Turkey Vultures

(Introduction) -- © Dave Spier

I've been doing a little birding with my grandson and several times we've encountered one or more Turkey Vultures. Are you still finding TUVU's after the spring migration? If so, where, what time of day and under what circumstances?

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) are fairly easy to recognize, assuming decent light and proximity.  If you encounter them gliding along in search of dead animals to eat, look for several things. From the front (approaching you) or the rear (going away), the wings are held in a shallow V called a dihedral. When passing overhead, the wings are two-toned with the forewing ("solid" portions) dark while the flight feathers along the trailing (rear) edge and wingtips are lighter gray or even silvery. The head appears small because it lacks feathers. At closer range, the adult's head is red while juveniles are gray or dark headed.

For their size, vultures are relatively light weight. They are easily buffeted by wind so their flight often appears wobbly.

Their diet consists of carrion, primarily road-kills in populated areas, which they find with their keen sense of smell. The lack of feathers on the head is a sanitary adaptation related to probing into corpses. Feathers would hold scraps that become diseased.

Turkey Vultures are certainly common in Western New York. As of June 3, 2016, a total of 25,718 passed the Braddock Bay Hawkwatch during spring migration on their way east and north. Some will stay and nest in Central New York while others keep going. The vast majority will return south next fall, but a handful can be found in Letchworth State Park year-round. In the winter, they shelter out of the wind by roosting on cliff ledges below the rim. In the morning, the sun warms the rocks and the vultures begin to ride thermals (warm air currents) that help them gain altitude. For more spring photos taken at Letchworth, including several in this blog, see eBird checklist S10396306.

For more information, a range map, photos and sounds of Turkey Vultures, visit the All About Birds website. An interactive range map (zoomable to your location) can be found in the eBird Explore Data section here (or go to that page and type in any other species of interest).

Although it's possible to encounter a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) in Western New York, it's far less likely. (Only one passed Braddock Bay this spring.) Several quick ID distinctions are that only the wingtips are lighter-colored in Black Vultures and the head is never red. For more information and a range map, there's also an ID page for this species.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. 

White-eyed Vireo

White-eyed Vireo -- © Dave Spier

The White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) has been expanding its range northward, possibly due to global warming. This one was photographed in the spring at Camp Allegany in Allegany State Park during the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage.

For more information, photos and sounds, visit the All About Birds website. An interactive range map (zoomable to your location) can be found in eBird's Explore Data section.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at ebirder_14432@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist, Heading Out, and a Naturalist's Viewpoint.

The annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage

One of my favorite spring wildflowers, the Pink Lady's-slipper, makes an appearance during the annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage. Its a beautiful orchid.

It's always a good time to think ahead to spring. Please consider joining us for the next annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage, the first weekend after Memorial Day, in Allegany State Park, New York. It seems like 48 hours of nearly-nonstop field trips and programs, but they're spread over three days with breaks to eat and sleep. There are early-morning bird walks and bird-banding demonstrations, mid-morning walks and trips, afternoon walks, (or a choice of two all-day trips on Saturday if you prefer), evening walks (beaver and salamanders in the past), evening tent programs with a speaker on Friday and Saturday, followed by after-program frogs, insects and owling. Friday has afternoon and evening walks and events, while Sunday has the morning portion. If I'm not making much sense, just check out their schedule. The new Program Descriptions list was just finalized, and there's a nature walk for every taste, from birds to geology, wildflowers to trees, fields to forests, insects to herps, a bog slog and even specialized programs on photography, dragonflies, bats and beavers. For die-hard birders, there are birding trips from early morning to late into the night plus live birds-of-prey.

Allegany State Park is between Jamestown and Olean in southwestern New York State, next to the Pennsylvania border.

For more on the Pink Lady's-slipper, see my Adirondack blog post. Corrections, questions and suggestions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There is a separate community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist.

Yellow Warblers

Many warblers have at least some yellow, but I imagine if there's one that deserves the name of the color, it's the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia).

The spring migration has come and gone, and now we have to be content with the summer residents that remain. Robins seem to be everywhere, and unfortunately so are the starlings and grackles. High in the tree tops, you might hear an oriole; they seem to prefer big cottonwoods here. If you have orioles near you, what trees do they prefer?  Orioles can be relatively common, but seldom do we get a good look at the male's flashy orange and black.
 

male Yellow Warbler at the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage (southwestern New York,
always the first weekend after Memorial Day) during a bird-banding demonstration

Another colorful songster, though relatively common, is likely to be overlooked unless you’re in the habit of scanning shrubby wetlands and thickets while listening for its "sweet, sweet, sweeter than sweet" song. Check the tops of shrubs and dwarf willows for a bright but tiny spot of yellow. With binoculars, look for rusty-red streaking on the breast. This is the male Yellow Warbler, one of 51 North American species of wood warblers – many of which are now uncommon or quickly pass through on their way north. The Yellow Warbler on the other hand is relatively common and a widespread nester from coast to coast across the northern 2/3rds of the U.S., Alaska and most of Canada with breeding populations extending down through coastal California and central Mexico. (If you're submitting an eBird report, you can use the "Add Details" button, and then the "Breeding Code" button to record any breeding behavior you observe or hear.)
 

female Yellow Warbler at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, NY

Warblers are small birds, generally four to five inches long, with slender, straight-pointed bills used like tweezers to collect insects. Warblers are very active and it’s hard to get a good look at any of them. Most prefer woodlands in various stages of growth from scrub to mature forest and for this reason they are referred to as wood warblers. Within these habitats, some warblers stay in the treetops (giving birders "warbler neck"), some hide on the ground and the majority travel in-between. Yellow Warblers are somewhat unusual in preferring more open settings. Willow thickets and isolated shrubs in cattail marshes seem more to their liking, but any thicket will do in a pinch.

male Yellow Warbler checking its reflection for a rival in our camper window

The Yellow Warbler is a common summer resident that begins returning at the end of April. The remainder trickles in throughout May. Aptly named, they are yellow on the head and underneath, olive-yellow on the back, and a mix of olive and yellow on the wings. Males are brighter with reddish streaks on the breast. The more aggressive and dominant males have darker streaks. Females are duller with faint rusty streaks on the sides. If you get a close view, look for yellow tail spots that are usually missed.

Brown-headed Cowbird egg in Yellow Warbler nest (Bradford County, PA)

The Yellow Warbler is one of the species most frequently parasitized by cowbirds, but they have developed a defensive strategy against the blackbirds. After a cowbird egg is deposited, the Yellow Warbler builds a new nest on top of the old and lays a new batch of their own eggs. If the cowbird returns, the warbler repeats the process. The record is a six-story nest (although there is an unconfirmed report of a 10-story nest near Cayuga Lake, NY, in 1923).

As a species, the Yellow Warbler is perhaps the most widespread of the warblers, but there are three distinct groups with four subspecies. Together they span the continent and range from the Arctic down through Mexico and the Caribbean to the northern reaches of South America. You can find an interactive range map on eBird.
 

pair of Yellow Warblers at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, NY

On their territories, Yellow Warblers sing two types of songs with a number of individual variations. One song type is used to attract a mate, while the other is used to defend territories against other males. With wetlands being a limited resource, there is intense competition for prime nesting space. After mating, recognition of individuals becomes important, so minor variations in songs become important. You can find more information along with a static range map and recordings of Yellow Warbler songs on All About Birds.
 
Yellow Warblers have only one brood per year and as soon as the young are independent, the species begins its southward migration. They are one of the earliest summer nesters to leave. Some are gone by the end of July and (almost) all have left by the time goldenrod is in full bloom.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Dame's Rocket

Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is another invasive alien, albeit an attractive one, in the mustard family. It is now widespread along roadsides, woods edges and damp thickets, but it started as a garden escape after it was introduced from Eurasia. (There's a range map on the USDA Plants Database.) Many years ago, we tried growing it on our dry hilltop, but it never took hold (probably a good thing in retro-spect), so look for it in lower areas with partial shade. It seems to prefer moist soil but avoids true wetlands.  As an example, at the Montezuma Audubon Center, it grows throughout the walnut grove and around the edges, but it’s generally absent from the open fields.

Also known as Purple Rocket, this biennial or short-lived perennial herb comes in a range of colors from pale lavender to hot pink and purple. All of the blossoms on an individual plant are usually the same color, but adjacent plants may vary widely. Light and dark colors are often mixed together in the same vicinity and sometimes you’ll find flowers with white streaks on purple petals. Rarely, several colors are mixed on the same flower. The four petals make an “X” or cross, which is characteristic of the mustards (the Brassicaceae, formerly Cruciferae). At first glance it resembles Phlox, but Phlox has five petals (the same as the number of letters in its name).

Dame's Rocket in front of Yellow Rocket (Common Winter Cress, Barbarea vulgaris)

The purple variety of Dame’s Rocket generally produces more seeds per plant and seems to be the dominant color. The stalked seed pods are thin and erect and split open when ripe. The plant usually grows several feet tall. The lance-shaped leaves are long-pointed, toothed along the margins and they alternate (i.e., are not opposite) along the hairy main stem below the flower and seed clusters.

more of the complete Dame's Rocket plant showing some of the leaves

The best time to enjoy this plant may be when it’s backlit by the afternoon sun. In the evening it gives off a lovely fragrance, probably timed to specific pollinators that rest during the day. This is reflected in another common name for the plant, the night-scented gilliflower. The scientific genus name, Hesperis, is Greek for evening.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Celandine

© Dave Spier

Celandine, Chelidonium majus, is a somewhat invasive alien with attractive yellow flowers arranged in an umbel (think inside-out umbrella), although the blossoms tend to open one at a time. Each showy flower has four petals. Black seeds growing in long capsules continue the superficial resemblance to mustards, but Celandine is actually in the Poppy family, although it's different than Celandine Poppy, a more Western native species. Celandine's somewhat grayish-green, compound leaves are irregularly lobed and scallop-edged.

This species is often called Greater Celandine to distinguish it from Lesser Celandine, Ranunculus ficaria, a quite different plant in the Buttercup family.

You can find a range map on the USDA plants database website. Celandine is widespread in the Midwest, Northeast, Eastern Canada plus outlier states like GA, NE, UT, MT, WA and adjacent BC. Clicking on some of the states will give you more refined maps down to the county level. For example, clicking NY will show Celandine's distribution across the Finger Lakes. It appears to be missing from Schuyler County, but I have photographed it in Wayne County, so that omission is an error.

When broken, Celandine's stems exude a somewhat-poisonous yellow latex that can cause dermatitis or eye irritation in sensitive individuals. A final note of warning -- Celandine is toxic due to a range of isoquinoline alkaloids so avoid ingesting the plant, and wear protection if you're pulling the plant to remove it.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. 

Rhododendron

Great Rhododendrons (Rhododendron maximum) grow wild in scattered colonies across New York and New England as far as southwestern Maine, but it's found primarily in the Appalachians from Pennsylvania to northern Georgia. Beyond that it has been widely planted as an ornamental. Wherever there is sufficient moisture, these evergreen members of the heath family can form dense thickets generally reaching a height of 13 feet, but old bushes are capable of growing to a height of 30 or even 40 feet and a crown diameter of 12 feet, essentially becoming small trees. The main requirement is acidic soil with a high organic content.

The concave leaves are long and leathery and curve down to smooth edges that may curl under during dry or cold weather. Most of the leaves are clustered in whorls around the end of twigs and surround the showy, rose-pink to purple, sometimes white, flower clusters that open between March and August, depending on the local climate. Our ornamental version opens in late May here in the northern Finger Lakes region.

In the wild, rhododendron is an understory plant and does well in the shade of taller trees. Combine that factor with the shrub's dense, evergreen foliage and you can understand why it's difficult for smaller plants and wildflowers to grow underneath rhododendrons.

This species has a number of alternate common names including Late or Summer Rhododendron, Great, Bigleaf or Deertongue Laurel and Rosebay. It's the state flower of West Virginia. The name Mountain Laurel is reserved for its smaller relative, Kalmia latifolia.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at

northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Shagbark Hickory

emerging hickory leaves can sometimes resemble praying hands

 © Dave Spier

A week of warm weather has created a green paradise in the northern Finger Lakes region of New York. Among the many transformed deciduous trees, the Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) leaves have emerged. When the giant bud scales first peeled open, the "fingers" of miniature leaves resembled "praying hands." Once fully opened, the hickory's feather-compound leaves become distinctive. There are five (sometimes seven) leaflets with four opposite and one at the tip. The smallest are the inner, the middle pair are larger and the terminal leaflet is the largest. All are toothed and long-pointed. By the time it's done growing, a compound leaf can reach over a foot in length.

young hickory leaves unfolded and growing



hickory flowers are wind pollinated

Shagbarks, aptly named for the long, peeling shreds of bark, can easily grow to a height of 60 to 90 feet. The record is 120 feet. The wood is strong and elastic and was once prized for tool handles, gunstocks, skis and chair backs. When burned, it gives off a lot of heat and makes high-grade charcoal.

Shagbark Hickory bark

In late summer and early fall, the thick-walled nut husks split into four sections and release the four-ridged nuts which are good to eat. (Squirrels, possums, Wild Turkeys and Wood Ducks would agree.) The nuts also can be ground in a meal-like flour or crushed and boiled to separate the oil. Rabbits and deer browse the twigs. In late winter, the trunks can be tapped in the manner of collecting maple sap.

child holding hickory nuts, some with the husk on (Bayberry Environmental Education Center, Junius, NY, when I was a naturalist there)

Hickories are related to walnuts and butternuts (Juglans spp.) which have numerous leaflets, all roughly the same size. All these trees are in the same family (Juglandaceae) along with pecans.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Wild Geraniums

A true member of the Geranium family, the wild variety has small clusters of flowers with five showy, rose-pink petals. After the petals fall, a long "beak" remains and gives geraniums the nickname "cranesbill." The Greek word for crane is geranos, which is the root of our common name, geranium. The wild one is also called spotted crane flower, but the reason for "spotted" eludes me.

Growing one to two feet tall, Wild Geraniums (Geranium maculatum) are found in woods and shady roadsides, often near streams, from Maine to Georgia and west to Arkansas and Manitoba. The attractive, soft-green, hairy leaves are deeply divided into five (sometimes 3-7) radial lobes reminiscent of Silver Maple leaves.

The roots are rich in tannin and were once used in folk medicine to treat a variety of ailments. This earned the plant the name astringent-root.
With attractive flowers that are 1-1.5 inches in diameter, the plant rates a place in ornamental gardens. Wild Geraniums are now available commercially, as are many native wildflowers.

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Dandelions

Can't Beat 'Em? - Eat 'Em!

© Dave Spier

What's your opinion of dandelions? Consider this: the young leaves (before the flowers appear) are edible, assuming you don't use pesticides or other chemicals on your lawn. The leaves grow in a rosette like the spokes of a wheel and average 20 per cluster. A large root system can support a double head that appears to have 40 leaves. The individual leaves are long and pointed, sometimes like an arrowhead at the tip, and coarsely toothed along both sides. The jagged teeth are often reflexed and may even point toward the center of the plant. Long ago, someone thought they resembled the teeth of a lion. In French, the name was "dent de lion" which morphed into dandelion. Other common names for this plant include blowball (a reference to the globular seed heads), lion's-tooth, wild-endive, priest's-crown and Irish-daisy.

The Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a member of the Daisy family, also known as the Aster family and sometimes the Composite family. The complex flower head is a composite of numerous yellow rays designed to attract insects and a central disk of florets that produce the seeds. In exchange for transporting pollen, the blossom rewards insects with nectar. Bumblebees, butterflies and a host of other arthropods visit the radially symmetrical heads. What insects have you seen on dandelions?

Garden lettuce, Lactuca sativa, is a distant relative in the same family so it might be no surprise that dandelions are also food for people. Collect the young leaves and add them to a salad. They are rich in vitamins A, C and E plus iron, potassium and calcium. Slightly older leaves can be boiled to remove any developing bitterness and eaten like spinach. Young flower buds, still tucked down in the rosette of leaves, can be boiled and served with butter or they can be pickled. The buds can also be added to soups, stews and pasta dishes. The yellow flowers can be dipped in batter and fried like fritters. [A word of caution: the hollow flower stalks contain a white, milky latex that can irritate sensitive skin.] The heavy taproots can be slow-baked until brown and brittle, then ground and used like coffee in the manner of Chicory, another Composite. During the Great Depression, dandelions were an important part of the diet for many people. Likewise, in World War II, European country folk nearly eradicated this plant. Dandelions are native to Europe and were originally brought to this country for their food and medicinal value. Some homeowners would like to send these invasive aliens back.


Common Dandelion leaf and blossom

Worldwide there are about 60 species of dandelions. Many can reproduce asexually, meaning they are capable of cloning seeds without pollination. These populations are found in northern latitudes where they are presumably remnants of the Ice Age when insects may have been in short supply.

Regardless of how they are produced, the dandelion has a very effective seed dispersal system. After pollination (or cloning, as the case may be), the yellow flower head temporarily closes, then opens into an almost white ball of fluff. Each seed comes with its own parachute and the next wind will carry it on its way. A number of birds eat the seeds, and I would guess the goldfinch is among them, given the finch's fondness for thistle seed (still another member of the Composite family). Has anyone counted the number of seeds produced on one head?

Once established, the dandelion plant keeps its leaves flat to the ground, shading out anything beneath them while avoiding your mower blades above. Like any number of other plants, including certain ferns and garlic mustard, the dandelion emits chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby vegetation, usually grass. The deep taproot resists attempts to pull the plant becasue it breaks near the surface and then grows a new rosette of leaves and new blossoms. The month of May is the peak flowering month in New York, but sporadic blossoms appear throughout the summer and late into fall, weather permitting.

If you can't admire the dandelion as a prolific survivor, then at least save your money and eat it. Given the rising cost of food, that's not a bad idea.

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Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Variegated (Teratologic) Trilliums

© Dave Spier

Have you ever found a Variegated (a.k.a. Teratologic) Trillium? I've encountered this variety of Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflora) in a number of locations including the Towns of Manchester and Junius in the northern Finger Lakes region of New York State. The green stripe down the center of each petal is due to a harmless virus in the plant. (As I recall, that was the explanation from a botany professor at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua.) However, I found another reference on In Defense of Plants listing the cause as a mycoplasma bacteria that weakens and eventually kills the host trillium.

My friend Ed Snyder from Williamson, NY, found one near Zurich Bog in the Town of Arcadia. He commented that there were few other trilliums this year where many had grown before. In contrast, down the road from our house, the woods is carpeted with white trilliums. I don't know whether this species goes through cycles, but they are a favorite deer food, so I suspect that might be the problem this year. Any other opinions out there?

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Invasion

© Dave Spier

There's a wildflower that's trying to take over much of the country from Alaska to Georgia and all of the northeast to Quebec. (The USDA has a range map on their website.) It tolerates shade and crowds out native plants. Deer are repulsed by its garlic odor and flavor, making it a clever defense in hindsight. It's a prolific seed producer and if that's not enough, it releases chemicals that inhibit the growth of other nearby plants, particularly native tree seedlings. We're talking about Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata, = A. officinalis and two other synonyms), a true member of the mustard family and relative of such familiars as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and of course, other mustards including the one used in the condiment.

Garlic mustard is a biennial. It takes two years to fully mature and go to seed. The first year, it produces only a few rounded to heart-shaped leaves as it concentrates on growing a root system. The second year, new and larger leaves (more triangular and coarsely toothed around the edges) emerge. A stem averaging one to two feet high sprouts a cluster of small, white flowers, each with four petals. These produce long, thin seed tubes that eventually dry, split and release two rows of numerous black seeds to start the process over again.

This invasive weed was brought here from Europe and Asia in the 1860's, probably to be used as a potherb. Various recipes can be found on the internet and involve using young leaves and flowerbuds and to a lesser extent flowers and seeds. This is another case of "eat it, if you can't beat it." From the looks of it, there are far more plants than we could possibly eat, so the next alternative is to pull them up by their roots, put them in a black plastic bag in the sun and eventually bury them in a long-term compost pile or otherwise dispose of the plants depending on the regulations in your neighborhood. Don't let them lay around. Even if you dry the roots and let the plant die, the seeds continue to mature. Mowing does nothing to stop the invasion because the roots quickly grow new stems and leaves and then flowers at a lower height. The seeds can lie dormant up to five years and then sprout, so the best alternative may be to trash the seed heads.

In its native Europe and eastward to India and western China, 68 insect species and seven types of fungi feed on the garlic mustard. None of these controls are present in this country. To make matters worse, deer eat our native wildflowers instead, making more room for the garlic mustard to flourish.

In Defense of Plants sent me information on a book called Garlic Mustard - from Pest to Pesto. If you have any suggestions for controlling garlic mustard, or recipes to share, please send them along with any corrections, comments and questions to northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. 

Photographing Violets (revised)

Photographing Violets -- © Dave Spier

In the past, our front yard under the big shade trees was loaded with wild blue violets, but this year there are very few. At first I thought it might be a result of last year's drought, or too many fallen leaves left on the lawn over the winter, or who knows what. Now that the violets are in full bloom I've found them again, but they've "migrated" to other parts of the lawn, but still in partial shade under trees. I suspect the ants dispersed the seeds and started new colonies. I had hoped to further experiment with photographing the flowers, but the weather isn't cooperating. I may have to make do with this series of images from 2006 when the violets "peaked."

The initial backlit shot of the backlit group of blue violets... 
Note the distracting bright background.

Aside from a straight-on documentary shot that I may start with, I'm partial to backlighting for its artistic potential. The second photo is actually the first grab-shot to set the scene. I'm flat on the ground with the camera on a special "tripod," actually little more than two crossed boards in a "T." The obvious problem is that the bright, sunlit background is very distracting as it competes for the viewer's attention. The simple solution is to set the camera on self-timer, then walk around to the other side of the violets and cast a large shadow into the background. (The alternative is to have a friend help you.) Usually holding a jacket or shirt to the side works well to create a shadow, and sometimes a notebook or clipboard will suffice for more intimate closeups. The result is the third image. Had I been more alert, I would have noticed the bright grass blades on the right side. Being my yard, I easily could have clipped them. Oh, well. The final image (the opening photo at top) somewhat "solved" the problem with a little cropping. On the down side, there's a backlit violet leaf at lower left. Somewhat distracting, but again, oh, well.

Casting a dark shadow across the background eliminates bright clutter. 
(Even if it's out of focus, the original backdrop competes and distracts.) 
This shadow mimics situations encountered in real life when everything comes together naturally. 
In retrospect, a bit of fill-flash [or a weak reflector] would have added a touch of detail 
to the dark petal areas. 

In case you didn't notice it, look closely at the second photo along the top edge right of center. Notice the two pieces of lint on the sensor? I was using the original 5D which had a serious problem with attracting dust and lint to the sensor, even with the sensor turned off when changing lenses. (To somewhat deal with the issue, that particular camera body, with a cleaned sensor, is now dedicated to the 17-40mm, my widest-angle zoom, to take advantage of the full-frame for landscape work.)

Technical details: The first three images were shot on aperture priority with a Canon 100mm macro at 1/6 sec., f/16 and ISO 100, initially spot-metered. There was no exposure compensation and no fill-flash. Color space is Adobe RGB (required by my main agent at the time). In addition, my default white balance is "cloudy" because I prefer warmer tones for my style.

A straight-forward documentary shot of wild blue violets, 
not necessarily the same clump as the other photos. 
Note the distracting clutter in the background at this typical viewing angle. 
Manual exposure at 1/125th sec., f/16 and ISO 100 
using a Canon 5D with 100mm macro and macro twin-flash...

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

Crocuses

Last Saturday, the first two purple crocuses (croci if you prefer) appeared in our front yard. No, they didn't actually open that day. They just poked their spiral-wound heads above the leaf litter to test the cold winds. Sunday was a different story. A patch of a neighbor's front yard turned purple as his crocuses greeted the warmer temperatures. By Tuesday, my white and yellow crocuses also fully opened. I noticed them on my way across our yard to work in the vegetable garden.
 

I'm surprised my crocuses lasted as many years as they have. They came with the house when we bought it in 1984. Their numbers have dwindled and the large patch in the front yard is down to one or two. I'm not replacing them with more crocuses as I let the yard go native, but neither will I dig out and discard perfectly healthy, beautiful, non-invasive plants that signal the arrival of spring. You might say I'm attached to them.

Crocus is a large genus in the iris family. A particular species (Crocus sativus, similar to the garden variety in the photos) is the source of saffron (from the Arabic or Old Persian word za'faran), a spice derived from the dried, aromatic stigmas. The saffron crocus is a sterile species that does not exist in the wild, so it requires continued human help to survive. I remember my grandmother using it as a poultry seasoning, but beware - saffron is now the most expensive spice in the world. It's very labor intensive and each flower yields only a tiny amount.
  

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.

 

Grackles

The grackles are back - no surprise here since many types of birds are returning from the South. These are the "half-hardies" that tolerate some cold weather or a late snowstorm. You may have noticed Snow Geese, a variety of puddle ducks, Turkey Vultures, Killdeer, and lots of blackbirds. Mixed in with flocks of redwings, and often out-numbering them, are the larger grackles with their long tails that can fold into keel-shaped V’s when they fly, especially on the males. The long tails can make the wings look short.

In bright light, inland Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) exhibit glossy blue heads and iridescent-bronze backs. Depending on the type and direction of the light, the head color can vary from green to purple. Males are larger and shinier than females. Young birds in summer and fall are dull and dark brown with dark eyes. Adults have pale yellow eyes. Near the Atlantic coast, there is a race of Common Grackles called "purple" because the bronze color is replaced by deep blue or multi-coloring on the back. Southeastern male grackles may exhibit purple around the neck.

Bronzed race of the Common Grackle -- here a male is "singing" to proclaim a territory

Common Grackles occupy a wide variety of habitats, both upland and wetland, and are particularly well suited to living near humans. They are omnivores and eat just about anything they can swallow. Both redwings and grackles, along with cowbirds, will pick up dropped seeds under feeders in late winter and early spring when there is a shortage of other foods. Like gulls, they will follow plows to catch fleeing insects and mice. Later in the spring, their taste for corn sprouts will make them pests. In the summer they eat ripening corn. They steal worms from robins and they kill and eat smaller birds, especially nestlings. In the fall, they use their hard beaks to open and eat acorns.

Common Grackles spread out during nesting season, but regroup by the thousands for autumn migration. Winter roosts shared with other blackbirds in the South can number in the millions.

For more information visit All About Birds. Although classified as a song bird (passerine), the grackle's voice is more akin to shrieks and squeaks. Click on "Typical Voice" for a sample. For an interactive range map, go to eBird's "Explore Data" tab.

Common Grackles are found east of the Rockies. A larger grackle species, the Boat-tailed, is found along the Atlantic, Florida and Gulf coasts. Female Boat-tail's are brownish on the body and head. A similar species, the Great-tailed, is found from Southern California to Oklahoma and south into Mexico. Female Great-tail's are grayer than female Boat-tail's.

Good birding!

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Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist.