Tree/planthopper
Crab spiders at work
Non-moths at my black light
This is a small Dipteran with a strange shape, Sargus fasciatus.
This ugly critter is a shield-back katydid that I can't identify to the species level. In any case, it's interesting.
An Image to Share
In Memory of Gale Kuebler
Gale Kuebler was an avid butterflier and, to say the least, a wonderful person. All of us who knew her will miss her. Here's an American Lady, a way to remember a real lady.
Gale Kuebler was an avid butterflier and, to say the least, a wonderful person. All of us who knew her will miss her. Here's an American Lady, a way to remember a real lady.
Clearwing Sphinxes
This one is a Snowberry Clearwing, Hemaris diffinis. Not only does it appear to be yellow and black like a bumblebee, but it has a black line on the side of the thorax between the wings and the legs. You can see the line clearly in the photo
This one is a Hummingbird Clearwing, Hemaris thysbe. It's larger than the previous moth and generally looks light olive and reddish brown dorsally. Also it lacks the black line on the thorax that identifies H. diffinis.
Both species are day fliers. I never see them on the sheet at night.
Around the yard in Carroll County, Virginia
I collected the Rhinoceros Beetle, Xyloryctes jamaicensis, in order to get a decent photo. I found the beetle lying on it's back waving its legs. When I turned it over it immediately began to crawl away, so I put in in a bottle and stuck it in the freezer until I could take a photo.
Orthosoma brunneum, Brown Prionid is one of the tooth-necked long-horn beetles. The larvae are borers that live in a group, making extensive excavations in dead trees.
Visit to the New River in Ashe County
I participated in a Carolina Butterfly Society expedition to Ashe County, NC on July 13. Fortunately the rains held off long enough for folks to see some interesting stuff. Here's a sample from my photos:
The first is the Eyed Click Beetle,
Alaus oculatus.
The second set is an Azure species. I gave up trying to identify Azures in the field or photos years ago. It's a job for experts.
The final photo is a male Variable Dancer,
Argia fumipennis
.
Joy Ranch field trip
Today, BRDC brought six young people, one mom and one staff member to the Music Center, and/or Fisher's Peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a walk in the park. Through our Avian Adventures Program we aimed to hear and find birds, who are winding down their typical territorial and breeding behavior, yet we managed to find indigo buntings, red-eyed vireo, field sparrows, a broad winged hawk and hooded warbler.
Today, BRDC brought six young people, one mom and one staff member to the Music Center, and/or Fisher's Peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a walk in the park. Through our Avian Adventures Program we aimed to hear and find birds, who are winding down their typical territorial and breeding behavior, yet we managed to find indigo buntings, red-eyed vireo, field sparrows, a broad winged hawk and hooded warbler.
Along the trail, which passed through the woods but also clung to the edges of a field, we paid attention to details of our wet summer. Along with birds, we found several other interesting features, including this snail.
The evidence of birds and their actions on the landscape were illustrated by the combination of our continuing loss of the hemlocks through the wooly adelgid's impact, (http://pacificgateworks.com/details.asp?ProdID=24132&gclid=CPmZq8TaqrgCFciY4AodbzsAcA), and our fungal and local woodpeckers' natural response through their exploitation of vegetable matter and insects that colonize a dying and dead tree.
From time to time, we paused to listen to the few birds that were still singing, and Eric Harrold (program director) offered informed descriptions of our surroundings and ecological connections. He pointed out the
categories based upon public land use, from one extreme of 'look but don't touch' to the other of hunting and fishing. The Blue Ridge Parkway is under the domain of our National Park Service, and differs from the State Parks and the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, which employs Eric.
As we began our return trek to the parking area, our view offered a comparison of wetlands easily distinguished from the drier field grasses surrounding them.
These ecologically important systems offer a special abundance of a different variety of species both plant and animal. We marveled at the difference water makes, within such a relatively small area.
Here are two pictures of insects encountered along the way:
The dragon-fly is the common white-tail, not sure about the beetles.
And, finally, here is the crew! Thanks to the Matthews Foundation and Joy Ranch for another fun morning of discovery.
Scott Jackson-Ricketts
President, BRDC
July 4th, Independence, VA
As has been our habit now for at least 4 years running, BRDC set up on the lawn of the Historic 1908 Courthouse to help celebrate the holiday and community spirit. This year, Eric Harrold and William Roberts joined me for 5 hours of kid-oriented activities, with special attention given to sharing our prized raptor bird parts gifted to us by the Carolina Raptor Center.
As has been our habit now for at least 4 years running, BRDC set up on the lawn of the Historic 1908 Courthouse to help celebrate the holiday and community spirit. This year, Eric Harrold and William Roberts joined me for 5 hours of kid-oriented activities, with special attention given to sharing our prized raptor bird parts gifted to us by the Carolina Raptor Center.
These specimens generated quite a bit of conversation, grabbing the attention of young and old alike. Of special interest was the comparison made between hawk and owl wings. The owls have specialized barbs on the leading edge of their wings to muffle the sound of flight. Given that most owls hunt at night, the element of surprise needs this extra help. The hawks do not have this feature.
We also provided nests, seeds and seed pods, a small variety of mammal skulls and other found objects for the kids to draw. Laid out on that table were all types of art tools, including pads...for this activity. Not many kids chose to draw from our models, but many did draw and had a bunch of fun.
BRDC considers the value of being in the public eye to be well worth the effort. It is good to stay connected with the community and show others what and who we are. But, mostly, it is just fun to spend time with the kids, many of whom are here only in the summer visiting grandparents, and have become repeat 'customers'. We wouldn't want to let them down, now would we?
Off and on we were joined by Deb Greif, Rick Cavey, Aaron Floyd, Sarah Osborne, Joyce Rouse and David Haushlohner, all associated with BRDC on a committed level.
Scott Jackson-Ricketts
Birding at Grayson Highlands State Park
Birding with campers at Grayson Highlands State Park 6/29/13 Julie Slater, intern at GHSP, and Blue Ridge Discovery Center have joined forces for a series of on-site programs this summer and fall. (See previous blogs regarding the currency of this association through BRDC’s Fish Bugs program.) Our choice of study for this program was Sullivan Swamp (defined as an Appalachian shrub bog), with a strong focus on birds.
Birding with campers at Grayson Highlands State Park 6/29/13 Julie Slater, intern at GHSP, and Blue Ridge Discovery Center have joined forces for a series of on-site programs this summer and fall. (See previous blogs regarding the currency of this association through BRDC’s Fish Bugs program.) Our choice of study for this program was Sullivan Swamp (defined as an Appalachian shrub bog), with a strong focus on birds. However, we took along the data sheet created through Devin Floyd’s 2012 BRDC SiteSection survey as a handy back-up.
Julie had done the preliminary work of rounding up some eager campers, giving us 4 adults and 4 young children. This was a good crowd, really just the perfect size for spending a couple of hours in a sensitive ecosystem. One of the parents was a botanist, who works with the Shenandoah National Park…an added perk.
Eric Harrold, through Avian Adventures, led the walk. As seen in the photos, we had some very young kids, but they were up for crawling through the twisted rhododendrons, squishing through deep dark mud, and rock hopping. Our determined aim was to find alder flycatcher and saw-whet owl, neither of which gave us the pleasure. But we had plenty of entertainment in the reliable chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, cedar waxwing, Eastern towhee, spittle bug, silky willow, cinnamon fern, sphagnum moss and just the pleasure of spending some time in an exotic landscape. What always becomes obvious is that kids love the adventure of discovery. Given that all four parents were in tune with this need and desire, we took our time as magnifying glasses, tactile moments, and questions became part of our collective experience.
For those who would like to study a bit more on the definition of bog versus swamp, start here:
Scott Jackson-Ricketts
Birding at Joy Ranch
We began by listening and watching birds close to the chapel where we gave our orientation. Then, some of those who knew the campus, took us to a barn swallow nest.
Joy Ranch 6/28/13
Joy Ranch is “a Christian multi-service child care agency in Virginia providing homes for children who cannot or should not be in their own homes”. Eric Harrold, program director for Avian Adventures, offered the educational services of Blue Ridge Discovery Center to the Executive Director of Joy Ranch, Tim Lewis, and their program director Mary Hutchins through a series of conversations and visits. Our offer was well received. To see more on the ongoing work of Joy Ranch, please refer to: joyranch.org Much like the approach we took at Camp Dickenson, the kids were given brief instructions on identification strategies, and off we went on a hike. Birds were located, described in journals, and discussed in the field. We began by listening and watching birds close to the chapel where we gave our orientation. Then, some of those who knew the campus, took us to a barn swallow nest.
From there we skirted the open areas around the buildings, finding a few species in trees, on the ground and way up in the sky. Occasionally, Eric played call back songs to draw some birds closer. When we took a trail into the surrounding woods, this effort brought the kids close up looks at an oven bird and later, a Carolina wren.
One resident family, who had first met Eric at one of his library presentations, drew us behind their house where multiple feeders were arrayed. Hummingbirds and house finches were added to our list at that spot. The day was growing warmer and quieter, and many of the kids were getting tired. The ages ranged from approximately 4 to 16, so we had quite a spread of attention span requirements. We hurried back to the chapel for our follow-up identification, pulling out the Sibley’s field guides and reviewing our notes.
Many of the kids really perked up during this session, and worked diligently to find the birds that matched their memory and notes.
Our list is in order of discovery and as follows:
Song sparrow
Northern mockingbird
American crow
Eastern bluebird
Turkey vulture
Northern cardinal
Ovenbird
Carolina wren
Blue jay
Ruby-throated hummingbird
House finch
Barn swallow
Helmeted guineafowl
Domestic chicken
Field sparrow
During the identification process, we addressed several questions, including what kinds of employment are available for the avid bird-watcher/ornithologist, and some discussion on why male songbirds, especially, have such intense plumage.
Eric played the songs and calls of a variety of birds, both seen and heard during our walk and those closely related…giving perspective to comparisons. This seems to always capture the attention of an audience. Winding up, outside the chapel Eric discovered a house finch nest in a hanging plant under the portico. Pulling it down, those of us who were still present, got to see four house finch eggs and one larger egg, clearly not of the same species.
Cowbird was the consensus.
Cowbirds, native to North America, were so named because of their nomadic life-style, following bison herds in pre-Columbian days, seeking the insect bounty stirred up by large roaming beasts. Because they were always on the move, they developed the strategy of laying their eggs in other birds’ nests to be foster reared. Now that there are no longer roaming herds of anything, they have become a much more serious parasite on a wider range of nesting songbirds due to their more sedentary lifestyle. The newly hatched cowbirds are typically larger, and outcompete the host’s offspring, sometimes even to the degree of kicking the other eggs and nestlings to the ground and certain death. What is even more interesting in this instance is that house finches are not native to Eastern North America, but from our western states. They were sold as cage birds, and as usual, it only took a few escapees to establish a new population in a relatively predator free zone.
For a while, at least.
Scott Jackson-Ricketts
Three late June moths.
Large silk moths are always interesting. This is Antheraea polyphemus.
This final moth is a Symmarista, one of the Notodontids. Positively identifying it to the level of species from a photograph is virtually impossible, so I stopped at the genus level.
Two June 28 Fritillaries
Visitors to the Moth Sheet
Pretty Moths
Camp Dickenson
Through Eric Harrold's tireless outreach, BRDC is now engaged with the Methodist Camp Dickenson here in Grayson County with a series of summer programs focused on birds and ecology. Avian Adventures made its first foray last Thursday, June 13th, and along with guide Scott Jackson-Ricketts, Eric led a group of 13 kids for a walk around the riverside property.
Through Eric Harrold's tireless outreach, BRDC is now engaged with the Methodist Camp Dickenson here in Grayson County with a series of summer programs focused on birds and ecology. Avian Adventures made its first foray last Thursday, June 13th, and along with guide Scott Jackson-Ricketts, Eric led a group of 13 kids for a walk around the riverside property.
We began by meeting in 'the old farm house' where we shared a few tips on bird identification techniques, and instructed the kids to take detailed field notes on what we might find to apply to the field guides upon our return. We began by climbing a small hill above the camp grounds, wandering through a fairly recent timber cut, along a wide trail. Stopping along the way, we found several early-succession adapted bird species, including indigo bunting, Eastern towhee, prairie warbler, and Carolina wren, while tree swallows, barn swallows, chimney swifts, crows, turkey vultures, blue jays and one pileated woodpecker offered fly-by observations.
It was Eric's intention to not name the birds while we hiked along. At each observation opportunity, we helped the kids home in on the strongest and most unique features of each species, so that they brought back with them enough information to make a stab at identification. As it turned out, this approach worked really well for our teenage group. After the hike, we regrouped in the farm house and followed through with Sibley's book, and engaged in a lively constructive conversation with lots of smart questions.
With a little time still left over before lunch, we took a short walk down to the New River, and had luck with one orchard oriole, Eastern king bird, nesting red-winged blackbirds, and a raft of Canada geese. Next Thursday, we will start at 7am, two hours earlier, in hopes of catching some of the dawn chorus and more activity.
Again, we wish to thank the Matthews Foundation for supporting this educational opportunity, and a special thanks to Michael Snow, director of Camp Dickenson.
Scott Jackson-Ricketts
Two good moths
The best moth of the pre-dawn period was a small one that looks like a wasp. It's a Sesiid, a group of clear-winged borer moths. Synanthedon acerni is one of the few Sesiids that come to a light. Most have to be lured with pheromones. According to lepidopterists, S. acerni is a complex of species that have yet to be sorted out. In the meantime the current ID tag will do.
Rat Snake
Grayson Highlands School and Grayson Highlands State Park go fishing...
On June 12th, Blue Ridge Discovery Center's Roald Kirby and Scott Jackson-Ricketts assisted the school and park on a fishing expedition at Cabin Creek, in the park. This was not planned by BRDC, but we were happy to bring our Fish Bugs program in support of the event.
On June 12th, Blue Ridge Discovery Center's Roald Kirby and Scott Jackson-Ricketts assisted the school and park on a fishing expedition at Cabin Creek, in the park. This was not planned by BRDC, but we were happy to bring our Fish Bugs program in support of the event.
We did not know until the night before, that 55 grade school age kids were to be on hand. Knowing the narrow path that is Cabin Creek trail, and the lack of fishing space, we discussed strategy just before the two busloads of kids arrived.
There were plenty of adults on hand to ensure that this many kids could be managed. So off we went, down the trail, carrying the Fish Bugs tools, and at least 30 spin casting rod and reel outfits.
Chaotic would best describe our initial efforts to organize groups of kids assigned to the two stations we set up. But, frankly, when we did, all went very well. Roald helped with the fishing component, sharing information about the habitat, food sources, water quality and temperature; while Scott managed the aquatic invertebrate collection and identification tables.
Because there were so many kids, a lot of time was allowed for free exploration, which was exciting for the kids, who continued to find critters and questions to go with.
This second picture is evidence of the chaos, given that it was quite difficult to stand in one position. But it also exemplifies the moment. No fish took the bait.
Scott Jackson-Ricketts