BRDC, Admin 7/31/16 BRDC, Admin 7/31/16

Creature Feature: Spicebush Swallowtail

A stand of Spicebush along the creek results in an abundance of Spicebush Swallowtails Papilio troilus flying low and fluttering their wings while they feast on summer's abundant flowers.

Walking through the woods in late summer, you might be rewarded if you examine Spicebush leaves, especially leaves that are rolled over. Lurking inside this leaf-retreat, is what appears to be a snake or maybe a tree frog (exactly what the caterpillar wants predators to think!) They might even rear up and retract their head to increase the illusion.

A true mimic, early stages of the caterpillar resemble bird poop, and the adults resemble the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor.

Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar    Photo courtesy of Ellen Reynolds, Beagle Ridge Herb Farm — Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar Photo courtesy of Ellen Reynolds, Beagle Ridge Herb Farm

Do you remember the butterfly life cycle?

Butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, then the females lay eggs on a suitable host plant. While some butterflies lay eggs on a variety of plants, more often they limit themselves to a specific plant, such as Monarchs Danaus plexippus and Milkweed Asclepias spp., or a plant family such as Spicebush Swallowtails Papilio troilus and the family Lauraceaea which includes Spicebush Lindera bezoin and Sassafras Sassafras albidum.

In addition to sight, females utilize chemical receptors on their forelegs to assess the chemicals in the leaf to decide if it is an suitable host. Once the eggs hatch, caterpillars eat the leaves of the host until they are large enough to pupate. Then they will spin a chrysalis and complete their transformation into a butterfly.

Bill Dunson 7/31/16 Bill Dunson 7/31/16

Deciphering Nature's Signs

So much is happening in nature and in our human constructed world that we tend to ignore some of the most obvious events of the natural world. Plus there are literally thousands of sights and sounds vying for our attention and it takes a significant effort of will to focus and be observant. A certain training of the mind helps in watching even subconsciously for important clues and selecting them from the background "noise."

Here are a few examples of what you might see while walking around our VA farm in the middle of summer. As I was toiling up a steep hill along my neighbor's barbed wire cow fence, I was shocked to notice three green June beetles impaled on the wire! This was exciting since it was unexpected, and because I knew immediately what this must mean. It revealed that a loggerhead shrike was feeding in the vicinity; they are famous for impaling their extra prey on thorns and barbed wire. Yet I had not seen the bird, only interpreted its presence by this sign.

Our common milkweeds are in bloom in large numbers and I am on alert for signs that monarch caterpillars are present. Caterpillars are eating machines so the best indication they occur is the presence of their feces or "frass" and bite marks on the leaves. Since caterpillars often hide under the leaves, these two signs are crucial in finding them.

In June and July I often see strange white foamy patches in certain of our ponds. I know from experience that these are the remnants of bullfrog breeding from the previous night and there will be hundreds of embryos in these areas. They quickly dissipate as the eggs hatch and tadpoles disperse into the pond.

Within a mile of our farm there is the New River, which is said to be the second oldest river in the world (after the Nile). It has different aquatic fauna than our small spring fed streams and ponds and I often go there to see new species. This cobra clubtail dragonfly is a fierce predator on small insects; on a hot summer day it was "obelisking" or holding its abdomen in a vertical position to minimize heat gain from the sun. Nearby there was a damselfly that I never see on our ponds, a ruby spot damselfly. The male is much more brilliant than the female and is quite a spectacular fellow. Both of these species are characteristic of larger streams and rivers, presumably due to some specific but generally unknown requirements for the larvae and/or adults.

This tiger swallowtail was perching on dung and extending its proboscis, a clear sign of "puddling" behavior. This is well known to represent drinking of fluids from vertebrate digestion and excretion that contain needed salts, especially sodium, which are scarce in the diets of herbivores. I have become a big fan of horses on trails since their poop attracts beautiful butterflies and holds them for close observation.

We have planted cup plants (Silphium) which have large yellow blossoms in mid-summer attractive to butterflies. Here a pipevine swallowtail is finding nectar in the flowers while being protected from the attacks of birds by its black and blue coloration which advertises toxicity obtained as a caterpillar from its food plant (Aristolochia species). There are many other butterflies that mimic this coloration in an apparent bid to inhibit birds from attacking them. One of the most beautiful is this red spotted purple, a type of brushfoot butterfly (kin to admirals and buckeyes).

So remain alert in nature and you will observe a tiny fraction of what is actually happening, and be awe struck by the intricate and complex lives that our fellow creatures are engaged in. Trying to understand some of these remarkable stories enriches and enlarges our own existence beyond measure.

Bill Dunson
Galax, VA and Englewood, FL

Aaron Floyd 7/25/16 Aaron Floyd 7/25/16

New River Expedition- Summer Fun!

There is no grander journey than pushing off from shore in a boat on a one-way trip to wherever the current carries you! On July 14, intrepid explorers from throughout the region did just that. Launching our kayaks and canoes from the King's Creek access along the South Fork of the New River, we began a four day journey down the currents of the New. With the guides paddling the canoes full of gear, the kids were free to explore the river at their own pace.

There is no grander journey than pushing off from shore in a boat on a one-way trip to wherever the current carries you!

On July 14, intrepid explorers from throughout the region did just that. Launching our kayaks and canoes from the King's Creek access along the South Fork of the New River, we began a four day journey down the currents of the New. With the guides paddling the canoes full of gear, the kids were free to explore the river at their own pace. After navigating our first class II rapid we made our way to the forks of the New where the North and South branches meet. With the flow of the river a bit stronger we made quick work of getting to Alleghany Access where we pitched camp for the next two nights.

We began the second day with fly casting lessons in the field beside camp and took the new found skills to the water where the kids casted poppers towards smallmouth bass to no avail. The group then gathered in the water for some freshwater snorkeling up the river. After lunch and some ultimate frisbee we went on a mushroom foray along the trail and came back with a sack full of chanterelles! With the recent rain and heat we found a seeming endless variety of mushrooms along the path including a number of boletus, old man of the woods, chicken of the woods, and cinnabar chanterelles. Taking a break from the trail the kids searched for salamanders in an adjacent creek and watched a northern water snake eat a large minnow with the tail flapping as it went down.

While the chanterelles simmered on the stove, we launched the kayaks for a skills challenge in the deep hole by Big Rock. With a tennis ball as the "bomb" we played "battleship" on the open seas. Boats crisscrossed the river in a furry until the lone survivor was left. After returning to camp and wolfing dinner we alternated between ultimate frisbee and dives into the river. Oreo smores came out for dessert and when night set in we strapped on headlamps and went on an owl prowl in the pines. Needless to say, everyone slept like rocks the second night.

Anxious to hit the river the crew packed up their gear with efficiency the third day and off we went down the river. After crossing into Virginia the paddlers navigated boulder fields and islands with ease. With their new found confidence they left our mule, Vincent, in their wake! The big challenge of the day came with the portage around Field's Dam where the crew worked together to overcome knee high mud, steep banks and rocks to get all of the gear and boats around the dam safely.

Downriver we took a short break to marvel at the massive nest made by bald eagles at the head of an island. After some games and a snack, the raft of kayaks made their way with ease to our second camping destination: a series of secluded islands on river bank left. The kayaks shot through a secret passage gated by an overhanging tree and beached on the sands of an island that was all ours. The group studied some butterflies, strung up a laundry line, pitched camp and gathered rocks for a fire circle. After we got all settled, we headed up the creek cut donning snorkeling masks. They found many of the usual suspects, but as we arrived at the main channel up popped Jack with the exclamation that he had found a hellbender! Everyone looked at him skeptically but didn't openly question the assertion because he was clearly carrying something... and sure enough it was a baby hellbender! Initial excitement turned to awe as everyone clamored to get a look. We placed it in the photarium for clear views of its beady eyes, long claws and flattened tail.

Later that night, around the campfire, the pirates of the island had a vote to name the island they had staked as theirs. The results came in with consensus for Hell's Isle, short for Hellbender's Island. The group explored Hell's Isle up and down, finding a massive four trunked sycamore tree and rock outcrops that protected the camp area from floods.

The last day brought the final camp break down and a slow paddle on a burning hot day that included lots of swimming and a challenging Class II rapids at the end. We finished the expedition with a dip in the "pool" before exiting the river at Cox's Chapel low water bridge and returning to society.

BRDC, Admin 7/21/16 BRDC, Admin 7/21/16

Blue Ridge Explorers Club on the New

Stormy weather turned the July Blue Ridge Explorers Club "Full Moon Float" into a "Sunny Day Float" on a different section of river.

1 great egret, numerous Canada geese, dragonflies & damselflies hitching rides on the boats, big rocks, glorious weather and great folks. ‪

Bill Dunson 7/19/16 Bill Dunson 7/19/16

Pollinator Fields in Their Glory

In general I do not recommend trying to improve on nature beyond the boundaries of the yard since the beauty of natural scenes is often incomparable. However creation of a Pollinator Field from a portion of hay fields or pastures or even yards can provide habitat for pollinators such as butterflies and bees, while also providing enjoyment to the land owner. Such fields may be funded by USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). One method is to burn existing grass and weeds in late winter, then the re-growth is killed with herbicides. In May, wildflowers and native warm season grasses (NWSG) are planted with a no-till seed drill. The field pictured was planted four years ago with 4 species of grasses and 16 kinds of flowers. Some of these did not thrive, but others have done well and produce a spectacle of flowers in early to mid-July as well as a lesser display during May and later summer months.

The classic pollinators come to such flower meadows and just two examples are the orange sulphur and female black tiger swallowtail butterflies. The adults are likely mainly obtaining nectar there but the Sulphur caterpillars feed on alfalfa which is present, whereas the tiger swallowtail caterpillars likely feed on nearby black cherry and tulip trees. Bumblebees (on light lavender bergamot in photo) forage extensively in the pollinator field on the abundant wild bergamot and purple coneflowers. There are also honeybees (on purple cone flower in photo) present which is not generally a good thing. Honeybees are actually a non-native species from Europe, and as domesticated hives used to pollinate crops or produce honey can be very valuable. But wild or feral hives are in competition with native pollinators and are not desirable. In our particular setting far from crops that require pollination, honeybees are less abundant than the native bees and thus are not a major problem.

Some of the most interesting pollinators are insects such as the syrphid flies (on yellow ox-eye sunflower in photo) which mimic yellow jackets and gain protection from their predators. Other insects which utilize the field habitat range from green camouflaged katydids, to dragonflies such as the widow skimmer, to the fig or green June beetles. The katydid and June beetle are herbivores whereas the dragonfly is a predator on flying insects. So quite a community of creatures populate the pollinator field and provide a real oasis of life.

Fly Syrphid yellow jacket mimic on heliopsis

So despite the fact that the planting of a pollinator field provides only an ephemeral burst of flowers over a short period of years, it is a significant source of food and cover for a wide variety of creatures and is a valuable tool in maintaining biodiversity within the pasture/hayfield habitat.

Bill Dunson
Galax, VA and Englewood, FL

BRDC, Admin 7/7/16 BRDC, Admin 7/7/16

Mammals Program @ the Grayson County Library

Darin Handy recently joined BRDC for an event held at the Grayson County Library. His amazing mammals program captivated an audience of 50 people from infant to 80 and over.

Darin Handy recently joined BRDC for an event held at the Grayson County Library.

His amazing mammals program captivated an audience of 50 people from infant to 80 and over. With a mix of skins, magic tricks and unbridled enthusiasm, he held the crowd's attention, while emphasizing the basic principles of conservation and love of wild critters.

And we can't forget Maggie, the one eyed ambassador of wild animal rehabilitation for educational purposes...