Reflecting On the Year: A Fitting Plant To End 2021
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It is difficult to approach the end of a year without taking at least a quick peek over your shoulder at the days, weeks and months that have passed before the number on the calendar trips over to a new year. Like so many of us, this year at Harmony Hill has brought laughter that lifted our spirits and grief that reached deep into our souls. We had busy times that had our heads spinning, quiet moments that recharged our batteries, days with family surrounding us, and hours in the forests alone. Even with loss still part of 2021, we are filled with the joy and hope found in nature. And when preparing to focus on a species as our last for the year, we were reminded of one wildflower in particular that may very well encompass this year for us. For many reasons, Euonymus americanus is our final discussion on the flora and fauna of Harmony Hill for this year.
If you’ve ambled in the woods with us very much, you’ll know we often mention the problem with common names. From birds to plants, what common names a species is called may depend on geographic location, family tradition or even whimsy. Green Herons (Butorides virescens) can be called Little Herons, Green Bittern or Shitepoke, all depending upon where you are and who you ask! The same barrage of common names accompanies Euonymus americanus. What folks call this plant, outside of the scientific name, is as varied as the weather in March.
Sometimes called American Strawberry Bush, Strawberry Bush and Wahoo Shrub, this plant could fill a small phonebook with its common names. Our personal favorite common names, however; happen to be Hearts-a-bustin’ and, especially, Hearts-a-burstin’, because that is precisely how we feel when we look back at this year focusing on the wonders and beauty found outside at Harmony Hill.
Hearts-a-burstin’ isn’t a horribly uncommon plant across its range of New York to Florida, and westward to Missouri and Texas. Though it prefers moist areas with at least some shade, it can be found in a variety of soil types, from clay to sand. Even with its preference for moist soils, it is not tolerant of standing water or flooding; so, it often found near the creek banks at Harmony Hill.
For much of the year, Hearts-a-burstin’ tends to be a fairly inconspicuous plant. The leaves are not large and neither is the plant itself. While it can grow to six feet in height and even form a thin “hedge”, it tends to be sparse and little more than two to four feet tall at Harmony Hill. The small white flowers that bloom in the late spring are not showy at all. Many people might even walk past them without noticing them as they bloom through May and June.
Come the fall of the year, this nondescript plant takes center stage wherever it is found. Those little white flowers that attracted very little attention in the spring transform into a fruiting body that demands attention! Suddenly, bumpy pods of reddish-lavender that hang from the green stems of the shrub draw your eye directly to them.
As lovely as those pods are, they still have one more gorgeous trick up their sleeves. True to their names, these “hearts” burst wide open to reveal several orange-red seeds, completing a vibrant metamorphosis from small, plain white flowers to nearly neon fruit. And with that transition, it becomes clear where the myriad common names originate. It doesn’t take much imagination to see strawberries and bursting hearts hanging from those stems.
The scientific name provides an added appreciation for this plant. The genus name of Euonymus is a reference to the “honored name” of Euonymus, son of Gaia. Gaia, of course, was the Greek deity who was the personification of Earth and birthed the beauty of nature. Euonymous was also the half-brother of Narcissus (or full brother, depending upon which mythologies you read). With all of the faults of Narcissus, a beautiful flower of the same name sprouted in the spot where he died; bringing another layer to the family connection to plants!
Of course, the species name indicates it found in America.
But are there other Euonymus species found other places? Glad you asked!
There are other, indeed, species found on other continents. Of particular interest, Spindle Tree (Euonymus europaeus) is more familiar to you than you think. The fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is rooted, forgive the pun, in the Euonymus genus. The spindle that pricked her finger and put her fast asleep was of the Spindle Tree!
All of this is a play upon plants in this genus being poisonous to humans, with vomiting, upset stomach and other serious digestive issues accompanying consumption. As an aside, a number of Native American tribes found ways to utilize this plant to attempt to treat stomach ailments.
Hearts-a-burstin’ reproduces most often by suckers and runners. The seeds of Hearts-a-burstin’ are viable, but are not as a reliable way to propagate when compared to suckers.
A few species of birds, such as Northern Cardinals, thrushes and Northern Mockingbirds dine on the seeds. White-tailed Deer are known to graze readily on the stems of Hearts-a-burstin’, assisting in the pruning of some of the sprouting suckers that might zap the main plant of valuable water and nutrients.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our last virtual nature walk together this year and we hope that, like us, your hearts are a-burstin’ with love for nature and with sincere gratitude for another year to make a positive difference in this world. And we also hope looking more closely at Euonymus americanus has given you a deeper respect for the plants and animals right outside your backdoor.
Thank you for joining us on our visits and we look forward to many more journeys together with you in the new year. Peace and light to you all in 2022!
For our friend, Kurt… you are still loved and lifted. Our hearts are still a-burstin’ with wonderful memories of you. Thank you for your smile and your goodness.
A December Surprise and Mystery Moth
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It has been a rather warm winter at Harmony Hill and, even with some chilly nights, the days have been sunny and very pleasant. Shortly after sunrise, the radiant heat of the sun brings the temperatures up and we often bask in that lovely yellow glow. Just as we have enjoyed the warm days extending towards the end of the year, it is clear we aren’t the only ones in the forests taking advantage of the delightful rays. Turtles sit on logs in the creek, birds flit around during the shortened days and we’ve even seen dragonflies darting around as they hunt. Reptiles and birds aren’t unexpected as we prepare to turn the calendar, but the levels of insect activity we’ve seen is a bit of a surprise.
It is true that we never truly get cold at Harmony Hill, especially when compared to the northeast, upper Midwest, and Rocky Mountains. We rarely see snow and single digit temperatures are unheard of here. However, we’ve typically seen a few hard frosts by now and insect activity is usually diminished. This December has been different and one morning, we were quite surprised to find an insect well outside of the timeframe it would be expected.
Not only are we going to talk about an observation that was unexpected, but we’re also going to look at a genus of insects we know very little about. You see, there’s still magic out there in nature and we aren’t even close to knowing all the answers to many of the mysteries she holds close to her vest.
There are places in the forests of Harmony Hill where Eastern Red Cedars (Juniperus virginiana) grow in small stands. The beautiful, deep green backdrop provided by these evergreen trees is a welcome scene this time of year. Most of our oaks, hickories, ashes, and dogwoods have dropped their leaves for the season; and the majority of the pines here are tall enough that they hold their needles well above our heads. But the cedars bring their emerald curtain limbs and needles low to the ground. It was against that verdant screen that a bright yellow spot caught our eye.
Walking towards that contrast in hue, we began to smile as we realized it was not a dead leaf, but a moth that grabbed our attention. And this moth was a couple of months beyond when we would normally see it on the wing.
Geometer Moths (Family Geometridae) are not as vivid as some species of moths, such as Regal Moth (Citheronia regalis) or Luna Moth (Actias luna); nor do they fly with the flair of their Sphinx Moth (Sphingidae) relatives. But they have a subdued beauty all their own and, believe it or not, they are one of the first moths you learn about as a child.
You see, the word “geometer” translates to “earth measurer” and that is one incredibly fitting name for their caterpillars. The diminutive inch worms we encounter as children, of which there are thousands of species, eventually metamorphize into geometer moths!
There are many superstitions associated with the caterpillars for geometer moths. It was believed they measured the ground as they inched along, giving them their name of “earth measurer”. One particularly morbid old wives’ tales even said that, should you see an inch worm crawling on you, it is measuring you for your coffin!
Have no fear. There is no evidence, whatsoever, that this is at all true!
One thing all geometer moths have in common, regardless of species or location, is a fairly cryptic coloration and pattern meant to blend into their surroundings. That slight camouflage can be seen in the photo of our moth. The brownish spots are irregular and break up the line of sight of a potential predator. In fact, when perched against dead leaves, the moth can be nearly invisible. That is something we see regularly in the Lepidoptera Order of insects, which includes butterflies and moths. (Lepidoptera translates to scale-wing. Ever handle a butterfly or moth and notice a dusty residue on your fingers? That is the scales from their wings and, if enough of those scales are lost or damaged, they can lose the ability to fly.)
Now, in all of this, you’ll notice we have yet to tell you which species this moth is. That’s because we aren’t entirely sure! The best we can do is offer you the two most likely species it might be! Part of being a good naturalist is to admit when you don’t know something and to embrace the unknowns in nature. You see, we don’t have to go to tropical rainforests, distant islands, or faraway locations to find mysteries in nature. Today, we embrace one of these mysteries.
This moth is either the False Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype urticaria) or the true Crocus Geometer Moth (Xanthotype sospeta). We can’t be sure! They look identical, fly exactly the same way, and are found in the same habitats! They’re even genetically the same!
Without dissecting this moth and looking at very specific and intricate differences in genitalia, there’s very little we can do to differentiate the two. Perhaps, if we were lucky enough to find the caterpillar feeding on one of the few host plants that doesn’t overlap between the two species, we could more readily identify exactly which we observed. The fact of the matter is, we don’t have the equipment to effectively dissect and study the genitalia and we didn’t see the caterpillar on a plant that might clue us in. Therefore, we share the excitement of not being certain! And we encourage you to get excited about what is yet to be discovered as absolute!
It is likely that the caterpillar of this moth may have fed on the leaves of goldenrod (Solidago sp.) or dogwood (Cornus sp.) at Harmony Hill. But, we have yet to document the caterpillar of either specie feeding here, yet.
Finally, we mentioned earlier that we were shocked to see this moth flying around in December. The latest we have observed this genus of moth on the wing was mid-October, and that was considered later than normal. The usual flight for these moths is from April to September; so, seeing it in December was both an unexpected delight and quite a surprise. It could be that these later observations will become the new normal, as climate change pushes warmer temperatures later into the winter and much earlier in the spring at Harmony Hill.
This is where our walks in forests and fields become more important, not just for our mental health; but, for understanding the current state of natural history for our area. What a wonderful thing! To clear our minds and expand our understanding of nature, all in the act of being out in our wonderful Harmony Hill.
Old Man Coyote: A Relative Newcomer to Harmony Hill
Nature is dynamic. There is never a time when some form of change isn’t rippling through the ecosystems of Harmony Hill. It can be something as simple as the passing of daylight to nighttime or it can be more pronounced, such as the shortening of the days as we march towards winter from fall. Many of our conversations here echo the principles of change on the landscape. Whether it is our story of trees falling and giving their energy to the forest floor as they decompose or of the return of the Wild Turkey to our fields and woodlands, you don’t have to dig too deeply to see change molds the story of the land.
Thirty days ago, we saw leaves begin to change and fall to the ground. One hundred years ago, a large reservoir was formed by damming a nearby river. Three hundred years ago, settlers cleared forests to expand the footprint of agriculture in the area. Harmony Hill is no stranger to change. This land has seen old things pass and new things emerge. She has seen common things become rare and scarce things become more regular. The ebb and flow of change is constant.
About 40 years ago, a new visitor came to Harmony Hill. This newcomer was well-traveled. A westerner that had walked the desert southwest, hiked the Rocky Mountains and looked out over the vast flatlands of the Great Plains, Harmony Hill welcomed an immigrant who was no stranger to persecution and to finding new places to seek out a life. This arrival was not from the other side of the world, nor was it from across the vastness of the oceans. The trotting of the four-legged tenant may have signaled a change on the landscape, but it was from a species that originated right here in North America and was unique in its natural history, its intelligence and in the way humans view it.
Coyotes (Canis latrans) were historically a species only found in western North America. But, after decades of being poisoned, hunted, chased, and expelled from their western range, they began investigating areas well east of their normal territories. As part of that expansion eastward, they made their way to Harmony Hill sometime in the early 1980s. In the time they’ve been here, just over a generation now, we’ve seen that hunting and unwarranted disdain carry over to their more recent eastern seaboard homes. To understand them as a species, we must also look at the negative way some humans view them. For it is the influence of humans on them that has been a defining part of their story; impacting their range, their numbers, and their behavior.
The overall list of reviled and misunderstood species in North America can be short or long, depending upon who you ask. The list of mammals that are reviled and misunderstood is quite short, however. For the most part, that list is usually confined to two species closely related to another species that is almost universally loved: wolves and coyotes.
Coyotes and their bigger cousins, the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), hold a distinction as being extremely discriminated against by a fair percentage of the population. While they are directly related to “man’s best friend”, the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), these two species do not enjoy the adoration afforded to dogs.
But, why have coyotes been persecuted so much? Were they always seen this way? And more importantly, how are they viewed now? Let’s dig into these questions as we also look into their life history.
First of all, coyotes are unquestionably members of the Canidae family and look quite similar to other members. Wolves, foxes, jackals, and dingoes are some of their fellow canids. In fact, the first white Americans to see them thought they were an odd fox. Merriwether Lewis and William Clark initially described them as a new species of fox when they first encountered them. That incorrect identification was to be followed by another, after shooting one and getting it in hand. The two explorers decided it was not a fox, after all; but, instead, they decided upon the name “Prairie Wolf”.
Unlike their wolf cousins, however, coyotes are a North American canid, through and through. Coyotes evolved into a species right here in North America and never left. Some 800,000 to 1 million years ago, coyotes emerged as an individual species and took to the prairies, plains and even mountain areas of western North America.
That misnomer of “Prairie Wolf” would play a role in their ill treatment, as settlers to the west would assume coyotes also hunted and killed livestock and game animals. Coyotes continued to suffer from the assumptions, old wives’ tales and just plain ignorance of humans for more than another century. With little known about their diet, reproduction or place in ecosystems, settlers were more than willing to fill in the unknown with supposition and even superstition. Unfortunately, like their wolf relatives, much of that misinformation plagues coyotes to this day.
Coyotes became targets for homesteaders and western settlers, who killed them without regard. The 19thcentury was not kind to the coyote, as America expanded west and, with it, Americans brought ranching, farming and agriculture to the coyote’s land.
It didn’t get any easier for coyotes after the 19th century. During much of the 20th century, there was an open bounty on coyotes across their range. From government poisoning campaigns and bounties for hides to people simply shooting them on sight, there were nearly 7 million coyotes killed from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s. As was the case in the 19th century, the hatred placed upon them in the 20th century wasn’t based on science or fact. There were no real studies done on coyotes in even the most basic terms until well into the 1940s. And the killings continued in the midst of that ignorance. That level of immense pressure forced the coyote to either adapt or be wiped out. While they most definitely saw major population declines, adapt to these human cruelties the coyote did.
(A very quick aside… from a linguistic standpoint, one can almost predict how a person views coyotes; either positively or negatively. Anthropology and sociology studies show that people who pronounce the word coyote as “Kie-yō-tee” tend to view the animal more positively than those who pronounce it “Kie-ōt”. There is also a strong correlation to pronunciation and geographic location, with midwestern and western populations using “Kie-ōt” more frequently.)
Almost two centuries of humans doing all they could to remove coyotes from this continent led to their expansion to the east and, eventually, to the first coyotes finding Harmony Hill four decades ago. You see, among other things, coyotes have three special adaptations for survival.
Coyotes are incredibly intelligent! They are cunning and observant, giving them an edge over many other species. Coyotes are one of the few species we’ve studied that seem to be observing and studying us right back. (Crows being another very intelligent species that spears to do the same.)
Coyotes use their smarts to assess places and situations, their patience to wait for the information they need, and their cleverness to get what they want. They’ve used this ability to learn to conquer nearly every ecosystem in North America, including the largest cities in the United States. No longer relegated to wilderness, rural, or even suburban areas, coyotes have learned to adapt and overcome to succeed in places like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
Their intelligence, coupled with a playful knack for what could be interpreted as mischief, is responsible for their place in Native America mythology. Often portrayed as a carefree character with a penchant for trickery and a bit of an ego, “Old Man Coyote” transforms and deceives to suit his whims. This is all a superficial reading of the coyote in folklore and tales. When you look a bit closer at Old Man Coyote, you will find him to be a reflection of the shortcomings of mankind. Too quick to chase after self-indulgence and willing to do underhanded things for instant gratification, Old Man Coyote is a lesson for we humans and can be used as a cautionary tale for those seeking shortcuts. Not at all the simple or lowly character on the surface, Old Man Coyote is a deity who teaches people to do better by their fellow humans.
Coyotes are also able to exist in packs, in pairs, or even succeed as individuals. Like so many other canids, coyotes can establish social groups and have hierarchies within their packs. There is safety and success in numbers. However, when it comes to the business of hunting and roaming, coyotes will, more often than not, break into loose groups, pairs or go it alone. While it isn’t entirely unheard of to have coyotes travel or hunt as a group, research shows they hunt and travel either solitarily or as a pair far more often. Packs set up territories and patrol for food and tend to stay within a given range. Solitary coyotes, on the other hand, can cover 50 to 60 miles over a period of just a few days or weeks, searching for a place to either join a new pack or start their own. Usually young individuals, both male and female coyotes are apt to strike out on their own. This fluidity of social behavior gives them one more evolutionary leg up to survive.
The third adaptation coyotes have developed is the ability to reproduce in response to pressure. Part of being a social animal is that they are vocal. Coyotes howl, yip, yodel, and bark to communicate territory, health, and clues to population in areas. When it comes to vocal communication, those sounds serve as much more than many even realize. When female coyotes hear other coyotes calling back, their reproductive hormones remain at normal levels, and they will have a litter of 4 to 6 pups when they breed. However, when female coyotes fail to hear other coyotes communicating back to them, changes occur in hormones and females will produce litters of 12-16 pups!
The more they are pressured, hunted, and removed, the larger their litters and the more quickly they can replenish their numbers. We had a colleague who did research on coyotes in the southeastern United States and they taught us that coyote populations can be reduced by 60% to 70% in a location and, through this reproductive realignment, they can bring their numbers back to the original population in one year. (Hint, its best to let nature find her own balance.)
With these three adaptations, our newest canid species to Harmony Hill scattered from their traditional lands in search of new habitats to live. Eastbound and down, they slowly made their way to the Atlantic coast, from Maine to Florida.
Here at Harmony Hill, coyotes usually breed from mid-January to mid-February and the female dens to have her pups in March and April. She may find a hole in the ground or dig a den of her own. Often places where trees have fallen over or natural tunnels serve as wonderful dens. This is the only time coyotes den. The rest of the year, they sleep and rest above ground.
Despite what many people think, coyote diets are made up mostly of rodents, small mammals, fruits, and vegetable matter. While they do consume the occasional deer, research has shown that deer make up around 20% of the diet of rural coyotes. The deer that are consumed are usually older deer and deer that aren’t fully healthy.
At Harmony Hill, coyotes are part of our natural rodent control. In more populated areas, coyotes have learned to utilize garbage as a place to forage for food. In agricultural areas, coyotes have learned to walk through orchards to eat apples and peaches that have fallen to the ground. They are very flexible in diet and foraging.
While coyotes can live to 12 and 14 years of age, most only make it to about 3 years. Humans are the leading cause of mortality for coyotes, through unconstrained hunting, trapping, and being hit by automobiles.
Though the target of much vitriol and historically on the receiving end of much persecution, science has shown coyotes are not to be hated or feared. Instead of being the trickster pest some consider them to be, they are intelligent and help keep pest levels down. We prefer to think of them as part of a healthy landscape, and we appreciate the stories of Old Man Coyote and the lessons he can teach. One of the lessons he can teach us is patience and seeing the big picture, not focusing on the immediate and selfish rewards. And so we view the land with a long lens and with a holistic approach.
Change is constant and nature is dynamic. Coyotes at Harmony Hill may be a relatively new development, but we embrace their presence, we appreciate their story, and we learn from them.
Wild About Turkeys: A Comeback Story Thousands of Years in the Making
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Part of loving and managing Harmony Hill is seeing what is here today and then determining what should be here tomorrow. The easy part is seeing what is here today. During our regular outings on this beautiful landscape, we are able to catalogue the flora and fauna found in her fields, forests, creekbanks and rock outcrops. It is quite satisfying to document the inhabitants of the land and, in doing so, it provides a bit of a framework for the months, years and decades ahead.
It can be difficult to decide what should be here for future generations; but, with the help of Mother Nature and good stewardship principles, we are able to set management goals for transitioning habitats, reducing invasive species, and giving nature a hand in finding balance in the ecosystems of Harmony Hill.
Given our deep affinity for this place and our love for every nook and cranny of this place, it should come as no surprise that we use lessons from the past to provide context for the todays and tomorrows of Harmony Hill. The stories of past generations color our approaches to what is to come. We find great value in the lessons of yesterday, whether that be from one month or 100 years ago.
As we look at a species that, by all indications, appears to be common all over much of North America, we must look back many centuries to see early domestication of wild animals, overhunting to the point of this species being removed from most of its original range, and populations being brought back from the brink by sensible management and conservation. In the middle of all of this, we will investigate a common name and scientific name that have never truly made sense, as well as dispel some misunderstandings about the physical and mental abilities of an animal that persist to this day.
What amazing animal could possibly have a story that complex, holding mysteries that still confound many linguists, anthropologists, and biologists? Why, it is the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopova), that’s who!
This is easily the most common “game bird” found at Harmony Hill, as well as many places in the eastern United States. We often encounter flocks of these birds everywhere from the upland meadows to the bottomland hardwood forests and we always stop to watch their prehistoric looking heads and feet at work as they forage. By the way, a flock of Wild Turkeys can be referred to as a “crop”, a “posse”, a “gang”, and even a “raffle” of turkeys.
Their populations are stable and have been doing pretty well, for the most part, for a few decades now. There are years in which breeding success can be lower than others, for a variety of reasons; but, the last three decades have been good to Wild Turkeys. That has NOT always been the case.
A hundred years ago, they would have been completely absent from Harmony Hill. After hundreds and even thousands of years of being a prominent part of this area, overhunting and habitat destruction removed this beautiful bird from this portion of the state. In fact, the entire population of Wild Turkeys in the United States dropped to below 200,000 and what was once a regular sighting became extremely rare everywhere.
But, before we celebrate their return, let’s dial the clock way back to before explorers like Columbus ever set foot in the Americas. Wild Turkeys were a vital chapter in the stories of Native Americans and the peoples of the New World long before Europeans sailed in search of new trade routes and places to conquer. Bones of Wild Turkeys have been found in archaeological digs across the southeastern United States. In both the settlements of towns and villages, as well as in burial mounds, bones from the carcasses of Wild Turkeys have been found in numbers that are far too high to have been from hunted individuals. The evidence points to many tribes capturing and domesticating Wild Turkeys, likely the earliest form of domestication of an animal for food in the Americas.
There is every reason to believe that turkeys were on Harmony Hill as both a wild species and a domesticated species as far back as several hundred years before Europeans came here. There are several studies that show turkeys were kept as domestic animals for at least five centuries before Columbus set sail. And, with the trade and travel of Native Americans, the practice of domestication of turkeys spread over many tribes and locations across the continent.. Some anthropologists point to evidence in North America and Central America to hypothesize that turkeys were domesticated over a thousand years before Columbus.
It was when Europeans showed up that the mystery of the name “turkey” first began. Full disclosure before we proceed… there are linguists who still disagree on the origin of the word as a reference to the bird. Most certainly, we know that “Turkey” is a geographic location. And, it MAY be merchants from there who sold large fowl from Africa and Asia that inspired the name of this game bird. Perhaps early explorers saw the birds and thought of large birds, particularly Guineafowl, sold at markets by Turkish merchants. Perhaps not.
Perhaps the root of the word “turkey” comes from the Hindi word “tarki” and is a reference to the resemblance to peafowl and birds from India. Perhaps not.
The point is, as much as we love to give you specific definitions and roots to words, we cannot really do that for this bird! Ask ten linguists where the name comes from, and you very well might get ten etymology explanations!
Even the scientific name of Meleagris gallopova can be confusing! For that story, we have to go back even farther, into Greek mythology. The great hunter, Meleager, died before the Trojan War and his sisters grieved him for a long period. It was their grief that attracted the attention of the goddess, Artemis, who turned them into Guineafowl. Once again, in the genus name, we see the misidentification between turkeys and guineafowl coming back into play.
As for the species name, that’s a bit of a Latin compound word, combing the words for rooster (gallus) and peacock (pavo) to further complicate things!
Now that we have THAT out of the way, let’s look at the bird itself and how it fits on the landscape.
Wild Turkeys are big birds. They may not be as tall as an egret or heron; but they outweigh them by at least 3x. Great Blue Herons average around 5 pounds in weight, while the Wild Turkeys at Harmony Hill are likely around 15-18 pounds!
Don’t let the weight fool you, however. Because these birds can run and fly quite well. While they prefer to walk most of the time, it is not out of the question for these birds to run at speeds of near 20 miles per hour. When they do decide to fly, and they are great fliers, they can top 50 miles per hour on the wing! They aren’t able to keep those speeds up for long periods of time; but, they evolved those bursts of speed to very effectively escape predators like bobcats, coyotes, owls and even humans.
Male turkeys are called “Toms”, female turkeys are called “Hens” and young turkeys are called “Poults”. Besides having differences in appearance, with males sporting those big tails they can fan out to attract females, as well as longer beards that hang from their necks, males also have powder blue heads that they sport during breeding season. Toms also have wattles that turn bright red when blood rushes into the fleshy areas during breeding season. All of these visual cues show hens which males are the fittest to breed with.
If you ever come upon turkey scat while out for a walk, take a good look at it. The shape and size of the scat will tell you the sex and age of the turkey that deposited it! Toms have scat that is J-shaped, and hens have scat that is either squiggly or mostly straight. And, the older the bird, the larger the diameter of the scat.
Wild Turkeys have extraordinarily sharp vision, enabling them to see shapes and movement at long distances. Remember that burst of speed they evolved to elude predators? Their keen vision allows them to see even slightest movement and spot differences in shapes and patterns in their surroundings, which can be very useful when spotting danger. We don’t hunt Wild Turkeys at Harmony Hill, but we know enough turkey hunters who have gone home empty handed after having a tom spot the hunter scratching their nose or shifting to change their seating position on the ground. That incredible vision is an evolutionary marvel that has given turkeys a little help in recovering from record low populations.
The Wild Turkeys here have a varied diet, including grass seeds, acorns, insects, spiders and even a n occasional snake or lizard! Turkeys have been observed numerous times ahead of the low-intensity flames of a prescribed fire as they catch grasshoppers and even dragonflies flying away from the smoke. They are far from the dumb birds many have described them as, instead showing the ability to learn and adjust behaviors to utilize external factors to help forage.
There are five subspecies of Wild Turkey: Eastern, Merriam’s, Rio Grande, Gould’s and Osceola. Each has physical differences brought about by the various ecosystems they inhabit. Just some of the differences are that the Osceola Wild Turkey in Florida has longer legs to allow them to forage in wetter, swampier regions; while Rio Grande Wild Turkeys have a more pronounced tan coloration on the tips of feathers to help them blend into more arid regions of the southwest. Merriam’s are found in the mountainous west and have whiter feather tips that help them blend into snowier areas. There are many other differences; but, these few show what evolution has done to give separate populations advantages in survival.
The comeback of the Wild Turkey is something we appreciate and celebrate at Harmony Hill. And we manage our forests and fields in such a way that we encourage Wild Turkey populations to flourish throughout the property. We may not have been here 100 years ago when Wild Turkeys were completely absent from the landscape, but we do recall their reintroduction and their natural repopulation that brought them back just 40-50 years ago. And their reemergence in many of the habitats here is something we actively support..
You see, we use the past to teach us what we need to know for today and tomorrow. We use the missteps of overhunting and habitat destruction of yesterday to guide us in the conservation of today. We use the successes of proper management to bring species back to ensure future generations have plants and animals to enjoy and love.
Just as we study the people who once walked these hills long before us, we also keep an eye to the next generations long after us as inspiration. For it is in all of them that the story of the land is told.
Ghost Pipes: A Lesson In Connections
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If you’ve read very many of our posts on plants and animals, you’ve likely noticed we approach everything at Harmony Hill in a holistic manner. We look at how things are connected in nature, and we deeply appreciate the relationships we see between the flora and fauna found here. That holistic approach extends to the garden and even how we manage the forests of Harmony Hill. John Muir once said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” And we try to spotlight just how things are hitched together in our visits with you during these posts. Today, we look at how a unique flower, fungi and trees are hitched to each other. And as is our hope with each story of the land we tell, we hope you carry that appreciation of the connections that are ever-present in nature.
When the hottest days of summer are winding down, walks in the woods become longer and we linger more in moments of discovery. In those moments, our eyes wander to find colors other than the greens, blues, yellows, and purples of the usual wildflowers this time of year. Every now and then, when we’re lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, we find one of the rarer wildflowers of Harmony Hill. This flower is rare in blooming frequency here and it is rare in its life cycle. A true flower that looks more like a fungus. A true flower that, in fact, parasitizes mycorrhizal fungi to get nutrients and even water that the fungi are sharing in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of trees!
Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) is, to say the least, a curious looking plant. And, make no mistake, it is a plant. As much as it may look as though it should be classified as a fungus, it is every bit a flowering plant! With its ghostly white color, often accented with a tinge of light pink or pale red, its waxy flower, and its scaly leaves, it could easily win a plant costume contest for best impersonation of a fungus. It is so good at this that even scientists considered it a weird fungus for many years. However, the stem, the flower, the leaves, the pollen, and the roots prove it to be a true wildflower.
The oddities of Ghost Pipe don’t end with its zombie-like appearance, which is due to its complete lack of chlorophyll. Would you believe this plant is in the Heath Family (Ericaceae)? That’s right! It is a direct relative of heathers, blueberries, sparkleberry, and azaleas! Remember when we talked about Swamp Azaleas found at Harmony Hill? This little 5” parasitic plant is in the same family!
Now that we know this is a flowering plant and that it is a parasite, lacking chlorophyl, let’s look at how Ghost Pipe gets nutrients and how it reproduces.
To begin to tell that story, we must step away from Ghost Pipe for a little while and look at trees, their roots, and the relationship those roots have with mycorrhizal fungi.
There are fungi that weave into the root systems of trees to form a symbiotic relationship between the two organisms. The fungi and the trees are in a mutualistic relationship, in which both organisms benefit from the relationship. The trees provide the fungi with carbohydrates and nutrients, while the fungi increase the surface area and absorption rate of the trees’ roots and provide the tree with greater access to water and nutrient uptake from the soil.
It is a win-win for both parties and this mutualistic relationship spreads far and wide underneath the surface of the forest. That’s where Ghost Pipes come in to take advantage of this connectivity.
In a stroke of genius evolution, Ghost Pipes weave their roots into the mycorrhizal fungi and convince the fungi it is an active member of the same mutualistic relationship we just described. Instead of mutualism, Ghost Pipes establish a parasitic relationship with the fungi, which are working with tree roots. In essence, the Ghost Pipes are using the fungi to parasitize nutrients from trees! There are some hypotheses which seem to point to some sort of chemical signal in the Ghost Pipe roots that even prevent the fungi and trees from recognizing they’re being used, preventing them from growing galls or resisting the parasitic organism.
In fact, the vast majority of the life cycle of this cool plant is spent underground, taking advantage of the nutrients being syphoned from the tree roots and mycorrhizal fungi. This can go on for years! When the right conditions arise, the right combination of dry weather followed by wet weather, which we still don’t have a full understanding, the plant will send its stem up to hold a solitary flower. For just 5-7 days, the Ghost Pipe will show the world above ground its beauty.
As with so many other flowers, pollinators will come to visit the plant. Bumblebees, along with a few species of flies and other bees, are the most common visitors to the flowers of Ghost Pipe.
After pollination, extremely small seeds develop, and the flower of the Ghost Pipe will turn from facing the ground to standing straight up. Those seeds will eventually be released to the wind and the cycle will begin again.
Remember those chemical signals we said the plant likely uses to convince fungi that it is part of the mutualistic relationship with a tree? The same chemical signals are believed to be used by the seeds of Ghost Pipe as it waits until it can come into contact with an appropriate fungal host.
Let’s look back at that scientific name, Monotropa uniflora. It translates to “a single flower with one turn”. The one flower that blooms has one curve on the stem that makes it look like a pipe! With the pale white overall color of the plant, there is no wonder as to where the common name of “Ghost Pipe” comes from.
Native Americans were said to have used this plant as a pain relief medicine for everything from headaches to toothaches. Making tinctures from this plant, early settlers were also said to utilize this plant as a way to lower pain. It was said the key to making the tincture was to harvest the tiny plant while the flower was still turned down.
With a range covering much of North America, seeing Ghost Pipe for yourself is very possible. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. If you’re lucky enough to see it, take a few moments to celebrate the chemical trickery that allows a parasite to sneak into a mutualistic relationship, then grow into a flowering plant that looks exactly like a fungus. And remember why Harmony Hill looks at each habitat with a wide lens. Our view of the world is framed by the connections in nature and by the words Muir so eloquently said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” This is yet another example of that… a ghostly white flower sitting just a few inches above the ground reveals connections far beyond the scope of the postage stamp size ground it occupies.
Beauty In Black & White
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Rainbows paint the sky with bright and vivid colors. Azaleas and roses brighten mornings, as they glisten with dew in the rays of the sun. Colors grab our attention and bring joy to us all. So much attention is given to the most colorful plants or animals found on the landscape. At Harmony Hill, we are even guilty of delighting in the beauty of the yellows of Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies, the reds of male Northern Cardinals feathers and the lavenders of Maypop flowers as we walk in nature.
However, some of the more striking and breathtaking species we’ve seen at Harmony Hill are hued much more simply. Instead of vibrant tones, they stop us dead in our tracks with just a little black and white. Without the use of iridescence or a palate of golds, scarlets, indigos and emeralds, they grab our attention and cause us to stare in awe.
As fall migration winds down and the birds of the forest settle in for the winter, we see mixed flocks flitting from tree to tree. Breeding season is over and territoriality is no longer a driving behavioral factor, allowing flocks of six or more species of birds to intermingle and forage together. In the middle of these flocks, we often see a small bird whose two simple colors make us smile as big as any multicolored parrot or macaw ever could.
The aptly named Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) is a showstopper with its zebra-like plumage. Despite only being two-toned, it is striking in its appearance. And that simple coloration serves a terrific survival purpose!
First of all, this New World Warbler is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. We say "New World Warbler" because it is a warbler found in the New World of the Americas (North, Central and South, respectively). The genus name means "plucker of moss", in reference to the way this warbler will hitch along the trunks and limbs of trees, behaving less like a warbler and much more like a nuthatch or even a creeper. In fact, some old natural history literature refers to this bird as the “Black-and-white Creeper” and even the “Creeping Warbler”.
It will use its bill, which is clearly slightly decurved in each of the photos, to forage and glean in the bark of trees. That is in stark contrast to the way most warblers forage for insects and food items. Whereas most warblers are concerned with probing in and around leaves and foliage, as well as hawking and sallying insects in the air, our monochrome friend is busy peeking in and around tree bark and exposed wood fibers. A warbler acting like a nuthatch. Now that is cool! And that is also why it is the only member of the “moss plucker” genus!
The species name, varia, is just as descriptive as the genus name. Meaning “striped” or “variegated”, we could not think of a better species name for this gorgeous little bird. It is most definitely the zebra of the bird world.
The deep and defined black striping lets us know the bird pictured in this post is a male. The female will exhibit stripes that skew more into the greyscale and aren't quite as wonderfully defined, though she is still a beautiful sight to see! One key identifying feature to focus on for a quick and easy way of determining sex in the field with this species is the cheek. As is seen in the accompanying photos, the male Black-and-white Warbler has a black cheek. The female, on the other hand, will only have a stripe; sometimes with a light grey blush lightly brushing the cheek plumage.
Similar to the striping of a zebra, the striping of the Black-and-white Warbler isn't really meant to be a concealing type of camouflage. This understated coloration serves as more of a disruptive pattern, particularly when the bird is found sitting against the bark of many of the hardwood trees found at Harmony Hill. With the zebra, the stripes do tend to somewhat blend into the grasses of the African plains. However, the pattern on zebras confuses predators and the stripes disrupt hunting lions, cheetahs, hyenas and leopards so they cannot determine where one zebra begins and another ends. The stripes distract and disorient potential predators, causing them to find it increasingly hard to target an individual zebra to single out and attack.
While the Black-and-white Warbler may have the potential to disappear somewhat into the pattern of the bark of a tree such as a Water Oak (Quercus nigra), the striped pattern confuses potential predators who find it difficult to discern the outline of the body of the warbler. Thus, making it difficult to see where the tree ends and the bird begins and causing a hesitation in determining an angle to effectively attack. That hesitation and difficulty in targeting is all that is needed to give this small bird a slight edge over hawks and snakes.
The use of black and white disruptive patterns is something that has been adopted by humans. Disruptive black and white patterns have been used on naval vessels and airplanes to confuse enemy targeting during war. These patterns are still regularly used by automakers to "disguise" exterior lines and features of future models on test tracks, countering the efforts of competitors to spy and to combat a form of corporate espionage.
Less confusing or baffling than the disruptive plumage is the beauty of this bird found in the forests of Harmony Hill. Please enjoy the up-close and personal look at this black and white beauty, it's pattern and the absolute wonder of what can be done by nature with just two colors!
A World Within Worlds: How Berries Grow Caterpillars and Wasps
During our visits with each other, we have spoken about how the past feeds the present and the present foreshadows the future. Mother Nature is both a caring nurturer and a stark reminder of the struggles of life. She is also a fortune teller and can give you hints as to what was once here before us, as well as what is just over the horizon of time. Just as we spoke about a new generation of the forest beginning when a nurse tree died and a woodpecker began drilling holes in the decaying wood, we will once again look at a serendipitous moment of nature rippling out across time and opening opportunities for species not yet on the landscape.
A couple of generations ago, right around this time of year, a bird ate the delicious and eye-catching purple berries of a native shrub. What bird ate that berry, we will never know. It might have been an American Robin. It may very well have been a Wood Thrush. For all we know, it could have been an Eastern Towhee, a Northern Mockingbird or even a Northern Cardinal. The exact species isn’t important. What is important was that one of our winged wonders consumed the lavender-colored fruit of the American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and then chose to fly to Harmony Hill. And when they were flitting around the forests of this gorgeous ground, they defecated the seeds hidden inside the berries. Upon falling to the soil below, one or more of these seeds germinated and began what would become a healthy population of American Beautyberry on Harmony Hill. That moment brings us to today’s lesson on insects, caterpillars eating leaves, moths pollinating flowers at night and how wasps use the scent of injured leaves to find a host for their eggs and larvae.
There are several places on Harmony Hill where American Beautyberry can be found growing in dense hedgerows, providing shelter, habitat and food to a variety of species. These ecotones not only sit between the forests and open areas at Harmony Hill, but they also represent their own worlds within worlds. By simply looking a little more closely, we can see the same give-and-take of nature that one would normally expecting on a grand scale; just in the micro ecosystem created by this native plant.
When summer begins to yield to fall, the clock of nature seems to tick a little more rapidly and loudly. Many species of plants seem to be in a hurry to get their seeds ready to cast out into the world and many species of animals appear to have a bit more urgency to preparing for the colder and shorter days ahead. It is in that backdrop that we found today’s Nature Note playing out. The stem of an American Beautyberry looked awkwardly bare, sticking out from stems covered in leaves. When we stopped to see what might have caused the stem to be stripped of its greenery, we observed a caterpillar we thought might very well be grazing away. The Rustic Sphinx Moth (Manduca rustica) caterpillar was eating nonstop as we peered into the shrubbery.
A member of Sphingidae family of moths, Rustic Sphinx Moth caterpillars are often lumped into the group of caterpillars called “hornworms” by many. Indeed, the “tail” of the caterpillar resembles a horn emerging from the rear of animal. That protuberance is an easily identifiable field marking shared by other familiar caterpillars, such as the Tomato Hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) and the Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta). However, the tail of the Rustic Sphinx Moth caterpillar shows us how we can differentiate this species from his common cousins. Indeed, the caterpillars all look quite similar. While the “tails” of the Tomato Hornworm and the Tobacco Hornworm are smooth, the tail of the Rustic Sphinx Moth caterpillar is rough-looking (or granulated). Furthermore, American Beautyberry is a major larval food source of this caterpillar, making identification easy!
When it completes all its development, through several instars, the caterpillar will either climb down to the soil level or simply fall to the ground. Once there, it will burrow its 7”-9” body into the soil. When it settles into its subterranean setting, it will form a pupation chamber loosely around itself. There, it will go through metamorphosis and become an adult moth. The process will start over, as the adult female moths will lay their eggs on host plants for the caterpillars to start eating once they hatch.
Like so many of the Sphingidae moths, the Rustic Sphinx caterpillar will become a cryptically colored moth that takes to the skies in the evenings and feeds on nectar throughout the night. A mixture of grays, blacks, whites and browns cause this moth to blend into the barks of trees and the ground while at rest. However, when it takes to the wing, it looks eerily like a hummingbird. This leads to the common name of “hummingbird moth” this species shares with other members of Sphingidae. The only pop of color found on the adult is a series of orange dots on either side of the abdomen of the moth. Other than that, it relies and uses its camouflage to hide for potential predators.
There are a variety of plants that use Sphingidae moths to pollinate them, all of which have evolved long channels in their flowers that keep nectar away from all but the longest proboscises found on Hawkmoths. Members of the lily and evening primrose families are pollinated by Rustic Sphinx Moths, as well as the moths of other hornworms. These plants that attract Hawkmoths are called “sphingophilous” plants.
When we found the caterpillar in this installment, a rather obvious species was at work and became part of the story. As you can clearly see in the photos, there is something odd happening. What are those white, fuzzy things all over this hornworm? Remember when we told you there is a world within a world right inside the American Beautyberry? Well, here we see it! Let’s look a little closer and see what is going on!
There is a tiny parasatoid wasp patrolling the forests and fields of Harmony Hill. And this wasp is always sampling the air for scent molecules to find a host for its eggs and larvae. But, it isn’t keying in on the smells associated specifically with a host. Not at all. Instead, Cotesia congregata is on the hunt for chemical signals from injured leaves of American Beautyberry plants. Why would it do that? Well, where there are large areas with chemical cues of injured American Beautyberry leaves, there is a good chance this wasp will find the soft and large body of a hornworm just munching away at the leaves. And it is that caterpillar body in which it will lay its eggs!
Wait! It gets better!
When the female wasp finds a suitable host, like the hornworm in the photos, it begins inserting its ovipositor into the caterpillar to lay between 50-75 eggs. Along with the eggs, the female wasp injects a type of bracovirus inside, along with its venom. This polydnavirus works in conjunction with the venom to halt responses from the caterpillar’s immune system, effectively preventing the host’s body from attacking or working to ward off the wasp’s eggs. It also prevents any type of clotting of the hemplymp, or what many would consider the “blood-like” fluid in the caterpillar. That allows the developing larvae to consume the hemolymph. All these factors also inhibit any further development of the host, causing it to eat and live on; but, not allowing it to develop into an adult.
The wasp larvae develop just under the skin of the hornworm, feeding on the hemolymph unit it is time to emerge and pupate. This usually takes about 7-10 days.
They will burrow out of the hornworm and plant their tiny, white cocoons atop the caterpillar. They stay in their cocoons for about a week, before emerging as adult wasps.
And to think, this amazing story all began decades ago when an unsuspecting bird ate a berry and then flew to Harmony Hill! When we look at where the wasp pupa came from, we must look at the Rustic Sphinx Moth laying its eggs on an American Beautyberry. When we look at where the moth and caterpillar came from, we must look at the hedgerows of beautyberries on the land. And, when we look at where they came from, we are back to our unknown bird perching on a branch and defecating seeds onto the soils of Harmony Hill! Mother Nature is fortune teller and can show you the past, present and future… if you’re willing to stop, look, listen and heed her clues.
Three Leaves, One Tree - Tales From a Sassafras
Walking through the woods at Harmony Hill as summer begins to wane, we once again notice the hardwood trees. The knowledge that their leaves will begin falling in the coming weeks causes us to take in their beauty as we did in the spring. Though the summer days can be hot, muggy and long, we know that this season can be all too fleeting. And with a couple of cool mornings, Mother Nature has reminded us that we will be saying goodbye to these rather warm days before we know it. With the thought of falling leaves on our minds, we thought we’d take a look at a tree that many simply walk past and stop awhile to revel in its wonder and its complexity. Because, at Harmony Hill, we know common never has to mean simple!
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a common tree throughout South Carolina and is, indeed, the Sassafras used in Sassafras Tea. Sassafras Tea is made by boiling the roots, which extracts both the color and the delicious flavor from the root bark.
Sassafras trees are extremely easy to identify, having three different leaf types growing on a tree. It is one of just a few species in our area that exhibits the ability to grow several different types (or shapes) of leaves. Perhaps we will spotlight another species of tree that does this in a future installment!
The first leaf is a single-lobed leaf that looks exactly like what everyone thinks a leaf looks like. In fact, if you gave a small child a crayon and asked it to draw a leaf, we'd be willing to bet it would look very much like the single-lobed Sassafras leaf.
The second leaf is a two-lobed "mitten" leaf. The name “mitten leaf” is rather fittings, as it looks exactly like a winter mitten, with the thumb sticking out of the larger mitten area.
The third leaf is a three-lobed leaf that is usually equal in size over all three lobes. (Occasionally, there may be a three-lobed leaf with a couple of extra lobes that are reduced in size and near the leaf stem. Depending upon the individual Sassafras tree, they may be anywhere from nonexistent to occurring with some regularity.)
Now, why would a tree grow three different and distinct types of leaves? Well, the answer may be found in WHERE the leaves are found on a tree. Often, the three and two-lobed leaves are found lower on the tree, while single-lobed leaves are found higher on the tree. This is even true on saplings, with the majority of the first leaves being three and two-lobed. It appears that early leaves grow in the presence of more nutrients and starches, which allow for more cell division; thus, allowing those leaves to "branch out" into more lobes. In fact, recalling what we said in the last paragraph, that may very well be the reason it isn’t horribly difficult to find the occasional four or five-lobed leaf mutation of a three-lobed leaf.
Sassafras is in the Laurel (Lauraceae) Family, along with Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Both plants, along with a few other members of the family, are larval food hosts for the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio troilus). One of the "Black Swallowtails", some of the finest beauty of this species of butterfly can be found in its larval stages.
Seen in the first and second photos, the caterpillar of the Spicebush Swallowtail looks a whole lot like bird droppings in its early instars. Feeding on leaves out in the wide open is a precarious way to make a living, so it pays to camouflage yourself as best you can. And what better camouflage than to look identical to bird droppings?
Now, another cool thing about this caterpillar is that it transitions in later instars to mimic a tiny snake (and some say, maybe, tree frogs). They will turn from the black and white camouflage of the fecal matter and uric acid of bird droppings to a yellowish caterpillar with late, false eyes. In fact, if you look at the larger end of the caterpillars in the photos, you can see those large black false eyes developing. This imperfect Batesian Mimicry allows the caterpillar to appear to be more than one species that predators don't wish to consume or bother with.
To take the mimicry one step further, as with all swallowtail caterpillars in North America, the Spicebush Swallowtail has a forked organ that emerges from just behind the head, called an osmeteria. They use this organ to deposit foul smelling and tasting chemicals onto potential predators. It also doesn't hurt that its forked and looks like the tongue of a snake!
These caterpillars will spin a silk mat below them, which is visible in both photos, in which they will anchor to. They will then use the silk to roll the leaves up around them as protection.
While Spicebush is its primary larval food source, it readily consumes the leaves of Sassafras. I've also seen it on Red Bay (Persea borbonia) and Swamp Bay (Persea palustris). Unfortunately, Red Bay and Sassafras have been impacted by a fungus introduced into the southeast, (Raffaelea lauricola). This fungus is transmitted by the Ambrosia Beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) and was first documented back in 2002.
Red Bay has suffered large mortalities from wilt brought about by the fungus and Sassafras has been impacted in many areas, as well. Spicebush has been found to also show signs of the disease. The death of these plants and trees has a direct impact on other populations, such as butterflies. The Spicebush Swallowtail is joined by the Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) in relying on members of the Laurel Family.
So, Harmony Hill isn't only a place we work to conserve and protect for beauty and peaceful nature. It is also land which is critical for butterfly species that are on the decline due to disease. Now, next time you're out walking in the woods, and you see rolled up leaves on a Sassafras, smile knowing that Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars are eating and growing, and they will soon be taking to the air as adult butterflies!
Well, this Nature Note was a little more than we had originally planned. We looked at more than multiple species again, learned about leaf growth, a little about camouflage, mimicry AND we saw how introduced pests can cause serious issues on the landscape, like fungal diseases in native plants.
Smaller Orb Weavers: Similar, But Not The Same
With all projects and efforts, it is good to occasionally step back to revisit the purposes and end goals of what you’re doing. At Harmony Hill, we see these “Nature Notes” as a vehicle to ignite curiosity, to show the wonders of nature and to help teach identification techniques to our fellow naturalists. From time-to-time, we like to spotlight species that may not be anyone’s favorite (our discussions on snakes are a prime example); but, have a unique beauty and wonderful purpose on the landscape. A couple weeks ago, we talked about late summer spiders that are showing up at Harmony Hill. The spiders in that post are harmless to humans, yet are still feared by people. We hope the post opened a few eyes to the purpose these amazing architects serve as pest control in the forest. This week, we hope to shine a light on a couple more species that are often mistakenly identified and who both help keep insect populations in check as the late summer days give way to early fall.
As we’ve previously discussed, the most obvious spiders this time of year are the orb weavers. For clear reasons, their ornate, beautifully functional, and ingenuously built structures draw our attention to them as we walk from fields to forests. Every now and then, our attention is drawn in as we get a face full of their spun silk! Even we find ourselves flailing and pulling web from our face and head, as though we are fighting some invisible enemy who attacked us. Let’s take another look at who might be building some of those webs, how to identify them and see how they’re helping us… even if we don’t realize it as we jitterbug and swing around with spiderweb all over our face.
Sometimes, we get asked about “crab spiders in big round webs in the woods”. We know immediately it is likely one of two spiders, even though neither are actually crab spiders. However, due to their appearance, we know why some make the distinction that they might be. True Crab Spiders belong to the Thomisidae and do not build webs. They are found hiding in flowers and on plants, giving them another common name – Flower Spiders. When we hear “crab spiders in big round webs in the woods”, we can take the clue of web and exclude Thomisidae spiders. With that same clue, we can instead focus our attention on the two spiders we’ll look at in this post!
Looking very much like a crab, the Black-and-White Spiny-backed Orbweaver (Gasteracantha cancriformis) can be found hanging out in its orb-shaped web during daylight hours. The hardened exoskeleton has spiny protrusions around the abdomen, giving it a fierce look. That hardened exoskeleton is a great protection from predation, as it can withstand a great deal of pressure for an animal so small. And the spines are capable of piercing soft tissues, like gums of predators and thinner-skinned areas of a potential predator’s body. These spiny-backed spiders come in a variety of color morphs (polychromatic), from black and white, to black and yellow, and even black and white, with red!
The resemblance to crabs isn’t simply limited to appearance, as the scientific name even alludes to the similarity. The genus name of Gasteracantha refers to spiny (acantha) stomach (gaster), while the species name of cancriformis means “taking the form of a crab”. Cancri is a direct reference to the crab constellation, Cancer, while formis means “in the form of”.
When you find an orb web in your walks in nature, take a look around the edges of the web. Do you see more pronounced and thicker white dashes all around the perimeter? If you do, you may very well be dealing with this species, as members of the spiny-backed family of spider place morse code-looking dashes and dots along the exterior of their orbs. You might wonder why they do such a thing. Well, the prevailing hypotheses are that the dashed allow the web to be more readily seen by birds and, therefore, won’t be destroyed by something far too big to capture flying through, and that the dashes may steer insects more towards the center of the web. As is often the case in nature, and as we’ve talked about in the past, it is likely more than one reason and is a combination of those.
Looking somewhat similar to our first species, yet a member of an entirely different genus, we have another crab-like spider. The Arrowhead Orb Weaver (Verrucosa arenata) is another species we consider when given that “crab spider n a big round web” description. The common name is an obvious nod to the arrowhead-shaped abdomen, with the genus name of Verrucosa being a reference to it looking like a wart. The translation of the species name could be a nod to it having an overall sand color (arena means sand), or it could also bear reference to it being a spider (Araneus means spider and spiderweb).
Continuing the complication of similarities to our first species, this spider is also polychromatic! The females have abdomens that might be white, yellow, or pink! Unlike (Gasteracantha cacriformis), this spider does NOT have spines. And, more importantly, the Arrowhead Orb Weaver sits with its head facing upwards almost always as it rests in the web. The other orb weaving species of spiders in our area sit in their webs with their heads facing down and their abdomens facing upwards!
Finally, let’s talk about how important these spiders are to pest control. They are considerable smaller than the orb weavers we talked about a couple weeks ago and their webs are smaller. With those smaller webs, the radial lines are closer together and capable of capturing much smaller prey. If we told you these spiders are important for controlling mosquitoes and other biting insects, would you begin to see how critical they are at keeping pest populations in check? We kind of thought you would. And it is true! These two species do capture and eat considerable numbers of mosquitoes and small biting insects, making them great friends to have in the forest. (Even if we do walk face first into their webs!)
Nurse Logs: Renewal and Regrowth
Nature is an eternal teacher. Lessons in biology, psychology, mathematics, geology and even art can be found during each walk in the woods. When you look and listen, nature has much to teach. During one of our last walks along the trails of Harmony Hill, we got a lesson in the healthy renewal, regrowth and regeneration of the forest.
One of the main goals in how we approach the land is to find a balance in the habitats and ecosystems at Harmony Hill, in which the land can maintain a healthy state that allows the native flora and fauna to flourish with minimal management from human hands. There are spaces on the land that require a little more thought and effort to reach that level, but there are spaces that will be there earlier. We are always looking for places that can show us what Harmony Hill will be without the heavy hand of man on the landscape. We found that in something many people would walk right by, paying little attention.
We have often spoken about the sights and sounds of the forest, bringing life and energy to spring and summer days. However, death is as much a part of the forest as that liveliness. This is not a morbid fascination, but a fact of life. For every plant and animal that lives on the landscape, there will come a time when it ceases to live. The tall and stately trees that fill the forest grow to reach the sunlight and provide shelter, food and structure for myriad species. Throughout their lives, the large trees we love to see as we walk the trails will be nesting sites for birds and squirrels, give vines natural ladders to climb, grant shade tolerant wildflowers a much-needed respite from the hot summer sun, as well as become part of a larger subterranean community through their extensive root systems.
An unclose look at a hole previously drilled by a Northern Flicker that is now a planter for a Loblolly Pine sapling. Photo courtesy Lisa Riente
When these same trees die, they don’t stop giving to the land. Quite the opposite, in fact. They continue to nourish and provide for fungi, insects, birds, reptiles, mammals and, most importantly, their fellow plant life at Harmony Hill. Rounding the corner of on one of our walks, we witnessed exactly that and it allows us to share the story of nurse logs, their importance to forests and how they fit into the well-oiled machine that is Mother Nature.
When a tree dies, whether it still stands in the woodland or if it dies from being uprooted by the wind, it begins to decay. As the wood fibers break down, fungi and bacteria start the work of returning the tree to the forest. Insects quickly move in to help consume and recycle the rotting tree and the fungi. As those insects arrive and increase in numbers, birds, reptiles and mammals come on the scene to take advantage of the bountiful prey items. The tree, once alive and growing, comes to life in an entirely different way. This time, the tree serves as a condominium and buffet for everything from microscopic bacteria to large Pileated Woodpeckers in search of beetle larvae. For many reasons, most woodpecker species thrive on dead wood. At Harmony Hill, we host Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Northern Flickers and Pileated Woodpeckers all, or at least a portion, of the year. Just as important as the decaying wood, these woodpeckers are an integral part of this story. Their engineering and excavating are clear in the photos, and the impact they have on the creation of new forests is obvious.
One of the insects that will utilize moist, decaying wood Is the Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus). Both standing snags, also referred to as standing course woody debris, and fallen logs, referred to as downed course woody debris, see Carpenter Ants move in. One of our year-round woodpecker species, the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a wonderful consumer of ants. They even actively forage for and eat the red imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta). When Carpenter Ants move into snags at Harmony Hill, we often see Northern Flickers pecking and chiseling away wood to get to ants and their larvae. Even as a snag stands rotting above the forest floor at Harmony Hill, the makings of the next forest are taking shape. And the Northern Flicker is part of building what is to come for generations in the woods of Harmony Hill.
If a dead tree isn’t felled immediately by the wind, when it does eventually fall, it takes the final steps in returning to the forest and feeding the future. The journey from living giant to nurse log closes and each bacteria, fungi, insect, bird, reptile and mammal interaction shows purpose towards the balance we seek. The presence of the Carpenter Ants, initially seen as just an insect feeding on rotting wood, and a Northern Flicker making holes in the tree to find those ants, becomes critical to a new Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) sprouting to fill an empty place. The nurse log, now lying on the ground, begins to host other species, such as a perched Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) working a pinecone like corn on the cob, searching for pine seeds to feed on. Rainfall now fills the holes drilled by the woodpeckers, as do leaves and dust, causing the wood to further decay. Those holes, as is plainly seen in the photos, become their own micro ecosystems, allowing seeds that have been dropped by squirrels and even other trees to arise from the tiny places hosting soil creation.
Nurse logs are natural mulch sites, holding water and delivering nutrients as they decompose. As animal traffic increases and more fungi, mycorrhizae and roots systems interlace throughout the carcass of the tree, more of the wood is broken down and more places become active hosts for more plants and trees to sprout. Even with many years of decomposition, the nurse logs are giving themselves back to the ground from which they grew. And with each stage of decay, the nurse log falls flatter to the forest floor and the cells of the tree slowly but surely become organic material for the soil below. Roots of Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Loblolly Pine and other trees stretch down into the earth and are fed by their rotting relative.
Death is not the end. It is merely a transition from one form to another. These nurse logs show us there is energy left to return to the earth and that there is still much left to give back to the environment that fed you. Life doesn’t truly end when cells cease splitting. And each inhabitant of the forests of Harmony Hill are a crucial part of the wooded areas of many years from now. There is no coincidence in the decomposition process of creating a nurse log. We see the value of each mushroom and critter that builds rich soil by simply living out their life cycle in and around a tree which dies on the landscape.
Just as “the butterfly effect” illustrates the potential for the flapping of a butterfly’s wings could impact the formation of weather patterns, we see the drumming of a woodpecker’s beak impacting the formation of tomorrow’s forests. Nature is an eternal teacher. When you look and listen, nature has much to teach. May we always be open to learn her lessons.
Summertime Scratching
If you are a regular reader, you have probably noticed we try to invigorate our readers with the wonder of nature and we try to excite curiosity in everyone in every story we tell. Much of this is done through peeling back layers of the science of some of the species we have at Harmony Hill, hopefully giving you a few glimpses at nature that make you exclaim, “I didn’t know that!” This installment is designed to spotlight a genus of arachnids that we are certain you know, but one that is often shrouded in myth and old wives’ tales. And, when we’re done with our conversation, we hope you’ll be able to say, “Hey… I didn’t know that!”
Summertime brings warm weather, sunshine and a longing to be outside more than usual. We are all walking through the fields and the forests more, cookouts and picnics find us eating in the great dining hall of nature and, even drives are more outdoor focused, as windows are down, sunroofs are open and convertible tops are dropped. And, like you, those extra hours walking in the woods and those picnics may invariably find us scratching some itchy, red bites on our ankles, waist and the backs of our knees.
Growing up, our parents and grandparents often warned us about sitting in pine straw or walking in tall grass. Whether they called them “chiggers” or “red bugs”, they would tell us horror stories of bugs that will bite you, bore into your skin and cause you intense itching for weeks! For those of us not wise enough to heed their advice, we did find ourselves itching, scratching and suffering from bites we were told could only be healed by thorough and thick applications of fingernail polish.
Some of the advice they gave us was true; but, much of what we were told of “chiggers” or “red bugs” was not based on fact. Let’s look more closely at the natural history and see what the fact are and dispel a myth or two along the way.
First of all, what is a chigger? Chiggers, or red bugs, are not insects at all; but, are arachnids that are more closely related to scorpions and ticks than they are to mosquitoes. Classified as a type of mite, adult chiggers, found in the Eutrombicula genus, exhibit the classic arachnid characteristic of eights. Adult chiggers, of which there are dozens of species, are also red in color, giving them their common name of “Red Bug”. However, many species of adult mites can be reddish in color and that is not a definitive identifying field marking.
Rather small arachnids, adult chiggers measure about 1.25mm (0.05 inch, or 1/20th of an inch) and become active when ground temperatures reach about 60F (15.5C). For much of the southern United States, that is a large chunk of the calendar year, making chigger season March-November, most years. Adults can be seen by the naked eye and, perhaps, you’ve seen them crawling along blades of grass. Adult chiggers pose no threat to us, as they do not bite or feed on humans. They do; however, make a very. Good living feeding on other insects and even insect eggs.
If adult chiggers aren’t the problem, then what is?!
For that answer, let’s look at the life cycle of this arachnid.
There are four main stages in the life cycle of a chigger: egg, larva, nymph and adult, that usually occur over the course of a couple of months. However, depending upon the time of year and the location, it may take nearly a year to complete the life cycle. (There is also a very short, but recognized prelarva stage in some mite species.) We can take the egg stage of the life cycle out of the conversation, as the eggs are of no danger to humans. The nymph stage is very similar to the adult stage, also having eight legs and the same diet as the adult. That leaves us with the unique larval stage, with just six legs and a hunger for semi-digested skin cells, as our culprit!
The larval stage of the chigger, as mentioned, is quite different from the adult. Having just six legs, it is also considerably smaller. Chigger larvae measure an incredibly tiny 0.25mm (that’s just a miniscule 0.001 inch, or 1/100th of an inch!) I had a professor in college once say that you could easily fit 4-6 chigger larvae inside a 12-font period! (Just like the one under the exclamation point you just read)
Adult female chiggers will lay eggs on vegetation and, when they hatch, the larvae are not very mobile. This means they will be found in large numbers in very specific areas. This clumping is why chigger bites come in such large numbers and why you sometimes get no bites in the same geographic area. It is not an exaggeration to say you could have well over 100 chigger larvae in one spot and have absolutely none just a few feet away.
Chigger larvae thrive in moist, shady areas, where grasses, forbs and other vegetation is found. They are particularly fond of creek and stream banks, where tall hardwoods keep shade over vegetation below. Some chiggers can also be found in areas that seem much drier, such as in mulch (think pine straw).
The larvae will sit on that vegetation and wait, indiscriminately, for any potential victim to walk past to feed upon. And, it is that feeding that leads us to the bites that itch so badly and are prone to become inflamed and even infected. The larvae will climb up onto the animal (or human) and find a thin portion of skin to bite.
They do not have strong mouthparts and must find a thin place to pierce the skin. In most mammals, that is usually at a hair follicle. On humans, that is around the ankles, the beltline and groin area, the backs of knees and armpits. That also coincides with where clothing fits the tightest; where socks, belts and sleeves sit. When they bite, they DO NOT burrow into your skin and stay there to feed and irritate you. They do; however, excrete saliva that dissolves skin cells, and it is that liquified cell structure that they feed upon.
Your body’s natural immune reaction even helps them with this process. The red dot atop the bite is the top of a structure called a stylosome, which is a hardened tube that allows the digested skin cells to flow out of your body. The stylosome becomes a straw in which the chigger larva can sit and feed.
Unlike their tick relatives, chigger larvae do not have mouths that are designed to allow them to latch and hold on with strength. They can be brushed away and one of the easiest ways to get them off you is a good soapy shower or bath.
The larvae can sit on victims for as many as 2-4 days; but, that is very rare with humans. Most humans only have chiggers feeding on them for a couple of hours. By the time the itching begins, the damage has been done and the body’s histamine response is in full force. Itching and swelling begin a few hours after the bites and can become intense and continue for several days. It is important to wash very well after being in chigger habitat and it is important to take steps to prevent bites to begin with.
By wearing long clothing, tucking pants into socks and shoes, avoiding taller vegetation and not sitting or lying in places where chiggers can be found, you can minimize the opportunities for them to crawl on you and bite you. If you use a repellent of any kind, it is best to pretreat areas around the shoes, ankles and beltline before going out.
As far as treating bites that have happened, simple topical treatments for itching work best. Fingernail polish does not smother the chigger, as they do not burrow into your skin at all. However, be mindful not to scratch the bites aggressively and risk infection. Secondary infection is the most common medical issue after chigger bites become present.
An artist’s rendition of the adult stage of the chigger (left) and the larval stage (right). Image courtesy of Texas A&M. https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/publications/chiggers/
Fungi Log, Volume 1
At Harmony Hill, we are fortunate enough to have a wonderful person who, among myriad things, is a mycologist. She has written a few informative posts about some of the mushrooms she’s encountered on Harmony Hill and has been kind enough to give them to us as some outstanding Nature Notes for you to enjoy! Here is the first in a periodic series on the fungi of Harmony Hill we like to call, “Fungi Log”!
Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma Tsuga) and (Ganoderma Lucidum) are a shelf type mushroom, exhibiting very unique characteristics, drawing your attention for a very important reason. Reishi mushrooms have been used in Eastern medicine for centuries, with a vast amount of scientific evidence to support the ancient claims that Reishi is a mushroom of ultimate health and healing. A great ally, during our human experience.
Reishi mushrooms can also be referred to as a varnish shelf polypore and are commonly found fruiting on conifers of other hard wood. Ganoderma Tsuga are found growing primarily on Hemlock and other confers, while the Ganoderma Lucidum, though almost indistinguishable in common characteristics, will be found on other types of hardwood but is limited to habitats in parts of Eurasia. They are a saprophytic fungus, which means they will be found growing on dead, dying or decaying wood. They specialize in breaking down lignin, which is a complex heterogeneous polymer, in the biomass of trees. These mushrooms can be all white and bulbous at a young age and upon maturation the varnish shelf begins to change into a dark reddish brown lacquer varnished appearance. This type of mushroom will commonly be found with a short stem that is also varnished. The young tissue can be eaten when still soft and white. Once mature, this Reishi mushroom becomes woody and unpalatable. It is best to use mature mushrooms that have been sliced thin and dried on a windowsill, in a tea or tincture form. The dried Reishi mushroom can also be ground down into a powder form and taken as a medicinal daily supplement.
Common bird-nest fungi (Crucibulum laeve) is another unique mushroom found on Harmony Hill. You can probably tell by its appearance, why is this called a bird's nest fungi. At first glance, you would not recognize this as a fungus. You might not even notice this fungus at all. They are very small and can often be overlooked in their natural setting. They are commonly found on decaying wood, which is why these you see in the photograph were spotted on a mulched pathway at Harmony Hill. These cupped fungi are in a class of their own, as their fertile body is not gilled or porous. Take a look at the photo on the right and you will see small egg-like pestuals located in the center of the “nest”. These tiny sacs rely on water droplets to propel them into, or onto, their next location. Some have been found on the underside of leaves several feet above the ground.
Many species of Chanterelles mushrooms can be found growing in Harmony Hill. Chanterelles, such as Golden Chanterelle and Cinnabar Chanterelle, are a fairly common cap and stem type mushroom and are prized in the culinary world for their exquisite flavour. Golden chanterelles have a bright yellow or “golden'' look to them, with forked descending gills, that allow for easy identification. Another type of Chanterelle found here on Harmony Hill, is the cinnabar chanterelle. This looks similar to the golden chanterelle, in the way that it also has forked, descending gills but what gives these mushrooms its unique characteristics, is the color. Cinnabar chanterelles are bright red and are actually very small compared to its common sister. These mushrooms are usually a few inches tall, but often much smaller than that.
Chanterelles are a rhizomorphic-type mushroom. This means that they grow in association with living trees and their roots. Commonly found growing in groups scattered in leaf litter on the floor of an old pine forest. This also means that chanterelle mushrooms are very difficult to cultivate, because you would not only need to farm the mushroom, but you would have to farm the soil and the pine trees as well.
The Fishers of Harmony Hill
We are very lucky at Harmony Hill to be virtually surrounded by water. Whether it be a creek, a stream, a lake or even a small waterfall, the presence and sound of water is rarely far from us as we walk along the landscape. Water is life and we celebrate it. We strive to keep it as clean as possible, encouraging permaculture practices and limiting the use of chemicals; and we work to keep it as plentiful as we can, conserving it in our everyday lives and land management.
When you have abundant water, especially in the forms of ponds, lakes and rivers, Nature will bring visitors, guests, and residents to the land. And we are extremely happy to see two residents at Harmony Hill that, just a few decades ago, were struggling to survive. Their populations are now stable; but we still work to keep their numbers growing and we still get excited each time we see them on the wing. They are the fishers of Harmony Hill: the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)!
It isn’t horribly uncommon to look out over a large lake or a flowing river and see these species either perched on a limb or gliding over the water’s surface in search of a fresh fish to catch. This has been far from the case. In the last 40 years, both species have made dramatic and wonderful comebacks from perilously low numbers. The use of chemicals, like the insecticide, DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), caused populations to plummet to dangerous level. DDT would accumulate in the blood and tissues of birds higher in the food web and it would weaken the structural strength of eggs laid by these species, causing the eggs to collapse and/or break during the laying process and the incubation process.
Species from Peregrine Falcons to Swainson’s Hawks suffered mightily during the legal use of this chemical, from the 1940s until it was outlawed by the USEPA in 1972, with surveys each year showing fewer and fewer of the birds successfully reproducing. Perhaps no other two species suffered as much as the Bald Eagle and the Osprey. They became the “poster children” of the movement to outlaw DDT and, thankfully, have been able to see their number recover since it was removed from the market.
Let’s take a moment and talk about just how bad things got for these two species. In the early to mid-1970s, there were barely 415 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles in the United States! A few years later, in 1981, surveys showed between 7000-8000 nesting pairs of Ospreys in the US. We are EXTREMELY lucky to still have these birds with us and they serve as real success stories in conservation and the environmental movements of the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, the current Bald Eagle population in the United States is somewhere around 316,000 individuals (data courtesy of 2021 USFWS population trends).
Bald Eagles are considered by many to be the very symbol of majesty and strength. This is one of the reasons they were chosen as the national symbol (now the national bird) of the United States. However, for all their strength, and trust us, they are STRONG, they will just as readily steal a meal from another animal or pick a bit of carrion clean. That strength of which we speak? Well, they have a gripping strength in their talons that is equivalent to 6x-8x the gripping strength of a human.
While we’re on the subject of amazing physical abilities, we’ve all heard the term “eagle-eyed”. Why don’t we break down just how amazing the eyes of Bald Eagles really are. They have incredible binocular vision granting them the ability to see faraway objects much closer and in greater detail than we could ever be capable of. Perfect human vision is 20/20, meaning we can see at a distance of 20 feet what should be clearly seen at 20 feet. Well, Bald Eagles are equipped with vision that sits somewhere around what we would consider 20/4 vision. This means eagles see clearly at a distance of 20 feet what we can see perfectly at a distance of 4 feet. To break that down a little more, if a Bald Eagle could comprehend the numbers of a date on a dime, it could do it at the length of a football field!
This absolutely allows them to see prey, like fish just under the surface of the water, from high altitudes and it allows them to spot prey items from a distance that allows them to incorporate the element of surprise. While they are no strangers to thievery from other birds, like Osprey, Bald Eagles are MORE THAN CAPABLE of capturing fish to feed themselves or their offspring. And, unlike they’re distance cousins, the Osprey, Bald Eagles readily enjoy a varied diet and may hunt for reptiles, amphibians, mammals, other birds and carrion.
Bald Eagles are BIG! They sit at over 3 feet tall and have a wingspan of over 6 feet in length. They fly with a very flat overall shape, making them quit easy to identify on the wing. But their plumage varies as they age, giving several different looks until they acquire that distinctive white head and white tail. Depending upon the health, location and genetics of the bird, it takes AT LEAST 4 years for a Bald Eagle to reach that mature plumage. More often than not, it takes 5 years for most birds to molt into the definitive adult plumage. We will dedicate a future post to the molting process seen in Bald Eagles and how to identify how old they are by that plumage.
That really long and seemingly difficult-to-pronounce scientific name is just as descriptive as the often-misinterpreted common name. Let’s clarify both of them now! The genus name of Haliaeetus comes from the Ancient Greek word for Sea Eagle and the genus name of leucocephalus is derived from two Latin words meaning White Head. Forms of “Leuko” are used in words referencing things relating to “white”, as in leukemia and leucism. And “cephalus” is still used to refer to things rlating to “head”, as in hydrocephalus.
The common name of Bald Eagle is not at all relating to being hairless. Instead, the Old English word “balde” meant white. It wasn’t until the word “bald” branched from that word that any meaning of not having hair was brought into the lexicon. I guess the more correct name should’ve been Balde Eagle.
Onto the next fisher of Harmony Hill. This more skilled angler is often mistaken for a Bald Eagle; but, is quite a bit smaller. Ospreys come in at a height of about 2 feet tall and fly on wings that are usually 5 ½ feet wide. They also usually fly with their wings kinked in a shallow “W” shape, unlike the very flat flight shape of the Bald Eagle.
Ospreys are also designed to be more of a fishing specialist. In fact, their diets are almost exclusively fish; with any variation at all occurring when there is a sudden reduction in the availability of fish to capture. They’ve been documented taking frogs, snakes, small mammals and small birds; but, these items are a VERY small percentage of their overall documented diet. In fact, naturalists and biologists refer to these other prey items as “Rare and highly irregular”. Ospreys were built to catch fish, to the point that the bottoms of their feet are covered with rough, barb-shaped projections to dig into and hold onto slippery fish.
Ospreys may look like hawks and eagles, even being called “fish hawk” over much of its range of every continent, except Antarctica. They are; however, separated from both families of birds of prey and represent their own, distinct family of birds.
Having far more white on their bodies, they don’t really look a lot like eagles when you take a good look. Be sure to pay attention to this post’s photos and you’ll see the striking and noticeable difference in shape and plumage between the two species.
The scientific name of (Pandion haliaetus) has a great similarity to that of the Bald Eagle. Continuing what we discussed in the post on Coral Honeysuckle, we see some Latin names used in different ways for various species. This is yet another case in which a characteristic is similar enough between species that a word is used in some capacity for each. This time, we see the forms of “haliaetus” being used in both the scientific name for Osprey and for Bald Eagle.
Just as before, the Osprey species name of “haliaetus” means “Sea Eagle”. So much so that the logo for the NFL team, Seattle Seahawks, is an artistic version of an Osprey’s head.
The genus name of “Pandion” has us looking back at Greek mythology, where we find the Athenian king of Pandion getting a nod. Pandion had two daughters, Procne and Philomela, who were transformed into birds. The two daughters have complicated backstories; but, were transformed into a Swallow and a Nightingale, respectively. (Very briefly, Philomena suffered a brutal death; but, was brought back as a Nightingale, to sing a mournful lamentation for all to hear and know of her sorrow.)
The common name of “Osprey” goes back to an Old French word, “ospreit”. “Ospreit” appears to originate from a degraded form of the Latin term "avis praedae", which translates to bird of prey (bird that uses a predation technique) and was used to describe just about any hawk, eagle or other bird of prey.
Our happiness in the return of these birds comes with each sighting we have at Harmony Hill. We also know that there is no separation in nature and that conservation is a holistic goal. The protection of these birds doesn’t simply start and end with DDT being outlawed. No, it extends much farther than that. We know that Bald Eagles in our area overwhelmingly prefer to nest in tall, large pine trees and we protect old trees all over Harmony Hill. Research shows that roughly 75% of Bald Eagles in much of the southeast will nest in pine trees that are tall enough and have substantial limb structure to hold the large nest of this species, and which provide them a good view of their surroundings (data provided by 2006 Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission surveys).
Ospreys aren’t quite as closely tied to old, large pine trees; but, we know that, in conserving old, large trees at Harmony Hill, we are supporting potential nesting sites for Ospreys, as well.
Next time you see one of these beautiful birds in nature, take a moment to appreciate their presence and to celebrate their return to the landscape. And, take a moment to remember you are part of the landscape and your actions ripple out. There is no separation in nature.
Coral Honeysuckle
Autumn follows Summer and Winter follows Autumn. It is a cycle we all know well and, the years have taught us that Winter will make way for Spring. In nature, as in life, timing is everything. And, this week, we look at how timing for one species of plant plays an important role in the lives of species of insects and the resident species of hummingbird at Harmony Hill. Remember that word “connection” we often go back to in nature? These connections are everywhere, and they are ever-present… and this is yet another example of the connections that surround us in the natural world.
We’ve talked about some of the early blooming flowers found at Harmony Hill; those wildflowers that blossom before most other plants and bring the first pops of color to the forests and fields. As humans, we enjoy the beauty and colors of those early bloomers. Animals, such as pollinators, key in on these plants as a life-giving source of nectar and pollen. Beginning in early March, an evergreen vine in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) sends whorls of bright red trumpet flowers up and out to greet the spring sun.
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is an easy to identify vine native to the eastern half of the United States. There are a number of vines at Harmony Hill with red, trumpet-shaped flowers; but, none look like Coral Honeysuckle. Let’s look at how we identify this wildflower, why it is different and how climate change is impacting the important role it plays in the forests of Harmony Hill.
Coral Honeysuckle has flowers that are narrow and long for the size of the vine. They are almost always a shade of bright red, though there are some mutations and cultivated varieties (cultivars) that can be on the yellow/orange spectrum. Whorled at the end of the vine stem in groups of as many as 14 or 15, the red flowers open to reveal an interior that can also be red, orange or yellowish. But, above all, they open to reveal stamens and anthers that are loaded with pollen and extend well out from the trumpet; unlike other ride flowering vines here, such as Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) or Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata). Those stamens and anthers are our first identifying field mark to look for!
Next, the word you should keep in mind when looking at Coral Honeysuckle is “opposite”! Everything is opposite on this vine. Whether we’re talking about the leaves or the way the flowers are whorled, they occur opposite one another. The leaves are, by far, the easiest of the field markers to notice and their opposite nature is clear. Speaking of opposite leaves, the last leaves on the vine, just below the flowers, are fused together into what we call a perfoliate arrangement of leaves. This perfoliate arrangement gives Coral Honeysuckle the look of two leaves that are joined together and pierced through by the stem of the vine, with a gorgeous bouquet of red trumpets almost exploding outwards.
Neither of our other red-flowered vines at Harmony Hill exhibit this perfoliate leaf structure. One more critical field marking to look for!
As for that scientific name, it is a tribute to a botanist and to the evergreen nature of this plant. Adam Lonicer was a German botanist and the genus name of Lonicera is a direct nod to his study of botany and herbal medicine. As for the species name of sempervirens, that refers to the “always living” evergreen nature of this plant. Sempervirens is a scientific name that comes up when referring to evergreen and “eternal” species, such as the California Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens).
Finally, Coral Honeysuckle is a wonderful flower for native pollinators at Harmony Hill. As you can see, there is an abundance of pollen sitting right outside each flower. And, being in the honeysuckle family, there are drops of nectar on the inside top of each flower. Add that to the bright red flowers and you have a hummingbird magnet if ever there was one!
But, this flower doesn’t just attract hummingbirds, like the native Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), at Harmony Hill. Butterflies, moths, bees and even ants are attracted to the pollen and nectar found on Coral Honeysuckle. As each pollinator examines the inside of the flower for tasty nectar, granules of pollen attach to their heads, legs and even wings. These pollen grains are then transferred over to another Coral Honeysuckle flower, where pollination can occur.
The fact that Coral Honeysuckle blooms early is no accident in nature. It begins blooming when there are few choices for pollinators, allowing it to attract their attention (and pollination skills!) when there are not many other plants to distract them. It also begins blooming just before, and just as, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive at Harmony Hill. This provides a readily available food source for tired and hungry hummingbirds looking to feed up for the breeding season. Coral Honeysuckle also blooms on and off throughout the summer, giving pollinators (like hummingbirds) a food source right up until it is time to head south for the winter.
As climate change worsens and as we see warmer temperatures coming earlier and earlier each year, Coral Honeysuckle will continue to begin to bloom earlier, as well. This earlier bloom time will shift the overall blossom cycle of the plant here at Harmony Hill ahead on the calendar. This shift in blooming threatens to upset the balance of that readily available source of nectar and pollen for awakening and arriving pollinators.
In the years to come, as our planet warms and as seasons like Spring and Summer arrive earlier (and with a vengeance), the few days of Coral Honeysuckle blooming earlier will become weeks that it blooms early. And that change in bloom time will have an impact on the survivorship of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that have traveled thousands of miles to return to places like Harmony Hill to breed. And we will see declines in populations of this lovely animal, along with populations of native bees, butterflies, moths and even ants.
There is no escaping the connection of one species to another. There is no escaping the connection we have to nature and to our planet. As John Muir once famously said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” Truer words have rarely been spoken.
Common Does Not Always Mean Ordinary! Grackles Are Much More
Sometimes, looks can be deceiving. Sometimes, what you think you see, at first glance, can be far from what is really there. We see this in nature most often in many forms, such as mimicry and camouflage. Another place we see this is in something we don’t think much about, until spring and summer at Harmony Hill, iridescence. Sure, we see those shiny and blazing ruby throats on the male hummingbirds that breed here. But some of the best representations we see of iridescence are found on a common bird that is often seen as a “pest” or “trash bird”. Let’s take a look at a common bird with unexpected beauty, the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula).
Now, before you say to me, “That bird isn’t pretty.”, or, “Why would you spotlight such an aggravating bird?”, allow us to open your eyes to the wonders of this oft maligned avian smartie!
There are three grackle species that breed in North America: Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) and Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus). There are three other grackle species that can be found from Central America and the Greater Antilles, into South America; Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris), Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) and Nicaraguan Grackle (Quiscalus nicaraguensis), Along with an extinct Mexican species, the Slender-billed Grackle (Quiscalus palustris), these species make up the entirety of grackle genus.
Grackles are all New World species and are part of the Icteridae (Blackbird) family of birds. The genus name of Quiscalus is most likely a nod to the Jackdaw (Corvus monedula), a European corvid that early visitors to the New World may have thought Grackles were related. The Latin name for Jackdaw was “graculus”, giving the Common Grackle both its genus AND its species name!
A very quick aside about the blackbird family name of Icteridae… many species of birds in this family don’t just exhibit black or dark plumage. Some species have prominent yellow and yellow-orange feathers. As it so happens, the Greek word “ikteros” means “suffering of jaundice”, a direct reference to the yellow plumage found on many of the members of this family!
Now that we’ve gotten to know the family, let’s focus in on the Common Grackle. Grackles are not universally loved… this much we know. They can gather in large flocks, and, in the case of the Great-tailed Grackle (and even the Boat-tailed Grackle), they can stream into parking lots by the dozens and hundreds. Long before they flocked to parking lots, their gatherings were surrounded by superstition and fear, particularly in the southeastern United States. Old wives’ tales have been told for generations that “blackbird flocks” brought disease or even impending death. These superstitions persist to the point that flocks of grackles are called “a plague” or “a nuisance”.
Very quick debunking of these old wives’ tales… there is NO scientific evidence that these birds bring sickness, disease or death! That is why we refer to these things as superstitions and not facts!
Common Grackles are most often found near wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams and swamps. And, yes, they can flock in some impressive numbers. Most often found in mixed flocks during the winter, it is not uncommon to find Common Grackles flocking with Rusty Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, European Starlings and even American Robins in numbers that can reach 100,000 individuals.
They are the very definition of omnivorous, eating anything that will fit in their mouths. Berries, insects, spiders, small fish, amphibians, small reptiles, bird eggs, and even human garbage are readily eaten.
Remember we mentioned being smarties? How they forage and eat shows a higher level of intelligence than many birds possess. First of all, they walk around as they forage. You read that right, they walk! They do not hop or jump around they walk. Secondly, they will readily wade out into shallow water and search for frogs, fish or, in the case of our photos, mussels. The bird in the accompanying photos is dining on invasive Asian Clams (Corbicula fluminea) it is capturing in a couple inches of water.
When some food items are found to be too dry, Common Grackles will readily soak the food in water to soften it or make it more palatable. They have also known to steal food from other animals, such as worms from American Robins.
Did we happen to mention that some grackle species will often help each other in their flocks? Cooperation is nothing new for these birds, as they will share roosting sites and even food with members of their flock. That can occasionally include other species of birds; so, they’re not all about taking from others.
Next, let’s focus on the most eye-catching part of the male Common Grackle, the iridescent plumage that provides some of the most beautiful purples, bronzes and turquoises you’ll ever see. When you first look at Common Grackles, they appear to be little more than a dark bird, with your first inclination to be writing it off as a drab black bird. However, with just a turn of the head or body, they will prove you wrong!
And it’s in that turn that we learn the science behind their beauty and the secret to their plumage. Some birds are colored by pigments, like carotenoids, melanins, and porphyrines in their feathers. (We’ll do a post on just those three feather properties in a future installment!) Some birds appear to be certain colors because of how their feathers are constructed or lay on their bodies.
Most birds colored blue owe that blue tint to the way their feathers hold air in the feather and away from their bodies. Blue Jays, Bluebirds and Indigo Buntings aren’t really blue, it’s just the way their feathers scatter light and reflect back shades of blue. Don’t believe me? Next time you find a Blue Jay feather, turn it over and look at it. It’s black. Turn it back right-side-up and you’ll see the blue refraction. Even tilting the feather at a different angle will darken the appearance and remove the blue from your view.
Grackle feathers do something similar, but completely different! Like the gorget (throat) feathers of many hummingbirds, grackle feathers are little more than feathered prisms, giving various iridescent sheens in different light. The angle the bird is from you, as well as the angle of the light, dictates the changing shimmers of color you see!
Take a look at the photos and you’ll see everything from nothing but pure black feathers to a veritable rainbow of color shining in the afternoon sunlight!
A bird, surrounded by superstition and disliked for their large flocks; yet also is quite intelligent and has a beautiful iridescent sheen. That is a bird that should be celebrated and not clouded by dislike, if you ask me. I mean, just look at the colors that pop on that Icteridae!
Brilliant Lily Blooms
As we flip the calendar to June, the longer, hotter days that bring summer also bring another round of wildflowers to Harmony Hill. The early spring flowers have begun to fade and plants more capable of handling the sweltering heat of the lower piedmont have begun to flourish. But, before we flip the page on spring wildflowers, let’s take a moment to look at one of the earliest and most eye-catching blooms we have.
In late February, when the crimson flowers of Red Maples begin painting the bare forests, a brilliant white flower begins appearing in areas where it seemed only grass had been all winter. In areas with organic rich soils that also retain moisture, grass-like leaves of this early bloomer grow about 10”-16” tall. Throughout the much of the summer, fall and winter, these leaves are inconspicuous, and they tend to simply blend into other vegetation. However, come late February, that all changes. Flower stalks quickly grow, with impressive, crisp white flowers opening atop. The Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasca) is a showstopper and a wonderful way to whet anyone’s appetite for spring wildflowers!
A true harbinger of spring, the 3”- 4” flowers can be found as a single flower bloom or can also be found blooming in clumps of breathtaking blooms of as many as 12-24 flowers. And, as a lily, there are a few things we should already know about this flower. Let’s discuss a couple things that make lilies easy to identify…
First of all, the most obvious part of a flowering plant to look at is the flower, itself. And lily flowers are pretty AND pretty cool. Lilies seem to follow a natural rule that flower parts be found in numbers of threes and sixes.
They have six tepals, that may be form a trumpet shape, may unfurl straight out or may curl back on themselves. Tepal is a term used when petals and sepals look so much alike and serve such a similar structure that they are difficult to distinguish and, therefore, are classified as tepals. Looking at the flower of the Atamasco Lily, we can see the six tepals.
Next, following the “rule of 3s and 6s”, let’s look at the stamen (the male structure of the flower that holds the pollen rich anther). We can easily see six stamens popping from the middle of the flower. We can also see stigma, the female part of the plant that is fertilized by pollen. We notice the stamen is separating into three parts.
Furthermore, lilies have scaled bulbs and parallel veins on their leaves. Each of these characteristics allow us to identify this plant as a wonderful member of the lily family Liliaceae.
Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasca)… what’s in a name? Far more than you’d ever imagine. The genus name is a direct reference to the Greek god Zephyrus, who awoke nature with his warm and gentle west wind each spring. He was married to Chloris, a great goddess of flowers, whose dominion is given a nod in “anthes” (a female persona of flower). Recalling we gave this flower a description as a harbinger of spring, as it is one of the first to announce the impending arrival of warmth and growth, it is doubtful that any other genus name could serve such a plant nearly as well.
The species name is taken from a Native American word meaning “tinged reddish”. The Pawhatan word translates directly to “stained red”, giving lovers of this flower the understanding that the pure white seen early in spring will turn deep pink as the blooms age and wilt. In the photo of the cluster of wilting flowers, the staining of red on the flowers is clear and gives us a sense of how well this plant was named!
In most years, the timeframe for blooming is March to May. But, in good years, you can sometimes find blooms that persist until very early June. Because this flower blooms so wonderfully during late March to mid-April, one of the colloquial names for it is Easter Lily. Many southerners see these lilies as more than just a cue for spring to march in. Renewal, rejuvenation and joy are just a few of the local beliefs ascribed to the freshness of the flower and the season they herald.
Rich soils that have the ability to retain moisture are important to this plant, as are days of dappled shade punctuated by a couple of hours of direct sun. When these lilies finish their flowering period and begin going into dormancy in late summer/early fall, they are perfectly able to be transplanted to other, well-suited areas.
Finally, this plant can be found from Maryland to Florida and westward, along the gulf coast, to Mississippi. In the Carolinas, it is most commonly found in areas of the piedmont (“foot of the mountains”).
Next year, as winter’s hold begins to shake and the Red Maples are well into flowering; should you find yourself in places where Atamasco Lilies bloom, look for the brilliant glow of the pure, white flowers of this plant. Then, find yourself soaking up the beauty of this Zephyrus lily that will be stained pink later in its short blooming window.
Cryptic Critter
Walking along the trails of Harmony Hill on spring mornings brings joy and delight in a variety of ways. The warm, morning sun kissing your face as it glimmers in and out of the dappling shade of new leaves on the trees instantly puts a smile on your face. Likewise, the flutter of butterfly wings passing in front of wildflowers and the chorus of birds singing lilting and flute-like songs lifts your spirit until you’re nearly floating above the ground. Catching a glimpse of other woodland creatures not nearly as conspicuous, and not traditionally seen as “beautiful”, will still stop you in your tracks. That is the story of our four-legged reptile friend… a nontraditional looker that is capable of holding your attention and that is deserving of as much appreciation as any resident of our neck-of-the-woods.
In an open area of the forest, the bobbing of a very small head is spotted on the backside of an old Loblolly Pine stump. The movement is fast, and the participant is too preoccupied to notice you just a few meters away. You stop everything and watch a cryptic and camouflaged, spiny lizard as it does pushups and bobs its head up and down. This spring dance is one that Eastern Fence Lizards have done for millennia, and this morning is a continuation of a natural urge to establish territory and to attract a mate to reproduce. And, as in many places, it is a dance we are able to enjoy here at Harmony Hill.
As one of the most common lizards in South Carolina, Eastern Fence Lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) can be found anywhere open forests and areas where meadows meet wood lines. Easily identified by scales that are keeled, or appearing to be rough and almost spiky, this species is tough to mistaken for any other lizard in South Carolina. Keeled scales appear rough because they have a center ridge that usually extends the full length of the scale, giving it that diagnostic rough and spiny appearance.
They prefer drier areas and overwhelmingly prefer places where they can climb to bask, such as fenceposts! (Hence, the common name, Fence Lizard!) One thing is for sure, they love to climb and are our most tree-loving lizard here. Their arboreal nature can be seen as they bask in the warmth of the sun, as they seek to escape danger and, in this instance, finding a high perch to establish a territory as theirs.
Speaking of escaping danger, this lizard doesn’t usually look for a hole to hide in or cover to shelter it when it thinks it spots a predator. They do quite the opposite! Instead of running to a hole, they race to the nearest tree, or tree-like structure, climb several feet up and scamper to the opposite side. This escape method of quickly getting to the opposite side of a tree is not unique to Eastern Fence Lizards and can even be found in their distant relatives, the woodpeckers! (Woodpeckers will often land on a tree and immediately scurry 90o to 180o on the trunk of a tree to avoid being taken by a predator, such as a pursuing Accipiter hawk.)
As for the scientific name, the genus name of “Sceloporus” refers to pores found on the undersides of their hind legs that are used to excrete lipids for attracting mates and marking territory. The species name of “undulatus” is in reference to the wavy, dark bands that are often (but, not always) present on the backs of this lizard. You’ll notice that the lizards in these photos don’t exhibit clear markings, showing this isn’t always a diagnostic identification field marking.
In the early part of the spring at Harmony Hill, usually late March through early May, male Eastern Fence Lizards will find a stump, fallen log, fencepost, low branch or even the top of the root ball of an overturned tree and begin working to attract a potential mate. They also use this time to reinforce territorial boundaries for potential interloping males. Depending upon food resources, a territory could be as small as 50-75 m2. When food isn’t quite as abundant, that area could easily double.
As for their diet, it is varied and includes just about any invertebrate that they can fit into their mouths. Beetles, spiders, moths, butterflies, flies, cockroaches and even worms are on the menu. While they’re not particular about what they eat, they are fairly particular about how they catch their meals. Eastern Fence Lizards are incredibly dependent upon sight to hunt and choose to sit tight and let their camouflage work for them, waiting for possible food items to come to them. When an unsuspecting invertebrate gets near, the lizard will make a quick movement to catch it.
Sight isn’t only important for hunting; it is also critical to spotting a healthy and viable partner to mate with and pass along their genes. Male Eastern Fence Lizards develop large areas of bright blue markings on their undersides. On their throats and on the sides of their abdomens, an iridescent blue can be seen shining in the sun during breeding season. Females have some blue on their undersides, but nothing like what is found on the males.
Later in the early summer, females will usually lay between 4-14 eggs. At Harmony Hill, that tends to be very late May and into mid-June. Around the end of July, hatching begins, and miniature versions of the adults begin to roam the woodlands of the southern piedmont of South Carolina. Measuring about 1.5”-2”, the newly hatched lizards look very much like tiny versions of the females.
Adults can easily grow well above 6”, with females being larger than males. It isn’t out of the question to find females nearing 7.5”. This size difference between females and males, referred to as sexual dimorphism, finds females of this species being 10-15% larger than males. Fun fact… while females tend to be longer, overall, than males, they often have shorter tails than their male counterparts!
Life isn’t easy for our Eastern Fence Lizards, as they face a gauntlet of predators at just about every turn. Birds, such as American Crows, Blue Jays, American Kestrels and Loggerhead Shrikes are quite good at hunting them. And on the ground, a variety of snakes excel at capturing and consuming them. Now you see why they race to the nearest tree and quickly hide on the other side! Danger from above and below besets them all day!
The next time you find yourself wandering along the edge of an open forest, be sure to keep a keen eye out for these well-camouflaged reptiles and you just may witness pushups and head bobs. If you’re lucky, you’ll have the opportunity to watch one of the more common species of lizard in the southeast. And, if you take the time to soak up the gift of nature before you, you’ll learn that in no way does common mean ordinary or ugly! We, here at Harmony Hill, are not on the fence about the uncommon beauty of this common species.
Jugs and Gingers
You’ll notice one of the common themes at Harmony Hill is “connection”. This theme frequently pops up in our nature notes stories and it dominates our daily approaches to managing everything from the garden to the forest. Whether it’s the deep connection we have with the land or the connections between species on the landscape here, we celebrate these connections. This week, we would like to share a beautiful plant at Harmony Hill and a connection or two it has with the rest of the landscape.
As is the case in so many places, springtime brings a flurry of activity to Harmony Hill. Our ears are treated to dawn choruses, as mornings greet us to increasing numbers of avian migrants singing and calling. Our eyes are given a feast of colors and shapes in wildflowers dotting the hills and fields. We start looking up at the brand-new spring greens of leaves unfurling against the bule sky above. Even with our attention being dedicated to the yellows, reds, blues and purples of wildflowers along the fields, hillsides and forests, there are other beautiful flowers blooming where we don’t normally look.
Hidden beneath the leaf litter that covers much of the forest floor, there are surprisingly lovely flowers that many walk past and never see. For some of those who do, they may not immediately know what they’re looking at are, in fact, flowers. While the leaves are easy to spot and get most of the attention of the plant, there often lie flowers on the ground below those heart or arrow-shaped leaved. Let’s look at one of the plants often referred to as Little Brown Jug and Wild Ginger.
In the south, Little Brown Jug is a name given to a whole laundry list of flowers in the Asarum and Hexastylis genera. Looking at the flowers in this week’s photos, it isn’t hard to understand where that common name comes from. The flowers look of this species certainly look like tiny, ornate jugs lying on the ground.
Hexastylis heterophylla is a plant found in the piedmont and mountain regions of SC and has a range that extends northward to West Virginia and Kentucky and westward to Alabama. It can often be found on moist hillsides in SC, particularly steep hillsides. Sure enough, that’s where we found the plants in the photos. It tends to prefer moist soils, like the mesic soils on the slope where these plants grow. But it isn’t out of the question to find it in drier areas.
Hexastylis is a genus name that refers to the six (hexa) stigmas (styles) typiccaly exhibited on plants in this genus. And, that species name of heterophylla, is about as good a species name for this plant as could’ve been given. “Hetero” means different and “phylla” means leaves. The variety of colors and even shapes found in both the leaves AND the flowers of this particular Little Brown Jug is impressive. (And, occasionally frustrating!) Leaves can be completely green or heavily variegated, as seen in the photos. The flowers can also be tan, pink or mauve. They can also be all the same color or have speckled patterns.
The common names for this plant are as descriptive and appropriate. With some calling this plant Variable-leafed Ginger, Variable Heart-leafed Ginger and Variable Little Brown Jug, you can see how each are as correct as the next.
Wild Gingers are usually in the Asarum genus. But Hexastylis is genus pulled and separated from Asarum. The leaves of each genera look incredibly similar, and the flowers are astonishing in their similarity. However, there appears to be a separation in how the flowers of the two are pollinated!
It was once believed that flies pollinated the flowers of Asarum, with some biology professors still teaching their students that wild gingers are always pollinated by flies. But, dear reader, Harmony Hill is here to set the record straight! Asarum genus wild gingers in the eastern US all self-pollinating plants, with no insect interaction needed or observed. (There are western species of Asarum that are pollinated by gnats and, on occasion, flies. Asarum hartwegii emits a slight malodor to attract insects. That odor is absent from eastern species and insects are not necessary for pollination.) This is an instance of the flowers looking as though they should be pollinated by insects, such as flies; but, form doesn’t always equal function. Or the function humans think should be assigned.
What about our friends in the Hexastylis genus, like our friend heterophylla? Well, it appears they are pollinated by a variety of small insects, like gnats, flies and even ants that wander into the flowers. But the pollination seems to occur inside the same flower and there aren’t many cross-pollinating events at all.
Here, we see the connection this plant has with relatives and with insects found at Harmony Hill. But there’s one more connection we’ve saved until the very end. Hexastylis heterophylla is quite often found in conjunction with Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia). The same shaded slopes that provide shelter, lower temperatures and moist soils Mountain Laurel prefers also provide microclimates that support the development and growth of Variable-leafed Ginger. They aren’t always found together; but, when we see one species in the forest, we keep our eyes open for the other. We also look for native Rhododendron when we see these plants.
We’ve had a discussion about a species of native Rhododendron already, and we’ll take a closer look at Mountain Laurel and another Rhododendron in a future conversation…
Pretty Pastels of Spring
In the early spring days of the piedmont of South Carolina, there are two beautiful flowers that punctuate the woodlands and add striking colors to the spring green palettes of new leaves. Beginning in late February, small yellow trumpet flowers begin dotting the forest and are quickly seen all over fields, edges and open wooded areas. At Harmony Hill, those open wooded areas can be both upland pine stands and open hardwood forests near Beaver Creek.
A vine capable of climbing to great heights, Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) has vibrant, canary yellow trumpet flowers and simple, evergreen leaves. I’ve heard this plant called “Poor Man’s Rope”, as well as “Evening Trumpet Vine”. And, while it’s not uncommon to see it spelled “Jasmine” and even referred to as “Carolina Jasmine”, the most accepted spelling (and pronunciation) is Jessamine. Sometimes confused with Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Yellow Jessamine is a native plant that ranges from Virginia down to Florida, and westward to Texas.
Let’s take a quick look at that scientific name. The genus name of Gelsemium is a variant of the Italian word for Jasmine (gelsomino). And the species name, sempervirens, means evergreen (literally, “always living/green”). We see that same species name in the scientific name for the Coastal Redwoods in California (Sequoia sempervirens).
The state flower of South Carolina, EVERY SINGLE PART OF THIS PLANT is poisonous to humans and is even avoided by many animals. The stem, the flowers, the nectar, the leaves and even the roots are poisonous. In fact, even honey from the nectar of Yellow Jessamine. Livestock can be harmed by ingesting high levels of this plant and that nectar we mentioned can also be toxic to insects that ingest too much. (Side note… I once got in trouble in elementary school when the teacher asked what the state flower of SC was and I joked, “Adluh!” State Flour/State Flower)
Also, during my time as a wildland firefighter, I saw the flammability of this plant. Whenever flames get near Yellow Jessamine, the intensity of the fire increases and will climb the vine pretty quickly.
Just a few weeks after Yellow Jessamine begins blooming, another native, gorgeous and poisonous plant begins painting the woods with pinks that are a sure sign of warmer and longer days. Piedmont Azalea (Rhododendron canescens) is known by a laundry list of common names. Mountain Azalea, Pinxterflower, Wild Azalea, Wild Rhododendron, and on, and on and on… I’ve heard this plant called dozens and dozens of different names, but the scientific name is still the same.
Rhododendron means “rose tree” and canescens means “hoary” (or silver, gray). This lovely shrub is in the Heath family (Ericaceae).
Like the Yellow Jessamine, Piedmont Azalea loves partial shade, with lots of sunlight, and a variety of acidic soils. And, like Yellow Jessamine, this native azalea is quite poisonous. Despite not being related to Yellow Jessamine (which is a vine in the Logania Family) one of the azalea’s common names is, in another cool connection, Bush Honeysuckle. (Again, neither of our plants in this installment is a honeysuckle.)
As was the case with our first focus plant, all parts of Piedmont Azalea are poisonous to both man and beast. This is in NO WAY meant to keep anyone from admiring these lovely native plants. Nor is it intended to cause anyone from encouraging these showy plants on the landscape. It is just to point at a very effective evolutionary means to deter foraging by herbivores that could eat (and kill) these two species. Poisons are simply a means to keep a species from being eaten, that’s all. It is nature providing a protection and allowing a species to grow, mature and reproduce. (Whether plant or animal)
There is a pocket of the rare May White Azalea (Rhododendron eastmanii) hidden on Harmony Hill. Originally thought to be Alabama Azalea (Rhododendron alabamense), the bloom time is completely different from Alabama Azalea. May White Azalea blooms a full moth after Alabama Azalea. True to its name, this diminutive white azalea flower blooms in May, while Alabama Azalea blooms in late March and April. We will most definitely spotlight that species when it blooms later this spring. I, for one, cannot wait to see those delicate while azalea blooms opening over Harmony Hill.
More than any levels of plant toxicity, what we should focus on is the early season beauty these plants bring to the lower piedmont of Harmony Hill. We should always be sure to delight in the bright colors they bring to a land just beginning to awaken from a long winter’s nap. And, as Robin and Bethany did in early April, be sure to allow our eyes to steer toward the way these flowers grab the sunlight and transform it into optical magic… to stop in our tracks and appreciate the vivid hues on display as spring takes hold.
Southern Leopard Frog
Last weekend, Jasmine uploaded three photos of a frog encountered at Harmony Hill (see the previous post in this channel). This frog is one that can be a bit confusing to identify by sight, but this species is almost unmistakable by voice.
Why would this species be confusing to identify by sight? That is the most important question to answer and, when we answer that question, removing the confusion will make this frog MUCH EASIER to identify!
This species sort of looks like another species or two found in the same genus, but there are field markings that differentiate this species. This species of frog also comes in a WIDE variety of colorations, all in the brown to green spectrum. Some individuals are all brown, with spots. However, some individuals are all green, with spots. And there are quite a lot of individuals that are gradients of brownish/greenish over different parts of their bodies, with spots! AND, as if that weren’t enough confusion, the spots can be various shapes and sizes!
Now that we’ve introduced as much confusion as we can, let’s start clearing the clouded waters. Let’s look at the constants that we can look at to identify this species. Found on this species of frog are prominent, light colored ridges on each side of its back that start just behind each eye. Furthermore, there is a light band in each eye that extends onto the light ridges on the back.
Next, let’s look at the tympanum (or external eardrum) seen just below and behind the eyes. A definitive field mark to look for on the tympanum is a light-colored dot right in the middle. (I’ve included a closeup of one of Jasmine’s photos that highlight this field marking. I have placed a red arrow pointing to the dot in the middle of the tympanum.)
This species also has a pale upper lip and belongs to the family Ranidae, the true frogs.
Having covered what to look for to identify this species, that leaves one major question… Well, Josh, what is it?! It’s a Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)! Those spots that show up on all members of this species are responsible for their common name. They’re spotted, like a leopard.
There are some who still list the scientific name of this species as (Rana sphenocephalus). It’s also not uncommon to see it listed with both genus names and have it written as (Lithobates [Rana] sphenocephalus). What’s that all about?
The older genus name, Rana, is a direct link to the name of the true frog family of Ranidae. Rana and Ranidae are different names indicating “true frogs”. The new genus name, Lithobates, is Greek for “rock walker” (Litho, meaning stone and Bates, meaning one who walks upon.) Their species name, sphenocephalus, means “head shaped like a wedge”. I’ve placed a red circle on the snout of the photo to highlight that pointed nose.
There are 8 other members of the genus, Lithobates (or still listed as Rana), in South Carolina. However, Harmony Hill is definitively in the range of two other species in this genus, Bullfrog and Green Frog. The land is potentially in the range of three other species in this genus, Carpenter Frog, Gopher Frog and River Frog.
As an amphibian, Southern Leopard Frogs are tied to water. To lay eggs and to keep their skins moist, they must be in the vicinity of water. Their eggs have to be laid in water and, with this species, that water is most likely shallow water that has little predation (usually fish). They also lay their eggs so that they’re anchored to some vegetation. However, Southern Leopard Frogs are often found quite some distance from water. While doing the snake research at Carolina Sandhills NWR, I regularly found Southern Leopard Frogs over half-a-mile from standing water. So, don’t be surprised if you encounter them away from where you might expect them!
Their diets are pretty varied, including any insects or invertebrates that might fit in their mouths. I’ve seen them munching away on crayfish. Their especially fond of crayfish that have recently molted. With that varied diet, Southern Leopard Frogs are apt to be active anytime of the day or night.
As for that unmistakable call… I’ve always said it reminds me of the sound of a balloon being twisted, much like the sound you might hear when a clown is making balloon animals. I’m attaching a YouTube video of their call for you to listen to. What do you think? Do you agree with me? Does the call sound like a balloon being rubbed or twisted to you?
No other frog in the Harmony Hill area sounds like the Southern Leopard Frog. With that in mind, this is a GREAT species to begin our toad and frog journey as we learn a little more about the Story of the Land. When you see those light-colored ridges, those dots in the middle of each tympanum, that pointed snout, those spots and when you hear that twisted balloon croak, you have Southern Leopard Frogs on the land!
As I’ve made a concerted effort to do in previous posts, I’ve also made sure to look into a species that can also be found easily in Florida. And Southern Leopard Frogs can be found throughout the Sunshine State.