Lisa Benish 4/25/18 Lisa Benish 4/25/18

Earth Day Wildflower Walk

Carol Broderson and special guide, Snow Ferreniea enlightened us with their vast knowledge of wildflowers.

Such an exciting time! Spring brings with it a lovely display of ephemerals, birds and buds. Each April, BRDC, along with guides, volunteers and members, hike the New River Trail beginning at the low water bridge in Fries searching out the wildflowers. Carol Broderson and special guide, Snow Ferreniea enlightened us with their vast knowledge of wildflowers. A special thank you to them both!

This is the third year that I have joined this walk and I have yet to be disappointed. I will not bore you with the details but we had along an avid birder and a forester so we were triply treated this day. Here is our wildflower list and a few photos of the lovely plants:

Dead Nettle, Holly, blue violet, golden ragwort, gill over the ground*, spring beauty, common chickweed, garlic mustard*, wild geranium, coralbells, wake robin, jewelweed, black cohosh, blue cohosh, wild ginger, cutleaf toothwort, cranefly orchid, sweet white violet, dutchman's britches, early saxofrage, yellow fumewort, wood aster, solomon's seal, stonecrop, false solomon's seal, star chickweed, bishop's cap, may apple, waterleaf, canada violet, spiderwort, scouring rush*

*invasives

BRDC, Admin 4/24/17 BRDC, Admin 4/24/17

Early Spring Wildflowers on the New River Trail

On Easter Saturday, 23 people joined Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s Explorers Club for our annual wildflower walk on the New River Trail. The 57-mile trail is the state’s “most narrow state park,” and the section between Low Water Bridge near Fries and Fries Junction, where a 12-mile spur trail heads to Galax, is a special spot for early spring wildflowers. Hike leader Carol Broderson briefly discussed the history of botanizing in Virginia and the fate of the “great forest” that covered the Appalachians.

Co-leader Snow Ferrenia has made a life career of plants and was formerly in charge of the woodland garden at the New York Botanical Garden. In addition to plant identification, Snow shared the history of many of the invasive plant species that we saw along the roadsides. Some of our younger participants helped in the control effort by gathering garlic mustard to make pesto.

The earliest spring wildflowers, like bloodroot, cutleaf toothwort and bluets, were on the wane, but, from the genus Trillium, we saw whole hillsides of wake robins, in shades from red through pink to white. These purple trilliums are also called “Stinking Benjamin” due to a wet dog odor that attracts insects for pollination. Wild ginger also appeals to insects with its ground-hugging brown blossoms.

Also in the running for most profuse was Dutchmen's breeches, a member of the bleeding heart family. We saw another family member, yellow corydalis. And early saxifrage was living up to its reputation as “rock breaker” on all of the cliff faces.

Golden ragwort and spring beauty lined the trail sides. Spring beauty, Clatonia virginica was named after Virginia’s first internationally famed botanist, John Clayton, who corresponded with Linneaus and Thomas Jefferson.

Colonies of mayapples popped up everywhere. We noted the rule that the mayapple needs two leaves before the white bloom will appear in the middle, but then we found the exception with just one leaf and a bloom. We noted the inconspicuous brown bloom of blue cohosh and discussed its use as a medicinal.

Late spring wildflowers, columbine, fire pink and wild geranium, were beginning their bloom season. High up, serviceberry heralded spring, and in the understory, Carolina silver bell and red bud lit up the woods.

Bill Dunson 5/3/16 Bill Dunson 5/3/16

Signs of Spring

Red bud blooming at 1931 RR bridge on the New River Trail.  Photo by Bill Dunson — Red bud blooming at 1931 RR bridge on the New River Trail. Photo by Bill Dunson

Ruby  throated hummiingbird at Galax farm.  Photo by Bill Dunson — Ruby throated hummiingbird at Galax farm. Photo by Bill Dunson

Spring is a wonderful time of year, with leaves and blooms emerging, birds singing, and amphibian reproduction in full swing. But breeding occurs over a prolonged period since different species have distinct tolerances and adaptations for seasonal progression in temperature and related habitat changes. So for example as I write this on May 2, the bluebirds on our farm near Galax, VA, are already sitting on eggs, but we just heard the first of the season willow flycatchers which will soon be breeding here.

The arrival of ruby throated hummingbirds is a joyous occasion since they are so active and come readily to feeders. We have coral honeysuckle vines and red buckeyes in bloom to offer them some natural food.

Fire pink with swallowtail (possibly spicebush swallowtail) along the  New River Trail.  Photo by Bill Dunson — Fire pink with swallowtail (possibly spicebush swallowtail) along the New River Trail. Photo by Bill Dunson

One of my favorite ways to assess seasonal changes is to bike down a rail trail to the New River. The view of a red bud tree in bloom next to one of the old 1931 bridges shows one attractive spring scene. A fire pink flower along the trail was being visited by a spicebush swallowtail butterfly, eager to obtain nectar to fuel its activities. This species is interesting since the underside of the wings is brightly marked with orange spots and a blue wash; this is believed to mimic the coloration of the toxic pipevine swallowtail and thus confer protection against bird predators.

Bullfrog in spring pond.  Photo by Bill Dunson — Bullfrog in spring pond. Photo by Bill Dunson

Amphibians are of course very active in spring time. In late April bullfrogs are just beginning to be active and the males start calling to defend their territories. This male is distinctive due to its very large eardrum behind the eye and a bright yellow throat.

The booming call of the male attracts females to lay floating egg masses in his territory. Bullfrogs are a dominant predator along the pond bank but remain close to water, unlike toads which migrate to water only to breed. Bullfrogs also differ from toads in that their tadpoles can co-exist with fish, which toads generally do not. I have been careful to keep some of my wetlands fish free for this reason, that numbers of aquatic invertebrates and amphibians cannot live with fish predators.

Baltimore oriole male at Galax farm.  Photo by Bill Dunson — Baltimore oriole male at Galax farm. Photo by Bill Dunson

One predominant sound of spring in our front yard is the song of Baltimore and orchard orioles which nest in a large maple tree. The showy orange male Baltimore is strutting and singing his stuff while the dull yellowish female was just beginning to weave a nest on April 26. They choose the very end of tiny branches, presumably to discourage snakes and squirrels from reaching the nest. But it is remarkable that any nests escape predation and my wife constantly hounds me to remove the numerous black rat snakes from our property to increase the chances that the young will survive.

Rose breasted grosbeak male along the New River Trail.  Photo by Bill Dunson — Rose breasted grosbeak male along the New River Trail. Photo by Bill Dunson

Tree swallows are very active in setting up nests in our boxes and are constantly squabbling over ownership of a box. The backs of the males have a structural color that refracts light, either green or blue depending on the angle, which contrasts nicely with pink dogwoods in the background. There is intense rivalry with bluebirds over nest box cavities and the swallows often win the first round. But the bluebirds will nest up to three times whereas our tree swallows normally only nest once.

If you are lucky you may hear a "chink" sound and see a bird high in a tree which is the spectacular rose breasted grosbeak. The female is a dull brown pattern but the male has a striking patch of red on its breast. These do not nest at our lower elevation but we enjoy watching them pass by on their way to the higher ridges.

Bald eagle at Fries Juunction New River.  Photo by Bill Dunson — Bald eagle at Fries Juunction New River. Photo by Bill Dunson

In Florida we would hardly pay attention to a bald eagle since they are relatively common. But here in Virginia they are uncommon and I noticed one while biking across the New River. This was a "dirty bird" with a mottled head and a whitish tail, showing that it is about four years old and nearing maturity. There are a small number of nests in western VA and young birds also migrate north from FL. It would be wonderful if this eagle would settle down and raise a family!

So treasure these golden days of spring; each of us is only permitted a limited number of these marvelous spring experiences so savor them well.

Bill Dunson
Galax, VA and Englewood, FL

BRDC, Admin 4/19/16 BRDC, Admin 4/19/16

Explorers Club Spring Wildflower Walk

Carol Broderson led a group of 17 explorers on an early spring, wildflower walk along the New River Trail last Saturday.

Carol Broderson led a group of 17 explorers on an early spring, wildflower walk along the New River Trail last Saturday. Carol is a Mt. Rogers Appalachian Trail Club volunteer, and also works with the Trails to Every Classroom program.

The wooded slopes adjacent to the trail were carpeted with spring wildflowers including Blood Root, Red Trillium and Early Saxifrage.