Category Archives: Wildlife & Plants

Pinellas County Florida 

Neighborhoods, Parks & Sanctuaries, Wildlife & Plants, ,

It takes me a full couple of days to drive from our New York home to our winter place in Dunedin, Florida (Pinellas County, Florida) but it is always worth the effort.

Aside from getting to visit and play with our two Florida grandkids and our son and daughter-in-law, getting to walk through the park that adjoins our property every morning is a real treat. The birds and other types of wildlife that seem to be everywhere also lift the spirit that has grown tired of the snowy north and the drab browns of the dormant woodlands of Upstate NY.

One of my favorite things to do is catch the sunset on the Dunedin Causeway. Unless it is one of those rare cloudy evenings, there is always something special about a Florida sunset. The wildlife also seems to enjoy the evening and usually puts on a show that makes it difficult not to take some interesting pictures.

We are blessed to have such a great place to occasionally hang our hats, enjoy being with family who has “flown the coop” of the cold Northwoods and spend a little time warming up and enjoying the sights and sounds of Florida nature.

 

A Glimpse of a Bobcat and the Sound of a Raven

Wildlife & Plants, , , ,

I recently saw in a social media post by a friend that Spring is in the air. I responded that it doesn’t feel that way up here in the North Woods! We are still getting a few snow squalls daily and the cold and wind make it seem like the middle of winter to me.

None the less, I decided to take a few short walks on the country road where we live today because the sun was shining at least. Although it was crisp, I was rewarded twice today with unique wildlife sightings.

On my first walk, I happened to see a Bobcat cross the road in front of me about 25 yards and move into a shrubby field toward the south. I picked up my pace a bit and was able to catch a clear view of the cat and his “bobbed” tail before he/she vanished into the brush. Although we regularly hear and see all sorts of critters in the fields and woods around our home, the sighting of a Bobcat here was a first for me. Interestingly just a few years ago but well into warmer Spring weather I was walking in pretty much the same location when a black bear stepped out of the woods and crossed the road heading north. I not only didn’t speed up my walking pace at that time but came to a dead stop!

The Bobcat is a North American cat with two recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to central Mexico, including most of the contiguous United States. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. It remains in some of its original range, but populations are vulnerable to local extinction by coyotes and domestic animals. (We have loads of coyotes around here.) With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears, the bobcat resembles the other species of the midsized genus Lynx. It is smaller on average than the Canada lynx, with which it shares parts of its range, but is about twice as large as the domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or “bobbed”) tail, from which it derives its name.

Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.

As I was finishing another short walk and about the enter our front door, I heard the low gurgling call of a Common Raven. Although the Raven isn’t all that uncommon in our area, we don’t see or hear them nearly as much as we see and hear crows.

The Common Raven, also known as the Northern Raven, is a large all-black passerine bird. Found across the Northern Hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. There are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance, although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the thick-billed raven, and is possibly the heaviest passerine bird; at maturity, the common raven averages 25 inches in length and 2 1/2 pounds) in mass. Common ravens can live up to 21 years in the wild, a lifespan surpassed among passerines by only a few species. Young birds may travel in flocks but later mate for life, with each mated pair defending a territory.

So, windy and cold or not…I enjoyed the brief encounter with a couple of unique north woods species.

Birding – A Life-long Hobby That Can Be Handed Down

Parks & Sanctuaries, Wildlife & Plants, , , ,

We are regularly being told that our way of life destroys nature. Over the years society, in general, is becoming less and less connected with nature and natural resources. I think this is a dangerous trend for our future. What we don’t understand, appreciate, or value we will not take care of.

I also think that most people are resistant to this type of information, and often say: “Nothing in nature depends on me!” I believe it is very important for this type of thinking be turned around, because we, the people depend on everything in nature for our very existence.

One way to regain a connection with nature is through the hobby of birdwatching or what most people simply call “birding” these days. I found the video below both interesting and entertaining. It presents a story of how a young boy became a birder and later helped famous birdwatcher and artist Roger Tory Peterson sight what Peterson called the “Bird of the century” and then went on to pursue birding as a life-long hobby which he passed on to his own family. Are you doing the same?

https://vimeo.com/110006283

 

The Tufted Titmouse

Wildlife & Plants, , , , , ,

The tufted titmouse is a small songbird from North America that is somewhat common, but still one of my favorite birds to watch all year long.

These birds have grey upperparts and white underparts with a white face, a grey crest, a dark forehead, and a short, stout bill; they have rufous-colored flanks, under the wings. The song is described as a whistled “peter-peter-peter.” (I am ready for Spring when they are among the first birds to start singing.) They make a variety of different sounds, most having a similar tone quality.

Their habitat is deciduous and mixed woods as well as gardens, parks, and shrub-land in the eastern United States; they barely range into southeastern Canada in the Great Lakes region. They are all-year residents in the area effectively circumscribed by the Great Plains, the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The range is expanding northwards, possibly due to increased availability of winter food at bird feeders. The birds are resident all year even in rural areas where there are few bird feeders, while it was noted in an early bird report around 1905 that many of these birds migrated south in winter.

They forage actively on branches, sometimes on the ground, mainly eating insects, especially caterpillars, but also seeds, nuts and berries. They will store food for later use. They tend to be curious about their human neighbors and can sometimes be spotted on window ledges peering into the windows seemingly to watch what’s going on inside. They tend to be a bit shyer when seen at bird feeders; their normal pattern there is to scout the feeder from the cover of trees or bushes, fly to the feeder, take a seed, and fly back to cover to eat it.

Tufted titmice nest in a hole in a tree, either a natural cavity, a human-made nest box, or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. They line the nest with soft materials, sometimes plucking hair from a live animal such as a dog. If they find they find shed snakeskin, they will try to incorporate pieces of it in their nest. Their eggs are under an inch long and are white or cream-colored with brownish or purplish spots. Sometimes, a bird born the year before remains to help its parents raise the next year’s young. The pair may remain together and defend their territory year-round. These birds are permanent residents and often join small mixed flocks in winter.

 

Nature Connections

Communities, Golf Courses, Home Landscapes, Neighborhoods, Parks & Sanctuaries, Wildlife & Plants, ,

A friend of mine mentioned a video production that is focused on Monarch Butterflies and their migration. He is fascinated with the Monarch and the fact that the species is in a population decline.

The film he wants me to see is produced by Louie Schwartzberg, and I have yet to see it. However, in doing some web surfing for information about Schwartzberg, I found that he had given a Ted talk, that I think is just great.

The message is aimed at reminding everyone that we should all slow down, look around and really absorb the various gifts that we are given every day. We all get so wrapped up in the latest political news, the state of the economy, and all our “personal problems” that we simply don’t take the time to look beyond all of this “things” and really appreciate the wonder of nature and the world all around us.

Take just a moment and watch and listen to this presentation:

 

American Hop-hornbeam

Wildlife & Plants, , ,

Have you heard of the American Hop-hornbeam?

American hop-hornbeam, (Ostrya virginiana) is a deciduous, native tree which usually occurs in dry soils on rocky slopes, upland woods, and bluffs throughout its range. A small to medium-sized, understory tree with a generally rounded crown. Typically grows 25-40′ tall with a slightly smaller spread. Features birch-like, oval to lance-shaped, sharply-serrated, dark yellowish-green leaves (to 5″ long). Leaves turn an undistinguished yellow in autumn and often drop early. Flowers are reddish-brown male flowers and greenish female flowers appear in separate catkins on the same tree. Flowers are not particularly showy, although the male catkins are more prominent and are present throughout winter. Female catkins are followed by drooping clusters of sac-like, seed-bearing pods which, as the common name suggests, somewhat resemble the fruit of hops. Also, commonly called ironwood because of its extremely hard and dense wood.

The hop-like papery sack encases a nutlet that is the fruit of this tree and is a winter food for ring-necked pheasants, rabbits, grouse, turkeys, deer, squirrels, and several songbirds. These fruits occur in clusters that resemble true hops that are used in the production of beer.

Native Range: Eastern North America, Mexico 

Zone: 3 to 9

Height: 25.00 to 40.00 feet

Spread: 20.00 to 30.00 feet

Bloom Time: April

Bloom Description: Red-brown (male); light green (female)

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium

Maintenance: Low

Suggested Use: Shade Tree, Street Tree

Flower: Insignificant

Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Clay Soil

Maple Tree Tar Spot

Wildlife & Plants,

Several different fungi infect the leaves of maples and cause raised, black spots to form on upper leaf surfaces. The diseases are called “tar spots” because their appearance so closely resembles droplets of tar on leaf surfaces. Tar spot alone is rarely serious enough to threaten the health of trees, but sometimes there can be so many spots that the tree becomes unsightly. Heavy infections can also cause early leaf drop — a circumstance that causes the greatest consternation to homeowners because lawns are littered and must be raked before autumn officially arrives. Here in several upstate New York communities tar spot on Norway maple is particularly troublesome because of early leaf drop.

The first symptoms of infection by a tar spot fungus usually show up in mid-June as small (less than 1/8-inch diameter), pale yellow spots. The spots enlarge and their yellow color intensifies as the season progresses. On red maple and silver maple, a black spot usually develops in each yellow spot by mid-July to early August. The black spot grows in diameter and thickness until, by late summer, it truly does look like a spot of tar. The surface of the spot may have a pattern of wavy indentations or ripples.

Another form of tar spot affects striped and Norway maples. On these trees 20 to 50 small spots, each no larger than a pin-head, appear in late July or early August. On striped maple, the spots do not enlarge much after they first appear. On Norway maple, however, the spots grow and eventually may even merge to yield a larger black mass up to 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter. The surface may be slightly roughened to smooth, but will not be rippled. The fungus may allow attack on the seeds of maple also.

The fungi that cause tar spots overwinter on infected leaves that fall to the ground. The following spring, just as new leaves are unfolding, the fungal tissue in the leaves on the ground ripens.

The surfaces of the spots split and minute, needlelike spores escape. The spores are carried about by wind and if they land on new leaves of a susceptible host they may germinate, penetrate the leaf tissue, and start a new disease cycle.

Current research has shown that the tar spot fungus does not cause long-term damage to the host. The most effective management practice in a home lawn situation is to rake and destroy leaves in the fall.

This will reduce the number of overwintering “spots” (containing the fungal reproductive structures) which can produce spores the following spring. However, where other infected trees are growing nearby, those leaves should also be raked and destroyed. Mulching leaves will suffice to destroy many of the spots before they mature, but the mulch pile should be covered or turned before new leaves begin to emerge in the spring.

Application of fungicides are possible when high levels of infection become unacceptable but control of the disease is difficult. Complete coverage of leaf tissue is needed for success and this can be difficult on mature maples. Also, the appearance of the disease has become widespread across much of New York State, and if others in a neighborhood setting are not managing the disease on their trees with fungicides or proper sanitation, the act of spraying may be a waste of time and money

Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary

Wildlife & Plants, , ,

Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary was formerly the home and property of Robert and Leona (Train) Rienow.  As a State University at Albany Professor, Robert Rienow was the author of numerous books about the environment, government, and civic involvement. Leona Train Rienow was also an author who produced several children’s books. Together, the Rienow’s wrote or co-authored numerous books, including The Year of the Last Eagle and their best-known A Moment in the Sun, which was the first book to focus public attention on the condition of America’s environment. This book was the inspiration for the first Earth Day.  Upon his death in 1988, the sanctuary was bequeathed to the Audubon Society of New York State and transitioned from what the Rienow’s called Hollyhock Hollow Farm to Hollyhock
Hollow Sanctuary. Today the sanctuary is open as a public-use area for passive recreation.

With over 140 acres of natural beauty, hiking trails, and distinctive geology carved out by the Onesquethaw Creek, Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Several miles of hiking trails traverse the sanctuaries woods with visitors being able to pass through several distinct habitat types as well as being witness to some historical evidence of long-past human activity. This includes numerous stone walls and even remnants of a small stone quarry where it is said that some of the stones for the building of the Brooklyn Bridge came from.

I had the pleasure of knowing Robert Rienow and it was our friendship that led him to bequeath Hollyhock Hollow to the Audubon Society of New York State, where I served as President and CEO for 25 years. That organization was headquartered at Hollyhock Hollow until my retirement and they have since relocated to Rensselaer County, NY. I am happy
that one of my sons, Kelly Dodson and his company Audubon Landscape Services has been retained by Audubon to maintain the landscapes of Hollyhock Hollow, however.

Dr. Rienow always kept his property open for public use and enjoyment. In that tradition, Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary is also open and free for public use. Historically significant and really a place where the environmental movement was born, Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary is a true treasure in the Capital Region of New York.
About twelve miles from Albany, NY, the sanctuary serves as an outdoor classroom for the nearby schools, as well as a recreational space for cross-country skiers, spelunkers, artists, and scout groups. Whether you are planning to explore the unique features of the area or are simply looking to take a long, quiet walk, visitors are welcome every day from dawn until dusk.

Directions:

From I-87, the NYS Thruway, take exit 22 for NY-144 toward NY-396/Selkirk. Turn right onto NY-144 S/River Road. Take the first right onto NY-396 W/Maple Avenue Keep right at the fork and continue to follow NY-396 W for about four miles. Turn right onto Co Rd 102/Old Quarry Road. Take the second left onto Rarick Road and continue for a third of a mile.

From Albany, take US-9W S and merge onto NY-32 S/Delmar Bypass via the ramp to Delmar. Follow NY-32 S for about three miles. At the third traffic light, turn left onto Co Rd 102/Old Quarry Road and continue for three miles. Turn right onto Rarick Road and continue for a third of a mile.

A Trip to the Singing Wilderness

Parks & Sanctuaries, Wildlife & Plants, ,

I have recently been re-reading a book titled, The Singing Wilderness, by Sigurd Olson. The

book was originally published back in 1956, but my first reading of it was in 1980. That was the year that I learned about Sigurd Olson and his fight to save the American wilderness.

In the late 1980s, I was nearing the end of several years of living in Henderson, Kentucky, and my own ongoing battles to promote conservation and environmental protection in that part of the country. Because I was planning to move from Kentucky, and as a final adventure in nature, a long-time friend of mine and I decided to make a week-long venture into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Northern Minnesota. While doing research for the planned trip, I discovered Sigurd Olson and his book. If you have never heard of Olson or The Singing Wilderness, I recommend that you do some reading about both. Or WATCH THIS FILM

We drove from Kentucky to Ely, Minnesota, which became our launching point into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Once we were all geared up by a local outfitter, we paddled off into a world of deep blue water and sky and emerald green trees. What an adventure we had! For an entire week, we saw not another person and we heard not a sound, other than the sounds created by nature. Within just a few hours all the stress that both of us had been feeling from the constant political arguments we had been involved with throughout the past months and years, simply melted away.

We plotted a daily course to a new campsite, we fished, we watched loons, we drank long, cool drinks of water directly from the lake and frequently we simply floated in the middle of some remote body of water and soaked in the sounds of “nothingness!” Many
afternoons we would cruise to some small island, come ashore for a bite to eat and then find some perfect place to sit on the shore, cast a lure or simply nod off in the blissful peace and quiet.

It took this trip for me to re-connect with nature and remember why it was that I care so much about, and fought so hard to protect the environment. In this fast-paced, and technologically-based society we live in, it is now even more important that we all re-connect with nature. You don’t have to take a week-long trip into the wilderness to do this either. But, you do need to find a “piece of nature” that you can take a stroll in, or just find a tree stump to sit on and listen. This natural spot does need to be at least far enough away from the constant noise of automobiles and the hubbub of “progress” so that you can actually hear nature speaking to you.

The re-reading of The Singing Wilderness brought back memories of that great trip in 1981 to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. What great memories it conjures up! However, in writing this post I decided to do a bit of research about this fantastic natural treasure and I am sorry to have learned about a proposed plan to create a Copper-Nickle mining operation within the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area watershed! Does the attack on nature ever stop?! I have already written to voice my opposition to this proposed, toxic disaster in the making. I urge you to visit Save The Boundary Waters and voice your own concerns.

In the meantime, find your own area of nature and go listen to what the birds, trees, and wind say to you.

“Wilderness to the people of America is a spiritual necessity, an antidote to the high pressure of modern life, a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium.” Sigurd Olson