Bird Tracking

I came across what appeared to be bird poop. I started wondering what berry has these seeds. I didn’t have to look far to find Oregon grape berries. I brought one over and opened it to find what I believe are matching seeds. Over the next week or so, I would sit by patches of Oregon grape when I was walking past. I wanted to see what birds were eating them. One morning, I watched cedar waxwings and American robins swooping in and gobbling up the berries. Towhees were hoping around down low through the shrubs and on the ground. I didn’t see them eating them, but I suspect they were foraging on them too.

At this moment, I think of the book Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking. It is filled with heaps of great information and exercises to improve your awareness and become more tuned into the natural world. I credit this book with helping to spark my curiosity and wonder about nature.

Western Tree Cricket

Walking through the meadows of the arboretum, I am serenaded by tree crickets. I have been able to find two different kinds. I posted a video last fall (Tree Cricket Singing, 10/18/21) of what I believe is a snowy tree cricket. It has a melodic, pulsing chirp. I think the one I found this year is the western tree cricket. It has a continuous trill that has a crisp, ringing note. You can see from the video that they fan their wings forward and rub them together. The sound resonates quite far across the landscape for such a small, delicate creature.

The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Hershberger had this to say about the songs of insects: “Singing insects produce sounds in a variety of ways. Members of the order Orthoptera typically create sound by ‘stridulation,’ which is the rubbing of one body part against the other. Among crickets and katydids, the base of the forewings is specially modified for sound production. A sharp edge, or ‘scraper,’ at the base of one front wing is rubbed across a bumpy ridge, or ‘file,’ located at the base of the opposite wing.” In the section on tree crickets, they mention that “males of a number of species often sing from the underside of a curled leaf, from the edge of a leaf, or from a hole in a leaf, in order to reduce acoustic interference and thereby increase the intensity of their songs.”

Resource
Elliott, Lang, and Wil Hershberger. The Songs of Insects. Houghton Mifflin Co, 2007.

Camas Pocket Gopher

Above the White Oak Pavilion at the arboretum, the ground is covered with freshly dug soil. This is the industrious work of a pocket gopher.

Pocket gophers are fossorial rodents named for their fur-lined, external cheek pouches. A fossorial animal is one adapted to digging and lives primarily, but not solely, underground. They have prominent, yellow incisors that are always exposed. They have small eyes, ears, and noses which probably leaves them vulnerable to predators when they are at the surface. I often see them pausing at the entrance of the hole, cautiously investigating their surroundings. They don’t leave their burrows open for very long, so you will usually see them plugged with a mound of dirt.

They prefer moist soil that is easy to excavate but can also be found in rocky landscapes. The dirt excavated by pocket gophers behind the White Oak Pavilion is littered with rounded stones, revealing that a stream once flowed through there. They have large, curved front claws for digging, and their protruding incisors probably come in handy when penetrating the dry, hard soil during the summer.

They dig extensive tunnels and the dirt typically gets deposited out in fan-shaped mounds. As they shovel the dirt to the surface, they will launch the soil away with a burst of energy.

Pocket gophers are herbivores. They forage on roots, tubers, and surface vegetation which they collect in their cheek pouches. When walking along the trail, I often see vegetation moving and then slowly disappearing as it is pulled underground.

The species we have at the arboretum is the camas pocket gopher (Thomomys bulbivorus) which is endemic to the Willamette Valley. Its distinguishing characteristic is a white patch surrounding its bottom two incisors.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. Hope to see you out there.

Resources

Burt, William Henry, and Richard Philip Grossenheider. A Field Guide to the Mammals: Field Marks of All North American Species Found North of Mexico. 3d ed, Houghton Mifflin, 1976.

“Pocket Gophers.” National Wildlife Federation, https://www.nwf.org/Home/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Pocket-Gophers. Accessed 28 Sept. 2022.

Yellowjackets in Full Force

The yellowjackets are out in full force in the warm, autumn sun. Lately, the moment I step out of my truck in the parking lot, one is there to greet me. They must be nearsighted because they always want to hover back and forth close to my face to see who I am. I’m not sure what this close encounter is all about, maybe they think an insect is stuck in my teeth from the drive out there. They usually investigate the front of my truck and remove insects from there. The other day when I was taking a photo, one landed in between my fingers and begin chewing on a small flake of dried skin. That said, yellowjackets only tend to be aggressive towards people if you get near their nest. They are part of a healthy ecosystem to keep the balance of nature. The adults feed on nectar, so presumably, they will be pollinators of flowers. The larvae feed on pre-chewed insects like the grasshopper in the photo. This helps to keep the insect populations in check.

In the late summer, males will mate with new queens. As autumn progresses towards winter and the cold weather sets in, all the yellowjackets die except for the mated females. These will overwinter in the soil or litter of vegetative matter on the ground like leaves.

Resource
Milne, Lorus Johnson, and Margery Milne. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. Knopf : distributed by Random House, 1980.

Stewardship

Nature: the sum total of the forces at work
throughout the universe.

We are a part of nature.
We belong to nature.
We are surrounded by nature.
Nature is wrapped around us.
We are inseparable from it.
It is the air we breathe. The water we drink.
It gives us food and shelter.
It is my whole body.
It is filled with infinite beauty and wonders.
To preserve, protect, restore, and honor it is to preserve, protect, restore and honor ourselves.
Let’s be stewards of nature, of ourselves.

Nature definition from dictionary.com

Goldfinch & Thistle

Clouds of downy thistle seeds have been billowing out onto the landscape and flying up into the sky. The seed is attached to an umbrella of feathers that enable it to float away in the slightest breeze. Goldfinches are on the scene to forage before the seeds sail away.

Goldfinches mainly eat seeds, but they will also supplement their diets with small fruits (elderberry and madrone) and tree buds (cottonwoods, alders, sycamores, willows, and oaks).

I think this particular plant is a bull thistle, a non-native plant. Non-native plants can be invasive, but I had to admire the cool seed head left behind after the seeds were released. It reminded me of a straw hat that Van Gogh might have painted.

In the birdseed business, Niger seeds are sold as a popular goldfinch food. Early marketing labeled this plant seed as a thistle. People wanted to capitalize on the fact that goldfinches love thistle seeds, which Niger seeds aren’t. They are a native plant to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Malawi. They are also grown in India. You may also see the plant labeled Nyger or Nyjer on the bag of bird seed.

I wanted to mention this because I feel that it is better to grow native plants and create more habitat for birds to forage. I feel these types of small changes can have huge impacts on restoring a balance in nature. When we use native seeds, we not only create habitat, we avoid spending energy importing seeds from far away to put in our bird feeders. In addition, Niger seeds are not going to be as nutritious because they are sterilized by heat before being shipped. I am sure this is to help prevent germination and spoilage of the seed.

Common Merganser

Recently, I have been delighted to see a small group of common mergansers on the river. The male’s breeding plumage is striking. He has a white body that sharply contrasts with a black back and dark green-black head. His bill and feet are red and his breast is tinged with a rosy peach. The female and immature mergansers are gray-bodied and have a rufous head with a short crest. Their chest and a patch under the chin are white. From late summer to mid-autumn, males wear a nonbreeding plumage that looks very similar to female plumage. So at the moment, they all look fairly alike.

I usually see them paddling upstream and enthusiastically diving for food. They dip their heads just under the surface of the water as they swim and scan for prey. When they dive, they give a slight leap to help launch themselves underwater. When one bird dives, the others usually follow. They normally dive for less than 30 seconds, but they can stay under for up to 2 minutes! Their diet consists mostly of fish which are, of course, slippery. To help catch and hold them, they have serrated bills. Sometimes I see one surface with a fish in its bill, and if it isn’t quickly gobbled down, a chase often ensues.

They can also be seen relaxing on rocks or on a log out in the river. That said, there always seems to be one vigilantly standing guard for any predators. I also have seen them merrily floating downstream, looking around, and to all appearances, just taking it easy.

Find a spot by the river to quietly sit and listen to the water gurgling, the wind blowing through the cottonwoods, and hopefully, you will be blessed to see a flock of mergansers paddling around on the river.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. Hope to see you out there.

References
Common Merganser Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Merganser/lifehistory. Accessed 14 Sept. 2022.

Peterson, Roger Tory, et al. Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. 4th ed, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.

Dried Plants = Habitat

When plants die off for the year, they can take on a new life. The fibers of many plants are extremely sturdy and can remain durable for a long time. The stems can become fairly “woody” and are often hollow. For insects and spiders, these are places of refuge and homes for eggs or cocoons to be protected.

Creating a habitat around where you live is the best way to attract, observe, and support invertebrates. Native plants are the best ones to grow. After you have enjoyed watching them grow and flower, leave the dried plant stalks. I know this can be challenging for many people. It can appear messy, and they want to tidy their garden at the end of the season. If this is how you feel, maybe start by leaving a small section untouched on the periphery. I like these places because they attract birds. They are places for them to forage and can offer protection from predators.

If you don’t have an area around your house or apartment to be creative, I recommend joining and volunteering at your local arboretum like Mt. Pisgah. An abundance of beauty and mysteries are waiting to be experienced and explored.

Grasshopper Dreams

The other morning I came across this grasshopper snuggled in the top of this Queen Anne’s lace seed head. The air was cool, and the grasshopper seemed to be waiting for the day to warm up to become more active. Thus, I was able to get a photo without it hopping away. When it warmed up later that morning, I was seeing grasshoppers springing in every direction. The south meadow has been particularly active with them. It seems like a pretty good year for grasshoppers.

Seeing this grasshopper nestled in its flower roost got me wondering if insects sleep. I imagined that all life forms need rest. It makes sense that grasshoppers need to wind their springs. At the end of the day, It feels so good to lay your head down, especially under a blanket of stars cradled in the top of a flower.

Falling Pellets

As I walked along the incense-cedar trail, I could hear a slight pitter-patter. It sounded like a light rain falling through the forest, but the sky was sunny and clear. I stood there looking around for a few minutes but didn’t see anything. I sat down under a huge incense-cedar to watch and listen. In front of me, I noticed a spider web had caught these small pellets. A moment later I saw one bounce off the ground. I saw a dried maple leaf where some had collected, so I took them to a nearby bench to have a closer look. They reminded me of miniature tater tots. I thought they were all fairly uniform in their size and shape. I crushed a couple, and they were hard and gritty. I’m not sure what is causing this phenomenon. I thought it was interesting and wanted to pass it along.

Summer Frost

Flowers take on a new life and beauty when they die. Looking up-close at this seed head, one is left with the impression that it is a cold, winter’s day. The transformation from a supple, colorful flower to a completely different stiff, monochromatic seed head is miraculous.

Side note
I have a photo of the flower from the side when it was in bloom, but unfortunately, it is out of focus. I’ll get one next year. Also, I didn’t notice until I looked at the photos at home, but there appears to be a golden ant on the dried seed head. What happened to that ant?

Messenger of Beauty

I saw a bird
quietly alight on a branch.
Sunlight filtered through
the forest canopy
gently washing over
its body of soft feathers.
It turned and tilted its head,
listening and watching.
It awakened me
out of my thoughts.
I heard the rustling
wind through the trees and
the clapping of grasshopper wings
in the meadow nearby.
I felt the warm, dry summer air
blowing against my skin.
I caught the sweet scents
of the earth wafting by
in the breeze.
Thank you little bird for
helping me tune in
to the moment and
the natural world around me.
May your visits to the arboretum
be filled with messengers
that deliver you beauty, harmony
and inspiration.
Peace.

Argiope Catching Grasshopper

As I take a step into the meadow, grasshoppers spring into the air and fly in every direction. They are well camouflaged, and they disappear back into the landscape as quickly as they appear. It is fascinating to realize that there are so many out there.

Another magical creature also calls the meadow home this time of year—the Argiope spider. I found one patiently waiting on its web as grasshoppers flitted past, and I knew that one would soon be caught in its web. As soon as I knelt for a closer look, one hopped into the web. It is always amazing to see how quickly the spider wraps its prey in silk.

Sorry, the video isn’t focusing on the spider in the beginning. It is hard to see what it is in focus because the screen on my phone is small and had a glare. I thought it was still worth posting.

Morning of Blue

The morning river is cool. It flows in blues and grays. It is soft and quiet. The air is gentle. It soothes my eyes and skin and my breath. I am awake, alive in its stillness. I want to wade through the dawn, mindful and respectful, a heron.

Burnt Orange

There is a small grove of coastal redwoods at the arboretum. Underneath them, there is a small bench. I decided to sit on the bench to relax and let go of the busyness of the day. While sitting there, small branches occasionally fell out of the tree and landed on the bench. The vibrancy of the rich, burnt orange color of one of them caught my attention. While enjoying its color, I became fascinated by the shape and texture of the needles—narrow, pointed, and smooth. It was interesting to see the manner in which they were wrapped around a stem that must be underneath. It created such a beautiful pattern.

I put the small branch down on the bench. When I looked back at it a few minutes later, a small jumping spider had crawled up on it and was watching me. It was remarkable to see how its coloration matched the dead needles. I was reminded that there are so many wonders to behold in nature if I sit and take the time to slow down so that I can notice them.

Snowberry Still Blooming

With the end of August approaching, I am surprised to see that snowberry flowers are continuing to emerge. I looked back and found that I had taken photos of it flowering in May. I see many insects visiting the blooms, and I am reminded of how valuable this native plant is as a nectar source.

The Dog Days of Summer

In the early evening, the heat of the day amasses, soaking the earth and sky. Rays of sunlight are slanting across the landscape from the West. Insects are dancing and swirling, catching the light as they frolic along the banks of the river. I feel like the dog days of summer still have us by the tail.

I decided to reimagine the colors of this photo to capture how I was feeling at that moment. I was inspired by the painting by Pierre Bonnard titled The Bay of St.-Tropez and an excerpt from a book that aptly interprets the artwork: “…These dense colors, this solar atmosphere, this sea of strong yellow with its reflections of red clouds, evoke for the spectator the tepid weight of summer hours, the insidious saturation of the skin, the languor of intemporal holidays.”

Reference
The Editors of Realites, Impressionism. Chartwell Books Inc., 1973.

Steller's Jay & Manroot

I have been watching this wonderful vine grow throughout the arboretum this year. I have followed it from the beginning as it sprouted its first vibrant, green leaves in spring to now, as the dried, brown seed pods split open to release their seeds. At the end of this trail, I find the mysterious, radiant blue Steller’s jay collecting the seeds and carrying them off to cache them.

Manroot is a native perennial in the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). Unlike its relatives, this plant is not edible. It gets its name from its large, woody, tuberous root.

Manroot will climb trees, cover shrubs, or flow along the ground. It can form a dense blanket of vines and leaves as it grows. Its coiled tendrils reach out and grasp onto small branches, bark, and other vegetation as it weaves its way through the landscape.

The male and female flowers are separate and on the same plant. Loosely clustered male flowers emerge on a narrow stalk, and that is what you see filling the landscape in spring with soft, white stars. The female flower is short-stalked, close to the vine, and is usually solitary.

The fruit is light green with dark green veins spreading on its surface. It is covered with spines that, fortunately, are fairly soft. Inside, it is fibrous and mostly consists of huge seeds. As the manroot vine dies off for the season, the pods turn brown, split open from the bottom, and release their seeds.

I feel that plants take on another fascinating life and energy as their color, shape, and texture transform as they die. The skin of the seed pod can have a variety of decaying textures and colors. The seeds have a look and feel of small, weathered river stones. They are round and flat with a slight curve. They are pleasant to roll around in my hand and listen to them tumble against each other. The dried leaves are captivating as they hang from the vines like wrinkled capes.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. Hope to see you out there.

Reference
Pojar, Jim, and Andrew MacKinnon. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Revised ed, Lone Pine, 2004.

Bald-faced Hornet

Out at the end of this oak branch is a paper nest of the bald-faced hornet. The adult hornet is 5/8-3/4” long. They have black and white patterns on the face, thorax, abdomen, and first antennal segment. The wings are a smoky coloration.

The nest is constructed of wood pulp. I usually find a hornet on the posts of an old wooden fence along the river trail where they gather the top, soft layer of gray fibers. The nest is built in many layers of cells that are covered from the outside. In the end, the nest becomes this striated swirl of grays that is beautiful and sturdy.

The main entrance of the nest is placed at the bottom. This is easy to see in the second photo of the nest below. I just took this photo yesterday evening. This is the second attempt at building the nest. The first one was torn down. A serious word of caution. The adult hornets are very protective of the nest, and they will not hesitate to defend it if you get too close. They can sting repeatedly, and from my own experience, it is painful!

The diet of the adult consists of nectar, fruit juices, and perhaps eats other insects. The larva feed on insects that are pre-chewed by the adults.

In the late summer, the colony starts to produce males and young queens that will mate. The young mated females will overwinter in the soil or leaf litter—all of the other hornets will die off. The young queen will emerge next year to start a new colony.

At the bottom, there are a couple of photos of a bald-faced hornet on an oak limb that has these red nodules which I think are a type of gall. Maybe the hornets are attracted to these galls because the galls excrete plant juices that they can eat. I haven’t been able to find out more about it yet.

References
Milne, Lorus Johnson, and Margery Milne. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. Knopf: distributed by Random House, 1980.

Harvesting Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are being eaten and carried off to be cached. I can hear the squirrels clamoring around through the hazelnut tree limbs as they search for nuts. When they find one, they will find a perch to eat it, which doesn’t take long. I can hear them gnawing on the shell and see bits of it falling to the ground.

Steller’s Jays are also hopping around through the hazelnut trees gathering nuts. When they will collect one to eat, they take it over to a limb big enough to perch on and to hold the nut. I love watching them hold the nut in their bill and with their feet. Every day over the past week, I have heard them in the trees pounding on the nuts trying to open them. It takes more time and effort for them to open the nuts than their squirrel neighbors.

I am not sure why these squirrels and jays are eating hazelnuts now. They haven’t fully matured. Hazelnuts are usually harvested in the fall. Maybe other food sources are scarce at the moment. Or maybe they just like the taste. Perhaps there are certain nutrients that the nuts provide at the moment that they are craving. Whatever the answer, come fall, there won’t be any left on the trees at the arboretum.