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Home > Blogs > Birds and Butterflies > Archives > 2011 > September
September 2011
Owls @ Night
Owls are one of those creatures everyone knows about but rarely get to see in the wild. Their nocturnal nature plays a great role in that. There are 3 owls that are common to Ohio and live here year around; the Eastern Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl and the Barred Owl. Ohio is also a home to 4 other species of owl but can only be found in the winter; the Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Snowy Owl and Saw-Whet owl. The Barn Owl, rarely found in Ohio, is endangered.
Right now is a great time to listen at night for the haunting hoots and shrills of our nocturnal birds of prey. Why is this? It turns out that when the period between light and darkness starts to change, like it is now, a hormone is produced that tells the owls to start singing and making territories, even though it is not the right time for it. In spring the same process happens and the same hormone is produced telling the males to start singing to attract a mate and another hormone is produced telling them how to mate and so on. So birds even if it is the first year for them to mate have an internal “guide” telling them how to successfully produce and raise young.
Owls are some of the coolest creatures to see at night. Their bodies have adapted to life at night, with their big, bright eyes allow them to see. The silent beats of the wings as they move through the air and their dome shaped head that allows them to hear the smallest of sounds. All of those things and more make this nocturnal animal one to get out and observe. Want to learn more about these nocturnal birds of prey? Come out Friday September 30, 2011 to Possum Creek MetroPark for an Owl Prowl starting at 7:30pm and located at the Argonne Forest parking lot.
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Osprey at Eastwood
We spotted an Osprey at Eastwood MetroPark today! It was perched high in some trees overlooking the lagoon. Upon longer observation, we saw it was eating something. The Osprey would occasionally bend over and take a bite out of the food it held in its talons. It ruffled its feathers. I was once told that a bird ruffling its feathers meant it was content. So, maybe this bird was feeling pretty happy about its full belly. Or maybe it just needed to readjust itself before another bite.
Ospreys are big fish eaters, so we didn’t have to wonder much about what kind of animal it was munching on. They have a distinct hooked bill to allow them to eat their food. They are a raptor, which is a bird of prey. They catch fish with their feet and tend to hold them facing forward to prevent drag as they fly. I wasn’t able to get a satisfactory photo of our Osprey at Eastwood. Study the pictures from USFWS to get an idea of their identifying characteristics. Has anyone else spotted an Osprey at Eastwood recently?
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Box Turtle Encounters
During our Adult Nature Walk on Wednesday at Germantown MP, we ran into this little guy (above) on the Green Trail. Since then, I have had many park visitors tell me these guys are being spotted pretty frequently these last few weeks.
Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) got their names because they do not just bring their heads into the shell when threatened, but they also can ‘shut the door’ in a sense. There is a hinge on their plastron (lower part of the shell) that comes up, completely closing in the head (see photo example). They are a woodland species and even though they can swim, they prefer to spend their time on land. Box Turtles are really clumsy swimmers!
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If you happen to see a Box Turtle on the road and you are able to stop safely, be sure to place it at the edge of the road in the direction it is travelling. It is against the law to relocate a Box Turtle without a permit and it can really disorient them.
The best place to have a Box Turtle encounter is in a forested area. If you encounter one while taking a stroll, make sure you stop and admire them. They have so many beautiful markings that shouldn’t go unappreciated. If you are interested in learning more about these regal reptiles, stop by the Germantown Nature Center for an up-close expierience.
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Night explorations
Have you ever explored the outdoors at night? Not just because you are walking home in the dark but by sitting in your backyard or going to a local park and just watching the night come to life? First thing you may notice are little creatures that fly like birds dive bombing in the air, looking for their nightly meal. Soon you might hear the wooing of a nearby owl or catch a glimpse of an animal prowling the ground looking for its next meal. It’s amazing to see how much life there is at night when we are usually at home watching TV. I invite you to come out and explore nature at night this Friday night, Sept 23 from 7:30-9 at Carriage Hill MetroPark. We will be exploring the woods and keeping our eyes and ears open for what wildlife life may come out night.
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The Lake Erie Birding Trail is Now Open!
Birding is growing in popularity all across the country, and there are an estimated 2.4 million birders in Ohio alone! Some people don’t realize that Ohio is actually one of the best places to go to see migrating birds in the spring and fall. Ohio, and specifically Lake Erie, falls right in the middle of the different flight patterns birds take when migrating, which is why lots of people will travel to Ohio during migration so they can get a glimpse of birds that are rare in many parts of the country, especially warblers. Because of this, the Ohio Division of Wildlife helped connect over 90 prime birding locations along Lake Erie in the Lake Erie Birding Trail. Similar projects have been very successful in Texas and Florida as well.
The Lake Erie Birding Trail grand opening took place at the Midwest Birding Symposium on Friday, September 16th. Check it out next time you are up in northern Ohio, or plan a trip up there to see how many new species you can find! It’s a great way to spend a weekend outdoors! If you need help planning your trip and which locations to visit, check out the website: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/LakeErieBirdTrailIndex/tabid/21961/Default.aspx
Happy Birding!
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Amazing Monarch Food
Most people recognize Monarchs, the beautiful orange butterflies with black and white markings that are seen in summer. They seem to soar more than just flitter around like many other butterflies I have watched. I often see them flying high over fields and the roads as I am driving in late summer. There is a very good reason they need to be able to do this; they are on a long journey south, all the way down to Mexico.
In a mysterious migration, up to 3,000 miles, the Monarch butterflies gather in warmer climates for the winter. Depending on which side of the Rocky Mountains they come from, these little creatures will almost completely cover trees in specialized habitats of either the California coast or central Mexico and wait there until spring. When it starts warming up and their host plants start to grow back they begin to fly north and reproduce until their grandchildren end up back North, where their grandparents had come from.
Okay, if you got all that you might still be wondering what a host plant is. A host plant is a specific plant, or family of plants, that an insect relies on to complete its life cycle. In the case of butterflies, a host plant is what the adult butterfly lays her eggs on for her babies (caterpillars) to eat. You probably knew that caterpillars eat plants, but isn’t it amazing that their mom chooses a specific plant that is necessary for them to survive?
A Monarch’s host plant is called Milkweed. There are different kinds of Milkweed, and several that grow in Ohio, including Butterfly Weed and Common Milkweed. Both of these have beautiful flowers that the adults use for nectar. In late summer obvious seedpods burst open in with seeds on silken parachutes. A lot of people seem to relate to finding these as a child. I see Milkweed more often at parks but there is a trend of planting in home gardens now. This is really important for Monarchs and they are an attractive addition to a landscape. Plus, the seedpods are fun to play with!
Monarch numbers are much lower than they used to be due to habitat destruction and harmful pesticides, to name a couple of things. Every year, Monarchs are tagged by organizations and citizens like you that want to help track their populations. Planting Milkweed is an easy and fun way to help the Monarchs that come to Ohio.
Please visit http://www.monarchwatch.org for lots of great information about Monarchs and how you can help them and continue to watch part of their intricate life cycle.
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One of Many Midwest Birding Symposium Moments
For those of you who weren’t able to make it, the 2011 Midwest Birding Symposium was quite a treat. I had never been to such an event before, but I can assure you this year’s event won’t be my last! So much took place from Thursday until today, and I need more sleep to thoroughly recap the great weekend, but I think one of many great moments that stuck out was when we saw a yellow-billed cuckoo at Meadowbrook Marsh. I don’t have an accurate life list for myself, but I don’t think I’d seen a yellow-billed cuckoo before. It was early in the morning, and we weren’t seeing too many birds, though we could hear them chatter. As we walked between the marsh and the forest, a larger bird popped up from the shrubs and landed in an arch made of grape vines. When it flew up, what stuck out to me were the large flashes of white on the tail. I had no real clue it was a cuckoo and what would distinguish a yellow-billed from a black-billed cuckoo, so when everyone was trying to decide what kind of cuckoo this bird was, I didn’t really partake, assuming I wouldn’t be able to help. From our angle, no one could see the tail and tell whether there were large white spots or narrow white spots. In the low light it was hard to tell the bi-colored bill or see an eye-ring, so the tail was apparently what we needed to go by. So, even though I didn’t know what told my colleagues it was a cuckoo or what markings distinguished one cuckoo from the other, I was actually able to help in this identification, because I had seen the large white spots on the tail. No one else had gotten a good look when it flew. I think this stood out to me, because it shows that you don’t have to be an expert to contribute to birding and have fun out there. And the more I’m out there, the more I learn and appreciate the birds, the habitat, and nature in general. And isn’t that the point?
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Creeking
There’s nothing better than getting into a refreshing creek or stream on a hot day. They can provide hours of entertainment and maybe a little bit of education. There are many things you can do; relax and get your feet wet or you could search for animals that live in or near the water. You could be a daring explorer, discovering where the source of the water is coming from, or try and see how many different animals you can find in the water. The possibilities are endless. Taking people to a creek or stream for exploration is probably one of my favorite programs I get to do. There are many kids today that have never been in a stream. It’s amazing to see what kids come up with as they splash through the water. One group may want to see how many crawdads/ crayfish they can catch with their nets. Others might focus on how many types of fish they can find and others might want to look for insects. After all the playing and exploring is done for the day, the best part is telling them that they can come back with their parents and show them how much fun it is to play in a creek. Their eyes get wider and ideas start to form in their heads about what other kind of adventures they could have! There are some things you do want to be mindful of when going to a creek; first you always want to wear close-toed shoes due to the sharp rocks on the creek bed. Second, you also should visually check the water before you get in. If you can’t see the bottom of the creek there is a possibility that the water is moving too fast, causing silt from the creek floor to stir up. This makes it hard to see where you are walking. Third, it is good practice to stay in water below your knees. Water above your knees can have a stronger current and can sweep you off your feet. If you keep these few things in mind you will discover new things and have a great time. So head on out to your local stream or creek and see what fun adventures you will have.
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A Black Leopard… in Dayton?
You’ve probably heard about the black leopard prowling around Harrison Township, just north of Dayton. You may have tried to go out in our conservation areas, or the parks along the Stillwater River, where this large cat has been seen. But, have you thought about why this animal, native to Africa and Asia, is in Ohio?
Black leopards live in the rainforest, marshlands, swamps, woodlands, savannahs, mountainous areas, and deserts. They can adapt to these very different ecosystems because they eat a variety of different reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals. They are powerful felines that can hunt from trees, on the ground, and in the water as they are good swimmers. They are nocturnal in the wild and are usually solitary unless a female has cubs, and are hard to find in the wild due to camouflage. You may hear people call the black leopard a black panther. That’s because a black leopard is a melanistic (very dark or completely black) form of a leopard, just like a black squirrel is a melanistic form of a grey squirrel. The name black panther is commonly used to describe a melanistic leopard or melanistic jaguar.
While situations like the black leopard give us something out of the ordinary to talk about at lunch, this isn’t ideal for the leopard or the people of Dayton. The reason the animal is here is because some people feel the need to have exotic and wild animals as pets. It may seem “cool” to have an alligator, fox, or leopard as a pet, but once the animal is no longer small and “cute” people realize having an exotic or wild animal isn’t so “cool” anymore. Those animals are not meant to live in a house as a pet. I’m sure that at some point your dog or your neighbor’s dog has escaped, and the same can happen with these exotic and wild animals. And, unfortunately, sometimes people who don’t want their exotic or wild animals anymore will turn them loose. Either way, the animal then becomes a concern for the public… and I’ll let you form your own opinions about that.
Now you know a little about black leopards and how this black leopard most likely ended up in our area, but what should you do about it? First, remember that this used to be someone’s pet, so we aren’t sure how “wild” or “tame” this animal is, but it is best to exercise caution. Second, there are many other large animals that are black including dogs, sheep, goats, etc. so please don’t assume every large black animal you see is the leopard. If you can verify you’ve spotted the black leopard, you can feel free to contact Michael Enright, Five Rivers Metroparks’ Conservation Biologist, at 277-4109. And, if you’re concerned about other exotic animals in Ohio, you can contact your local politician and find out about animal licensing laws in Ohio.
Garter Snake Encounters
Five years ago, I would have been shocked at the idea that I would even consider handling one of these snaky creatures. They made me nervous since I didn’t have much experience with them. In college, I worked at a museum with live animals and was trained to handle the snakes we used for education. After that, they quickly have become some of my favorite animals. As I learned more and more about snakes, I have come to appreciate their imortance in the ecosystem. The poor things have been given a bad reputation!
While trying to do some tidying up around our backyard yesterday, we ran into two very pretty garter snakes hiding under our doghouse. Since we were permanently moving their shelter, we wanted to get them to a safe, dog-free area on the outside of the backyard fence. So, I proceeded to move them the 10 yards necessary. They sure gave me a hard time since they kept sliding under the Cedar tree needles every time I reached for them! I let them go at the edge of the fence line near a cozy brush pile they could call home.
Now the disclaimer: Do not attempt to touch or handle a snake that you do not recognize by species. We do have three venomous snakes in Ohio, but they are not common in Montgomery County. Any wild snake may attempt to bite when you handle them. The best thing to do when you see one is to watch it quietly and appreciate him/her from afar.
Eastern Garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) are the most common Garter Snake in Ohio. Their name is derived from their lateral yellow stripes that resemble old-fashioned sock garters. They live in a wide variety of habitats such as wetlands, drainage ditches, meadows, and under dog houses (Haha!). If you want to see one up close, check out the Germantown Nature Center or try to find one out on the trails!
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Stress it Out
There is nothing better than escaping from computer work, ringing telephones and constant miscellaneous chatter, to a place of peace and relaxation. This place of relaxation is different for everyone; it could be driving home from work, relaxing at home with your favorite television show or book, going for a walk or just sitting outside. Each place allows us to breath a bit lighter and simply relax, which is something that many of us could say we’d like to do more of. It seems anymore that our lives are controlled my cause and stress, which is not my idea of a long fulfilling life. So I have decided to spend more time in my favorite places, which obviously would be the outdoors. When I go outside what I may do at that time varies greatly depending on the day. Sometimes I just sit and watch the wind move the trees, others I may look for what animals may be wondering around the area, but more times than any I fall asleep on my favorite swing. The best part is that I can do a lot of that in my backyard. I have also notice I enjoy spending more time out in late summer/ fall right when the weather turns from hot and humid to cool and the cicadas are playing a therapeutic sound, one ending as another begins. It’s funny but as soon as I hear the first cicadas in the late summer I know that fall is on its way and I get outside and enjoy it.
Getting outside is also a great way to let your kids see seasonal changes such as when the cicadas starting singing and when fall is coming. You only live once why not try something new you never know if it will end up turning into your place to alleviate your stress and make new memories
