous event through a microscope and for allowing me to share this video!

Would You Eat This?!?!

2011-08-03T15:52:00.000-04:00

Game show time. We are going to play "Would You Eat This?!?!" The following delicacies were offered to our Survivor Camp participants during the Eating Challenge. Tribe members would face off against the other team, each member having to pick what concoction they would have to partake by drawing a number from a cup. Points were awarded when a team member successfully choked down, errr I mean, eagerly gobbled the goodies. And it had to stay down. 'Nuff said.

A favorite of my father's, canned oysters. Looks gross, smells questionable and the texture is weird. These qualities make the perfect combo for the Eating Challenge.

Psyching out the opponent is part of the game. This looks like intestines and you could easily tell the other team it tasted terrible and pretend you could barely choke it down because it is soooo horrid. What is it really?

Simply dried bamboo shoots. Easy to eat, no bad flavors. Just looks intimidating...

Another psych out food. Snow fungus. No foul taste, but a weird appearance and texture.

This winner is truly appalling. Salted Snake-head fish. Very, very salty, fishy and stinky. Triple yuck.

By far one of the worst foods on earth, in my opinion. Silkworm pupae. Yep, the pupae of a silkworm moth and a by-product of the silk industry. Not sure why anyone would crave these, but if popping these in your mouth while you relax and watch sitcoms tickles your fancy, more power to you!

Squid in natural ink. The added element of tentacles combined with the putrid smell makes this food a real challenge for the campers to surpass.

I was intrigued when I found these bad boys at the Saraga Market. Preserved duck eggs. Eggs are not supposed to be black! And, yes, they taste as bad as they look.

So, there you have it. Some of the offerings for our Survivor Eating Challenge. Have I tried all these foods, you may ask. Yes, it is my policy that if the kids have to eat it, I do too. I will eat it right in front of them at the end of the challenge to assure them the foods are safe. Do I dread doing so, you betcha! But the campers do have a blast trying the different ethnic foods and psyching out the other team. All in good fun! :)

Something to Make You Smile...

2011-07-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

The summer day camp at Christian Park put together a super cute video to the Selena Gomez "Who Says" song. Great job Rickey Knox and crew!

Nature Journals

2011-06-21T00:14:00.001-04:00

In our Nature Explorers camp, the kids made nature journals. Each day they were supposed to write and draw a picture about their favorite activity for the day. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure...

On one of the hikes, we found a raccoon in a tree. I like the disclaimer-"Not my best drawing." :)

We took the kids out to our bluebird boxes to see the nests. One had five baby bluebirds inside.

One of our activities on Bug Day was to go out in the woods, roll over logs and look for millipedes, centipedes, worms, rollie-pollies and other assorted critters.

On Thursday evenings, we have a cookout and night hike. We let the kids travel a section of the trail by themselves in the dark. A few of the counselors are positioned on one end of the section and the rest are on the other, sending the children one by one. They love the thrill of walking by themselves in the dark without a flashlight.

This post was about the Thicket game, a hide and seek game that involves a child posing as an owl finding hidden mice.

This is one of my favorite posts. If you are having trouble reading it, it says " My favorite part of the day was when I found a slug and I named him Sticky and he was my friend. " Cracked me up.

It was so much fun reading what activities they enjoyed and their interpretation of them. I always look forward to taking a peek into their world.

Interesting Illinois Insects (and other stuff)

2011-06-12T23:30:00.000-04:00

Summer Tanager

Last weekend I took a road trip to Shawnee National Forest in Illinois. My friend, Jim McCormac, was working on his upcoming warbler book and asked if I would like to come along. Jim is one of my favorite people to join on a foray. He is extremely knowledgeable, well versed in almost everything out there, and gifted with incredible sight and hearing. Very little misses his radar and many cool things are always encountered. And, I also enjoyed getting a sneak peak into his book writing process. Jim is visiting all these sites so he can experience them first hand.

Summer Tanager

We checked out the LaRue Pine Hills area. There we encountered lots of warblers, which was what the trip was all about. Worm-eating Warblers were thick and there were also lots of Hooded Warblers, Kentucky Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrushes, Northern Parula and Prothonotary Warblers. I did not get any photos of those. But, there were also lots of Summer Tanagers around. We had great views of quite a few of these gorgeous scarlet birds that flew very close, chattering and whistling all the while.

Orb Weaver Spider

Besides the birds we found lots of interesting insects and other creepy crawlies. Jim spotted this Orb Weaver which was hiding within this leaf curl. She was guarding an egg sac, the fuzzy white blob to the right of her.

Jumping Spider with prey

I spotted this tiny jumping spider. It was completely fixated on its prize, so I was able to get a few shots off without disturbing it too much. Like all the pics, you can click on the photo to enlarge it and see its cute little face.

Flea Beetle, Lupraea picta

While Jim was photographing a dragonfly, I found this tiny Flea Beetle to photograph. I think this is Lupraea picta. Thanks to Ted MacRae from Beetles in the Bush for letting me know it was a type of flea beetle. They are called flea beetles because most in this tribe are good jumpers, like a flea.

Jim spotted a few of these tiny beautiful red and black beetles. These are Eastern Babia, Babia quadriguttata, making more little Babias.

We were watching a dragonfly cruising the area when I spotted this beetle on a leaf. This is a Dark Flower Scarab Beetle, Euphoria sepulcralis. The adults nectar on flowers and overwinter in the ground. The young larvae of this beetle feeds on decaying organic matter.

I think, but am not positive, that this is a Dance Fly from the genus Rhamphomyia. Dance Flies are fascinating creatures. Their common name comes from the males flying up and down in a sort of dance. They carry with them "nuptial balloons", which are silk wrapped prey that they offer to a potential mate. But there are some shysters in the midst that will offer empty balls of silk to the ladies. The ladies will select the mate with the best gift.

Lots of interesting insects in Illinois, plus gorgeous scenery, to boot. With Shawnee National Forest only about 3 hours away from Indianapolis, I would suggest it as a great weekend or day trip!

Some Cool Bugs

2011-06-11T17:28:00.000-04:00

Summer camp brings lots of energetic little bodies with sharp eyesight-they do not miss anything! And since I am the go-to-person for bugs, they always come running to me with their prize in tow. This week, we found scads of spiders, daddy-long-legs, dragonfly nymphs, beetles, wasps, crickets, moths and much more. Here are a few of my favorites.

T.J. found this beautiful moth on the bark of a tree. This is a Waved Sphinx Moth, Ceratomia undulosa.

Such a pretty, camouflaged little moth, and when I took a few photos from the side, I noticed something. With its big eyes, long antennae and fuzzy face...

It looked remarkably like a bunny! Who would have thought!

I am not positive who found this next critter. We were on a hike in the woods and I saw a pile of boys huddling around a log, all fixated on a small yellow and black creature. At first glance, I thought it was a wasp and made the boys slide back so they wouldn't get stung. Then I realized it was a borer, a type of beetle. No wonder I thought it was initially a wasp, the beetle's name is Wasp Mimic Beetle, Clytus ruricola. Imitating another more dangerous animal, in actions and color, help keep predators at bay. Another name for this beetle is Round-necked Beetle, for the rounded bulge near its head. The larvae feed on decaying hardwoods, especially maples.

This last bug landed on Linsi's water bottle. A beautiful metallic blue Cuckoo Wasp. Cuckoo Wasps are difficult to key out to species, so I will stick with the genus. I think this is Chrysis sp. Even though this critter is a wasp, I have never had a problem of them. They are never aggressive or try to sting. If they feel threatened, they will curl into a protective ball. Linsi thought it was so cute. But don't be fooled. In the wasp world, they are pretty vicious. Their double life is better than any horror movie. They are cleptoparasites, parasites that lay their eggs in another wasp's nest, stealing their food. The tiny larvae will emerge before the host species's young, then eat its eggs or larvae and the remainding food within the nest. Talk about an appetite!

Always cool things to see everyday. Look forward to finding more great things next week to share!

Baltimore Oriole Nest

2011-06-08T22:57:00.005-04:00

High in a Silver Maple tree, Miranda found a Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, nest. I have been looking for it for a couple of weeks and was very excited to finally discover where Mr. and Mrs. Oriole had built their nest. For at least a month, the male has been flying around our building at Southeastway, all the while loudly chattering and whistling.

Here is a little closer look at the nest. It is a magnificent piece of construction, mainly created by the female oriole. She expertly weaves grasses and plant fibers with her beak into a hanging pouch that suspends below the branches, safely cradling the nestlings.

The female oriole, mistress architect, perched in a branch above the nest.

Unfortunately, sometimes junior gets a bit adventurous and falls out of the nest. Since I witnessed Mom and Dad feeding it, I left it alone. There is always the urge to rescue a young bird, but the parents know exactly what a young oriole needs. Though tempting, I realize I could never provide for it like the parents.

This brilliant orange blaze, although somewhat blurry, is the gorgeous male proudly announcing his presence. He darted around so quicky, it was difficult to get any decent shots of him. This is the third year in a row we have found an oriole nest near our building. I hope they continue to nest at our park for many years to come!

Grassland Birds at the Airport

2011-06-06T16:35:00.001-04:00

I was driving home from Illinois Sunday evening, following I-70, and managed to overshoot my exit by quite a bit. I saw the exit for the Mt. Comfort Airport (Now called the Indianapolis Regional Airport) and remembered a post on IN-bird from Don Gorney about Upland Sandpipers a few days ago. So, to take great advantage of a unfortunate mistake, I decided to give Don a ring and ask him where I was most likely to see them. I am so glad I missed my exit!

Since I was at an airport, even though it was a small one, I was a bit nervous about taking photos. And the birds were a bit too far away to get anything worth showing anyway, so I am going to use good old Wikipedia for the photos. Hope you all don't mind too much :)

Upland Sandpiper, photo from Wikipedia

So here is the star of the show, the Upland Sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda. I was able to get great looks at three of them, all out in the open at the same time. I also was treated to their wolf whistle call, "Wheet-woo". It always makes me laugh. :) Upland Sandpiper is a state-endangered bird for Indiana.

Savannah Sparrow, photo from Wikipedia

I soon heard the "Take it easy" song of the Savannah Sparrow. Such a pretty sparrow, with its pink legs, yellow lores and speckled breast. I had one right behind my car, not more than 8 feet away. Beautiful! I found a few more during my visit.

Eastern Meadowlark, photo from Wikipedia

I found about 10 Eastern Meadowlarks scattered about the property. Some were perching on fences, others were flying about and quickly disappearing into the grass. Their brilliant yellow chest with the deep black "V" really stood out in the evening sun.

Horned Lark, photo from Wikipedia

There were two Horned Larks taking a dust bath on the road. They were preening their feathers and tossing about the dust from the road. Many birds use dust baths to help reduce avian parasites, like lice.

Dickcissel, photo from Wikipedia

I heard a sound behind me and turned to see a favorite grassland bird. "Dic-dic-sizzle, sizzle" called a handsome male Dickcissel which was perched up on the fence. I watched him sing for a long while, happily soaking it all in.

Bobolink, photo from Wikipedia

A few birds flew overhead and called. Bobolinks! I love their bubbly call, like a miniature R2D2 from Star Wars. "Spink-spank-spink"! They dove into the grass and disappeared from sight.

I love when I make a mistake and end up with a good result. What a nice ending to the weekend!

Water Day-Baby Cricket Frog

2011-06-03T22:35:00.000-04:00

Today was water day for our preschool Wiggle Worms camp. We tromped out to the pond and used dip nets to catch all kinds of critters.

This critter is a dragonfly nymph, the aquatic stage of the dragonfly. Earlier in the day, Linsi read the story Dazzling Dragonflies by Linda Glaser to the campers. This is an excellent book for young children on the dragonfly life cycle. Since they were already prepared by the book, they were really excited to catch these somewhat creepy-looking insects. Many were excitedly screaming " I caught a baby dragonfly!"

This lizard-like creature is a damselfly nymph. Damselflies are in the same order as dragonflies. The abdomens of adult damselflies are more slender than most dragonflies and they hold their wings folded over their backs while dragonflies hold them out to the sides of their body.

This critter is a young crayfish, or crawdad, if you will. Many of the kids thought they were lobsters, which they do resemble. Even though it was too tiny to do any harm, it was a feisty little thing!

We even found part of a fascinating plant. This is Common Bladderwort, a carnivorous plant. The bladders, the dark, round objects in the photo, trap tiny pond creatures and produce enzymes to digest the prey.

Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi, a sub-species of the Northern Cricket Frog, posed nicely for a photo. I think its face kinda looks like Kermit, if Kermit was brown. These frogs are masters of camouflage, as you can see on another post. Also, Nothern Cricket Frogs are a Species of Special Concern for Indiana, which means their numbers are declining, so they are on a watch list. I am very pleased they like our pond!

The big excitement for the day was catching these little guys! A young cricket frog, smaller than my thumbnail! Wow!

And then we caught this one. A cricket frog that still had its tail! It was still going through metamorphosis and was even smaller than the last one! It was such a great day out at the pond, exploring and discovering many, many cool things!

Red-winged Blackbird Nest

2011-05-31T13:07:00.000-04:00

Each spring we look forward to the return of the Red-winged Blackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus, to our wetland. The males usually show up in early March, singing their "Con-cur-ee" song, announcing to all the ladies that they have aquired some prime real estate for nesting.

Above is the male Red-winged Blackbird, a real looker with his jet black feathers accented with scarlet epaulettes trimmed in yellow.

This is the female. She is also a beautiful bird, but very camouflaged. This is so she can blend in with the nest and not be noticed by predators. She builds a nest from grasses and reeds and tucks it down among the cattails. It is hard to spot the nest at first, but by careful observation, one can determine where she has hidden it.

The nest is almost dead center in this photo. I don't expect you to find it, but wanted to show how well they can hide the nest. Many times I would go out to check on the nest and not find it right away, even though I knew exactly where it was.

And here is the nest, closeup with the baby Red-winged Blackbirds. They were just starting to get their feathers. When they get their full set of feathers, they will at first all look like the female. The young males will eventually get an orangish patch on their shoulder. Hopefully, they will all make it to adulthood and we will enjoy their song for years to come.

Wood Poppy

2011-05-30T02:02:00.000-04:00

Our Wood Poppies, Stylophorum diphyllum, at Southeastway are almost finished blooming. Just a few blossoms are left, hanging on to the last days of spring. Such a striking yellow plant, I eagerly look forward each spring for them to bloom and am somewhat sad when they are finished for the season.

They are called poppies because their seed capsule, when ripe, will burst open or pop when touched expelling the seeds across the ground. Hopefully, they will produce many more of these beautiful flowers to enjoy next year!

Some Cool Finds at the Park

2011-05-27T16:59:00.001-04:00

Another great day with lots of cool finds in the park. Today, Miranda and I were visited by the first graders from Indianapolis Public School 90. These energetic students were eager to learn and had very sharp eyes! One of our finds is in the following pictures. See if you can spot it!

Okay, I will give you a hint, it is right in the middle of the photo below, circled in red. :)

Here is a closer shot, you might be able to make it out in the next photo.

Now I am quite confident you will be able to see it in this next photo. Don't feel bad if you couldn't spot it in the other photos. I couldn't find it at first when Miranda showed it to me.

Mama robin sitting on her nest! She was well-camouflaged. Most of the children were able to see the male robin busily harvesting juicy worms from the dirt in the turf grass below the nest.

One of the students spied this male Luna Moth, Actias luna, fluttering its wings in this Spicebush shrub. This was a special treat because you don't get to see Luna Moths everyday. Seeing the moth was many of the students favorite part of the trip. You can see a better shot of its wings in this post.

Here is a closer view of the moth. The feathery antennae of the male help it locate the female by detecting pheromones she emits from her abdomen. He can pick up her scent from miles away. The Luna Moths have a short life-cycle, and only live up to seven days. Because they live for such a short time, they do not have mouthparts and do not feed.

Since we have had a few storms in the last couple of days, some of the American Tulip Trees, Liriodendron tulipifera, had lost a few of their blossoms. The children were fascinated with the beautiful flowers. You can see the leaf of the tree in this photo, which I think looks a little like a cat's face. (Use your imagination, people. :) )The ears are the two pointed lobes on the top part of the leaf and the two lobes on the side of the leaf resemble the cat's whiskers.

This is a closeup of one of my favorite flowers with its pale yellow petals accented with brilliant orange. The trees are so tall and stately and produce tons of gorgeous blossoms. And the scientific name is very fitting-Liriodendron means "lily tree".

Another great day out! Look for Luna Moths, Tulip Tree blossoms and robin nests on your outdoor adventures this weekend!

Baby Painted Turtle

2011-05-26T15:28:00.000-04:00

Each day brings something new, especially when you work in a park. Today, one of our maintenance staff, Adam Helton, brought a newly hatched Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta, into my office. He rescued it from a puddle, where it was happily swimming around. Unfortunately, the puddle was in the path of traffic and only a few minutes after Adam had scooped up the turtle, a vehicle drove through the puddle. The little turtle was very lucky that Adam had stopped by and took the time to rescue it. Thank you so much, Adam!

I took the turtle to our wetland area, where it could get all of its needs, yet not worry about big fish possibly snacking on it. It seemed quite happy in its new home.

Here is a shot of its red belly. The Painted Turtle gets its name from its bright yellow and red markings.

I titled this photo "Lady, you are on my last nerve." Apparently, even turtles do not care for paparazzi. As you can see it is not much bigger that a penny, and probably just hatched in the last day or so.

Adam also showed me an adult Painted Turtle that had been hit by a car. This is the time of year when female turtles will travel to find a suitable place to lay their eggs. Unfortunately, she was hit by a car before she made it to her destination. When she was hit, she expelled seven eggs. Five were broken, but two were still in perfect shape. I took them to the wetland area where I had released the baby turtle and covered all but the top of the eggs with dirt. Hopefully, they will hatch, and we will have a few more Painted Turtles to look forward to.

Oven Bird Nest

2011-05-21T05:00:00.004-04:00

Over the weekend, I participated in the Ohio Heritage Naturalist hike at Cave Lake in Pike County near Latham, Ohio. While there, Marjie Becus found an Oven Bird nest.

Oven Bird photo from Wikipedia.

Oven Birds, Seiurus aurocapillus, are small migratory songbirds in the warbler family. They are colored olive-brown with a white breast streaked with dark brown markings. The crown of its head is adorned with an orange streak that is bordered with dark brown. This latin name aurocapillus alludes to the orange crown and means "golden hair".

The Oven Bird is a warbler that nests on the ground. The common name of the bird comes from its unique nest that resembles a old-fashioned brick oven.The bird constructs the nest with leaves and grasses and makes a roof to protect the eggs and conceal it from predators. The female bird will quietly sit on the nest, motionless. Marjie almost stepped on the nest before the female flushed. The male is quite the opposite. His persistent calls of "TEA-cher, TEA-cher, TEA-cher will loudly ring throughout the forest.

Here is a closer view of the speckled eggs inside the nest. The Oven Bird will lay 3-6 cream colored eggs speckled with brown spots. This was the first Oven Bird nest I had encountered, so I was quite fascinated with its artful construction and perfect camouflage. Amazing!

Environmental Adventure Day

2011-05-20T11:16:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, April 28th, we hosted Environmental Adventure Day at Southeastway Park. We had a great turnout of over 330 children and about 80 adults, all outside enjoying and learning about nature. There were 18 presenters teaching topics such as plants, signs of wildlife, raptors, reptiles and amphibians, fire, frogs, fossils, insects, pond life and many more. Below are a few highlights...

Here is a shot of some of the students travelling from station
to station. Four schools from Franklin Township visited the park.

Smokey the Bear came for a visit. Bev Stout from IDNR

Division of Forestry donned the costume to greet the children.

Liz Habley led the Insect Safari session. The kids enjoyed sweeping

with nets in our small prairie. Lots of leafhoppers, beetles and spiders were found.

Kevin Carlsen from Eagle Creek Ornithology Center is teaching

the students about the large eyes of the Great Horned Owl.

Overall, it was a great day with lots of folks out enjoying the great outdoors!

Luna Moth

2011-05-19T16:11:00.002-04:00

On Friday, May 6th, I led a station on migration for the Eagle Creek Homeschool Bird Jam. A great event, with many students spending the day enjoying the great outdoors and learning all about birds. The entire day, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and a first year male Summer Tanager visited the feeders at Eagle Creek. Many of the students were able to see these beautiful birds.

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, is a member of the Cardinal family.

One of the students showed me a moth that they had found in the bird feeding area. Do you see it?

How about now? If you scroll back, you can find it on the left side of the plant. This is a gorgeous male Luna Moth, Actias luna. These moths are masters of camouflage, blending right in with the surrounding vegetation.

Here is a better shot of the moth, showing its wings spread out. Notice the cool patten on the top of the wings that looks just like a tree branch with buds. Such a great find for our special day. So glad so many kids and parents were able to enjoy this amazing creature.

Lilliputian Lovelies

2011-04-05T00:00:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend, I attended a hike in Adams County, Ohio with the Midwest Native Plant Society. We were on a quest for some of the rare early blooming flowers of spring.

The flowers we were seeking always put me in a state of complete awe. Each year I have to remind myself just how small they are. These members of the mustard family are extremely tiny. Most reach a towering height of one to two inches tall! To view these flowers, one must be willing to get down on their hands and knees. But once there, the viewer is definitely rewarded for the effort. Each one is a delicate, miniature work of art. (All photos courtesy of John Howard).

Beautiful snow white blossoms that are smaller than my pinky nail. This flower is Michaux's Leavenworthia, Leavenworthia uniflora. The diminutive flower with the huge, unusual title is named after two botanists, Andre' Michaux and Melines Conkling Leavenworth.

Another tiny masterpiece, Carolina Whitlow-grass, Draba reptans. The group of basal leaves, at the bottom of the plant, are smaller in diameter than a dime and densely hairy, reminding me of a teeny cactus. For more photos, check out the Ohio Flora blog.

Similar to the Draba reptans, this tiny wonder is just starting to bloom. We were a bit too early. This is Draba cuneifolia, Wedge-leaved Whitlow-grass. The leaves have tiny notches that Draba reptans lacks.

And finally, a very rare mustard called Little Whitlow-grass, Draba brachycarpa. We were crawling around on the ground in a cemetery looking for this one. A passerby would have wondered what in the world we were doing. :) I love the clump of flowers at the top of the stem, gathered like a miniature bouquet. Since the sandy deposits that it prefers are disappearing, this may be one of the only viable populations in the state of Ohio. There are only a few areas where it is found in Indiana, as well.

Such an enjoyable day in the field, enjoying nature on a microscopic level. It show that there are so many wonderful things out there if one just takes the time to look. If you enjoy looking at photos of these and other spring wonders, check out the blogs of others who were on the trip.

Ohio Birds and Biodiversity

All photos on this post courtesy of John Howard.

Northern Goshawk at Eagle Creek-Blue Jays Show Me the Money!

2011-04-03T23:55:00.005-04:00

Friday, I spent the majority of the day conducting bird programs for Eagle Creek's fabulous Home School Jamboree. Great program held in the spring and fall with lots of talented naturalists and professionals teaching various nature topics. If you home school your kids, I highly recommend this.

I was told that morning by Kevin Carlsen, naturalist at the Ornithology Center, that the juvenile Northern Goshawk had been seen again at the skating pond. I was hoping to get to see it.

There is an old skating pond in the park, now filled with cattails. Great place to view ducks, bitterns, and other goodies. I found Jeanette Frazier already there. She had not seen the bird that day, but had photos from another day. She also had photos of other similar birds, like a Cooper's Hawk and juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk for comparison. Very, very helpful to see these at that time. We heard a bunch of Blue Jays screaming like crazy off to the right of the skating pond. Jeanette remarked that they might have a hawk cornered, which is often the case.

Blue Jays and crows will mob large raptors, like owls and hawks. They will scream at them, whack them in the head, chase them in flight and give them no peace. Many raptors will eat other birds, so the jays let everyone in the vicinity know the raptor is around. Basically guard dogs of the bird world, if you will.

Jeanette departed and I decided to drive around a bit. I drove around to different areas in the park to see if I could find the bird, but I had no luck. I decided to swing by the skating pond for one last look. The jays were still squawking, even louder than before. I decided to check it out to see if they had cornered anything.

I wandered down a path near the pond, following the jays noise. Many highly agitated jays were sitting in the shrubs lining the path, close to 20-25 in all. Right next to the trail was a large tree with a branch reaching over the trail. I stopped, lost my breath for a moment, then grinned like a Cheshire cat. There was the gorgeous juvenile Northern Goshawk, in all its splendor. A few jays were in the branches above the goshawk, screeching at it. It looked up, seemingly surprised, like it had no idea what they were fussing about. "Danger? What? Where?" The jays had "showed me the money! (No, I did not yell this at the top of my lungs, even though I felt like it :) )
"

I watched the goshawk interact with the jays for a bit. One finally got enough courage up and whacked the goshawk in the head. The goshawk had had enough and flew off across the trail to the north. I followed, hoping I would get another look.

This time, it was in tree a little farther away, but I could still see it really well with binoculars. It was perched with its back facing me, which was nice. I had a great look at its tail, which had dark bands that are not straight across, but zigzag a bit. Cooper's Hawks have straight dark bands across the tail. A crazy Fox Squirrel climbed onto the branch with the goshawk. The squirrel froze, then unexpectedly ran up and touched the goshawk. I am not sure if it had a death wish or if it was making sure it was real. Weird! The goshawk, startled, jumped up into the air. The squirrel touched it again and the goshawk decided to move to another branch.

Another squirrel came on to its branch and the goshawk decided to move again. This time it perched in a tree, much closer to me. I was able to view it for about 10-15 minutes. I was so happy! To be able to see a life bird, one I had never seen before, AND have such great looks, front, back, in flight, was fantastic! I left the bird as it was finally getting some peace and quiet without any kamikaze animals bothering it.

I do not have any photos of the Northern Goshawk, but Ryan Sanderson took some great photos about a hour and a half after I left. His flicker page is here

As of this posting, the goshawk was not seen today. This bird is a true rarity with the last one seen at Eagle Creek in 2001, ten years ago! Hopefully, it is still hanging around and others will be able to enjoy it.

Project Wild Workshop, April 8th

2011-03-30T10:11:00.000-04:00

If you are not trained in Project WILD, this is your chance! Friday, April 8th at Southeastway Park, 9-3:30pm, I will be doing a training in Project WILD. Project WILD is an international environmental education program dedicated to facilitating an understanding of basic wildlife and ecology concepts. Using standards-based hands-on activities, this workshop will focus on the native Indiana wildlife that spends most of its time on land. Participants will receive the Project WILD Terrestrial guide as part of the workshop. Upon completion, participants should know more about Indiana wildlife, be able to discuss humans’ roles in wildlife conservation, and be comfortable replicating workshop activities in their own education settings.

What will we do? All kinds of super fun games and activities that you can take with you. If the weather is nice, we will be outside most of the day. And, Southeastway boasts a nice array of spring wildflowers, so we will definitely be checking those out.

To register, contact the Natural Resources Education Center at 317-562-1338 or at nrec@dnr.in.gov by There is a fee of $20 for this workshop. Please make checks payable to the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation.

Southeastway Park is located at 5624 South Carroll Rd, New Palestine, IN 46163. We are part of Indianapolis Parks and Recreation.

Count the Birdies! Great Backyard Bird Count this Weekend!

2011-02-17T11:36:00.010-05:00

This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count, Friday Feb. 18th through Monday Feb. 21st. This is an annual citizen's science program sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. For more information on the GBBC, go here.

Photo from Wikipedia

There is an Indiana Young Birders' program at the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center from 8:00am to noon on Sat. Feb 19th. You will be counting birds and having a fun time meeting other young people interested in birds and nature.

I have two programs at Southeastway Park, one at 1pm on Sat. and one at 1pm on Sunday. The programs will cover interesting facts about common feeder birds. Then, after the programs, we will take a walk and look for birds in the park.

Photo by Charles Creamer

***Added bonus for attendees***
Heads up people, this is the good stuff! We are making maple syrup here at Southeastway, so you can also check this out, as well. And, if you are extra nice and don't razz me during the bird program, I will let you sample some freshly made syrup. :)

Get outside and count some birds this weekend!

Treasure Hunting for Purple Sandpiper

2011-01-05T23:22:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, I took a roadtrip to the Indiana lakefront for some birding. We were in search of some rare birds that had been reported in the area. It was a balmy day, with a windchill of 10 degrees, or less, with blustery gusts of 20 mile an hour winds. Not weather for couch potatoes.

Let's back up just a bit. Some of you may wonder why in the world would someone want to go out to look for birds in such frigid weather? For me, birding, or any other nature excursion, is a really fun game, a treasure hunt, if you will. I "find treasure" when I get to see a plant or animal that 1) I really like, 2)I haven't seen before, or 3) I have seen before, but it is uncommon or I didn't see it well the first time. I also get excited when I witness animal behavior, like an eagle chasing ducks, a warbler scarfing down a big, juicy caterpillar or a Hognose Snake playing dead.

I especially enjoy learning new things out in the field with others, like how to pick out a particular species of duck from a huge flock by its quick wingbeats, or how to tell what species of sparrow is hiding in the bush by its call note. These are skills that are developed over time, and I truly enjoy watching more skilled naturalists show off these talents. I am grateful for all of my mentors who have taken the time to show me these things.

On this particular day, we went searching for rare birds. One of the target birds I had never seen before, a Slaty-backed Gull. I knew this was a long shot. Unfortunately, we did not get to see it. Some of the other targets were ones I had seen but were uncommon, like Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Northern Shrike and Purple Sandpiper. Accompanying me on the trip was my friend, Andrew. I baited him into coming on this trip with the promise of visiting a Cabela's after we looked for birds.

Purple Sandpiper foraging with ice crystals in the foreground. Brrrr!

First stop was Michigan City Harbor. We were in search of various gulls, but also a Purple Sandpiper. Purple Sandpiper is a rarity for Indiana. I searched the archives for reports of the bird and as far as I could tell, one had not been seen in the state since 2008. At the harbor, we ran into a fantastic photographer and birder, John Kendall. John said they hadn't seen the bird all day and assumed it was gone. So off we went, a bit disappointed, into the headwind to look for gulls. A bit later, John appeared on the horizon excitedly motioning to us. The sandpiper was back! Woo-hoo!

This is a great thing about nature treasure hunting. There are many others out there that want to share the bounty. They will take the time to help you find these living jewels. And what a jewel it was! My photo does not do the bird justice. I really urge you to take a look at John Kendall's photos that you can access by clicking here. He was using top notch equipment while he was belly down on the cold pavement happily snapping away. The sunlight was just right and I could see the purple sheen glowing off the sandpiper's feathers. We watched the bird for quite a while as it probed its long bill into the mud and snatched up tasty zebra mussels.

Later in the day, we also found a female Long-tailed Duck and a gorgeous brilliantly-colored male Harlequin Duck. It was well worth braving the cold to find this bounty!

Southern Flying Squirrel

2011-01-03T22:00:00.006-05:00

Over the holiday break, my friend, John Howard, captured these wonderful photos of Southern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys volans. I just had to share them!

Southern Flying Squirrels frequent mature woods with dead snags. They will also take over trees with woodpecker holes and natural cavities. They utilize multiple trees in the area to cache food and for dens or nests to hide and sleep. They line their nests with dried grasses and finely shredded bark. They have also been known to inhabit abandoned Fox Squirrel and Gray Squirrel nests. One source found a Southern Flying Squirrel occupying a bluebird box.

Photo from Wikipedia

Southern Flying Squirrels don't actually fly, as the name indicates, but glide from tree to tree. They leap into mid-air and extend flaps of skin on either side of the body called a patagium. The patagium extends from the wrists and ankles of the squirrel and acts like a parachute. The direction and speed can be controlled by the squirrel positioning its legs. In one of the sources I read, the author had seen one glide from the top of one tree to another that was 90 feet away!

Look at that face! Those eyes aren't just for cute points. Since they are nocturnal, the large sized eyes are essential for capturing available light so they can see in the dark. The long whiskers help them sense the edges of cracks and crevices while they are scurrying about, as well as juicy moths and beetles they readily snatch up. Southern Flying Squirrels eat mostly nuts, seeds, ripe berries, insects, eggs and fungi. They are also known to gnaw the bark of maple trees and drink the sap. Yet, these little munch monsters with their ravenous appetites weigh less than 3 ounces! Hmmm... eats a lot, yet weighs 3 ounces...maybe some of us should consult the Southern Flying Squirrel about our New Years resolutions. Look for The Flying Squirrel Diet at a bookstore near you! ;)

Thanks so much, John, for sharing your photos!

How to Train Your Dragon

2010-12-21T12:53:00.010-05:00

Image from Wikipedia.

The past weekend, I spent some time at my sister's house in Ohio. She had happened to rent the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" on my recommendation. I had already watched it four times and was eager to watch it again. Honestly, I had no idea why this movie had such an effect on me. Why in the world was I so drawn to it? Quite frankly, I was embarrassed by my obsession with this movie. So, over the course of the weekend, I watched it three more times. Crazy, I know. Not at all what I normally do.

Then I started thinking about why it had such an impact on me. It wasn't just the dragons, though they are very, very cool, I will admit. It wasn't necessarily the gorgeous animation, which is utterly superb or the haunting celtic music. It was the message. It completely resonated with me.

Without giving away the entire plot, there were actually four important lessons I took away from this movie. The first lesson was to be yourself, no matter what. The boy in the movie, Hiccup, was trying so hard to fit in with the other Vikings, but it was not who he really was. He didn't want to kill dragons. It wasn't he couldn't do it, he realized he wouldn't do it. No matter if the whole town has a different opinion, if you feel deeply about what you believe, stick with it.

The second lesson I learned was that many times people fear what they do not know. In the movie, everyone feared the dragons because they believed they were these evil, hideous creatures that attacked the village. For hundreds of years, that is all they ever knew. "Everything we know about you guys is wrong." lamented Hiccup. And, so it is with nature. People sometimes fear or dislike nature because of a bad experience or the lack of a positive experience. I can completely identify with this.

My arm with a large Bold Jumping Spider, Phidippus audax

I used to be scared of spiders. It took a very patient co-worker at Kings Island Wild Animal Habitat, Marvin Julien, to show me how amazing they really are. He took the time to explain their intricate webs and show me they were something to be respected, but not feared. Now, I can even hold them. And, when I think about the kids I come across each summer, many of them start camp afraid of snakes and bugs. I hope we have changed a few opinions over the years. I hope we have changed opinions by patiently letting the nervous nine-year old hold a snake. Or encouraging the six year old girl that has caught her first giant grasshopper. Lack of experience can also cause an opinion of disinterest. I have a birder friend who spent most of his life as a banker. He had no real interest in nature. Now, after he retired, he cannot get enough of it. Sharing nature with others is so very important.

The third lesson I took away was one of patience. This theme was interlaced throughout the whole movie. The boy had to be patient with the dragon and build trust. He had to be patient with the whole town that had an opinion of dragons that was ingrained in their psyche for decades. He couldn't just tell them what he knew, he had to show them. Many times we can talk until we are blue in the face, but to be patient with others and take the time to show them what you know will be what makes the difference. I know I am so very, very grateful to all my mentors that have taken the time to show me what they know, so I can share it with others. And, on the flip side, I am grateful for all the people that have allowed me to share with them. Being there the moment a person experiences something for the first time is priceless.

And lastly, one person is all it takes to make a difference. Yes, it may seem like what you are doing does not have an impact. It may seem like you have hit a dead end and no one cares to listen to you. It only took Hiccup's stubborness to impact the whole town in a positive way. Who knows how your contributions will affect others? Do what you love, do it well and others will surely benefit.

A Park Visitor-Ruddy Duck

2010-12-05T14:08:00.005-05:00

Today two young lads came into the park office and one was carrying a duck under his arm. Yes, I know this sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but unfortunately it is not. They found the creature hunkered down under a car in one of our parking lots. Poor thing wasn't putting up much of a fight, so I am guessing it was pretty tired. I grabbed a box to put it in to keep it quiet and reduce its stress.

I am pretty sure this is a juvenile or female Ruddy Duck. They have a pretty distinctive tail which is short with stiff feathers. I have only had the privilege of seeing them in the water, so seeing one up close was a real treat. However, I wish it had been under different circumstances. I called my friend Don Gorney, and wondered why it would be in our parking lot. He figured it was flying through, thought the parking lot was actually a pond and then tried to land. It didn't look injured, no obvious cuts, etc...so hopefully it will get some rest and be able to go on its way. It is going to a vet that was recommended by a rehabilitator in the morning.

Bird Bloopers

2010-12-02T14:38:00.008-05:00

Since my friend Dawn was wondering about my awesome skills in pathetic photographic blunders, I thought I would share a few.

It's a swing and a miss. Yep, there were a couple of Carolina Chickadees in this shot, but not anymore!

A lovely photo of a White-breasted Nuthatch butt and back. Even though it is not a great pic, I still like the pattern of the alternating blue-gray and black along its back.

A Tufted Titmouse was perched up all nice on the edge of the feeding tray, then just to spite me jumped down when I pushed the button. Jerk.

And lastly, Demon Chickadee will steal your seed and your soul-Bwwahahahaha!

You Caught Me with My Mouth Full

2010-12-01T14:15:00.003-05:00

I sat in front of the bird window Tuesday waiting for our power to come back on at Southeastway Park. With no computer and no lights, I figured to pass the time I could try to snap a few bird photos through our window. What I got were mostly photos of blurry bird butts, feathers and empty frames with only the window feeder in view. But I did manage to capture this sweet photo of a Carolina Chickadee snatching a seed. It looks almost guilty, like I caught it being naughty :)

Hearts a Bursting with Love

2010-11-16T23:46:00.009-05:00

This time a year, when the landscape is dominated with shades of brown, my eye is drawn to anything with a bit of color.

The Eastern Wahoo, Euonymus atropurpureus, can be found in woods with moist soils. Another name for it is Hearts a Bursting with Love. The pink seed capsule bursts open in the fall to reveal a seed enclosed in a orange fleshy covering called an aril. I think it kinda looks like a cinnamon redhot.

The seed capsules curl back forming a heart-like shape with the aril looking like a drop of blood. Such a cool sight to discover, to stumble upon a shrub completely covered with all these miniature hearts.

Sparrows and Buckeyes

2010-11-14T00:11:00.007-05:00

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today. I could not believe we had a high in the seventies! And, even though there have been some cold days lately with lows in the twenties, some butterflies still lingered as if it were a nice summer day. This Buckeye, Junonia coenia, was a welcome surprise. I was amazed at how fresh it looked. We also saw a few Sleepy Oranges, Eurema nicippe. Not very common anyway and then finding them in November?

We came across a small flock of sparrows. We had multiple Fox Sparrows, always a crowd pleaser, with their rich reddish-brown plumage and butterball shaped bodies. One was such a brute, I had at first mistaken it for a Hermit Thrush when it was flitting around in the brush.

We also saw and heard many White-throated Sparrows. Some of them were juveniles who were still struggling with learning the song. White-throated Sparrows have to learn their song by listening to the adults around them. Males that are the best crooners attract the ladies. So keep practicing, boys! "Oh Sweet Canada, Canada, Canada!"

Hope you got outside today, too, and enjoyed the wonderful weather!

All photos by John Howard.

Coneheads

2010-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the summer and fall, one can encounter coneheads in and around fields here in Indianapolis. Or they might even visit your porch in the evening, if you have a light on.

No, not that kind of conehead! No need to fear an alien invasion of any sorts.

This is the kind of conehead I am talking about, a type of katydid. They are related to grasshopers and crickets. They are insects, not aliens, but they do have some bizarre alien-like body parts. I encountered this particular conehead on a hike a few weeks ago.

First of all, the forehead of a conehead is pretty distinct. It is, well for lack of a better description, ummm, cone-shaped. Compared to another katydid below, an Angle-wing Katydid , one can easily see the difference. They have a "conical fastigium" if you want to get technical or impress your friends. Or, you can just say they have a "pointy head".

Angle-wing Katydid, photo by John Howard

Coneheads have super long antennae that are chock-full of special sensors. There are chemoreceptors that detect pheromones and other scents and tactile receptors or "feelers"to interpret the physical environment. There is also the Johnston's organ located on the base of the antennae that is important in flight for sensing gravity, air speed and even the specific wing beats of a potential mate.

The female above, a Round-tipped Conehead, Neoconocephalus retusus, sports a long sword-like appendage called an ovipositor. Conehead females use the ovipositor to deposit eggs into the crowns of grass clumps. These eggs will overwinter and hatch out the following spring.

One of the weirdest cosmic adaptations of katydids (and crickets) are their "ears". They are not located on their head like ours, but on their front legs. They are called tympana. If you look on my photo above, the tympanum is the pale yellow patch located right below the leg joint or what would be our elbow.

You can see it a bit better in Wil Hershberger's beautiful photo of a Robust Conehead, above. The tympana are used to hear potential mates and other neighboring conehead's calls. The tympana can also detect vibrations in the vegetation, letting the conehead know there may be a predator nearby. The tympana can pick up ultrasonic vibrations like those produced by a hungry bat. In response to ultrasonic vibrations, coneheads will immediately stop singing. If they are in flight, they will quickly tuck in their wings and dive to the ground.

Coneheads produce sounds by a process called stridulation. On the bottom of one wing is a toothed structure called a file and on the top of the opposite wing is a raised structure called a scraper. When the conehead rubs its wings together, the file is drawn across the scraper causing the wings to vibrate producing sound. Each species of conehead produce a distinct song. To see a great photo of the file and scraper of a katydid, check out the photo here at Wil's site. It is halfway down the page. To hear a Round-tipped Conehead's call go HERE. To hear the call of the Robust Conehead, Neoconocephalus robustus, go HERE.

Coneheads are such fascinating creatures with interesting body parts. Hopefully, you will be fortunate enough to encounter one.

Thanks to Wil Hershberger for the use of his photo of the Robust Conehead and John Howard for the use of his angle-wing photo. Thanks a bunch, Wil and John!

Ants vs. Gecko

2010-11-09T13:06:00.003-05:00

I couldn't stop watching this video because I found it utterly fascinating. This is a time-lapse video of a dead gecko which was found by ants and completely stripped clean and disassembled in a little more than 24 hours! This really shows how efficient nature can be.

Ribbon Cutting for the New Trail!

2010-10-31T23:00:00.009-04:00

Wednesday, October 27th was the date for our official ribbon cutting for the new 2.7 mile paved bike trail at Southeastway Park. Quite a few folks were out to enjoy the fall weather and witness the ceremony.

Mayor Ballard gave a brief speech. He thanked the Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Program for providing nearly $130,000 to make this trail possible. “With this funding, Indy Parks created a sustainable resource for Indianapolis residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come.”

Indy Parks Director, Stuart Lowery, spoke highly of our park. “Southeastway Park offers a wonderful palette of outdoor spaces, shelters, ponds, prairies, and a unique center for programs,” said Director Lowry. “This trail will serve as a magnificent connection for those amenities while fostering an updated path for health and fitness, and we hope everyone finds time to celebrate and embrace this fully updated trail for years to come.”

Many of the Southeastway Park Advisory Council were present at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Our council President, Norm Laufer, is in the foreground. Norm volunteers many, many hours of time helping us with projects and events. Thank you, Norm, for all you do!

Another photo showing many of our advisory council members. Ted Roberts is in the hat and plaid shirt and Chris Martini, park manager, is in the brown jacket. On the bench, left to right, is Linda Schoppel, Harriet Roberts and Sue Carter chatting with Mayor Ballard. Russell Dove is in the red sweatshirt. The advisory council helps with fund-raising, events and volunteer projects. We greatly appreciate all their help!

The official ribbon cutting!

Come on out and visit our new trail! You are welcome to bike, run, skate or walk the eight foot wide trail which has two large loops, one that is almost two miles in length. Such a nice way to spend a lovely autumn day!

All photos provided by Jennifer Burrough, Marketing Coordinator for Indy Parks. Thanks, Jenny!

Little Miss Muffet

2010-10-29T23:25:00.010-04:00

Little Miss Muffet would have been quite unhappy to encounter this...

While sweeping the front step for the mayor's big visit (more to come on this), I uncovered this little, er, big lady, hiding in the leaves. She was almost as big as my house key, when I measured her with it. I called Chris over to admire her. He promptly quipped "Better get out your gun... " There is a funny story behind this, which I will tell in a bit.

This is a Wolf Spider and I am pretty sure it is Hogna helluo, but I might be wrong. There are a lot of things that can be tricky with the identification of spiders. Anyway, the photos I have found match up pretty well. If any of my spider buddies think it might be another species, I welcome your comments. The scientific epithet helluo means "devourer".

Wolf Spiders, in the family Lycosidae, have three rows of eyes. There are 8 total, four smaller ones on the bottom row, two larger ones in the middle and two more on top. This allows the spider to see various angles in order to snatch its prey. Most Wolf spiders do not make a web, but rely on the element of surprise and a burst of speed to catch their prey. (Funnel Web Wolf Spiders , that live in the South, do make webs. ) Wolf Spiders do make silk for constructing their egg case and for laying a drag line for safety. The female Wolf Spider will carry her egg sac behind her, attached to her abdomen. She raises her abdomen off the ground while she is carrying the sac. Once the spiderlings have hatched they will ride on her back for some time.

You can see the eye pattern quite easily in this photo.

And now for the funny story... Chris and I had to attend a benefits meeting at the county jail. No, we didn't get put away ;) While there, a big commotion happened in the corner. People were jumping up and making all kinds of noise and jestures. What was the culprit? A tiny, itty-bitty yellow crab spider, not much bigger than a quarter inch. Some guy whacked it, it jumped off the wall and started to run along the base board and then another one squished it. Chris asked me what was going on. His response, "All these guys are carrying guns and they are afraid of a spider?" I giggled for about two minutes, visioning them drawing out their guns and aiming at the poor spider.

So, when I realized the mayor would be accompanied by armed body guards, I shooed Miss Spider under the building, out of harms way. I wouldn't want her to get shot. ;)

Yellow Witches and Spiders

2010-10-25T16:26:00.012-04:00

Over the weekend, we spotted a Marbled Orbweaver spider, Araneus marmoreus. It was a rich orangish-yellow color with long red and white legs. Its common name comes from the marbled pattern on its abdomen. Some believe this pattern looks like a face.

I personally think it looks like a tap dancing caterpillar. But I might have a bit of an active imagination. If you look closely, you can see its top hat and three sets of legs.

Marbled Orbweavers may look big and scary, but they are actually very docile and gentle. I picked this one up a few times to position her for photos.

We also found yellow spider-like objects hanging off the limbs of a nearby tree. These are the flowers of Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. Yes, believe it or not, Witch Hazel blooms this time of year.

Above is a closeup of the flowers. The long petals give the flower an interesting look. The common name "witch hazel" has a strange origin. The "hazel" part is from the leaves which look similar to those of Hazelnut, Corylus americana. The "witch" part comes from the tree's use in divining rods to find ground water. Some believed divining rods were part of witch craft. Believers took a forked twig from the Witch Hazel and walked slowly around the area where they believed the ground water might be. The twig would dip when it was near the source of water. Some totally believe this to be true and others believe it is a complete hoax. Some even practice it to this very day!

Nature's Adaptations

2010-10-20T23:34:00.010-04:00

On Wednesday, we had a round robin for the third graders of Acton Elementary. Great bunch of kiddos! Chris did a program on food webs, Miranda covered habitats and I did a program on nature's adaptations.

One of the topics I covered was camouflage. This topic always fascinates me! How an animal can blend so perfectly with its environment utterly blows me away. They don't have mirrors, so how do they know what they look like? A frog can't possibly see its back, so how does it know it matches the mud seamlessly?

When shooting the photos of the handsome Leopard Frog, I stumbled upon this Blanchard's Cricket Frog. Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi, is a sub-species of the Northern Cricket Frog which is a Species of Special Concern for Indiana. (Also, very pleased we have lots of these around.) The frog caught my eye when it hopped. It was so cryptic it took me a while to locate it. Can you see it below? It is right in the center of the photo. In the above photo, look for the dark indentation and go down a little and to the left.

Below is another pair of photos I used for my program. These wonderful photos are from John Howard. John thought this was a dead leaf at first, until he saw it move! The caterpillar, a Rose Hooktip, Oreta rosea, is on the right side of the dead leaf.

Below is a shot of the caterpillar on a green leaf so you can see all of its parts. The "tail" is what intrigues me the most. It looks just like the petiole, or stem, of a dead leaf! The adult moth also mimic dead leaves having a yellow and brown coloration to its wings.

Thanks, John, for sharing your amazing caterpillar photos. The students and teachers really enjoyed them!

Leopard Frog

2010-10-19T23:57:00.001-04:00

Today I spent a little time at our pond prepping for tomorrow's class. While there, I noticed a Northern Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens, floating in the water near the bank.

After admiring the frog for a few minutes, I used my net to gently scoop it out of the pond for a closer look.

The Northern Leopard Frog is a Species of Special Concern for Indiana. This means it requires special monitoring since its numbers may be in decline. I was quite pleased to find three using our man-made pond. We have provided a much needed habitat for this frog. The Northern Leopard Frog is also an indicator species. Its lack of abundance, in a habitat where it is normally found, can indicate there is something wrong with the health of the environment. It can give biologists a heads up that there may be pollution or another environmental problem that could affect human health, too. For this reason, I was also pleased to see the frog and happy I had fought to not allow pesticides or herbicides to be sprayed in the pond for "routine maintenance." Sorry to those I snarled at, but I don't like my frogs to be belly up.

Such a handsome frog with the lime green background and scattered dark brown spots. I would even kiss this one! :) After a few minutes of posing for pictures, it bounded into the pond and tucked into the vegetation becoming completely camouflaged.

Hayrides at Southeastway Park

2010-10-02T17:54:00.007-04:00

'Tis hayride season here at Southeastway. Many, many families were out enjoying the fantastic fall weather. The crisp air, the cool autumnal breeze, the fresh scent of fallen leaves all come together to create an unforgetable experience.

A group of girl scouts were out enjoying a hayride this evening.

We still have opening for our weekend group hayrides. Please call our park office at (317) 861-5167 for more information.

Arachnophilia

2010-09-30T16:13:00.014-04:00

You could say I have arachnophilia, an affection for spiders. Instead of running screaming from a room where a spider has made an appearance, I will readily scoop one up that is in harms way and take it to a safer spot.

So, I was quite pleased to come across this beauty, a lovely Banded Garden Spider, Argiope trifasciata. The name "banded" comes from the tri-colored (yellow, black and white) stripes on its dorsal side, or top, of the abdomen. Trifasciata means three banded, with the root fasciatus meaning "enveloped in bands". My recent shots from that angle did not turn out, but you can view another one at a previous post here.

I enjoyed watching its acrobatic antics as it swung across its decimated web. I was not sure if one of our party had accidentally destroyed the web, or if it had happened at another time. The spider was starting to rebuild.

This belly shot shows the spinneret, the organ used to spin its elaborate web. (It is right under the black marking in the middle of the abdomen.) If you look closely, you can see the silk coming from the opening. Argiopes are orb weavers that construct the beautiful webs with the spoke-like patterns. To see one of these webs bejeweled with dew in the early morning is utterly breathtaking.

Above is a closeup of the spinnerets. Each species of spider has between 2 to 8 spinnerets that are usually in pairs. The spinnerets are comprised of hundreds of glands that produce different types of silk. A spider will spin different types of silk depending on the job and can control each gland to produce silks of varying components. The silk is a liquid solution that is pushed through long ducts that lead to microscopic spigots. It can control these spigots to produce a silk with varying amounts of stickiness and strength. Also, each spigot has a valve that regulates the thickness of the silk and the speed it is deposited. The spinneret will wind the individual strands of silk fibers together to form the different types of silk.

Above is an amazing shot of the spigots from an electron microscope, magnified 1,500 times. This shot courtesy of MicroAngela. It show the multiple spigots that comprise the spinnerets. By examining the photo, one can somewhat understand how the spider spins silk with varying strengths and stickiness. In the same way that yarn is comprised of individual fibers that are wound together, the spider's silk is made by winding various strands of silk fibers together. If grandma wants to make a hat, she will choose various lengths, textures and colors of yarn that she will use to knit the hat. In the same way, the spider can take various silk fibers, some that are sticky, some that are stronger, some that might be thicker, to produce a product it can use for the task at hand. If it wants super strong silk for its egg case, it might use stronger, thicker fibers. If it needs super sticky fibers for the center of its web, it can produce those, as well.

If one spends a little time learning how awesome and amazing spiders really are, I think less people would be afraid of these small industrious creatures!

I'm Blue

2010-09-28T19:24:00.007-04:00

Hearing the song "I'm Blue" made me think of the many blue flowers that are blooming right about now.

One of my favorites is Closed Bottle Gentian, Gentiana andrewsii. This beauty has blossoms that are always closed, making it look like it is perpetually in bud. Pollinated by bumblebees, one was caught in the act.

Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum, for some reason reminds me of cotton candy. Its delicate feathery flowers are a lovely shade of periwinkle.

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, is a relative to the lovely cardinal flower. One of my friends was lucky enough to witness a Giant Swallowtail butterfly nectaring on it.

So, how could one stay blue seeing all the beautiful flowers that are out and about? Go outside and enjoy this awesome weather!

Some Smug Slug

2010-09-26T13:11:00.013-04:00

Rolling over a log while on a trek with friends, revealed this critter. A huge Leopard Slug, Limax maximus. Since I didn't know a whole lot about Leopard slugs, I did a little sleuthing on the internet. Wow! There are some really cool things to learn about these slimy creatures. I found out Leopard Slugs are not native to the United States. They were introduced from Europe.

I knew they had a organ used for eating called a radula which is like a tongue with raised chitinous teeth. These teeth scrape up bits of vegetation and a thick saliva transports it to the esophagus.

Radula of snail/slug. Drawing from Wikipedia

Slugs breath through a special apparatus called a pneumostome. It is an opening on the right side of the slug where air enters into the slug's single lung. Slugs are placed in family groups based on the location of the pneumostome on the slug's body.

Slugs also have an amazing mating ritual. This could be right out of a sci-fi movie. It is fascinating and actually beautiful, in a weird sort of way. I really could not do it justice by describing it, so I will let the master, David Attenborough, describe it for you in this video clip from Life in the Undergrowth.

Goldenrod Ninjas

2010-09-24T00:46:00.025-04:00

Goldenrods are blooming in abundance at our park. Their brilliant yellow flowers are irresistible to many insects, especially the butterflies.

Delicate and dainty, Pearl Crescents, Phyciodes tharos, were numerous, flittering about on Riddell's Goldenrod, Oligoneuron riddellii.

Common Buckeyes, Junonia coenia, were also enjoying the abundant nectar from the goldenrods. Usually flighty. this one let me sneak up fairly close for a shot before it took off.

When butterflies and other insects are slurping up nectar, they tend to not pay attention to potential dangers that lurk around them. This nearby plant looks fairly safe at first glance.

But the view from the other side tells a different story. Yep, a hungry Praying Mantis lies in wait for an insect to land. Scroll back up to the prior picture and see if you can spot its abdomen, which looks similar to a dead leaf.

The Stiff Goldenrod, Oligoneuron rigidum, in our butterfly garden also had hidden horrors. This gray, dead "leaf" is actually the abdomen of a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus. It flew away before I got a decent shot, but you can see a better photo at a previous post. This armored insect grasps its prey and inserts a huge needle-like stylet into the insect, fills it full of paralyzing enzymes that digest the prey's innards, then slurps it up like a yummy bug milkshake. Mmmm good!

But the Praying Mantis and Wheel Bug are not the masters of camouflage. There is one bug that truly rules the goldenrod patch. A goldenrod ninja lurks among the blossoms...

Looking like a dead flower head, the cropped picture reveals the stealthy predator. A Jagged Ambush Bug, Phymata pennsylvanica, is concealed from unsuspecting nectar seekers.

Checking another flower, the small brown patch on the right side of the flower is another Ambush Bug.

By tipping the flower, this angle shows the mini-ninja. But don't be fooled by its tiny size...

Here's one with a small bee which looks like the appropriate size meal for this critter. But wait, there's more. Just like the Wheel Bug, the Ambush Bug also has crippling enzymes in its arsenal of tricks. Faster than lightening, the Ambush bug will grab a bug with its thick front legs and zap it with powerful enzymes that immobilize much larger prey. And many times, they do it while mating! Talk about multi-tasking! This photo from BugGuide shows two little Ambush Bugs mating and dining on a huge BALD-FACED HORNET! Yikes!

Impressive skills, ninja warrior, very impressive!

Albino Hummingbird in Indiana

2010-09-23T16:10:00.004-04:00

A pretty cool looking hummingbird has been seen in Vigo County, Indiana, near Terre Haute. It is a true albino Ruby-throated hummingbird, which means it does not have any pigment on the body. The feathers are completely white and the eye is red. I do not have any photos of the bird, but here are links to Marty Jones's photos and Jim Sullivan's photos. (There recently was another white hummingbird, a leucistic one, that showed up in St. Louisville, Ohio this month. You can read about it here at Jim McCormac's blog and he has a nice explanation of leucism vs. albinism.)

Albino hummingbirds, although very beautiful, sadly do not survive. There are a couple of reasons. Allen Chartier, a fairly well-known hummingbird bander from Michigan, had some interesting comments on IN-bird , the Indiana Birds listserv, about albino hummingbirds and their survival. A hummingbird researcher in Oklahoma has been tracking albino hummingbirds. Of the banded ones, there have been no returnees. There, of course, is the obvious predation factor. A bright white hummingbird will stand out like a sore thumb to most predators. But Allen gave another reason I did not realize. According to Allen "it has also been proposed that these albino hummingbirds might not complete their migration as flight feathers lacking pigment are not as strong as normally colored ones, and so might wear out much faster, possibly even before the bird reaches its wintering grounds. They cannot force themselves to molt these worn feathers, as molt is driven by hormonal changes triggered by changing day length."

Interesting information, Allen!

Awwww! Look at the Baby!

2010-09-14T23:06:00.004-04:00

Today we were conducting a little pond exploration and found the cutest little baby turtle.

Not much bigger than a quarter, this little cutie will pack a punch when it gets a bit older. The common name is Stinkpot or Common Musk Turtle, Sternotherus odoratus, because when they are disturbed they tend to give off a scent similar to a skunk's "perfume". If you would like to see one that is a little bigger, you can check out a post I had earlier this summer.

LOL Catz...er...Caterpillars

2010-08-28T21:35:00.014-04:00

I was thinking, which I do from time to time. Why is it that only the furry felines get to have all the fun with the horribly spelled captions? Geesh, they have an entire website devoted to them. I found this site where you can caption your photos easily. So, since I am in an incredibly silly mood, here are some caterpillars who cannot spell and do not know proper grammar... Enjoy!

I was super excited to see this caterpillar, a Monkey Slug, Phobetron pithecium and I had told John Howard my wish to see one. Sure enough, there was one just waiting for us to discover it. My photos were not so good, so this one is John's photo. It does look just like a mini-toupee`and supposedly it mimics the cast skin of a tarantula. It will become this moth that has strange furry legs.
This caterpillar amazed me. It looks just like the edge of a torn leaf. Such great camouflage. This is a Double-lined Prominent, Lochmaeus bilineata. It will become this moth, if it makes it to adulthood.

I have been wanting to see a Spiny Oak Slug caterpillar for some time now. So freaking cool! The crazy colors and all those spines. And, yes people, they do sting! Anyway the Spiny Oak Slug, Euclea delphinii, will become this moth decorated with cool patches of green.

One of my favorites...Giant Swallowtail or Orange Dog caterpillar, Papilio cresphontes. It will become one of the most beautiful butterflies out there. Yes, it is a bird poop mimic. But it also has a defense of a bright red osmeterium that the caterpillar will rear back and whip out at the predator's eyes. Looks almost like a snake's tongue. Check it out on a previous post.

All these caterpillars and many more were found last weekend after dark. Go outside and find some of these amazing critters!

18th Annual Bug Fest this Sunday! FREE Family Fun!

2010-08-26T09:55:00.008-04:00

Come one, come all to Southeastway Park's 18th annual Bug Fest!!!! THE event of the season. Last year we had over 2,000 visitors to this event.

There are over 20 stations to visit with lots of things to do and see. One that will be here this year is the scorpions. (No, not the band The Scorpions, though that would be cool, too. :) Some of the scorpions floresce, giving off a eerie blue color, when viewed with UV light.

Bug Man Bill will be back with his extensive collection of insects from all over the world.

Try some edible insects at the Bug Cafe'. The chocolate ones are actually quite tasty. Then again, pretty much anything will taste good covered in chocolate. :)

For the brave ones, check out the Taratula Teacher, Barbara Reger. She brings an extensive collection of live tarantulas and some will be able to see what it feels like to hold one. Cool stuff!

Plus many more stations of fun! Make a buzzy bee hummer at the crafts station, learn about monarch migration, and stroll through our butterfly tent. Learn all about bed bugs, Emerald Ash Borer, and mosquitoes. Watch the Indianapolis Flycaster tie fishing flies, visit the Indy Parks Water Education Trailer, and see insects up close. Ask and entomologist questions, see bugs from the past at bygone bugs, and see how far you can spit a cricket! So much to do and see!

Bug Fest is at Southeastway Park, 5624 S. Carroll Rd, New Palestine, IN 46163. The event takes place Sunday 1-5 pm.

And a special thank you to all our volunteers. We could not do this without all your expertise and help. Thank you sooooo much!!!

I wouldn't want to be a caterpillar...

2010-08-25T14:55:00.012-04:00

No siree! I would not want to be a caterpillar. Sure, it would be cool to become a moth or butterfly floating around effortlessly on a breeze, then stopping by a flower for a sweet drink of nectar. That is IF you make it to that stage in life. See, there are all kinds of beasties lurking out there, ready to do damage to a slow moving, soft-bodied caterpillar. Not only that, the seemingly demure plants even plot against them, emitting chemical scents to attract body guards in the form of braconid wasps. And believe me, this is NOT the way to go.

Enters the Pawpaw Sphinx, Dolba hyloeus . Pretty cool caterpillar, dressed in brilliant green with diagonal white racing stripes down its side. It was happily munching away on a Pawpaw leaf, Asimina triloba. The one above is a healthy caterpillar. It will turn into a pretty pepper-colored moth.

A few leaves over was this poor guy. What are all those little tic-tac-like objects, you may ask? They are cocoons. Unfortunately for this caterpillar, a braconid wasp of the species Cotesia congregata discovered it. It oviposited, or laid its eggs, inside the caterpillar by inserting its ovipositor or "stinger" into the caterpillar's flesh. You can view this happening to another species of caterpillar here. Sounds pretty bad? Oh, it gets even better...

When the wasp injects the eggs, it also injects polydnavirus particles. These keep the caterpillar's immune system from destroying the eggs and also affects the behavior and the development of the caterpillar. And what do you think happens when those little larval braconid wasps hatch? Oh, yes, they eat the caterpillar's innards while it is still alive. Munch, munch, munch,...urp. Live food for the baby wasps; curtains for the caterpillar. This is worse than any horror movie I can think of...

Next the larvae emerge and make silken cocoons on the back of the zombified caterpillar. They ride around on the caterpillar that, in turn, keeps them safe. The polydnavirus sometimes affects the behavior of the caterpillar, so it will thrash around if any predator comes near the developing cocoons.

Adult braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata.

Photo by Ted Kropiewnicki.

Note the size is only about 3 mm.

And here is a photo that I found on BugGuide, showing the wasps emerging from the cocoons. The top of the silken cocoon pops open and out comes an adult braconid wasp. What really goes on in the insect world is much crazier than any far-fetched science fiction movie. Truly amazing!

Catch a Tiger by the Tail

2010-08-24T15:12:00.007-04:00

Well, sort of...

On a Sunday outing at my friends Kathy McDonald and Ned Keller's place, we found a beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus. Then we soon noticed it wasn't really moving around...

Upon closer inspection, we found out why. A crab spider had captured the butterfly by its "tail" or abdomen.

These crab spiders are like ninjas. They will hide completely camouflaged within a flower. When an unsuspecting insect comes along to sip the nectar, BAM, it is nailed by the spider and injected full of venom. Not a pleasant way to go...

I am amazed at how these spiders are able to take down an insect much, much larger than them. The venom will immobilize the insect and liquify its insides. The spider then slurps the mixture up like a milkshake, leaving behind an empty, lifeless shell.

I would love to tell you the species of this spider, but unfortunately I did not get a shot of the eyes. Spiders are a pretty tricky lot to identify. This particular spider could be one of possibly three different genera - Misumenops, Misumena, or Misumenoides. The position of the eyes helps with identification. Here is a page with info on how to tell them apart, for those who are interested.

The crab spider itself is a gorgeous creature, with a bright yellow body and striking red markings. Many times they will hide in goldenrod making it even harder to find them. Check flowers closely to see if you can spot one of these amazing spiders.

Not a caterpillar...

2010-08-13T10:40:00.007-04:00

On Sunday, I helped lead a field trip with Rick Gardner, a.k.a. Rico Suave, for the Midwest Native Plant Conference to Gallagher Fen. Gallagher Fen is an amazing place and I will have some more about that in a later post.

While we were there the previous day on a scouting trip, we found what looked like a crazy caterpillar. I, at first, wondered if it had woolly aphids attached to it, but later figured out that was not correct. (Harvester caterpillars do so to fool ants that protect the aphids. You can read more about that here.) I also soon realized it was not a caterpillar at all. It was a sawfly larvae. Sawfly larvae can be identified by counting the prolegs on the critter, the fleshy feet that are behind their six true legs. Caterpillars, larvae of moths and butterflies, have six true legs and five or fewer pairs of prolegs. Sawfly have six true legs and six or more pairs of prolegs. It will usually look like a sawfly has legs continuously down the length of its entire body.

Photo by Scott Hogsten

Why is it called a sawfly? This photo shows the ovipositor or egg-layer of the female sawfly. It looks like a miniature saw. The female will saw a small slit into a leaf and lay an egg. When the young emerge, they will feed on the leaves. The young prefer butternut and walnut tree leaves, and will occasionally feed on hickories.

After searching BugGuide, I found out it is a Butternut Woolly Worm. It will turn into this lovely sawfly with a shiny black body and white legs. The white extensions are a waxy secretion. I couldn't find out much about the secretion to see if it was bad tasting or had defense properties, but I will keep looking. Very strange creature!

A Visitor

2010-08-13T00:20:00.007-04:00

Today we had an interesting visitor of the six-legged kind. A long-horned beetle, of some sort, stopped by and brought with it a puzzle for me. See, I love puzzles. And one of the puzzles I love to tackle involves figuring out what a critter might be. So when I found this lifer beetle crawling across our wooden floor, I went into puzzle mode.

It was a real beauty, with red, yellow and black colorations. Bold yellow stripes encircled the abdomen.

The visitor, showing its colorful patterns.

First, I took quite a few photos. The mystery beetle was not pleased. It wanted to get away, and honestly I did not blame it one bit. I studied it from the side view, the dorsal view (top) and the ventral view (belly). It still was not pleased. :(

Not a happy camper... :(

Finally, after "torturing" the poor thing for a few minutes, I released it outside. Off it flew, probably cursing me in its own tiny beetle voice.

Anyway, after checking BugGuide, I figured out it was a Neoclytus mucronatus. Its larvae feed on Hackberry and Persimmon trees. Beetles in the genus Neoclytus are considered wasp mimics. You can tell this by comparing the yellow bands on the abdomen and the facial similarities to the genus Polistes, the paper wasps.

Perseid Meteor Shower and Three Planets Align (Almost)

2010-08-12T14:43:00.008-04:00

If you enjoy checking out the night sky, you should wander outside and take a peak this evening. Tonight, around 11 pm. up until early morning should be ideal viewing conditions for the Perseid Meteor shower. Since the moon will be in a crescent, the light interference should be minimal. If you live in a dark, rural area with minimal light interference, you could see up to 100 meteors per hour! Even if you do live where there is more lights about, you can still be in for a pretty cool show. Look toward the Northeast sky to enjoy the show.

You can also see the planets Mars, Venus and Saturn line up, sort of. They will be all together in a cluster in the western/southwestern sky. Look toward the moon to find them. They should be right above its crescent.

Not Your Same Old Song and Dance

2010-07-23T16:40:00.003-04:00

I was checking out Alex Wild's Myrmecos blog. If you like insects and spiders like I do, you will thoroughly enjoy it. So do check it out.

Anyway, Alex had this video posted about jumping spiders and their mating habits. Absolutely fascinating!!! The male will dance and "sing" for the females by vibrating his legs and abdomen in a fast-paced syncopated dance not unlike a Flamenco dancer. I have already watched it four times because I think it is sooo cool!

Summer Flowers and the Midwest Native Plant Conference

2010-07-13T22:36:00.001-04:00

Summer brings some real stunners in the native plant department. Here are a few that are blooming, now.

Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa, is such an eye-popping brilliant orange. It is in the milkweed family and a real friend to Monarch butterfly caterpillars that rely on milkweeds for food. Monarchs are on the decline, so planting this showy native in your yard might benefit them.

Purple Coneflower, Echinacea pupurea, is a crowd pleaser all the way around. Not only does it have lovely blossoms, Purple Coneflowers tolerate cuttings. A bouquet of Echinacea could be a lovely addition to one's desk or diningroom table. It also draws the attention of many colorful winged visitors. Butterflies frequently visit the large pink flowers. After the flowerheads have wilted, more visitors will come. American Goldfinches loooove Purple Coneflower seeds. They become so engrossed plucking the seeds from the heads, one can quietly sneak up to them to get a better view. I was within three feet of one normally wary bird.

Rose Pink Gentian, Sabatia angularis, bespeckled the roadside along Highway 32 in southern Ohio this past weekend. I was tempted to stop each time I saw a large patch of it. So beautiful!

Purple Fringeless Orchid, Platanthera peramoena. A first for me. We came across a wet meadow adorned with these lavender lovelies . I was practically speechless.

This Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis, is just starting to bloom. I took this a few years ago in our bird feeding area next to our building at Southeastway Park. Hummingbirds love this plant. We would frequently have a few feisty hummers duking it out over who possessed the blossoms.

If you would like to learn more about the native plants that grow here in Indiana, Ohio and the surrounding area, I invite you to attend the Midwest Native Plant Conference in Dayton, Ohio. It takes place August 6th-8th with lots of interesting speakers, field trips guided by expert naturalists and botanists, and many vendors selling native plants. I will be there helping with field trips and speaking on native plants and their fascinating survival mechanisms. Hope to see you there!

Clean Up Crew

2010-07-08T17:34:00.015-04:00

There are some times when I like exploring by myself. Mainly, because I will stop and look at things that might bore or gross out most people. Saturday, after the butterfly count, I decided to venture out after a Climbing Fern, Lygodium palmatum . I did not find the plant, but I did get some other, what I thought were, pretty cool beetles and a Canada Lily as a consolation prize.

The Canada Lily, Lilium canadense, blossom dangles from its stem.

A tilt of the blossom reveals the truly gorgeous pattern hidden below.

At another stop, I had hopped out of the car because I saw a group of butterflies puddling. Butterflies, many times, will gather on mud, feces or carcasses to extract salts and minerals. I walked over to the puddle party and got a whiff of something pretty rank. I noticed a gathering of butterflies in the ditch. Then I saw the dead rotting fish...

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly enjoying a fish dinner.

By now, most of my friends would have probably been back in the car, grossed out by the whole encounter. I, on the other hand, was curious, so I got a stick. A stick can be a very useful tool for an inquisitive naturalist. I poked the carcass and out tumbled some pretty cool beetles! I love beetles. I have loved them since I was a small child. I would flip over rocks, wherever I ventured, in order to find them.

Below, we have American Carrion Beetles, Silpha americana. These a large black beetles with a yellow thorax. Kind of pretty, actually. (Yes, I know they are on a dead fish...) Many people fail to see the beauty in things because they are so fixated on the "ugly". I try to go the opposite way and focus on the good. Usually I can find the beauty in almost all things.

These Sexton Beetles, Nicrophorus sp. caught my eye as they scurried away under the nearby leaf litter. I took my handy stick and pushed the debris away. There were two red and black gems trying to desperately disappear into the mud. Sexton Beetles will work diligently to completely bury a small carcass. The common name comes from a sexton, who was a church employee that took care of the church property. One of the many tasks included digging graves.

Then I spotted this guy. What the heck?!?! I couldn't even get a picture of it, it scurried so quickly. I was, again, glad I was alone because I looked like a crazy lunatic chasing this bug around. I was pretty sure it was a beetle, but it acted weird, curling its abdomen up in the air. The underside was yellow, like a firefly. And then it scrunched up its stubby wings. I was wanting to pick it up, but honestly, I was a little apprehensive. I wasn't entirely sure what it was.

Golden Rover photo from BugGuide by Susan Ellis

I returned home and searched on BugGuide and, after a good while, I finally found the critter. A Golden Rover, Platydracus maculosus, a type of Rove Beetle. And, its food choice was carrion. Bingo! Rove Beetles have shortened elytra, that give them a strange appearance. They are usually predatory or eat carrion. There are always fascinating things to find when you poke around a bit. Just remember your stick! :)

Edward's Hairstreak

2010-07-01T23:52:00.013-04:00

Last Saturday, June 26th, I was helping with the Adams County, Ohio butterfly count. On the count, we encountered a beautiful little butterfly called Edward's Hairstreak, Satyrium edwardsii.

The butterfly has an interesting life cycle. In the summer, the butterflies lay their eggs in the cracks and crevices of the bark on young oak trees. The following spring, the eggs hatch and the larvae feed on the tender new oak leaves. Here comes the interesting part. They are also tended by ants. These ants, Allegheny Mound Builder Ants, Formica exsectoides, construct huge mounds near the oak trees. They nurture the Edward's Hairstreak larvae, following them up and down the tree, keeping them safe from predatory wasps and other beasties. The ants also construct shelters called byres at the base of the oak tree. They can be 4 to 10 inches in diameter and 2 to 8 inches tall. The larvae feed at night and retreat into the byre at first light. In return, the ants are given a reward of tasty honeydew, a sweet substance the larvae secretes.

Here is a picture of one of the mounds I took at Adams Lake in 2008. The mounds are large, about 2 to three feet in height. I also discovered if you get too close to the mound, the ants will let you know by giving you a sharp nip. Ouch! I had sandels on, at the time, and did a little dancing to get them off my feet. :)

Above is a great pic by John Howard of the ants tending to the larvae. Gentle stroking with their antennae will produce the honeydew they so crave.

The larvae will also pupate inside the byres. You can view pics of the pupa and other great pics of Edward's Hairstreaks at Steve Willson's blog, Blue Jay Barrens.

An Unexpected Endangered Moth

2010-06-29T12:58:00.010-04:00

While helping with the butterfly count in Adams County, Ohio, we found a medium-sized moth. My friend, John Howard, immediately knew it was the state endangered moth, Cycnia inopinatus . The common name I found quite humorous. It is called an "Unexpected Tiger Moth or Unexpected Cycnia". The name sounds like an unwelcome guest. Uh, oh, Unexpected Mother-in-law just dropped by for a visit or Unexpected Cow in the field over there, which reminded me of the joke "Interrupting Cow" MOOOOO! So, I was walking around giggling every time John mentioned its name.

Here is one of John's pic of the pretty little moth. It is hard to tell, but the head and edges of the wings near the head are lined in orange. You can see that in this picture from BugGuide.

The orange trim on the moth comes from the caterpillar, which is bright orange. Now, you are probably thinking, "Well, I know why it is endangered... anything could spot a bright orange caterpillar!"

I can never resist taking pictures of Butterflyweed...

Actually, the orange hue is great camouflage. The caterpillar loves Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa. The flowers on this plant, as you can see, is a brilliant orange. The caterpillar can wrap around the flowers and be completely concealed. Butterflyweed is in the milkweed family, so the orange color that the caterpillar wears so boldly is also warning colors. Butterflyweed, and other milkweeds, contain cardiac glycosides. These chemicals cause the caterpillar to be very distasteful to any bird or other animal that decides it might like to snack on it. If enough of the chemical is ingested, it can cause vomiting and other assorted problems.

Unexpected Tiger Moth is found in Indiana in Hoosier National Forest. This Conservation Assessment contains more information about the life cycle of this moth and where it is located in the Ohio Valley area, including Indiana.

Another Cool Bug

2010-06-20T13:32:00.009-04:00

Sunday morning I was helping with a breeding bird survey at Eagle Creek Park. We had a few points to cover, out near the reservoir. I was listening to birds, when an insect caught my eye. It was very colorful, and was hopping from leaf to leaf. It had antennae that were constantly in motion and the tips of the antennae were light in color. I was temporarily fixated on this creature, watching it as it bounced around at my feet. I didn't have my camera, so I studied all of its parts closely so I could remember it later.

I checked on BugGuide, going to the Hymenoptera section (Wasps, Bees and Ants). I was pretty sure it was a sawfly, but it was more colorful than other ones I had encountered.

Sure enough, there it was. I found this beautiful image by Tom Murray. I asked permission to use it and he gladly obliged.

Such fascinating creatures, sawflies. They start out as a larvae that look very much like caterpillars. They have six or more pairs of prolegs, the fleshy appendages on the back of the caterpillar. Most caterpillars have five pair. Here is an image I took a few years back. This is a different species, from the genus Nematus called Willow Sawflies, but one can see how much they look like caterpillars.

Most sawfly larvae feed on leaves of trees and shrubs and many can be considered pests. Some of the adults feed on nectar or pollen, but many do not feed. (Do not feed! What is wrong with these things! ) The adults get their name from the sawlike ovipositor (looks like a stinger) that can cut into plants to deposit the eggs. Despite the ominous sounding name, they do not sting.

Another interesting creature, right here in Indy! You never know what you might find while exploring outside.

A New Bug (for me)

2010-06-15T23:30:00.001-04:00

Last week, during Bug Day at Trail Stompers camp, we had a good ol' time flipping rocks, using sweep nets, and rolling over logs. We had lots of good finds. And of course, I didn't have my camera. Doh!

Liz Habley and I had 13 of the campers out on a hike in the woods (we had split into two groups) to flip logs over, looking for centipedes, millipedes and roly pollies. We were almost finished with our hike, when Liz found a really cool bug. I had no idea what it was. Normally, I can file it into a family of some sort, but this one, I did not know what it was. I was perplexed. It looked like an earwig with wings.

Photo from BugGuide contributed by MJ Hatfield

If I have a bug I cannot identify, I usually go to BugGuide and look throught their photos. I knew it looked a little like an earwig. I searched through a few families and almost gave up. Then finally I decided to type in earwig with wings and up popped a pic that looked like my critter. A Forcepfly! I looked through a few of the Forcepfly pics and decided this was it. There is a good pic of its underside, that shows the "forceps" here. Thank you, BugGuide!

Forcepflies, Merope tuber, are strange creatures. Not very much is known about their habits. BugGuide lists it as "uncommon to rare in collections and seldom encountered." Wow! We had a really rare bug, and here in Indy of all places! There are only two species of forcepfly in the entire world-one lives here in the United States, the other in... Australia!

Just goes to show, you never know what you can encounter when you go outside and explore! For more info on Forcepflies, check out this article.

Baby Tree Swallows

2010-06-05T22:17:00.006-04:00

Checking the bluebird boxes found this nice surprise. Inside were three?, maybe four, newly hatched baby Tree Swallows, Tachycineta bicolor.

Photo by Wikipedia

The little ones will grow up to be one of the prettiest iridescent birds alive. I absolutely love the brilliant color that shimmers in the sun! They are so entertaining, swooping and diving after the flying insects near their nest box. I will truly enjoy watching these nestlings this summer.

Baby Red-Shouldered Hawks

2010-06-02T18:14:00.007-04:00

At Eagle Creek Park, near the Ornithology Center and right above the road is a large nest. And, if you stand back you can see the inhabitants. Two fuzzy young Red-shouldered Hawks are peering back at me, wondering "What are you looking at?"

Here is a little closer look. They are soooo cute! And, they will become such a beautiful raptor. Thanks, Kevin, for sharing these with me!

Wafer Ash

2010-06-01T23:12:00.007-04:00

When visiting the Fall Creek Loop trail this past weekend, I found a Wafer Ash, Ptelea trifoliata, in bloom. I had never seen one in bloom before, so I was quite pleased. It was fragrant, with a sweet, yet pungent, smell.

Here is a closeup of the flower clusters. The clusters are rounded, and the branches were just covered with them. Such a lovely sight!

It is called hop tree or wafer ash for the winged seeds. The hard brown seeds are encased in a papery disk that looks like a thin wafer. This design helps disperse the seeds by wind.

Photo from Wikipedia

One of the main reasons I was excited about the discovery of the wafer ash was the possibility of this caterpillar. This is an orange dog, the caterpillar for the Giant Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio cresphontes. It feeds primarily on plants in the citrus family of which Wafer Ash is a host plant here in Indiana. The caterpillar is a bird dropping mimic. Smart camouflage! Not many animals will eat their own poo. It also has a backup plan for defense. If harrassed too much, it will rear up and extend its osmeterium, the fleshy reddish projections on its head. These horns are accompanied with a foul smell. The effective combo of scary horns and stench probably deters most animals looking for lunch.

Photo from Wikipedia

And, finally, the beautiful butterfly this ugly duckling becomes. The Giant Swallowtail is a large butterfly that will stop most people in their tracks as it flits about. The black and yellow combo with the striking lined pattern is just breathtaking. One of my favorite butterflies, I hope the hoptree attracts some of these fascinating creatures so I can watch them transform this summer!

Photo from Wikipedia

Shtinky Puddin' the Stinkpot Turtle

2010-05-30T23:30:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend, I visited the Upper Fall Creek Loop trail. While there, I was exploring around some of the rocks and found this critter. This is a Common Musk Turtle, otherwise known as a Stinkpot, Sternotherus odoratus.

Shtinky Puddin' (a character from the Mutts cartoon) is what I decided to call her. Oh, she looks innocent enough, looks almost sweet. Don't let her fool you! Yep, after checking her out for a bit, she let loose a foul stench not unlike one you would find at a frat party chili cookoff. Whew! Not very lady-like...

How do I know she is a female, you might ask? Well, her plastron, or bottom shell is flat. Males will be slightly concave. Also, I found her on land. Stinkpots are usually aquatic except when the females venture on land to lay eggs.

After a few minutes of torture from the paparazzi, I let Lady Gag Me loose to finish her egg laying business. She was quite happy to wander off and my nose was quite happy she was on her way!

Oriole at Southeastway

2010-05-17T13:50:00.007-04:00

The last week or so has been great for migrating birds here at the park. Some are just passing through, while others have come back to stay for the summer and nest. One of the latter is our resident Baltimore Oriole. I never tire of the chattery bird with the brilliant orange and shiny ebony feathers.

Unfortunately, the nosy bird decided to come INSIDE the building. We scooped him up with a butterfly net and after he voiced a bit of protest, we took him outside and off he flew. Almost every morning he does a fly by, calling out with his deep whistles and prattle. "Whoot... whoot... at,at,at,at,at." Not sure if he is saying "thank you" or iterating a much different message! ;)

Photo by wikipedia

Pipevine Swallowtail

2010-05-12T22:01:00.012-04:00

A stunning Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly emerges from its chrysalis on a warm, sunny day. I always love these magical moments in nature, when you capture a snippet of life unfolding right before your eyes. The colors on a brand spanking new butterfly are so vibrant, so perfect, so breathtaking.

Pipevine Swallowtails, Battus philenor, rely on members of the pipevine family or birthwort family, Aristolochiaceae, for their main larval food plants. One of the members of this family that lives in Indiana and Ohio is Virginia Snakeroot, Aristolochia serpentaria.

To view the strange flower of Virginia Snakeroot, one must brush aside the leaves on the forest floor. The odd reddish flowers are designed to mimic carrion and are believed to be pollinated by flies.The pollination method of these flowers are interesting. The corolla or tube of the flower is lined with hairs that point inward. This allows entry, but no exit. Once inside, the fly is trapped. The flower will shed pollen onto the insect and then the hairs will wilt. The fly is given its freedom so the process can happen all over again with another flower. Virginia Snakeroot does not live in Indianapolis, yet Pipevine Swallowtails do, so I was puzzled about how that was possible...

Then I recently found out that Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense, is another alternate host plant. It is also in the Birthwort family. Mystery solved! Wild Ginger, with its pretty heart-shaped leaves, is fairly widespread in woodlands throughout Indiana and Ohio and there are even large patches here at Southeastway Park.

Queen City Bird Festival-Sat. May 15th, 2010

2010-05-12T17:29:00.007-04:00

Looking for something to do this weekend? Take a road trip to the Queen City Bird Festival! About two hours away is Hueston Woods State Park. The festival is going on Sat. from 7am-6pm at the nature center. And, the best part for those with a limited budget...it's FREE!

This free event is hosted by Audubon Miami Valley of Ohio and the Avian Research and Education Institute. Come out and celebrate the beauty of spring, birds and nature!

Activities for the entire family, including:
Numerous activities for children and a wonderful way to introduce children to nature
Guest speakers on bird migration, bird banding and where to bird watch
A variety of food and merchandise vendors
Local conservation groups
Live music
Hourly bird walks
Bird banding demonstration

We would like to welcome our 2010 special festival guest Thane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Thane is an avid author and the world has benefited from his many wildlife programs at the Cincinnati Zoo. He is known for his radio series The 90-Second Naturalist on public radio which airs nationally to enhance public awareness of biological diversity, natural history and wildlife conservation.

Also, the lovely Susan K. Williams will be there from Raptors, Inc. with some of her bird friends. See owls and hawks up-close!

You’ll also enjoy many great classes such as “Birds in the Classroom” by Seven Hills School teachers Karen Glum and Jennifer LiCata. Sr. Marty Dermody of Mt St. Joseph will cover “Birding in Southwest Ohio.” Casey Tucker of Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics of Ohio will help you master “Birding by Ear.” “The Basics of Birding” will be covered by Bill Heck. Don’t forget to catch “Photographing Birds" with nature photographers Jim and Deb Chagares and don’t miss Rick Lee’s experiences while “Birding Antarctica

Jill & Dave Russell, Directors of the Avian Research and Education Institute, P.O. Box 555, W. College Corner, IN 47003 are co-organizers and sponsors of the Queen City Bird Festival. They are federally licensed bird banders and long-time birders who regularly provide educational seminars and lead birding trips internationally. Dave and Jill have spent untold hours encouraging the young and old to get out and explore their natural world. Their patience with the early birder and enthusiasm for bird research makes them the dynamic duo of avian awareness and research. Bird banding lists and bird sightings from previous festivals are available on the AREI website. For further information please contact Jill Russell at 513-244-4783, jrussell@avianinstitute.org, or Debbie Gross,

Hackberry Gall

2010-05-11T23:49:00.001-04:00

Ever notice these grayish-brown blobs on the hackberry trees? These structures are galls. A gall is an abnormal growth of plant tissue. It can be caused by fungi, bacteria, mites or insects. In this case, it is produced in the plant when an insect lays an egg in the plants tissue. The adult insect that deposits the egg may inject chemicals that change the plants growth. In some instances, the developing larva controls the plant with physical or chemical ways.

The gall protects the developing critter from the elements and from some predators. (Some predators, like woodpeckers, have learned to look for the galls and the tasty treat that lies inside.)

Hackberry petiole gall. Photo by John Howard.

Hackberry trees have many types of galls associated with them. This one is called a Hackberry Petiole Gall . It is caused by a plant louse called a Hackberry Petiole Gall Psyllid, Pachypsylla venusta. The adult stage looks similar to a small cicada.

Hackberry Petiole Gall Psyllid by John Howard

Below is a close-up of the little critter. You can see its tiny orange wing buds on the sides of its body. As many as 13 nymphs can live inside the gall separated by compartments of wax.

The hackberry galls are very thick and tough. The Hackberry Petiole Gall Psyllid has sclerotized teeth on its abdomen that it scrapes across the inside of the gall until it is cut open. They emerge in the spring and molt into adults when new leaves are forming on the trees.

Photo by Osten-Sacken, University of Florida

One can never know what you may find when you start to look. This little creature is just one of the many amazing things that are out there in nature.

Honey Honey, ah, Sugar, Sugar

2010-05-10T22:00:00.002-04:00

This was a song by the Archies we were singing because of our big find. I was also singing "Honeycomb's BIG, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's not small, no, no, no." Can you guess what we found?

A tree fell down in the park and inside we found it was chock-full of honeycomb and wild honey.

It was delish!!! I was a happy camper until Miranda mentioned the botulism risk and then I was a bit freaked out. There is botulism spores found in wild honey, but it is only a risk to infants. We looked this up and found out adult stomachs can take care of the spores. Whew!!! Potential death averted!
Here is a closeup of the honeycomb. Truly amazing! To think that they made this with their mouth and no rulers or protractors were involved. I can't even make cookies uniform and I use my hands for that.

The honeycomb is made out of wax. The wax is formed from special glands on the bees abdomen. Bees consume honey and the sugars from the honey are converted to the wax. The wax is produced in thin, transparent flakes that are chewed to form the pliable wax that makes up the combs. It takes 6-8 pounds of honey to make one pound of wax!

Truly amazing little architects. :)

Camouflage

2010-05-09T12:50:00.011-04:00

I have always been fascinated with camouflage. It astonishes me how an animal will adapt and change over time to blend in with its surroundings. Many of these cryptic creatures also have behaviors that allow them to become practically invisible. Here are a few from the last couple months that have blown me away.

This one baffles me. The Tulip-tree Beauty Moth, Epimecis hortaria, blends right in with the tree bark. But how does the moth know this?!? It is right out in the open, completely exposed. In case you haven't spotted the moth, it is right in the center of the frame. Follow the vertical cracks in the tree and its body interrupts them.

This one put up a chase, while I was trying to take a photo of a Birdsfoot Violet and find a Pine Warbler that was singing in the tree above me. Talk about multi-tasking! Can you spot the grasshopper in the photo above? It looks just like a stick.

How about now that I have cropped the photo? Using this photo for reference, you can see it is to the left of the tan leaf and above the darker leaf in the left corner, between the two blades of grass.

The grasshopper is a Carolina Grasshopper, Dissosteira carolina, and has a beautiful yellow and black wing that it flashes as it flies. It folds its wings when it lands and then scurries a few steps away. This leaves the predator (or naturalist) baffled as to where it went.

Another moth, this one green. My friend Tricia West spotted this one. It is arched up on top of a leaf. Again, it is exposed, not hiding under a leaf, but sitting right on top in the open. John Howard and I didn't see it at first even though Tricia told us right where it was! This is called a Bad-wing Moth. I read that the reason it is called a Bad-wing Moth, Dyspteris abortivaria, is not because it is a member of a gang or because it has a hot temper, but because its wings tend to shred when entomologists go to pin them. If you can't find the moth, it is in the center of the photo, with its head about an inch below the red stem.

Such impressive adaptations like camouflage truly fill me with wonder. I can never get enough of it. Nature never ceases to amaze!

Environmental Adventure Day

2010-05-07T13:55:00.012-04:00

Wednesday was our spring Environmental Adventure Day at Southeastway Park. This is an event we have for schools in Franklin Township. We invited nineteen presenters and nineteen classes of students. Each class visited five stations and learned all about various nature and environmental subjects.

Frank Rouse, a naturalist from Holliday Park, is pointing out a nest in our parking lot of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Their nest is a wonder of construction, made of spiderwebs and lichens. Frank taught the class Birds and Binoculars.

Donna Rogler, State Coordinator for Project Learning Tree, is showing the students a leaf. She taught the children all about the trees at our Park.

Jackie Hill(in the bright blue shirt), children's librarian from the Franklin branch of Indianapolis Marion County Public Library, led the program Wolves, Chickens and Pancake Fun. All were entertained with a story, then they flipped pancakes as the ran across the field.

Fritz Nerding, a cool cat from Garfield Park, allowed everyone to get up close and personal with some slithery friends. He taught the class Super Snakes and educated the children about all the cool adaptations snakes possess.

Recycling Relay got the kids moving while learning about recycling. Jenny Woolsen-Helrigel with IDEM office of Pollution Prevention and Technical Assistance led this session.

Leland Kinnett with Project Wild showed children all the amazing creatures that live in our soil. They also had an opportunity to head into the woods, roll over logs and look for millipedes, roly-polies, worms and other critters.

Adam Barnes from Holliday Park showed children fossils and taught them what it might be like to be a paleontologist.

The kids were all given cookies and instructed to carefully remove all the chocolate chips and M & Ms using only toothpicks! Then they were instructed to give them to all to me for sampling. No, I am fibbing. :)

Dawn Thomas, Brad Shoger and Judy Aikman from Eagle Creek Park brought their birds of prey for a visit. Judy is holding a demon Barred Owl straight from the depths of Hades. Or maybe my flash made its eyes appear red. I think the first explanation makes for a much better story. ;)

I want to thank all of my terrific volunteers for helping us pull off this fun event. We couldn't do it without all your help. Thanks soooo much!!!!

Signs of Spring

2010-04-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

This week's warm weather has things a-poppin'. The once drab brown forest floor is coming alive with wildflowers. Here are some of the highlights from this past weeks forays.

Right outside the building, in the bird feeder area, are a couple of patches of Wood Poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum. Only one was blooming yesterday. Today, there were probably 20 or more blooms! What a difference a day can make!

Dutchman's Breeches, named after the old fashioned bloomers, were out in full force. Such a lovely little flower. It is pollinated by bumblebees, which are the only bees with a long enough tongue to reach the nectar.

Just out today, Squirrel-corn, Dicentra canadensis. With its heart-shaped blossoms, it looks like a white version of Bleeding Heart.

The common name comes from the yellow nodules that are found on the roots. These are found just below the surface of the ground next to the flower stalk.

Another welcome sight, Prairie Trillium, Trillium recurvatum. Although, "prairie" is in the name, it is actually found in the woods. Its name comes from the prairie region with many of the plants found in Illinois and the surrounding states. According to USDA Plants database, it is a rarity in Ohio, with it found in only one county

There are only a few Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, lingering. Most of the blossoms are short-lived with rain and wind easily knocking the petals off.

And here is why it is called Bloodroot. A cross-section of the root shows the crimson sap. This sap was traditionally used to dye cloth and as war paint.

If you haven't witnessed the spring ephemeral show this year, yet, go to your neighboring woods and do so soon!

Salt-n-Pepa's Here!

2010-03-12T22:23:00.003-05:00

Chris and I have been singing the song "Push It" around the office yesterday and today. We (mostly ME) have been singing the beginning of the song where it goes "Oooh, baby, baby, Baby, baby, Oooh, baby, baby, Baby, baby. Salt-n-Pepa's here!

WHY, you might ask? Because we are celebrating. The flower, Harbinger of Spring, Erigenia bulbosa, otherwise known as Salt and Pepper is HERE!!! This is one of the first wildflowers to "Push It" out of the cold winter ground.

SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER, PEOPLE!!!

WOO-HOOOO!!!

I think Blue Jays are Colts Fans!

2010-02-04T12:01:00.001-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts are going to the Super Bowl! And everyone in Indy is feeling the excitement. Today, we had some rowdy Colts Fans mob our feeders! "COLTS, COLTS, COLTS!" they cheered, chasing the Cardinal fans away from the peanut feeder. The jays honestly think the peanuts are their personal stash. No wonder the Blue Jay is one of my favorite birds. Always decked out in Colts' Blue, my preferred color, jays have spunk and spirit. They will show up at the feeder and challenge other birds to just try and take some of their food. They are top dogs and not afraid to let all the other birds know it.

Blue Jay photo by Charles Creamer.

Its scientific name of Cyanocitta cristata means "crested blue chattering bird". This description is very appropriate since the Blue Jay is a very noisy bird and can imitate almost anything. I have heard them imitate car alarms, bells, cats, squeaky gates, growls and even hawks. Being a member of the crow family, they are also very smart birds. There is one account in an article by R.W. Loftin where a Blue Jay imitated a hawk to frighten a grackle and cause it to drop its food. The jay swooped down and snagged the food before the poor grackle knew what had happened!

Jays exhibit another intelligent behavior called "anting". Blue Jays will grasp ants by the head or thorax, then wipe the ants' abdomens on their feathers. The ants produce a chemical called formic acid as a defense. This formic acid acts as an insecticide and helps get rid of mites, fungi and insects that can damage the birds feathers.

Blue Jay with acorn. Photo by John Howard.

Jays have an important role in the environment. They are feathered foresters. They will cache or store acorns in soft ground and cover them with leaves. They don't recover all of them, so they help grow many new oak trees and replenish our forests.

You've got to love a bird with such brilliant blue feathers, a color that is not often found in nature. It is a handsome bird that is especially stunning when it has just freshly molted its feathers. Such a brilliant Colts' blue. Stunning! But a fascinating fact is the feathers aren't really blue. There is no blue pigment in the feathers. The pigment found in the feathers is actually a gray-brown.

Yep, it's true. There are two ways feathers can produce colors. One way is called pigment color and the other is structural color. Pigment color comes from chemicals that are found in the feather. Pigment color will produce the same color no matter what angle the feather is viewed. One example of pigment color is carotenoids that produce colors of yellow, orange and red and come from the plant materials that the birds eat. Another is melanin which produces black, gray and brown color that are found in sparrow's feathers and produce a glowing tan on our skin in the summer.

Structural colors, or schemochromes, are a little more complicated. In a jay's feathers, the pigment melanin produces a brownish-gray color. Over that is a layer of keratin that contain tiny air cavities that are almost microscopic. Keratin is the fibrous protein that forms hair, nails and feathers. These air cavities found in the feathers scatter the light in such a way as to produce the blue color. The feathers appear blue for the same reason an oil slick appears blue. The blue in oil slicks and feathers results from differences in the distances traveled by light waves that are reflected off of each other. Richard Prum of Yale University did studies on this and called the process constructive interference. A side note, the green color in feathers are produced when yellow pigment is present along with the air cavities that cause the blue color.

Anyway you look at them, jays are fascinating and beautiful creatures. Glad they are around to root our Colts on to victory! GO COLTS!

Bald Eagle Trip-Saturday Jan. 23rd

2010-01-20T14:41:00.008-05:00

The majestic Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, is our national bird. Not too long ago, in 1991, we only had one nesting pair in Indiana. One! Prior to that, we zero nesting pairs from 1897 to 1991. Through efforts that began in 1985, the eagles bounced back. And now we have over 200 nesting pairs! What a great recovery!

Amos W. Butler Audubon Society will have a free field trip to Parke County to view eagles this Sat., January 23rd. On past trips, we have viewed 40-60 eagles in one day. It should be a great opportunity for any nature lover.

We will meet at 5:45 am at the Marsh at 6965 W. 38th Street, Indianapolis. We will carpool to the West Union bridge to view the eagles at dawn as they leave their overnight roost. We will also visit nest sites in the area to view eagles and waterfowl. We plan to visit the power plant in Cayuga, and if time permits we will visit Universal Mines. We will stop for a fast-food lunch in one of the neighboring towns.

Hope to see you Sat. for a great day of wildlife watching!
(Photos from Wikipedia)

"Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer"

2010-01-08T14:02:00.009-05:00

Last night, Jan 7th, 2010, the University of Alabama won the National Championship beating Texas 37-21. You are probably thinking, "Where is she going with this? This isn't nature related." Ah, but that is what is so interesting. It is!

The University of Alabama has a winning cheer that contains the phrase "Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer". Do you know what a yellowhammer is? I didn't until today. I was doing a little research on woodpeckers and ran across the name. It is the state bird of Alabama and one of the coolest woodpeckers out there-the Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus!

Female Northern Flicker

Northern Flickers have an amazing tongue specialized for capturing ants. Their tongue is long, approximately 5 inches from tip to base. The tongue is covered with a sticky saliva and barbed to aid in ensnaring insects. Acting in a similar way as an anteater, they locate active ant hills and slurp up the six-legged critters like no tomorrow. About 45% of their diet consists of ants! Northern Flickers also consume berries. (To see a Northern Flicker's tongue up close, visit Jim McCormac's blog.)

Northern Flickers also perform a unique behavior called "anting". Ants secrete a natural insecticide and fungicide called formic acid. Flickers will flatten out over ant mounds, allowing the ants to crawl through their feathers. They will also apply the insects to directly to their feathers as they preen. The formic acid protects their feathers from wear caused by mites, fungus, lice and other such maladies. They get a treat and a bath all in one!

Male and Female Flicker-male has the red moustache

Alabama has been known as the "Yellowhammer State" since the Civil War. A company of cavalry soldiers from Huntsville, AL, under the command of Rev. D.C. Kelly, arrived at Hopkinsville, KY in 1861. The officers and men of the Huntsville company wore fine, new uniforms, compared to the soldiers who had long been on the battlefields and had faded, worn uniforms. Bits of brilliant yellow cloth adorned the sleeves, collars and coattails of the Huntsville uniforms. As the company rode by, it was remarked they looked like a flock of yellowhammers, the nickname for the Northern Flicker. A greeting of "Yellowhammer, Yellowhammer, flicker, flicker!" rang out.

Northern Flicker in flight displaying the yellow

feathers that earned it the name "Yellowhammer".

Soon, the Huntsville soldiers were known as the "yellowhammer company." And, before long, all Alabama troops were referred to unofficially as the "Yellowhammers." Veterans would wear a yellow Northern Flicker feather in their caps or lapels during reunions to show pride.

Such a beautiful bird with a rich history. Watch for one "anting" near you.

Flying Squirrels

2010-01-03T22:00:00.001-05:00

Over the holiday break, my friend, John Howard, captured these wonderful photos of Southern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys volans. I just had to share them!

Southern Flying Squirrel is found throughout the Eastern United States. Though considered uncommon in Indiana and Ohio, they may be more plentiful than the data indicates. The species is nocturnal and usually is not out and about during the day. Mammals of Indiana, by Mumford and Whitaker, does not have them listed in Marion County, but my friend Dawn VanDeman has rehabilitated some Southern Flying Squirrels that were found in Indianapolis a few years ago.

Southern Flying Squirrels frequent mature woods with dead snags. They will also take over trees with woodpecker holes and natural cavities. They utilize multiple trees in the area to cache food and for dens or nests to hide and sleep. They line their nests with dried grasses and finely shredded bark. They have also been known to inhabit abandoned Fox Squirrel and Gray Squirrel nests. One source found a Southern Flying Squirrel occupying a bluebird box.

Photo from Wikipedia

Southern Flying Squirrels don't actually fly, as the name indicates, but glide from tree to tree. They leap into mid-air and extend flaps of skin on either side of the body called a patagium. The patagium extends from the wrists and ankles of the squirrel and acts like a parachute. The direction and speed can be controlled by the squirrel positioning its legs. In one of the sources I read, the author had seen one glide from the top of one tree to another that was 90 feet away!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T11:26:00.008-05:00

Bloodroot sprouts just starting to open

Today is the last day of the year. Time to reflect on the old and hope for the new. 2009 has brought many, many good things. New friendships, renewed friendships, new family members, new opportunities, new life birds, mammals, herps, insects, plants and fungi. What all will 2010 bring?

Bloodroot-I always look forward to seeing it bloom in early spring

I think that is why I like spring so much. So much promise. Everything that looks dead and lifeless is suddenly renewed. Beneath a carpet of crumbled, dry brown leaves emerges fresh green leaves and tender blossoms. Each tightly wrapped sprout that pushes through the ground and gloriously unfurls is an affirmation of life itself.

Ohio Buckeye bud

2010 is at the surface, just about to burst forth. One can choose to wander aimlessly through life and miss it all or one can eagerly await it and drink every moment of it in. I have decided this year to choose the latter.

Ohio Buckeye, when first opening, looks almost like a flower

Here is wishing all my readers a year full of beauty, wonder and joy! Don't let it pass you by.

Northern Bobwhites

2009-12-14T12:18:00.013-05:00

About a week ago, we had some visitors in our birdfeeding area at Southeastway Park. Four adorable Northern Bobwhites!

Two male and two female Northern Bobwhites, Colinus virginianus, visited our bird feeding area and hung out for a couple days. We have heard them call a few different times in the last couple of years, their classic "Bob-white"call announcing their presence. Once, we spotted them scurrying into the grasses near the wetland. This is the first time we had a opportunity to really look at and study them. There are three of the four in this photo.

Our birdfeeding area has lots of native grasses and wildflowers for cover and natural food. They seemed to enjoy scratching around in the grasses under the bird feeders. This male is all puffed out perched up on the log.

Here is a better shot of the male. The male Northern Bobwhites have a white eye-stripe and throat patch, while the females are more buffy. There has been a documented case where a female has expressed male plumage, but this seems to be an anomaly.

Here is a nice back shot that would make Dave Lewis proud. (His site features birds' backsides because they always take off when he is trying to get a shot.) I love the pattern on the Northern Bobwhite's back. This helps it blend in with the dead leaves and grasses.

I am utterly amazed at how well their camouflage works. Can you see all three Bobwhites? The male in the center stands out, but the one in the bottom right corner is a little hidden and the one near the top blends into the background.

They are also quite adept at hunkering down. This one is hidden in a clump of grass about a foot in width and six inches high. Do you see him?

How about now?! Right there in the center of the grass are the white horizontal stripes of its face. From the bird window, I could not tell where he was hiding, but could spot him after I looked at the picture on my computer screen.

Northen Bobwhites are found year round in Indiana and neighboring states. They are just a bit tricky to observe due to their cryptic plumage and habits!

Don't Be Snoody and Get Your Caruncles in a Wattle!

2009-11-25T15:47:00.021-05:00

Let's talk turkey. Besides being delish, and being the centerpiece of many families' tables the next few days, turkeys are native birds to the Indiana and Ohio region. You can view them right here in Indianapolis!

Photo by John Howard from Adams Co., OH.

So where is the best place to see Wild Turkeys in Indy? They are spotted regularly in open fields near sizeable woodlots around the Eagle Creek area on the northwest side and around Cottonwood Lakes on the southwest side of Indy.

Photo from Wikipedia

The young are called poults and are cute little buggers. I saw a group of poults with mama turkey on a hike in Shawnee forest. Almost stepped on one. They are very camouflaged and will hide amongst the leaves and detritus on the forest floor.

The female turkey is called a hen.

An amazing thing I just learned-turkeys can have virgin births. Yep, called parthenogenesis. This has been discovered in domestic turkeys. This is uncommon and I am uncertain if it occurs in our Wild Turkeys. All the poults coming from the unfertilized hens were male.

Turkeys have weird names for their parts. Hence, the title of my post. The snood hangs over the beak, the caruncles are the warty protuberances on the head and the wattle is the flap of skin under the neck. If someone says you have nice caruncles, it is not a compliment.

Three bearded males strolling for hens. Photo by John Howard.

The male turkeys also have beards that could make ZZ Top jealous. The long hair-like feathers grow from the center of their chest. They can grow an average of 9 inches long with a record of over 18 inches long. Ten percent of females can grow beards, too. These may be the poor hens who have to resort to parthenogenesis :)

Male gobbler strutting his stuff. Photo by John Howard.

The scientific name for the turkey is Meleagris gallopavo. Very appropriate name if you look at the above photo. Meleagris in Greek means guinea-fowl, gallo means cock and pavo is Latin for peacock. The turkey above is strutting with his tail all fanned out just like a male peacock.

Males will display and fight over the hens. My friend John Howard captured this epic turkey battle down in Adams county last December. They will fly up and charge each other to "impress" the ladies. ; )

So I hope you learned a few more facts about the everyday turkey. I sure did. :)

A special thanks to John Howard for all his wonderful photos.

Surprising Things About Gulls

2009-11-18T15:05:00.009-05:00

I love to learn new things. And this past weekend, I learned some interesting facts about gulls and what they eat.

I knew gulls eat fish and will steal fish from other birds, like ducks. I knew they eat garbage, carrion, popcorn, bread, etc... But what I didn't know was that some of the bigger ones will eat large birds and even rabbits! Yes, it is true.

John Pogacnik, who was one of the leaders of the pelagic tour, witnessed a Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus, kill and eat a starling a few years ago. Grabbed it by the head. I am guessing it killed it by breaking its neck. I thought this was interesting, so I did a little research.

What I learned was a larger gull, the Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, will take even bigger prey. From Wikipedia I found the following quote "They generally target chicks since they are easily found, handled, and swallowed. They can swallow puffins, terns [5] or small ducks whole."

After reading this, I thought, surely not. I was very skeptical. But then I followed one of the links showing a Great Black-backed Gull devour a tern whole. Nope, didn't pull it apart. It couldn't, it was on the water. The article from the Manchester Bird Watching Examiner is here and has a slide show to go along with the article. Amazing!

The powerful beak of the Great Black-backed Gull

Digging a little more, I found this. The following link will show a Great Black-backed Gull kill and start eating an American Coot. The American Coot may look small in the photos compared to the gull, but they weigh a little over a pound and are 16 inches in length. This is not a tiny bird by any means.

And finally I found a photo from Flickr by Recycled Teenager of a Great Black-backed Gull munching on a bunny. I had no idea they would take that large of prey.

So I learned something new about gulls! Hope you did, too!

Photos from Wikipedia and by Recycled Teenager on Flickr.

Lake Erie Pelagic-"I'm on a Boat!"

2009-11-16T11:28:00.018-05:00

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to participate in a pelagic trip on Lake Erie. A pelagic trip is when you venture out on the open water. The trip, sponsored by Black Swamp Bird Observatory and Discovery Tours of Cleveland, left from Cleveland, OH on the HOLIDAY with around 50 aboard. It was a wonderful time with friends and many great birds. I was very pleased to get a lifer-Purple Sandpiper! Other great finds were Horned Grebe, White-winged Scoter, Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, Pomerine Jaeger, Black-crowned Night-Herons and Snow Buntings.

Searching the horizon for rarities are left to right Ben Warner, Michelle Leighty and Andy Jones.

The ever-moving cacophony of gulls took on a life of its own. I could still hear and see them that night in my sleep! Some called these birds seagulls, which is a misnomer. These are more appropriately called lake gulls or bay gulls. (Get it? Bagels? Sorry... that was bad.)

So why was this paparazzi of gulls following the boat? Were there celebrities on board? Not exactly, but quite a few of the Ohio Young Birders were attracting them by chumming. Chumming is when you throw out treats like bread, popcorn or fish for the birds. Unfortunately, fish tend to sink and leave an undesirable smell that deters the ladies... :)

There were a few birding celebrities on board. The young man in the green hat is Malkolm Boothroyd. Malkolm was the keynote speaker for the Ohio Young Birders Club's annual conference Saturday. He and his parents cycled 13,000 miles to raise over $25,000 for bird conservation. Utterly amazing! There is another celebrity in this shot, as well. Who is that dude in the gray sweatshirt? Is that Chuck Norris?

None other than Kenn Kaufman! I think Kenn is keying in on a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull in this shot. The bird was spotted at 6 o'clock, and since it was only two in the afternoon, we were going to have to wait a while to see that one. (A little birding humor and in my defense, that was Kenn's joke.)

Kenn's better half, Kimberly, was on board, as well. Kim is the Executive Director of Black Swamp Bird Observatory. She is spotted here chatting with Kathy McDonald. Kim just won the prestigious Naturalist of the Year Award from Toledo Naturalist' Association. The award was presented to her Saturday evening. With all of her projects and all the great things she does with young birders, she is very deserving. Congrats!

My Nerodio buddy, Ben Warner was also on board. A self-proclaimed chum lord, Ben, demonstrates his special chumming technique. You drizzle the popcorn out, bit by bit. Make them wait for it...

Very little slipped past this birding power trio who were stationed at the front of the boat. Left to right is Dan Sanders, Jim McCormac and John Pogacnik. I got on every bird since these three were close by.

We had a bit of a detour at the end of our voyage. The bridge was down and could not be raised to allow us to pass. But happily, since the docking plans were altered, we were treated to excellent views of a Merlin. (The bird, not the wizard :) )

There were speculations floating about as to what happened with the bridge. Some said it was old and rusty, in dire need of repair. But some believed the bridge mishap was due to a jinx. Sometimes trouble just follows people about, they can't help it. It just happens. They are present at every disaster. Just like poor Schleprock. There were some fingers pointing to a certain jinx that was present on our boat Sunday. But since he has gone into protective custody, he will remain unnamed. :)

There will be another pelagic scheduled for sometime in December or January, so stay tuned!

Send Christmas Cards to Noah

2009-11-08T11:55:00.006-05:00

Okay, guys, I don't normally do this. But I am really touched by this story. And, I will admit, I am a big softy. But this story really got to me and I need to pass it on.

My friend and co-worker Jay Powell let me in on this story. Jay's good friend knows a little guy named Noah. Noah is five years old. He is looking forward to Christmas and getting lots and lots and lots of Christmas cards. Noah is in the last stages of neuroblastoma cancer. Nasty stuff and horrible for a little guy to endure.

Noah wants to get lots and lots of Christmas cards. I can totally identify with this. I loved getting Christmas cards when I was a kid. I remember patiently watching out the window for the postman. Then, racing down the driveway to the mailbox to see how many Christmas cards we received that day. I was especially excited to find ones address to ME. That made me feel very important. And I would carry these brightly colored pieces of cardboard around with me wherever I went. (Yes, I was a weird little kid, I know.) These special cards would be dog-eared and crinkled, but they were still highly prized possessions. Someone took the time to let me know they were thinking of me.

If you want to learn a little more about Noah, here is a video. Also a piece about the story on snopes.com.

So, if you have a few minutes, drop him a card. Doesn't have to be fancy, can be one from last year, even. I think it would be great for him to get cards from all over the world. Let's give Noah a great Christmas. Hopefully, if a miracle happens, one he will remember for a long, long time.

This is Noah's address: Noah Biorkman, 1141 Fountain View Circle, South Lyon, MI 48178

Holliday Park Hauntless Halloween

2009-10-20T16:35:00.008-04:00

Take one talking tick. Add in a boisterous box turtle. Throw in an outgoing opossum and what do you have?!?! A post just slightly more far-fetched than the last one Janet put up (how cool is that herbivorous spider, by the way!)

These creatures were part of the recipe for the annual Hauntless Halloween event put on at Holliday Park this year. Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday families braved central Indiana's first blast of autumn air to hike the candlelit trails and meet some woodland creatures who had come alive for the evening.

Tyler T. Turtleweather- check out my carapace!

Opal Opossum- silly humans, I don't hang by my tail! That's what my hallux is for.

Sally Salamander- always wanting to show off pictures from when she was a larvae.

American Dog Tick- no Lyme disease here. Those Deer Ticks give us all a bad name.

After learning about each creature (a turkey vulture also shared her natural history- the kids loved hearing how she goes to the bathroom on her legs to stay cool), participants headed back up to the nature center to warm up by the campfire, roast marshmallows and test their creativity with some fall crafts.

Over 400 people were able to enjoy the event thanks to help from dozens of volunteers and Indy Parks staff. A huge thanks to everyone- we couldn't do it without you!!

A Herbivorous Spider and a Carnivorous Butterfly

2009-10-15T23:54:00.019-04:00

Yes folks, sometimes life throws you for a loop. You have a handle on how things are "supposed" to work and then BOOM, you find out something new that shatters that whole idea. Has this ever happened to you?

Just the other day, I came across an article that had to be a hoax, somewhere up there with newborns singing Christmas carols. I figured it was probably put out by The Onion, but was intrigued to find out more. After reading the story in a few more reputable sources, I realized it was indeed true. There are spiders that are herbivorous, meaning their primary diet is......PLANTS!

I am a lover of spiders, an arachnophile, if you will. I am not an expert, but thought I knew quite a bit about the critters. In all my life, I had NEVER heard of a spider that ate plants. I was quite excited about it.

And here is a picture of said critter. The species is Bagheera kiplingi, a type of jumping spider. Its name comes from The Jungle Book. Bagheera was the name of the black panther and kiplingi is in reference to the author, Rudyard Kipling. This species of spider has been found in Costa Rica and in Mexico. The population that is causing all the recent fuss is located in Mexico and is believed to have a diet of 90% plants. This is unheard of in the arachnid world.

So what is the spider in the photo above eating, you may wonder? The small orange item looks much like an aphid, but actually it is the spider's favorite food called Beltian bodies. Beltian bodies are scrumptious parts of the acacia tree. They are located on the very tips of the leaves and are guarded by ants. Beltian bodies, named after their discoverer Thomas Belt, are rich in proteins and lipids (fats). The spider spends most of its time scurrying around stealing the Beltian bodies and avoiding the ever wary ants.

The picture above shows some ants guarding the Beltian bodies. There is a symbiotic relationship between the acacia tree and the ants. The ants protect the tree from predators and destroy any neighboring plants. In return, the tree gives the ants housing within the thorns, tasty Beltian bodies and nectar .

Besides feasting on Beltain bodies, Bagheera kiplingi also eats nectar from the tree and a few ant larvae. Ant larvae look very similar in shape to the Beltian bodies. I wonder if ant larvae primarily made up the spiders diet at one time and then, maybe by accident, a spider started eating the Beltian bodies. Just a theory... Nature truly ceases to amaze!

For more info on this amazing little spider, visit these sites.

http://uanews.org/node/27932

U.S News and World report

And, not to blow your minds all in one day, there is also a carnivorous butterfly in existence and it lives right here in Indiana. One of my friends even had one visit his back yard. This is a horror story that will curl your toes people! You will never look at those cute little butterflies in the same light. But I will cover that story in my next post. (How is that for a teaser? ; P )

For more Camera Critters from all over the world, go here.

Indy Big Sit 2009!

2009-10-10T11:45:00.009-04:00

A day to bird, eat and socialize. What could be better!

Where: Next to the brand spankin' new Eagle Creek Ornithology Center within Eagle Creek Park on the northwest side of Indianapolis, IN

When: Sunday, Oct 11th from 8am-6pm.

Bring a dish to share, if you would like. Come for all day or just hang out for a little while.

We will be birding within a 17 foot circle, counting whatever birds we see. Plus, getting to know other birders and having a grand ol' time. Also, check out the new Eagle Creek Ornithology Center. Fabulous! Hope to see you there!