Blue Jays -- © Dave Spier

How would you describe Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata)? Noisy? Large? Bullies? Beautiful? Depends what you're doing (or what they're doing), I suppose. If you're a hunter or wildlife photographer, jays announce your presence to the rest of the forest world. If you feed birds, do the jays unintentionally (or intentionally) scare smaller birds away? Or worse, does a blue jay ever attack or even eat a smaller bird?

Jays are corvids (members of the Corvid, or crow, family) and share many characteristics with cousin crow. They have sturdy, all-purpose bills and they eat whatever they can find, or sometimes catch. They're right at home at bird feeders eating sunflower seeds and suet, but their natural diet includes a lot of nuts. They depended on chestnuts before that tree species was wiped out by blight. Then they shifted entirely to acorns and beechnuts. Many of these are "stored" underground for winter retrieval, much the way squirrels hide food, and the forgotten nuts grow into new oaks and beech trees. A single jay can stash up to 5000 acorns in a season, an average of 110 per day. The acorns are carried in the beak, the equivalent of us carrying a coconut in our mouth. Smaller acorns are carried four or five at a time using the throat and mouth as well as the bill. Jays are credited with reintroducing chestnuts, oaks and beech to New York and northward after the retreat of the glacier at the end of the last Ice Age. At the other extreme, oaks are absent from the world wherever there are no species of jays.

Jays have been known to eat parts of roadkills, but this niche is filled more by their larger black relatives, the crows and ravens. In the spring, Blue Jays have a bad reputation for eating the eggs and nestlings of smaller bird species, another habit shared with crows. During the warmer months, they eat salamanders, tree frogs, small snakes, snails, spiders, many beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars and other insects. In late summer and fall they eat berries, corn and small rodents. On an annual basis, their diet is 76% vegetarian, 23% insects and only one percent vertebrates.

Blue Jays are year-round residents even though they seem to disappear into the trees during breeding season. They become silent to avoid drawing attention to their nests and avoid the spotlight on themselves as they prey on other nests. They raise one brood a year in the North, but the clutches are larger than those of jays in the South which have time for two or three broods.

Fledgling Blue Jays are scruffy copies of their parents. Males and females have identical plumage and may tell each other apart by voice or behavior. Females tend to be smaller. Their predominantly blue color is an optical illusion. Unlike paint pigments, the blue is created by microscopic flakes of melanin on the feathers that reinforce the blue spectrum and interfere with other colors. The bright blue wings and long tail are decorated with black bars and patches of white feather tips. The back and crest are a uniform darker blue. A dark necklace encircles a dirty white face and throat. The breast is light gray and the belly is nearly white.

After nesting season, jays resume their role as town criers. In fall they gather into small flocks and some (more likely the youngsters) migrate south. The remaining birds concentrate around dependable feeders where they are usually the largest visitors. Only Mourning Doves and grackles are larger. The Red-bellied Woodpecker, being slightly shorter, comes close in size and Hairy Woodpeckers are close behind red-bellies.

Shrikes are listed in the field guides as shorter than Blue Jays, but apparently they're strong enough to tackle the jay. I received a report of a shrike attacking a Blue Jay in the woods and carrying the struggling prey 50 feet. The shrike then nailed the jay to the ground and they struggled again. The shrike took off with the Blue Jay still in its beak and flew another 50 feet before the jay managed to get away. Shrikes lack the strong talons of a hawk and are incapable of killing their prey on the first strike. Had the predator been an Accipiter, or bird hawk, the jay would have become an instant meal. A Cooper’s Hawk would have little trouble dispatching a jay.

European visitors are envious that the spectacular Blue Jay is a common yardbird here. Perhaps we should admire its beauty and overlook what some people consider its faults, its aggressive behavior exhibited primarily during nesting season.

For a discussion of Adirondack Blue Jays, see the Adirondack Naturalist blog.

Questions and corrections may be sent to northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com



Virginia Creeper -- © Dave Spier

Virginia Creeper at Montezuma Audubon center, Savannah, NY - © Dave Spier

I had stopped to check a "birdy" looking thicket [a habitat likely to hold a variety of birds] on my way home. Chip calls sounded like a cardinal, but I wasn’t sure. As I scanned the bushes, a mockingbird flew in and began eating the Virginia Creeper berries. The loose clusters of dark bluish-black fruits resemble wild grapes, but the dark-pink stems serve as a warning to people. Beware – due to oxalic acid, they are poisonous and potentially fatal if you eat enough of them. Apparently they have no effect on birds which have very different digestive systems than humans. (Remember, birds evolved from – or at least with – dinosaurs.) I can't remember whether I found a cardinal.

Virginia Creeper (also called Woodbine and Five-leaved Ivy) is a common woody vine, especially in lowland swamps. The one feeding the mockingbird was growing in a buckthorn bush at the edge of a damp meadow beside the road.

Creeper vines are related to grapes, but the leaves are very different. They are divided into five coarsely toothed leaflets arranged in a radial (spoked) pattern from the main leaf stem. In late spring, insignificant pale or greenish flowers grow in irregular clusters and these become the fruits of fall. As the leaves turn color and drop off, the berries become easier to find. Because of the attractive bright red or burgundy foliage in the fall, this plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental. On the other hand, if trying to remove this plant from a building, cut the main stem at the ground and wait for the adhesive pads to die and lose their grip. Ripping it off too soon could damage the surface.

Both species of Virginia Creeper climb by means of forked tendrils. Parthenocissus quinquefolia has tiny suction-like disks on the end of each tendril; P. inserta does not.

Native Americans used parts of the plant to treat jaundice, gonorrhea, and diarrhea. Mixed with vinegar it was used for lockjaw and wounds. Given the poisonous nature of the plant, I assume they first thoroughly dried Woodbine to remove the oxalate crystals.

Questions and corrections may be sent to northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com 

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Woolly Bears -- © Dave Spier

Woolly-bear caterpillar at Blue Cut Nature Center between Newark and Lyons in Wayne County, NY - © Dave Spier

When was the last time you remarked, “Oh, there goes an Isabella Tiger Moth”?  Probably never (unless you’re an entomologist).  The wings are yellow-brown with some small black dots and a few faint lines for camouflage.  When opened, the wings span two inches or less.  During the summer, these moths can be found in meadows and fields and along road edges, but I don’t remember ever seeing one.  Frankly, it never occurred to me to even look for them.  Part of the problem is that these moths are nocturnal; look for them around porch lights.  I think I’ll put it on my calendar of things-to-do for next summer.  I guarantee they’re here, whether or not I can actually find one.  How do I know?  Read on…

When was the last time you remarked, “Oh, there goes a Woolly Bear”?  Probably within recent memory, and some days, several times – depending on the weather.  These are the familiar bristly caterpillars with black on each end and orange in the middle.  I see them crossing roads and open hiking trails, wiggling through the grass, or trying to hide in my garage.

It’s said that the amount of black portends the severity of the coming winter, but actually it only indicates how close to full grown it is.  It will find a snug shelter and spend the winter in the larval (caterpillar) stage, and by producing a type of antifreeze [technically a cryo-protectant chemical] they can survive freezing to temperatures of -90 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is why we see them again in early spring on a warm day.  They complete their metamorphosis (change) and emerge as adult Isabella Tiger Moths starting in June.  Other members of the Tiger Moth family are more strikingly marked and attractive.  Some have black and beige wings and rouge accents on the body and these are the species that give the clan its family name.

Tiger Moths are capable of producing ultrasonic sounds above our hearing range.  These are used to attract mates and also to interfere with bats’ echo location and thereby avoid capture and consumption by the flying mammals.  Most moths are nocturnal and this could help explain why most of us have never seen the adult Woolly Bear, a.k.a. the Isabella Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella).

Questions, comments and suggestions may be sent to northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com  For more information on New York's butterflies and moths, please visit the D.E.C. website for a PDF copy of their flyer.

Red Trilliums

© Dave Spier

 

Red Trilliums (Trillium erectum) are attractive woodland wildflowers native to Upstate New York, but admire them from a distance.  They have many nicknames, but “stinking Benjamin” and “wet-dog trillium” will clue you to their ill scent.  Both the liver-red color and bad smell are nature’s design to attract carrion flies to aid in pollination.

Trilliums grow with three broad, diamond-shaped leaves and three green, leaf-like sepals alternating with three colored petals.  This plant belongs to the lily family, hence the name tri-lillium, or three-part lily.  Other common names for this species include Purple Trillium, Wake-robin, Rule-of-three, and in Maine, Wild-piney.

Peterson’s Edible Wild Plants book indicates that young leaves can be added to salads or boiled and eaten like spinach, but it’s too late for this year.  After the flowers open, the leaves turn bitter.  Another source I consulted warns that “the leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals and crystal raphide, and should not be consumed by humans.”  Either way, this species is seldom abundant enough to be used as a food source, and removing the leaves will stress or possibly kill the plant.  It takes woodland wildflowers an average of seven years to reach maturity and begin flowering due to the lack of sunlight in the shade of tall trees.  New York State ranks the Red Trillium as “Exploitably Vulnerable.” 

Berries and roots are mildly poisonous, although you might see birds and wild mammals eating the red fruits later in the year (but remember, they also eat Poison Ivy berries).

A generalized range map can be found on the USDA website.

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.

Bloodroots

© Dave Spier

 

[First, a note of caution. Many native woodland wildflowers in New York State are protected by law and it is therefore technically illegal to collect them. (Check your own state regulations before picking or collecting.) Before the late 1700's, when much of western and central New York was almost totally covered with forests and wetlands, there was an abundance of habitat for slow-growing wildflowers. All of that changed with the clearing of land to create agricultural fields plus the draining of bogs to create muckland. A 1974 New York conservation law was designed to protect "any plants considered endangered, threatened, rare or exploitably vulnerable." On state land it prohibits anyone from picking, plucking, severing, removing, damaging with defoliants or herbicides, or carrying away any listed plant. (Did they miss any?) On private land, it requires the owner's permission. At most private nature preserves (like Zurich Bog in Wayne County, NY), all collecting is forbidden.]

This brings us to Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), a member of the Poppy family.  To understand the name of this woodland native, you would need to dig up the entire plant, including the horizontal tuber, but that is illegal -- so we need to take the word of early authors. The scientific genus name, Sanguinaria, comes from the Latin word "sanguis" for blood. The red juice gave the plant several common names including "Indian paint" and "redroot." The Indians called it "puccoon" (or perhaps that is the pioneers' interpretation of their word) and they used the plant medicinally "for swellings, aches, anointing their joints, painting their faces and garments" and an insect repellent. However, the FDA warns that the plant is toxic and should no longer be used under any circumstances.

Bloodroot's single, white flower with its eight (sometimes up to 12) petals quickly fades. A single, lobed leaf grows on a separate stalk from the roots and it continues to produce food to be stored for next spring's spurt of growth before emerging tree leaves make life difficult in the new shade. The showy, white flower has eight to ten petals surrounding the male and female parts, making it possible to self pollinate if there's a shortage of flying insects to carry the pollen. (Since it's one of the earlier woodland wildflowers, that's probably a good policy.) The disk of white petals acts like a solar reflector to concentrate warmth on the yellow stamens and help them ripen. After the seeds ripen, they are supposedly dispersed by ants. Has anyone actually witnessed this locally? If you find of colony of Bloodroots, they are probably clones growing from the rhizome of the original plant.

With the decline in agriculture and the return of many second-growth woodlots, Bloodroot and a few other native wildflowers now seem to be holding their own. The current range of Bloodroot is roughly the eastern 2/3rds of Canada and the U.S.
 

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.



Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) -- © Dave Spier

At a distance, the flowers resemble dandelions. Close-up, the flowers resemble, well, dandelions. In fact, this alien wildflower is a relative of the dandelion. If it weren’t for the leaves (or more apparently the lack of them in early spring), the yellow flowers of Coltsfoot could pass for dandelions. Both are in the Composite, or Aster, Family.

If you’re inclined to get down on the ground and look at the succulent stem of Coltsfoot, you’ll notice that it is scaly. On the other hand, perhaps you won’t want to get down on the ground because it grows in damp soil along streamsides, banks, ditches, roadsides and waste places. Each plant usually appears as a yellow clump with several flower heads.

The green leaves appear later in spring, after the flowers have gone to seed, and the leaves continue to grow through the summer. Someone thought the leaves, which are somewhat heart-shaped but angular and toothed, resembled a colt’s foot. Don't ask; just use your imagination. They can reach a width of seven inches.

A cough syrup can be made by boiling fresh leaves and adding sugar to the extract according to the Peterson Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Dried leaves can be steeped to make tea. If the dried leaves are burned, the ash can be used as a salt substitute.

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.

Winter at Montezuma Audubon Center

Red-bellied Woodpecker (male) by Dave Spier

It’s been pretty quiet and predictable at the Montezuma Audubon Center (MAC) the last few weeks. Below-normal temperatures and a steady influx of snow with periodic breaks has limited trail access to the use of snowshoes. (Bring your own or rent a pair at the center.) Mostly, the same birds have been coming to the feeders each day, but there’s a good mix of Mourning Doves, Downy Woodpeckers, goldfinches, redpolls, House Finches, titmice, a chickadee and one or two White-breasted Nuthatches. One day a male Red-bellied Woodpecker added a touch of color, not from its salmon-colored underside, but its flaming-red crown and nape. I was able to photograph it through the window in the north-end door that overlooks the bird feeders.

[edited in February] The steadily growing length of daylight will begin to trigger changes in wildlife. The weather was better the day after Groundhog Day, with lots of sunshine.  We didn't see a woodchuck, but this is the time when males leave their burrows and search for females before returning underground to await spring.

Winter photography is a matter of staying warm. Dress in layers (always good advice for any outdoor winter activity), but also keep your camera warm by putting it under your coat until needed. If you have one of the larger DSLR cameras with a zoom lens that’s too big to fit under your outerwear, at least carry a spare battery inside a pocket. Cold weather quickly saps battery life. Also carry Q-tips or wipes to remove condensation from the viewfinder when you accidentally breathe on it. Before returning indoors, put the camera inside a plastic bag to control condensation, or so I've read.

If your camera has exposure compensation, read your camera manual to learn how to use this feature. Intentionally overexposing a snowy scene by one or two stops usually gives you a more realistic image. Otherwise you’re likely to end up with gray (instead of white) snow. Turn this camera feature off when you’re done playing in the snow, or your regular photos will be overexposed.

On Wednesday, February 9, I led a morning nature walk at the MAC, but the best part seemed to be the snowshoeing that everyone enjoyed. We trekked through the walnut grove and turned north on Warbler Walk into the hemlock-hardwoods.  Contact northeastnaturalist@yahoo.com


In other news, Sarah Fleming took over from Doug Gorby as Regional Biologist for Ducks Unlimited, which is involved in many of the wetland restoration projects on the Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Savannah. Doug moved to Ohio.

The Montezuma Audubon Center (Route 89 north of Savannah, NY) is in need of volunteers to help with publicity and programs, cataloguing books, caring for the reptiles and other indoor activities. A gardening committee helps with planting native vegetation to benefit wildlife (including attracting more birds) in the spring. For information write to montezuma@audubon.org

For more information about birds and birding in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, visit the website http://montezumabirding.webs.com/ and for additional birding content, visit http://eatonbirds.webs.com/ (the official website of the Eaton Birding Society, based in Geneva, NY).