Alders Blooming

Sunday’s high was 69 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celcius). It’s kind of hard to believe since it was only two weeks ago that we had below-freezing temperatures and a brutal ice storm.

Alders are blooming. I want to say this one is a white alder, but, for me, they can be tricky to tell apart from red alders in the winter. Anyways, there were many of these cool syrphid flies with black and yellow bodies roaming around on the catkins eating pollen. This must be a very appreciated food source for this time of year. I read that some species overwinter as adults, which this one seems to be doing. They were cooperative in allowing me to look at them and take their photo. There were also lots of honeybees collecting pollen. I could see yellow pollen baskets or saddlebags clinging to their back legs. I found two other flies on the catkins too and they were a little more jumpy if you got too close or moved too fast. Other small flies were on the catkins but they are small and are easily stirred into flight. I saw a jumping spider catch one of them and crawl out onto a twig with it.

It’s interesting how many insects are still active and how many plants bloom in winter.

Red-flowering Currant

I was making a cup of tea the other day and the little square tag attached to the teabag had this quote on it by Lao Tzu: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” I agree, earthtime is slow. That said, I am often surprised every spring by flowers that have seemingly appeared overnight! So, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite plants early so you can tune in and watch as it starts to grow. The buds on the one in my backyard are already starting to open.

Meet the red-flowering currant. This native shrub has vibrant, pink flower clusters for which the plant is named. The flowers are a welcome splash of color in early spring, a great source of nectar, and are visited often by bumblebees and hummingbirds.

Ripe in early summer, the berries are blue-black with a white, waxy bloom. Its frosty, cool surface reminds me of a celestial life form that has become peppered with cosmic freckles in its travels through the universe. This shrub could easily be called Blue Stardust berry or Blue Galaxy berry. I love the contrast between the radiant, pink flowers and the wintry-blue berry.

The field guide Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast states that the fruit is “unpalatable” or “edible but insipid.” I find the taste to be okay, but the berries are seedy.

The leaves are 1.5 - 4 inches, 5-lobed, and form an elegant shrub that can grow from 5 to 12 feet tall.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. I look forward to seeing you out there.

Resources
Mathews, Daniel. Cascade-Olympic Natural History. Raven Editions in conjunction with the Audubon Society of Portland, 1988.

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

Arboretum Closed After Ice Storm

Ice storms are a powerful force of nature. The weight of all the ice coating the limbs is a tremendous load to bear. In the wake of this recent storm, many trees have fallen or were severely damaged. It’s heartbreaking to see and difficult to process. Mt. Pisgah Arboretum and Lane County Parks are forming a plan to start clearing the paths and healing this cherished place where so many people come to renew their spirits in nature. The websites and social media pages of Mt. Pisgah Arboretum and the Lane County Parks are the best ways to stay informed about this process.

Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle

I found this interesting lady beetle the other day in the redwood grove. Its entire body is a shiny, polished black, which gives it a well-armored look and feel. Its wings each have a bold red-orange spot that is kind of blotchy and not a well-formed circle.

The different species can be difficult to tell apart. Iowa State University’s BugGuide had this to say: “Several species of Chilocorus in western North America cannot be separated by external features, along with an introduced species. C. stigma is also best included in this grouping for those on the boundary of known ranges.” I wonder how they decide on a different species, especially if they can’t be separated by external features.

The introduced Kuwana’s lady beetle (Chilocorus kuwanae) pretty much looks identical to Chilocorus stigma, a native to the U.S. and Canada. Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences writes: “ Spots of C. kuwanae tend to be deep red and rectangular and located near the center of the wing. In contrast, spots of C. stigma tend to be more orange-yellow, round and oriented more toward the head of the beetle.” Again, there are very subtle differences in differentiating between the two that seem like it could be difficult to tell in the field.

My focus quickly started to shift away from the quagmire of identification to wonder and appreciation of nature. Like other lady beetles, they are beautiful and beneficial insects that help maintain the balance of nature by eating other insects, such as aphids and scale insects. See you out there!

Bird's Nest Fungus

The last few days the weather has been exciting with dark skies full of drenching rain approaching on the horizon. As the storms moved past, the sun bobbed in and out of residual clouds of foamy whites and ponderous grays wading across the sky. Rays of light illuminated beads of rain hanging on the branches, and tiny spectrums were refracted on their surfaces. As I sat watching the droplets fall from the canopy, I discovered a small caldron brimming with magical coins nestled on the forest floor—a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Winter is Springing

Even though winter has just begun, many plants are slowly beginning to sprout and grow in the hillside forest and the wetlands. The wrapped leaves of the giant trillium are pushing up through the soil. The first leaves of Nuttall’s toothwort are formed and scattered across the landscape. The paw-print-like leaves of the western snakeroot are a vibrant green. The toothed leaves of the purple snakeroot are spreading open. The feathery leaves of cicely have nudged their way up through the layers of decaying leaf litter. The waterleaf is starting to form its carpet of greenery. There are small bouquets of larkspur arranged throughout the wetlands. A patch of stinging nettles is starting to develop.

I love all of the different shapes and shades of green.

Incense Cedar Branch Tip Mystery

The male cones of the incense cedar are out by the millions, literally, and they are starting to release their pollen. The male cones are small but they are easy to see. If the male cones are out releasing pollen, then the female cones must be around too. They are not as obvious, and I used Oregon State University’s incense-cedar webpage to help me out with identifying them.

If you look at the first photo below, you can see the light brown male cones and on the end of the branch, you can see the female cones. I took a few close-ups of the female cones to show you the small compact, rosette of leaves that forms a small nodule at the tip. They start to turn slightly yellow as they form.

I decided to cut one open to see what it looked like inside. To my surprise, the first ones I cut open were slightly discolored and had a small, orange caterpillar inside. I started to wonder if this caterpillar was causing the little nodule on the tip of the branch. I eventually found one that didn’t have the caterpillar inside. It is the fourth photo below and it appears that it contains some sort of ovaries to receive the pollen. That photo was taken with a macro lens that I fit over my phone. I wanted a more magnified image, and I tried looking at the cone under a microscope in the nature center at the arboretum. They were pretty much the same as my macro lens. Plus the microscopes are fairly old and the image quality wasn’t as good as I would have liked.

I have continued to open these female cones and every one of them has contained that caterpillar. I didn’t want to pick anymore off the tree so I looked on the ground in the golden carpet of male cones that had fallen off. Mixed in are a bunch of the female-looking cones and the few that I opened had the orange caterpillar inside. So far, I have only been able to find that one cone that didn’t contain a caterpillar.

So, at the moment I still have mysteries to solve, questions to answer. What is that orange caterpillar going to become? Were the eggs laid inside the female cones or do tips with the caterpillars look similar to the female cones at this point? I also want to know why so many male cones are dropping off the tree, has all of their pollen been released already? There are so many falling off the trees at the moment, that you can see them bouncing off the ground and feel them pelting the top of your hat. Why are the tips with the female caterpillars being dropped too? Will the caterpillar survive on the ground? Is this part of its life cycle?

I’ll keep you posted when I find out anything. Nature is an inexhaustible source of mysteries and wonder. I hope to see you out there.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I feel that is always good to ring in the new year with the dark-eyed junco. They have a gentle spirit and are often at the entrance to welcome you to the arboretum. May we all be more gentle with each other and with nature as we journey together into 2024. May your time in nature be peaceful and rejuvenating. I look forward to seeing you out there.

Winter Butterfly

During the second day of winter, there was a brief period of sunshine and warmth in the afternoon. I was down by the river sitting on a log soaking up some rays and my surroundings. To my surprise, a butterfly came fluttering over and flew around me. It also decided to perch on a log and take in the warmth of the sun’s rays.

I looked it up and decided that it was a California Tortoiseshell butterfly. On Art Shapiro’s Butterfly Site, Dr. Art Shapiro, professor of Evolution and Ecology at the University of California, Davis, states: “The ‘Tortie’ overwinters as an adult and can sometimes be seen sunning itself in midwinter on mild days.” Hooray!

Where was it waiting for this warm and sunny afternoon on the second day of winter? It must find fascinating places to shelter from the cold and rain.

It was a reminder to me to be open to the unexpected, or maybe it’s better said that I need to go out into nature without expectations.

Reference
Nymphalis Californica | Art Shapiro’s Butterfly Site. https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly/nymphalis/californica. Accessed 29 Dec. 2023.

River Debris Bouquet

Plant debris from the high water flowing across the gravel bar wraps around willow branches growing along the river’s edge creating these beautiful bouquets. They eloquently capture the fluidity of the water and the torrential spirit of the river’s rain-swollen stream.

River Debris Nest

We had some steady rain about a week ago. The river was swollen and swirling with mud and debris. There was enough water to flow over an old gravel bar that is covered with a thin layer of soil. Along the edge of the gravel bar there are willows, old fallen trees, blackberries, cottonwoods, etc. Heaps of debris get caught on this vegetation and create these beautiful nests or dam-like formations. They are mostly constructed of stalks of grass and sticks. All of the small, light matter settles out on top of them as the water recedes. As I poked around, I found all kinds of fascinating objects and took a heap of photos to show you. I spent hours out there looking. I felt that I was constantly finding new and interesting shapes, colors and patterns. It was as if a ship full of treasures had crashed upstream and all of the riches had washed ashore.

Decaying Leaves

The decaying leaves are
thick and red.
The rain soaks through them
enriching the marrow
of the earth.
The river is swirling
and muddy
and full of elemental silt.
The rushing water
pushes and pulls
against the river’s hips,
its menstrual flow
bringing life.
Someday my body will reenter
the stream as the rain falls
from the sky.
Dissolving my memories
and unlocking my emotions,
reabsorbing into the moss.

Exploring Moss

My visit to a patch of moss was most certainly an adventure in a miniature world. As I peered into this small-scale landscape, I found many interesting life forms.

On the tip of a cluster of leaves, I found a small snail. Without magnification, it looked like a small piece of dirt.

Small mushrooms grew throughout the patch and appeared like tiny, illuminated lanterns.

Peeling back a bed of moss revealed a small spider eating a red mite.

The webbing of a tiny piece of fishnet lichen looked like it could ensnare a giant.

I held out my sketch pad next to the trunk of a tree and lightly brushed my hand over a patch of moss. Many creatures too small to identify landed on the paper and began crawling around.

Farther down on the tree, I saw a granddaddy long legs looking for food. It was cool to watch as it moved across the top of the moss and sank its body into the canopy to look inside.

This is only a small glimpse of the amount of life and diversity in a bed of moss. It is fascinating to think about all of the life unfolding in front of me that I am so unaware of.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

The rain-saturated reefs of mosses and lichens growing throughout the arboretum soften my eyes and quiet my mind. The ruby-crowned kinglet scribbles a path through the canopy. Its body bounces from limb to limb in a ricochet of darting straight lines and cursive swoops. Overstuffed with joy, a stitch loosens across the top of its head slightly opening a seam. I catch a glimpse of a flare, a brilliance, an illumination. Unravel the threads and let the coins spill out of your purse. Reveal your hidden treasure, a sleeping ember waiting to catch a breath of air and ignite your ruby crown!

Grass Thatched Caterpillar

The rain train has been rolling through town and bringing lots of warmth and moisture to the valley. While walking around in the fairly balmy weather, especially for December, I noticed seeds on the grass stalks were sprouting. The seed heads reminded me of miniature grass thatched roofs. I wondered if people were originally inspired, on some level perhaps, to build huts based on seeing this. The more I looked at it, the seed head segmented into tiny huts with grass sprouting out reminded me of a fuzzy caterpillar. Nearby on a fallen, decaying tree was a patch of fungus. I imagined my grass caterpillars spinning a cocoon and metamorphosing into these radiant, banded creatures. Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder, inspiration, and imagination. I hope to see you out there.

Spotted Towhee Eating Poison Oak Berries

Poison oak grows throughout most of the ecosystem at Mt. Pisgah Arboretum. The other day I watched a spotted towhee eating the berries. I was curious to see if it was listed in their diet on All About Birds by The Cornell Lab. Check out what they listed: “In the breeding season, Spotted Towhees eat mainly insects including ground beetles, weevils, ladybugs, darkling beetles, click beetles, wood-boring beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, moths, bees, and wasps. Other leaf-litter arthropods such as millipedes, sowbugs, and spiders are taken as well. They also eat acorns, berries, and seeds including buckwheat, thistle, raspberry, blackberry, poison oak, sumac, nightshade, chickweed, and crops such as oats, wheat, corn, and cherries. In fall and winter, these plant foods make up the majority of their diet.” It is amazing to realize the varied diet of some birds.

Most of the time the spotted towhee will be on the ground foraging. It will do this little backward shuffle with both feet to clear away debris on the ground. This will uncover/flush insects or reveal seeds underneath. Watching a towhee forage, I am fascinated by the amount of food that it finds on the ground. Most of it is gobbled up before I can see what it was or it is too small. It’s also fascinating to realize just how much time they have to spend looking for food. Especially at this time of year, most of my birdwatching is observing birds forage for food. If you want to have birds in your yard like the spotted towhee, it is necessary to grow native plants and leave the leaf litter and other plant debris on the ground to create a habitat for them to forage. Happy birding!

Sporophytes

I recently read Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Gathering Moss. It is a fascinating tale of the life of mosses and it sent me out into the world with a new awareness.

In the photo, there is a cushy bed of moss. In this species, thin red stalks growing out have green capsules on the end that contain spores. These structures are known as the sporophytes and are the result of sexual reproduction. When the spores mature, they will be released, hopefully finding a suitable place to land and grow.

Here’s a small, general overview which I mostly gleaned from the book, but I also watched several videos and perused some articles on the internet. After finishing the book, I decided to go back and start rereading it from the beginning. I also need to invest in a magnifying lens because the world of mosses is miniature.

Depending on the species, mosses can either have separate male and female on leafy shoots or they can have both the male and female on the same shoot on different stems. The sexual organ is usually at the tip, hidden in a cluster of leaves. The female structure is called the archegonium and the male structure is called the antheridium. For the sperm to reach the egg, it needs to be transported through water. That can be accomplished by several ways. The water collected between the leaves of the moss can act as an avenue for the sperm to swim to fertilize the egg. Rain splashing onto the antheridium can carry the sperm in droplets of water. Also, droplets of water containing sperm can cling to tiny creatures living in mosses and as they move around, they can aid in transporting the sperm to the egg.

Robin mentions in her book that she has seen birds eating the sporophytes. I captured a couple of photos of a junco hopping around on a limb, and it appears to be foraging on them.

Solace

The cottonwood leaves are golden.
They shimmer against an infinite blue
like reflections of the sun’s rays across
the surface of the river.
They brush against each other in the wind
echoing the music of last night’s rainsong.
They are starting to fall.
Their bodies are forming a patchwork
of yellows and browns on the ground.
The calls of jays resound
through the landscape
like a clamoring of sewing machines
stitching the leaves together.
A pattern that could never be duplicated.
Foamy clouds blow in from the ocean
and drift by momentarily
blocking the lazy warmth of the sun.
I am awakened by the cool, clean
sheets of air.
I want to bring you out here.
Launch you like a kite
and sail you high above the earth.
Watch you shimmer
golden against an infinite blue.
In a rush of wind, I will let go
and set you free.

I love looking at the blanket of leaves on the ground underneath the trees. The warm earth tones and the complexity of the pattern on the ground are as hypnotic as watching them shimmer in the wind on the tree.

Occasionally I’ll come across a huge cottonwood leaf on the ground. The one in the photo below is 8 inches tall (not including the stem) and 7 inches wide.

Fall Recap

I wanted to bring some of my recent posts together and introduce a few more cast members.

In the light of the tilting earth, the wind sweeps in rain and cool air igniting the landscape in a warmth of colors and the plumage of fall spreads its wings in a dazzling display.

Newts dreamily saunter around in the mosaic of colors blanketing the forest floor, bathing in the moisture and the sweetness of decaying leaves.

Chipmunks scurry about highways of mossy logs and secret passageways through the tangled debris on the forest floor. In their bustling excursions, they find time to rest and soak up some rays that occasionally break through the clouds.

Mosses and lichens are awakened and restored by the rain. Their lush and bright spirits have come back to the forefront of my awareness.

It is easy to find yourself spending more time indoors this time of year, but there is so much to experience and explore! Bundle up, and I hope to see you out there.

While our deciduous friends are shedding their foliage and entering a season of rest, licorice ferns are awakening. Their vibrant green illuminates my spirit in winter’s waning light. Their fronds create beautiful patterns as they grow and overlap in a lush carpet on the ground or cascade down the side of a tree.

Ruby-crowned kinglets return to the valley to spend the winter. They acrobatically zip and zing through the bare branches celebrating life.

The rain creates mud where you can find footprints recording the comings and goings of animals.

Spider Web Galaxy

It was a misty day, and it was like walking in the clouds. My world was enveloped in infinite infinitesimal droplets of water. The world was close and intimate. It opened and expanded when I saw a web illuminated by an astronomical amount of starlets of water. A spider spun from glass laid at the center of the galactic web like a constellation.