Ripples 11/4/21

Posted on by November 5, 2021

Ripples from the Dunes, by Kennedy Zittel, Assistant Naturalist

During our owl-themed school program when we ask the children to describe similarities and differences between some of the owl photos it often comes up that some of the owls have “ears” whereas some do not. This is an excellent observation and allows me to share one of my favorite nature-words. Those are not actually the owl’s ears, oftentimes we refer to them as ear tufts, but, there is an official and way more fun word for those tufts on the owl’s head. Plumicorns! Plumicorns are a tuft of lengthened feathers that are found on the head of various owl species. The word comes from the latin words “pluma” meaning feather and “cornu” meaning horn. Plumicorns = feather horns!

Now, if those ear tufts or “plumicorns” aren’t actually the owls ears… where are their ears? Owls’ ears are hidden under the photo of Great Horned Owl curved lines of their facial disc on either side of the owl’s face. Some owls, such as the Great Horned Owl can even raise its facial disc feathers to amplify sound. Similarly to how if we cup our hands behind our ears the sounds can become louder. Another cool thing about owl’s ears is that their ears are offset with the right ear being a bit higher than the left ear. Because of this, sounds will reach one ear before the other and the owl will then tilt its head until the sound is coming into both ears at the same time…and when it does find that balance it will be looking directly at the source of the sound! 

So, if plumicorns aren’t ears…and are just feathers…what are they for? Excellent question! Scientists aren’t sure yet as to what the exact reason for the plumicorns existence is yet, however, there are a few hypotheses that could explain why some owls have them. One of the guesses for why owls have the ear tufts is to help them camouflage. The ear tufts break up the silhouette of the owl and allow them to blend in with branches and other natural features easier. Another guess for why they have ear tufts is for intimidation. By raising and lowering the ear tufts owls can look larger and intimidate other large predators away from their space. Other possible reasons are for communication, species recognition, and for courtship. 

Now, even though scientists are unsure as to what the ear tufts are for, they are sure as to what the ear tufts are not for. They have nothing to do with sound and have no impact on the owl’s hearing. They are definitely not ears, as the ears are again towards the side of the owl’s head by their facial disc. The tufts are not crests. Crests are generally a one structure thing at the center of the bird’s head though like ear tufts they can be raised and lowered for communication. The tufts are also not plumes, which are longer and showier feathers that are used during breeding displays. Plumes are often lost after the breeding season whereas the ear tufts are kept year round. 

Another interesting thing is that not all owls have plumicorns. Only about 50 of the 225 living owl species have plumicorns. Some of the notable ones around Woodland Dunes with plumicorns would be the Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Short-eared Owl, and Long-eared Owl. Owls without plumicorns from around this area are the Barred Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Barn Owl, and Snowy Owl. Though there is no exact reasoning for why the owls have those feathers yet, they sure are cool!

Ripples 10/28/21

Posted on by October 28, 2021

A few weeks ago, I was visiting a family member when she told me something “disgusting” sprouted up overnight in a border garden in her yard. Naturally I was intrigued, as was my 8-year old niece, so we went to investigate.

photo of dog vomit slime moldFrom across the yard, we could see a light-colored blob on top of the mulch. We slowly approached and looked at the dried foamy mass. It was the size of a large dinner plate and contained red, jelly-like blobs. Was this a pile of dried scrambled eggs and ketchup dumped by a neighbor? Did an animal get sick? I took a small stick to gently poke it and noted it was slightly crusty.

Wanting to know more, I looked online and discovered that this was a slime mold. This particular variety is common and appropriately named “dog vomit slime mold” because of its physical appearance. My niece loved this!

Slime molds are slimy, odd creatures that are difficult to define, even for those that study them. They are actually not molds or fungi, but are more closely related to single-celled organisms like protists. They thrive in warm, moist conditions and often grow on compost piles and mulch.

The lifecycle of the “dog vomit slime mold” is like something out of a science fiction movie. The stage I observed is known as plasmodium. The blob slowly creeps over dead wood, leaves and other decaying plant matter, eating bacteria as it goes. Once the food source is depleted or conditions become too dry, it’s time for the slime mold to reproduce. It enters the sporangia stage and dries out completely, decomposes and leaves behind dusty spores that blow in the wind. The spores will germinate once moist conditions arise and individual cells communicate with each other by emitting chemicals. The chemicals help the cells find one another and join together, forming the giant amoeba-like organism known as the plasmodium. The cycle continues.

This organism may seem a bit creepy, but it’s harmless. Slime molds are a food source of some beetles and nematodes (roundworms). They also play a significant role in breaking down organic matter and returning nutrients to the soil.

If you come across a slime mold in your compost or mulch, consider observing this creature for a few days. It’s your own science fiction movie come to life!

Photo- slime mold taken by Jessica Johnsrud

Ripples 10/22/21

Posted on by October 22, 2021

By Kennedy Zittel, Assistant Naturalist

 

photo of dark-eyed juncoAs I was sitting at my desk I glanced up to look at the bird feeder I just happened to place directly within view of my window, to see some familiar little birds hopping around the shrubs that I haven’t seen in awhile. Juncos! To be specific, dark-eyed juncos. Though I was delighted to see the little grey birds once again, I couldn’t help but think that if the juncos are back that must mean… winter is coming! 

Though it seems that fall just started, all around us are signs that winter is not too far off. Fall is my favorite season, so I am in no hurry to rush into our freezing cold winter just yet. It just seems that fall always goes by so quickly given that things are constantly changing. Fall is filled with beginnings here at Woodland Dunes though, so there is a lot to keep us all busy during this whirlwind of a season. School programs have started, the owl banding season has begun, and birds have started to migrate through. Each day it seems new birds are coming and going, what we see here one day may be gone the next. It is truly a surprise each day stepping out of my car to hear what birds will be singing out in the trees just outside the nature center building. One day it could be catbirds, the next a whole group of white-crowned sparrows, or even some rusty blackbirds.

With the arrival of the juncos I decided to put out a suet feeder to try and help the migrating birds (and the chickadees too it seems) put on some extra fat before they take off on the next length of their journey. I am not joking when I say that before I could even get the feeder hung up I had multiple chickadees surrounding me on nearby branches just waiting for me to get out of their way so that they could eat some of the suet. Besides the chickadees, I have had cardinals, house finches, and some downy woodpeckers all stop by the suet feeder so far. 

Woodland Dunes is a wonderful stopover habitat that allows migrating birds to rest and refuel before continuing on their migration path. Sometimes those birds will stay for longer than a week and sometimes only a day or two. Though there are a lot of things here naturally that the birds could munch on, it certainly isn’t a bad thing to offer some help by putting out fatty foods like suet and black oil sunflower seeds to give them the fat supply they need to fly as far as they do. 

The birds coming and going aren’t the only signs that winter isn’t too far off either. The prairies once full of colors from the different wildflowers are now mostly grasses, the leaves above have begun to change their leaves into different shades of reds, yellows, purples, and oranges too. A lot of trees have already even begun to drop their leaves for the winter, covering our boardwalks in a sea of crunchy foliage that the children coming to our school programs have loved stomping over. Fall and winter are good reminders to myself as to why I love and appreciate the conifer trees so much. As the other trees and shrubs lose their leaves the conifer trees stay green and add a bit of color to the brown and grey landscape. I am excited that winter is on its way, though if you ask me again once it is in full swing that might change, as winter offers a whole new experience to our preserve. Animal tracks are easier to see on the trails, different kinds of birds reside here, frost crystals on branches make the sides of the trails truly look like a winter wonderland, and of course…no mosquitoes! Though I will miss the flowers, leaves, and warm weathered bird friends…I welcome our winter friends with open arms and full bird feeders.

photo- dark-eyed junco by Ken Thomas

 

 

Ripples 10/14/21

Posted on by October 19, 2021

By Jessica Johnsrud, Education Coordinator

On a recent walk in my neighborhood, I noticed a series of lacy, white sheets on top of a manicured row of hedges. I stopped to investigate and found they were funnel weaver spider webs. I peered into one web and saw a spider, motionless in the center. This spider is commonly seen in shrubs and tall grasses in the late summer. There are two groups of funnel weavers and this beauty belongs to the grass spider group (Agelenopsis).

photo of funnel weaver spiderAll spiders have two main body parts: an abdomen and a cephalothorax which is a fused head and thorax. They have eight legs and usually eight eyes, arranged in different configurations and even different sizes depending on the species. Spiders have a set of appendages located near the face called pedipalps, which are a sensing organ. You can tell which spiders are males because they have enlarged pedipalps which are used during courtship and mating. Spiders have six spinnerets located on the underside of the tip of the abdomen to help construct their webs.

Grass spiders are mostly brown in color and have some markings along their abdomen. Their eyes are the same size and are arranged in two long, curved rows. This group of spiders has an elongated set of spinnerets that are noticeable from above. In fact, they are the only brown spider with long spinnerets in our area. Grass spiders are often confused with wolf spiders because both have similar color patterns around their head. However, the grass spider has the obvious set of spinnerets and wolf spiders ambush their prey, so do not spin a hunting web.

The funnel spiders get their name from the webs they create. They spin a sheet-like web on top of the grass or shrubs with a funnel-shaped retreat. Webs have also been observed at the base of woodpiles and buildings. The web is not sticky, so the spider waits in the entrance to the funnel until it feels the vibrations of an insect on it’s web. Then it quickly crawls out, snatches it up and injects it with venom, which turns the insect’s insides into a liquid. If the spider isn’t hungry at that time, it will wrap its prey in silk and save it for later.

In summer and early fall, grass spiders will lay up to 200 eggs and wrap them up in a disc-shaped egg sac made of silk. The egg sac is hidden in a crevice or crack near the web and the female will eventually perish in the fall. The eggs will hatch in spring and the cycle will begin again. 

Insects and spiders are the most abundant in late summer and fall, making this an excellent time to watch and learn about these interesting and important members of the natural world.

photo: funnel weaver spider by Jess Johnsrud

Ripples 10/7/21

Posted on by October 7, 2021

 by Nancy Nabak Communications Coordinator

Ivory-billed woodpecker plate by John J AudubonJust days ago, the US Fish & Wildlife Service declared the Ivory-billed woodpecker extinct. The gravity of this concept, the emotion that braids itself into the question, “Why didn’t we conserve its habitat earlier?” And now, eleven more U.S. bird species are on their way to being declared extinct, according to the American Bird Conservancy.

Why does a shift of being to extinction impact us so? Because we are fascinated by birds and invite them into our lives – so much so that we wake up with the dark to find them in the light. We count them. We photograph them. We record their calls and we observe them from some of the craziest heights and weirdest of food sources – landfills. You can’t keep a bird lover down. Except when you hear the word “extinction.”

A kick in the gut is the only way to describe it. But our “hope light” cannot fade with this declaration. If anything, our resolve has to become stronger and our voices for the voiceless must become louder.

For centuries, this iconic Ivory-billed woodpecker has inspired our minds, imaginations, and hearts through paintings, carvings, poetry, scientific research, and books.

Wisconsin author, BJ Hollars, wrote about the Ivory-billed woodpecker in his book, Flock Together, A Love Affair with Extinct Birds, 2016. This small excerpt speaks of the emotion and passion that connects us.

“Even its nickname – The Lord God Bird – is an indication of our reverence for it; the moniker is said to have originated due to the regularity with which the phrase ‘Lord God!’ escaped the mouths of those lucky enough to glimpse one in the wild.” 

The Lord God Bird experienced a search-resurgence in the swamps of the Mississippi Delta in 2005 due to an alleged sighting. Many volunteers and researchers from Cornell took part in this effort, which was backed with great enthusiasm by some and met with controversy by others.  The account of this hip-wading and boot-sludging bayou endeavor is told in The Grail Bird by Tim Gallagher. I recommend reading it and allowing yourself to draw your own conclusions. Unfortunately, the last universally accepted sighting of the Ivory-billed woodpecker was in 1944.

There’s an unquestionable lesson here, when you have the opportunity to do something for the betterment of our avian friends (contributions to conservation organizations, contacting elected officials, participating in community science opportunities, etc…) please think twice about it. Those next eleven birds depend on you.