Nature Notes

If you’ve been looking for Monarch caterpillars on Milkweed, but found these instead, here’s the lesser known forager of the milkweed plant. Also known as the Milkweed Tiger caterpillar, Euchaetes egle, this species skeletonizes the leaves of older Milkweed plants. Monarch caterpillars on the other hand prefer younger, more juicy leaves. Although Milkweed Tussock caterpillars turn into nondescript moths they are important as pollinators. (Michigan State University Extension)

First seen in 2020, this rare blue frog continues to thrive in our tiny pond. This Northern Leopard frog (Rana pipiens) is blue because it is missing the yellow pigment which would combine with a blue pigment to make the color green. Do you remember mixing these paint colors in grade school? It’s a type of albinism, not without pigment however. It just happens to be blue. It’s a rarity, 1:300,00!!!

No, that’s not snow amongst the green, it’s actually Reindeer Lichen, found while hiking our hill behind Johnnycake Flats last week when the temps were in the high 60’s. Lichens are unique, in that they are actually 2 organisms coexisting together; a fungi and and either an algae or cyanobacteria. The fungus makes up the majority of the organism while providing a way for the algae to attach to a substrate, such as a rock, log, tree or manmade object (ie. gravestones etc.). The fungus also offers protection to the algae from extreme weather conditions like freezing and drought. So that means that they can live pretty much anywhere! The algae/cyanobacteria in turn provides the fungus with the food (carbohydrates) it needs through photosynthesis. Lichens, themselves, are good for us, removing CO2 and other pollutants from the air and for animals as a food source, as well as a nesting material, particularly for the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. There are around 14,000 different species worldwide with about 580 found in Vermont. So the next time you’re out and about in the woods, go looking for lichens. Look up, look down, lichens are all around! (USDA Forest Service)

This is a true story about Hummer, a teeny, tiny hummingbird that I came upon one morning while gardening. Throughout my garden, there are buckets scattered around to catch rainwater.  It was in one of these buckets that something very small, not quite sure at the time what it was, perhaps a large insect, had drowned…so I thought.  After reaching in and lifting out the creature, it uttered a distress call, kinda of a screech and moved its drenched wings.  Turned out it was a baby Ruby Throated Hummingbird! I didn’t think it had a chance to survive so  I placed it gently down under the protection of a large leaf.  Later, several hours later, as dusk was approaching, I decided to check on the bird, not expecting it to be alive, but it definitely was!  Being very damp already and expecting the temperature to drop down into the low 50’s, I decided to bring the bird inside and put on a towel.  Waking up the next morning, I again expected it to have expired, however it wasn’t on the towel and my husband hadn’t moved it…so where did Hummer go?  I searched around  and found Hummer on the floor near Toby’s our bed.  Somehow it had made its way from the counter to the floor.  (And Toby is a good dog.) I figured by this time, Hummer must be a survivor and was probably very hungry, so a solution of sugar water was made.  I proceeded to feed the bird with an eyedropper which it took to readily.  Hummer was definitely hungry as its proboscis kept reaching into the dropper over and over.  Fascinating to watch! Finally Hummer stopped feeding.  After drying out overnight and having been fed, she actually started to look like a baby hummingbird, complete with those beautiful iridescent, green feathers.  Generally a believer in letting nature take its course, (ok, maybe with a little bit of help) Hummer was put back into a protected spot in the garden,  buckets turned over and left surrounded with plenty of nectar filled flowers to feed on.  

Shortly thereafter, Hummer disappeared.  She could very well be one of the many colorful, flitting and hovering birds that I see everyday amongst my flowers.  At least that’s how I would want the story to end. Only God knows for sure.  And by the way, thank you God for sharing this special gift with me at Johnnycake Flats!

Actias luna, a beautiful, variety of a giant silk moth. Adults have light green wings with a white body and a wingspan of 3-4.5 inches with long trailing tails. Adults emerge in the spring, solely to lay eggs. They cannot eat do to the lack of a mouth or digestive parts. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of walnut, hickory, beech, birch, persimmon and sweet gum trees. Cocoon’s are spun in the fall and lined with silk. Lunas are only found in North America. (Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders, 1980). Specimen found in Johnnycake Flats field, 6/22/2022, by D. Carroll.

The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a native to North America, prefers several different habitats for breeding, feeding and protection. A home range for a particular flock can be 400-4000 acres of forest, field and agricultural land. Turkeys have a varied diet consisting of insects, plants, nuts, fruit and berries during the warmer months, with seeds, mosses and buds added to their winter foraging. They are social birds, usually traveling in flocks up to 30+. Surprisingly, turkeys can run 25mph and fly 35mph to avoid danger! Breeding takes place in the spring, with Toms (males) heard gobbling and seen strutting their feathers to attract hens (females). Gestation is 28 days, with most hatching (10-15) at the end of May, early June.

Vermont’s wild turkeys were basically extinct by the mid 1850’s, caused by loss of habitat and unrestricted hunting. However, beginning with the reintroduction of turkeys in the late 60’s, the population is now estimated to be 45-50,000! Trivia: All domesticated birds that appear on our Thanksgiving tables are descended from the original wild turkey. (ref: VT Fish and Wildlife Department)

Most people first notice the King Fisher swooping over streams and rivers with its rattling call. A beautiful bird, sporting a shaggy crest, blue-gray coloring above, white below and a very pointed bill. In addition, the female has a rufous band. When feeding, the King Fisher plunges headfirst into the water to spear small fish. Crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles are also part of its diet. Nesting requires both sexes to dig a horizontal (3′-6′) long chamber in the side of a very steep bank. Five to eight eggs are laid, incubated by male and female, with hatchlings emerging 22-24 days later. Migration to southwestern US, Mexico and further occurs, although some can still be found in northern areas with open water. (References: Audubon.org and Bird Watchers Digest.com)

Enjoy the color, it only lasts a short time! Every autumn we anticipate the changing of leaves from green to beautiful fall colors. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the season progresses. During the summer, the leaves have served as food factories for most of the tree’s growth. Chlorophyll, an extraordinary chemical, found in green leaves, absorbs energy from the sun and transforms CO2 and water to carbohydrates such as sugar and starch. Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange pigments, xanthophyll and carotene, respectively. Most of the year these colors are masked by the vast amounts of chlorophyll. But in the fall, changes in day length and temperature trigger the leaves to stop producing food, thus giving rise to other colors. At the same time additional chemical changes may occur which form anthocyanin pigments, showing up as red and purple leaves.

Temperature, light and water, all influence the duration of fall color. Low temperatures above freezing will favor anthocyanin formation, producing bright reds in maples. However, early frost will weaken the intensity of the reds. Rainy or overcast days tend to increase the intensity of fall colors. (ref C.E.Palm,Jr.)

These brownish eggs were found on the underside of our zuchinni plants. These belong to the insect, Anasa tristis, commonly known as Squash bugs. Within 10 days, these eggs would have matured into nymphs, feeding on the sap found in the leaves or stem, with their pierce-sucking mouthparts. If left undisturbed, these nymphs would have disrupted the nutrient and water flow of the host plant, evidenced by yellow and brown spots as well as possible wilting. These nymphs would have developed into adults within 4-6 weeks, overwintering under plant debris or rocks. (They did not!)

While these insects do not carry disease, they can be particularly harmful to young squash and cucumber plants, so limiting the damage is the best control. The use of floating row cover in the seedling stage is recommended, followed by regular inspection of the plants, crushing any eggs and dropping any nymphs and adults into a bucket of soapy water. Trapping adult squash bugs under a piece of wood, where they will group together at night, then into the soapy bucket, also helps. Lastly, it is important to clean up all plant debris at the end of each growing season to reduce overwintering sites. (University of Minnesota Extension)

There are about 86 species of scarab beetles found in eastern North America. Adult beetles are quite large 1/2-1 1/4 inch, emerging from the soil at the end of spring, usually in June, hence the name. The adult female buries 60-75 eggs in the soil over a 2 week period, hatching as larvae, feeding on plant roots and decayed matter. These larvae are the white grubs often seen just under the turf and are a favorite food for skunks, voles and birds such as crows. After 1-3 years as larvae, pupation occurs and the adult emerges and the cycle begins all over.

While not harmful to humans per se, adults are voracious leaf eaters and can cause damage to gardens, pastures and golf courses. The grubs, being root eaters can destroy lawns in conjunction with certain mammals which will dig up the turf looking for them.

Displaying delicate fernlike leaves and white flowers resembling yellow-waisted pantaloons, hanging upside-down on a clothesline, it is one of Vermont’s early spring flowers. It flowers (Apr-May) just as bumblebees emerge after a long winter looking for nectar. The bumblebee’s proboscis is long enough to tap into the nectar, whereas the honey bee, having a much shorter proboscis, must look elsewhere. Known also as Dicentra cucullaria in the botanical world, it is closely related to Bleeding Heart, a common garden plant and to Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) another woodland wild flower. All are considered toxic if ingested in large quantities and may cause minor skin irritation.

An early sign of Spring to look for in our forests are tree circles. At this time of year, trees absorb sunlight (which excites electrons, creating heat) which is then radiated outward, melting snow. The darker the bark, the more radiant heat is created and the wider the circle becomes. Snow, being white, does just the opposite, it reflects sunlight. These melting circles are not just limited to trees, however. Inanimate objects, such as rocks, etc. also exhibit this phenomenon.

Snow rollers are a rare winter weather phenomenon that occur when the conditions are just right. They are cylindrical snow balls, usually hollow, formed with the help of strong winds (30mph) and temperatures in the 37-39 degree range. A layer of wet, loose snow, preferably with an ice layer underneath is pushed by the wind across fields or down slopes. Gravity certainly helps! Snow rollers can be small or quite large (car size). They are also known as Snow donuts.

10/21/20 We have officially entered Stick Season as I observe that most maples, birch, and ash have given up their hold on this year’s leaves. The stark silhouettes are now framed by what remains—the beech, which holds its leaves to the end and the firs and pines. It’s a transition time between the heat of this summer, the artistry of fall’s colors and the rush of the holidays to come. It’s a time to slow down, catch our breath and enjoy the quiet of Stick Season.