Caterpillars, mostly

When spring's avian migration comes to a screeching halt, and our resident birds settle down to their serious genetic prerogative, I turn to other critters. For two summers I have spent some happy hours discovering and documenting hundreds of insects, amphibians, reptiles, wildflowers, mushrooms, and so on, that inhabit our 15 acres; both as an educational exercise and something to share with my kids and theirs (one day). Here are just a few examples. To the left is a crowned slug, or 'isa textula'. And on the right, we have the familiar green-striped mapleworm ('dryocampa rubicunda'), of rosy maple moth fame.









This moth I have only seen once, and would appreciate confirmation that it is either a large or small tolype. A close look will show that this moth is comfortably perched on a chop-stick.


The banded tussock moth, ('halysidota tessellaris') below, is commonly seen in our area. Birds tend to avoid this moth, hence it is often found in conspicuous positions, out in the open.












One of the most beautiful moths, the IO, is not surprisingly preceded by a spectacular caterpillar of the same name, ('automeris IO'), seen below.











And now, another slug caterpillar, the spiny oak slug, ('euclea delphinii'), found not on an oak but sunflower leaf in our garden, below.

One of my favorite finds was this silver spotted skipper caterpillar, ('epargyreus clarus'), staring at the camera with its fake eyes, below.




















This highly patterned one to the right
is known as the turbulent phosphila,
or 'phosphila turbulenta'.





This one is the gold moth, or 'basilodes pepita', found in late September.







Another oak loving caterpillar, to the right, was found in full sun on the edge of a field also in late
September. It is known as the variable oakleaf caterpillar, ('lochmaeus manteo').







Directly below, the most acrobatic of the caterpillars, 'datana ministra', more commonly known as the yellow-necked caterpillar, is feasting on a birch leaf.



My photo of this caterpillar does not do justice to its vibrant green. The spotted apatelodes, ('apatelodes torrefacta'), seen below the acrobat was another late September find.




















And last, but not least, our Eastern swallowtail,


('papilo glaucus'), may be familiar to many, with
its scary 'false' face.

Most if not all of these pix were taken last summer and fall. This year, I found far fewer caterpillars, but many more spiders. Anyone have any theories?

My apologies for the choppy layout. For your information, this was my very first attempt at anything remotely this challenging.

Two local critter names

Over the past few mornings, I have met fishermen and waterfowl hunters at the boat landing in Riverview Park in Radford. We talk about most anything, weather, crowds, work situations, and eventually about the kinds of birds, fish, and other animals we have recently seen along the New River.

One waterfowl hunter was checking the area for Canada Geese. We watched one long skein of geese fly by us. The geese honked a little and circled towards a farm field. We talked about geese, and he mentioned that he had seen speckled bellies a couple of times between Radford and Parrott on the river. I asked him to describe the geese, and I realized that he was talking about Greater White-fronted Geese, a species quite rare in this part of Virginia.

Another morning a fishermen asked me what I was looking at...I was just watching a few tree swallows perched on the electric line that crosses the river near the boat landing. I told him that earlier in the day I had seen an otter. He mentioned that he saw otters frequently and sometimes river weasels. The latter was his name for mink.

For me it is a blessing to learn local names of plants and animals. In the past week, I have learned two:

Speckled Belly
River Weasel

Rocky Knob Migration, 24 August 2008

I watched for migrating hawks yesterday at Rocky Knob. One female American Kestrel flew south just above the trees at 11:55 EST. Other than that I saw no migrating raptors. There were a few local Black & Turkey Vultures, and three local Red-tailed Hawks.

Some other birds were heading south, too. These included several Barn Swallows and Chimney Swifts, three Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, one Black-throated Green Warbler and two Scarlet Tanagers.

Other migrants were two Cloudless Sulphurs, one Red Admiral, one Common Buckeye, one Monarch plus three species of dragonfly (28 Common Green Darners, mostly adult males, plus at least three tenerals; one Wandering Glider; five Black Saddlebags).

The most unusual sighting for the day was a plane piloted wildly over Panther Knob. The plane flew a few loopity-loops, a few complete rolls, and a couple of times sallied upside down, then headed east and northeast right-side-up, eventually beyond my view.

The whole area looks way too dry. I don't know how the ongoing drought will affect migration of dragonflies since many of the species heading southward past Rocky Knob are pond dwellers as nymphs.

The thistles in the field mostly look rather stunted except those nearest a shady area on the west side of the field. I saw zero honeybees, but at least two species of bumblebees were nectaring on the blossoms. Tiger Swallowtails, and Great Spangled Fritillaries were also nectaring on the thistle flowers. I found no species of grass skippers there; usually there are Sachems and Peck's Skippers.

One of the more common insects of the day was a species of "June Bug" scarab beetle ambling over the area. There were also a few Dog Day Cicadas.

Rocky Knob Migration Watch

The term "migration" is often applied to the periodical or irregular movements of all animals; but it may be questioned whether there are any regular migrants but birds and fishes.

---A.R. Wallace, 1876.

By mid to late August at Rocky Knob some of us gather to witness whatever seems to be migrating. This menagerie of creatures includes hawks, waterfowl, cormorants, nighthawks, swifts, hummingbirds, swallows, Red-headed Woodpeckers and a host of passerines, most heading to the southwest of our location. Some of these birds travel unbelievable distances. Some are considered mere short distance migrants.

We also gather to see dragonflies and butterflies "migrating" to the south. Except for perhaps some monarch butterflies, the migration of these insects is inter-generational, i.e. the individuals we see in late summer and fall journeying southward are not the same ones we might find the following spring.

I hope some folks reading this short blurb will stop by and visit and see for yourself how marvelous the migration can be. Anyway, you're invited. We'll watch sometimes, and we'll hear dog day cicadas (what I grew up calling "Jar Flies") and katydids chorusing in the woods by the cow pasture.

BTW, our watch is at milepost 168 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, on the border of Patrick & Floyd Counties.

Dawn chorus

From the noted by absence Mountain Naturalist blog entries, I assume everyone is busy chasing wildflowers and birds of spring. Arizona pulled me away for two weeks in April, with my first experience of the sky-islands southeast of Tucson. I will never be the same.

Though I intend to get back to Watts, etc., I have another thing in mind at the moment. Since returning from the hugely irresponsible trip to Arizona, I have not had time to scurry about as I would like. For my consolation, I have worked an early morning pattern into my schedule, awakening at 5:00, and keeping my ear near the open window as the birds begin to sing. After about an hour, I sleep for another 45 minutes or so. Birding by ear is not something I could do even five years ago...but especially with the familiar birds, I have grown quite proficient. Here is what I have learned.

We start out with a two piece band, usually the towhee breaking the silence with odd chirps and squeaks, tuning up, soon followed by one robin. Once the robin has cleared his throat, it becomes increasingly difficult to hear the details of the towhee, but they seem to be paying attention to one another. In the background, a wood thrush gargles off in the woods, laying down a nice bass line, and encouraging the need for a score. These three can go on for five minutes before the local cardinals add punctuation, and the rhythm section begins. Later, the cardinals also add to the melodic phrasing, but at first, they beat the drums.
During this early part, I can hear at least two towhees, robins, and cardinals, in noisy competition. I try to learn the difference between the singers, and have confidence that the earlier soloists are consistent. They hold the first seats in this orchestra, and will prevail by their earned posts.
From here on things get confusing, but Carolina wrens seem to be the next loud crowd, and sound like they are a bit mad at the avian alarm clock. When they start to rattle, they go at it with a vengeance. House wrens are not far behind, then blue jays start scratching at their most treble best, with harsh complaints. The robin ups his volume, but is beginning to be drowned out, and eventually looses enthusiasm. Cardinals are now becoming more prominent in their oratorios, with their metallic refrains setting the stage for the indigo bunting, who can put a hurting on that heavy metal.
Down the south facing slope from my propped head, the field sparrow practices his descending scale, and right outside in the tree the titmouse drones. Overhead, crows take over the percussion section and pileated woodpeckers laugh above the other ridge, and the crows.
By the time goldfinches, red-eyed vireos, red-winged blackbirds, downies, and chickadees decide to add to the cacophony, I return to sleep with phoebes announcing the fullness of the sun.

At the spring VSO meeting a couple of years ago, I made the acquaintance of Donald Kroodsma, the celebrity guest speaker, and widely known for his studies on bird song. His Book, 'The Singing Life of Birds', should be on every birder worth-her-salt's bookshelf, and dogeared. On Sunday morning a few hardy individuals awoke well before first light and met Donald in a cold drizzle for the awakening of woodland birds. With Donald's guidance we all realized a deeper appreciation for details of bird song, personalities, regional dialects, and just paying attention more closely to what most of us love, and some of us regard as 'just noise'. I had a friend write me recently asking 'how do you turn off the birds?' He must have had a long night.

May Theilgaard Watts, and the thread that runs through it

It has long been a comfort to me that things easily relate to other things in ways we would not immediately expect. But then it happens, and the light goes off in the head. I want to develope this idea within the context of three books, and through the fullness of time. It would be great if readers of this blog would contribute their reactions and ideas to not only these specific books and authors, but share similar reading experiences. Seth's offering of Godfrey's "Field Guide to the Piedmont" was on the mark.
My story starts with the term 'Wolf Trees', which are trees formerly allowed to grow in pastures for various reasons, and then rediscovered within a wooded area, in full spreading of branches among the neighboring straight trunked. Though I had always noticed this and wondered, I did not grasp the reason until I lucked upon the book "Reading the Forested Landscape" by Tom Wessels. I recommend this book.
Then, as I was preparing to share a walk in the woods with some kids, I decided to Google 'wolf tree', and came upon Anne Whiston Spirn's book, "The Language of Landscape", which is one of the most amazing books I have ever held in my trembling hands. She is a landscape architect with a keen interest in deep history.
As it turns out, an early and abiding inspiration for her is an earlier writer, May Watts, who also is mentioned in Wessels book.
I have only begun to look into Watts' classic "Reading the Landscape", but have already fallen in love. Allow me digress a moment. Last week, while delivering some books to a WONDERFUL used book store, "Books 'N Friends", in Sparta, N.C., I took a glance at their nature section, and found Watts' book, for 50 cents, signed by the author no less.

What we have here is not simply a coincidence. It is about paying attention, becoming involved with the thread of learning. For any naturalist, I can whole heartedly endorse all three of these books. When I finish Watts' book, and go back over Spirn's, I intend to offer a more in depth comparison of these three books. Meanwhile, my hope is that some of the rest of us can compare our notes after looking at one or more of my suggestions.

Yes, winter is over, and it is time to be outside, learning from our own observations, and books can wait. And that is what I will be doing for the near future.

Scott Jackson-Ricketts
Grayson County, Va.

Boy Scout Resource Ramble

For the second year, the Boy Scouts will hold what they call a "resource ramble" on the scout reservation at Camp Powhatan in Pulaski County. The event, scheduled for Saturday, June 14, resembles a bio-blitz, except that elements of geology and cultural resources are included in the survey.

The 17,000-acre reservation covers parts of the watersheds of Little Laurel and Big Mack Creeks, as well as two ponds. Elevation ranges from 1900 to 3348 feet. Base rock is sandstone, quartzite, shale and dolomite. Forest cover includes mainly dry hardwoods interspersed with pine, hemlock and other conifers.

You can participate in a team or as an individual. The scouts are looking for experts to guide teams in various aspects of natural history, geology and archaeology. Veteran naturalist Clyde Kessler (a contributor to this blog) is already on board to help the scouts with bird identification.

The main event takes place Saturday, but what is described as "rustic accommodations" are available for those arriving Friday evening or staying over Saturday night. Breakfast is available both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Participants are also invited to dinner Saturday evening prior to the Ramble reports and wrap-up session. (Participants are asked to bring lunch for Saturday in the field). You can register as late as the morning of the event, but organizers ask that you register as early as possible so an accurate estimate of the food needed can be made.

After you register, you'll get a topo map of the Reservation along with directions to Camp Powhatan, a schedule and a list of what to bring.

To find out more, direct questions to either Dr. Bill Shiner or Greg Harmon, Program Director of the Blue Ridge Scout Reservation.