Three kinds of sparrows, seaside, saltmarsh and Nelson's, are well adapted to wintering in the grassy and shrubby habitats of extensive salt marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. And being sparrows, they are small, mostly brown, which camouflages them in their niches, secretive in habits and not readily noticeable. But, although they are inconspicuous, they are a major part of salt marshes in winter; as much so as black ducks, brant and northern harriers.
Seaside sparrows are the most endemic of these species because they live permanently, and only, in the wetter parts of salt marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. They are gray all over, accentuated with darker streaks to blend into their surroundings. They have a small, diagnostic streak of yellow in front of each eye to the base of the beak which identifies them. This species eats insects, small snails and tiny crustaceans in the warmer months, and mostly seeds in winter. Males sing a buzzy "ch,ch-zeeeeeeeeeee" during the summer nesting season. Those songs, which are often difficult for us to hear, have the same rthymn as red-winged blackbird males' boisterous "konk-ga-reeeee". Red-wings are another marsh breeder.
Saltmarsh sparrows are restricted to the drier sections of salt marshes on the Atlantic Shore. One can see that seaside sparrows and saltmarsh sparrows have reduced competition for space and food with each other by living in different parts of salt marsh habitats. Handsome little birds, saltmarsh sparrows are brown, with ample striping, and a bit smaller than seaside sparrows. And the present species has an orange triangle around each eye and a gray patch in each triangle. This type of sparrow feeds on seeds for the most part. Males sing a buzzy "kip, kip-zeeeee", which is somewhat similar to the seaside sparrows' songs, and, again hard for us to hear.
Nelson's sparrows breed on the prairie and tundra of Canada, but winter in salt marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in the United States. They probably developed that life style thousands of years ago when the only vast, open, grassy areas in a temperate zone in winter was salt marshes along the coast. Most all the land in the east at that time was forested.
Nelson's sparrows are similar to the saltmarsh sparrows in appearance, song, food choice and lifestyle, showing their close genetic relationship. In fact, they were once lumped together as one species called the sharp-tailed sparrow.
Though these sparrows are hard to spot in the dense vegetation of their cold, windy habitat in winter, it is neat to know they are adapted to such a harsh environment. And it's interesting to note they use different parts of each salt marsh to reduce competition for space and food among themselves. They are intriguing little birds in an interesting landscape.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
September's Colors
September is a part of autumn in the Mid-Atlantic States. And that most lovely of months in this area has many lovely plant colors that make days outdoors enjoyable and inspiring.
Some of the first warm colors of the month are on the foliage of a variety of trees, including flowering dogwoods, staghorn sumacs, red maples, sugar maples and sassafras. The colors of the leaves on the first three tree species are red, while those on the sugar maples are orange and those on the sassafras are red, yellow or orange on the same tree. Sassafras, incidentally, has three leaf shapes on each tree- a single lobe, two lobes like a mitten and three like a fork.
Dogwoods grow in the understories of woods and lawns, sumacs on woodland edges and in hedgerows and red maples in wooded bottomlands and on lawns. Sugar maples flourish in forest uplands and on lawns, while sassafras sprouts along hedgerows and rural roadsides.
Poison ivy and Virginia creeper are vines that crawl up trees, fences and other objects along the edges of woods, in hedgerows and other, at least partly sunny, environments. In September poison ivy has yellow, red and orange leaves on the same vines, while creeper foliage is always bright red, all of which brighten their habitats. Some people even have awnings of creeper vines above their porches to block the sun in summer and for the attractive red foliage in fall. These vines have berries (the creepers have deep-purple ones on red stems) that a variety of birds, including American robins, eastern bluebirds and cedar waxwings eat during fall and winter, adding their feathered beauties to those of autumn.
Several kinds of "weeds" in cultivated fields also have bright colors in September. These include the red stems and leaves of pokeweed, lamb's quarters and redroot. Pokeweed has purple berries that berry-eating birds consume. The other two kinds of weeds produce tiny seeds that feed field mice and a variety of seed-eating birds, including sparrows and finches.
Several types of plants have colorful berries in September, including multiflora rose bushes and crab apple trees. The berries of the roses are red while those on crab apples are yellow red or orange, depending on the species. A host of critters, including white-tailed deer, black bears,rodents, foxes wild turkeys and a variety of other berry-eating birds, consume those fruits in autumn and winter.
Several kinds of flowering vegetation also brighten the landscape in September. The buttery blooms of bur-marigolds brighten the shores of streams in sunny, meadows. The tiny, yellow flowers of goldenrod in clusters and several species of wild asters, some kinds with white blossoms and others with pale-lavender ones, beautify bottomland and upland pastures and thickets. And, at the same time, asters with deep-purple flowers and a variety of petunias also bloom on lawns during this lovely month of colored leaves and flowers.
Red apples, bright-orange cow pumpkins, multi-colored gourds, and ears of yellow field corn missed by harvesters beautify the sunny orchards and fields they grew in during summer. Some of the apples are eaten by raccoons, opossums, skunks and white-tailed deer while the corn is consumed by deer, muskrats, Canada geese and mallard ducks. All those animals, and others, make the orchards and fields more interesting.
Common milkweed pods open in September and spill their brown seeds. Each seed has a fluffy, white parachute that carries the seed away on the wind, spreading the species far and wide. Scores of seeds and fluff on each pod is an interesting sight on the edges of fields and along country roads.
September is a beautiful month in the Middle Atlantic States. It is a good time to be out to see the various colors of the local vegetation, and wildlife.
Some of the first warm colors of the month are on the foliage of a variety of trees, including flowering dogwoods, staghorn sumacs, red maples, sugar maples and sassafras. The colors of the leaves on the first three tree species are red, while those on the sugar maples are orange and those on the sassafras are red, yellow or orange on the same tree. Sassafras, incidentally, has three leaf shapes on each tree- a single lobe, two lobes like a mitten and three like a fork.
Dogwoods grow in the understories of woods and lawns, sumacs on woodland edges and in hedgerows and red maples in wooded bottomlands and on lawns. Sugar maples flourish in forest uplands and on lawns, while sassafras sprouts along hedgerows and rural roadsides.
Poison ivy and Virginia creeper are vines that crawl up trees, fences and other objects along the edges of woods, in hedgerows and other, at least partly sunny, environments. In September poison ivy has yellow, red and orange leaves on the same vines, while creeper foliage is always bright red, all of which brighten their habitats. Some people even have awnings of creeper vines above their porches to block the sun in summer and for the attractive red foliage in fall. These vines have berries (the creepers have deep-purple ones on red stems) that a variety of birds, including American robins, eastern bluebirds and cedar waxwings eat during fall and winter, adding their feathered beauties to those of autumn.
Several kinds of "weeds" in cultivated fields also have bright colors in September. These include the red stems and leaves of pokeweed, lamb's quarters and redroot. Pokeweed has purple berries that berry-eating birds consume. The other two kinds of weeds produce tiny seeds that feed field mice and a variety of seed-eating birds, including sparrows and finches.
Several types of plants have colorful berries in September, including multiflora rose bushes and crab apple trees. The berries of the roses are red while those on crab apples are yellow red or orange, depending on the species. A host of critters, including white-tailed deer, black bears,rodents, foxes wild turkeys and a variety of other berry-eating birds, consume those fruits in autumn and winter.
Several kinds of flowering vegetation also brighten the landscape in September. The buttery blooms of bur-marigolds brighten the shores of streams in sunny, meadows. The tiny, yellow flowers of goldenrod in clusters and several species of wild asters, some kinds with white blossoms and others with pale-lavender ones, beautify bottomland and upland pastures and thickets. And, at the same time, asters with deep-purple flowers and a variety of petunias also bloom on lawns during this lovely month of colored leaves and flowers.
Red apples, bright-orange cow pumpkins, multi-colored gourds, and ears of yellow field corn missed by harvesters beautify the sunny orchards and fields they grew in during summer. Some of the apples are eaten by raccoons, opossums, skunks and white-tailed deer while the corn is consumed by deer, muskrats, Canada geese and mallard ducks. All those animals, and others, make the orchards and fields more interesting.
Common milkweed pods open in September and spill their brown seeds. Each seed has a fluffy, white parachute that carries the seed away on the wind, spreading the species far and wide. Scores of seeds and fluff on each pod is an interesting sight on the edges of fields and along country roads.
September is a beautiful month in the Middle Atlantic States. It is a good time to be out to see the various colors of the local vegetation, and wildlife.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Decorative Roadside Grasses
Four common kinds of grass are decorative along country roads in southeastern Pennsylvania, as elsewhere. They include green foxtails, yellow foxtails, purple tops and crab grass. The attractive seed heads of these grasses are most noticeable from late summer into winter and are especially appealing when seen before low-slanting sunlight of early morning and late afternoon. They are also particularly beautiful when covered with dew, frost or snow that sparkle in the sunlight.
The flowers of these grasses are too tiny to be pollinated by insects. They are, however, fertilized by wind spreading their pollen.
Green foxtail grass is up to four to five feet tall, if not mowed, and has two to three-inch-long seed heads with inch-long bristles that make those seed heads appear fluffy, resembling curved foxes' tails on the ends of their bent-over stems. The numerous seeds are green at first, but turn to light-brown in winter. The long, thin leaves of this grass turn yellow in fall, which adds to their beauty and interest. Green foxtail often pioneers disturbed soil where it is an abundant associate of the common weeds lamb's quarters and red root.
Yellow foxtail stands up to three feet tall, or more. It has erect seed heads that are over an inch long and have yellow bristles among the seeds that give this grass its common name. Those bristles seem to glow yellow and are attractive when seen before low-slanting sunlight. This type of grass covers whole pastures and abandoned fields, as well as roadsides, and produces seeds in abundance.
Quite unique, purple top grass has clusters of dull-purple, thin seeds on top of their four-foot-high, slender stems. Those tightly stacked seeds are oily and feel greasy to the touch. The seed heads seem to glow purple or dull reddish-purple when seen in front of low sunshine, which adds to those seeds' beauty.
Crab grass stands two feet high, more or less, and have tiny seeds on long, thin seed heads that point in all directions like skinny fingers. The beauty of this grass species is exactly the shapes of those long, thin seed heads.
All these types of grasses help stop erosion of soil, and provide shelter and food for a variety of small critters. The long, thin leaves are eaten by a variety of grasshoppers, field crickets, Japanese beetles, the caterpillars of a certain kind of skipper butterfly, wood chucks and cottontail rabbits. And those little creatures find cover among the densely growing grasses as well. Field mice, and a variety of small, seed-eating birds eat the small seeds of these grasses through fall and winter. All those animals add their beauties and interests to those of the grasses.
Striped skunks, red foxes, short-tailed shrews, red-tailed hawks, American kestrel hawks and praying mantises are some of the adaptable predators that prey on the above-mentioned small animals hiding in patches of roadside grasses. The larger, diurnal red-tails and kestrels are the predators most likely seen along roadsides.
Look for these lovely grasses and other plants along rural roadsides this autumn and succeeding ones. They make those human-made habitats the more beautiful and interesting.
The flowers of these grasses are too tiny to be pollinated by insects. They are, however, fertilized by wind spreading their pollen.
Green foxtail grass is up to four to five feet tall, if not mowed, and has two to three-inch-long seed heads with inch-long bristles that make those seed heads appear fluffy, resembling curved foxes' tails on the ends of their bent-over stems. The numerous seeds are green at first, but turn to light-brown in winter. The long, thin leaves of this grass turn yellow in fall, which adds to their beauty and interest. Green foxtail often pioneers disturbed soil where it is an abundant associate of the common weeds lamb's quarters and red root.
Yellow foxtail stands up to three feet tall, or more. It has erect seed heads that are over an inch long and have yellow bristles among the seeds that give this grass its common name. Those bristles seem to glow yellow and are attractive when seen before low-slanting sunlight. This type of grass covers whole pastures and abandoned fields, as well as roadsides, and produces seeds in abundance.
Quite unique, purple top grass has clusters of dull-purple, thin seeds on top of their four-foot-high, slender stems. Those tightly stacked seeds are oily and feel greasy to the touch. The seed heads seem to glow purple or dull reddish-purple when seen in front of low sunshine, which adds to those seeds' beauty.
Crab grass stands two feet high, more or less, and have tiny seeds on long, thin seed heads that point in all directions like skinny fingers. The beauty of this grass species is exactly the shapes of those long, thin seed heads.
All these types of grasses help stop erosion of soil, and provide shelter and food for a variety of small critters. The long, thin leaves are eaten by a variety of grasshoppers, field crickets, Japanese beetles, the caterpillars of a certain kind of skipper butterfly, wood chucks and cottontail rabbits. And those little creatures find cover among the densely growing grasses as well. Field mice, and a variety of small, seed-eating birds eat the small seeds of these grasses through fall and winter. All those animals add their beauties and interests to those of the grasses.
Striped skunks, red foxes, short-tailed shrews, red-tailed hawks, American kestrel hawks and praying mantises are some of the adaptable predators that prey on the above-mentioned small animals hiding in patches of roadside grasses. The larger, diurnal red-tails and kestrels are the predators most likely seen along roadsides.
Look for these lovely grasses and other plants along rural roadsides this autumn and succeeding ones. They make those human-made habitats the more beautiful and interesting.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Valuable Legumes
Though alien to North America, soybeans, alfalfa and rye are abundant crops in Lancaster County farmland, as elsewhere. And they have values in common. They are ground covers that help prevent soil erosion, fix nitrogen in the soil, enriching it, and provide food and shelter for several adaptable kinds of wildlife. The leaves of these species are deep-green and they are planted as monocultures in large fields.
Soybeans are originally from eastern Asia. They are raised for the beans they produce on the tops of stems above their leaves. The mature beans are harvested in autumn after the leaves turn yellow, die and fall off the plants.
Soybean fruits have many uses. They are edible when steamed or roasted. Don't eat them raw. They are also used to make soy oil, soymilk, pet food, fuels, plastics and many other products.
White-tailed deer, wood chucks and cottontail rabbits eat the lush foliage of soybean plants in summer. And those mammals, plus others, hide in three-foot-high soybean fields, the deer by lying down in them.
Silver-spotted skipper butterfly caterpillars also ingest soybean leaves. Those larvae are yellow-green with brown heads that have two orange spots that resemble eyes. Those "eye" spots intimidate would-be, feathered predators.
Alfalfa is a hay originally from Europe. This perennial crop can grow up to four feet tall, and is harvested to the ground about four or five times during each growing season. It is fed to cattle and horses in barns during winter.
Alfalfa grows lovely, pale-lavender flowers with a delicately-sweet scent, when allowed to. Various types of bees and butterflies, and other kinds of insects, sip nectar from alfalfa blossoms.
Deer, chucks and rabbits nibble alfalfa leaves and blooms. Those mammals shelter in alfalfa, until it is mowed. Chucks can still live down their burrows in the ground of alfalfa fields, but those dens are exposed to people and larger predators.
Rye is the most versatile and best of these plants; and it is favored by many farmers. Also from Europe, it is planted in fall as a ground cover through the winter to prevent soil erosion, and to rebuild nutrients in the soil in corn and tobacco fields after those demanding crops are harvested late in summer. And rye is a hardy species that grows in winter when the temperature is warm, adding green to farmland during that harsh season.
During winter and into early spring, rye blades are consumed by wintering or migrant Canada geese, snow geese and tundra swans. Canada geese and swans pluck the green shoots like sheep grazing on grass. The grass continues to live and sprout new leaves. But snow geese eat the blades and roots of rye plants, killing them, which ruins part of the crop.
In spring, cattle are fenced in rye fields to graze on the green and growing blades. Later it might be mowed and stored as silage to feed cows and horses. Or the rye might be plowed under where it decays, forming green manure that enriches the soil. Or the rye might be allowed to grow through spring and early summer to be harvested for its grain. The many rye stems (straw) are raked and baled to be used as animal bedding in the barns.
These are major crops in Lancaster County that are useful to people and wildlife. And they also have esthetic beauties that make them valuable.
Soybeans are originally from eastern Asia. They are raised for the beans they produce on the tops of stems above their leaves. The mature beans are harvested in autumn after the leaves turn yellow, die and fall off the plants.
Soybean fruits have many uses. They are edible when steamed or roasted. Don't eat them raw. They are also used to make soy oil, soymilk, pet food, fuels, plastics and many other products.
White-tailed deer, wood chucks and cottontail rabbits eat the lush foliage of soybean plants in summer. And those mammals, plus others, hide in three-foot-high soybean fields, the deer by lying down in them.
Silver-spotted skipper butterfly caterpillars also ingest soybean leaves. Those larvae are yellow-green with brown heads that have two orange spots that resemble eyes. Those "eye" spots intimidate would-be, feathered predators.
Alfalfa is a hay originally from Europe. This perennial crop can grow up to four feet tall, and is harvested to the ground about four or five times during each growing season. It is fed to cattle and horses in barns during winter.
Alfalfa grows lovely, pale-lavender flowers with a delicately-sweet scent, when allowed to. Various types of bees and butterflies, and other kinds of insects, sip nectar from alfalfa blossoms.
Deer, chucks and rabbits nibble alfalfa leaves and blooms. Those mammals shelter in alfalfa, until it is mowed. Chucks can still live down their burrows in the ground of alfalfa fields, but those dens are exposed to people and larger predators.
Rye is the most versatile and best of these plants; and it is favored by many farmers. Also from Europe, it is planted in fall as a ground cover through the winter to prevent soil erosion, and to rebuild nutrients in the soil in corn and tobacco fields after those demanding crops are harvested late in summer. And rye is a hardy species that grows in winter when the temperature is warm, adding green to farmland during that harsh season.
During winter and into early spring, rye blades are consumed by wintering or migrant Canada geese, snow geese and tundra swans. Canada geese and swans pluck the green shoots like sheep grazing on grass. The grass continues to live and sprout new leaves. But snow geese eat the blades and roots of rye plants, killing them, which ruins part of the crop.
In spring, cattle are fenced in rye fields to graze on the green and growing blades. Later it might be mowed and stored as silage to feed cows and horses. Or the rye might be plowed under where it decays, forming green manure that enriches the soil. Or the rye might be allowed to grow through spring and early summer to be harvested for its grain. The many rye stems (straw) are raked and baled to be used as animal bedding in the barns.
These are major crops in Lancaster County that are useful to people and wildlife. And they also have esthetic beauties that make them valuable.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Two September Meadows
On the morning of September, 15, 2014, I stopped at two especially interesting Lancaster County meadows I had visited several times before to experience what was happening at those pastures that beautiful, autumn day. The weather was sunny, with a cool breeze and low humidity, a perfect day to be out.
The first meadow I stopped at is about 20acres in size and has a stream running through it. This pasture has several mature deciduous trees in it, dominated by large pin oaks. Other tree species include sycamores, river birches, red maples, black walnuts and shag-bark hickories, all species of moist soil in bottomlands.
Although the ground in this meadow was mostly covered with short grass that cows graze on, several kinds of flowering plants that thrive best in damp ground were also in this pasture, making it the more lovely. Those plants include bur-marigolds with their yellow flower petals, a kind of asters that have pale lavender blooms and patches of bushy spotted jewelweeds with their orange blossoms that resemble tiny cornucopias.
But it was a variety of small birds that made that pasture the most interesting. The stars, as they have been in that meadow for years, were a family of red-headed woodpeckers, an uncommon species in this area. I saw the two striking adults with their red heads, black upper parts and large, white wing patches and one of their youngsters that fledged this summer and still had a brown head and upper parts. All three woodpeckers were flitting about on a large, dead sycamore, the tree they probably have been nesting in, as they looked for insects in the dead wood and under bits of loose bark. Occasionally, one of the adults chased their offspring off the tree. I guess it was time for the youngster to find a territory of its own.
I also saw a female red-bellied woodpecker fly from one tree to another, probably in search of invertebrate food. This species has black and white striped upper parts and wings. Males have red over the top of their heads and down the back of their necks while females have a bit of red on their necks. The red belly spot on the bellies of each of the males is usually not noticeable.
Red-bellies nest in this pasture, and in most other patches of trees and small woods throughout Lancaster County and much of the eastern United States. They are a common species that pushed north in the 1960's.
A male northern flicker was on a patch of bare ground in the pasture and poking into the soil after ants and their larvae and eggs. Flickers are a kind of woodpecker, but are mostly brown, which camouflages them on the ground, rather than black and white like their relatives. And like all woodpeckers, flickers have long, sticky tongues they run into insect tunnels to snare insects. And those brown woodpeckers also nest in cavities them chip out themselves in dead limbs of trees, as all woodpeckers do.
Several eastern bluebirds of both genders, and young and older, flitted among the trees and to the ground after insects in the short grass. Bluebirds are pretty and thrilling to experience anytime of year. Now they are gathering into small groups, some of which drift south for the winter while others eat berries in the north.
There was a kind of plain, little flycatchers in that meadow that apparently were migrating at night and feeding on flying insects during the day, as they were in that pasture that fall day. Several of those flycatchers perched on twigs and fluttered out to snare insects in mid-air, creating a show.
A few other kinds of common birds were in that meadow that morning. A few blue jays, a white-breasted nuthatch and a pair of Carolina chickadees were there because of the many trees in the pasture. And a small group of American goldfinches. a pair of northern cardinals and a gray catbird hid here and there in thickets in the pasture. All those birds added more beauty and interest to that meadow on that beautiful autumn day.
The other meadow I visited that day is about 30 acres in size and has no trees in it. This pasture also has soil that is constantly moist, creating habitat for flowering plants that need ample sunlight and water to flourish.
Large patches of bur-marigolds with their yellow petals dominated this wet meadow, making it cheery in the bright sunlight. Several bees, butterflies and other insects were among those yellow blooms to get nectar and pollen. And I saw several monarch butterflies among bur-marigold flowers; more monarchs than I had seen all summer. It was encouraging to see all those monarchs among the bur-marigold blossoms because that kind of butterfly lately is down in numbers.
Bur-marigolds only bloom in September. They only occupy wet niches, such as ditches and along small waterways in pastures.
A kind of asters with pale-lavender flowers were also common in that meadow. They offered a lovely contrast of colors with the yellow blooms of the bur-marigolds. This kind of aster is typical of damp soil in open, sunny areas.
And this open, sunny meadow had a smattering of other types of flowering plants, including bonesets, joe-pye weeds, ironweeds, blue vervains and cattails in the wet parts, and Canada goldenrods in the drier sections. That vegetation added much to the diversity and beauty of that sunny meadow. Insects of several kinds were also among the white clusters of boneset blooms, adding more interest to the pasture.
And thinking of insect activity, several green darner dragonflies swooped back and forth across that sunny, wet meadow after small insects to catch in their feet and eat. I could easily see those dragonflies flying in the sunlight, against the dark of a grove of trees in the background.
Green darners migrate each autumn, and I suspect that is what these were doing, and catching flying insects to eat along the way. But whatever they were doing, they were interesting to see.
September is a lovely month and pastures like these, with their birds, flowers and insects, add to that beauty. For an emotional lift, get out in autumn and look for meadows in Lancaster County, and elsewhere.
The first meadow I stopped at is about 20acres in size and has a stream running through it. This pasture has several mature deciduous trees in it, dominated by large pin oaks. Other tree species include sycamores, river birches, red maples, black walnuts and shag-bark hickories, all species of moist soil in bottomlands.
Although the ground in this meadow was mostly covered with short grass that cows graze on, several kinds of flowering plants that thrive best in damp ground were also in this pasture, making it the more lovely. Those plants include bur-marigolds with their yellow flower petals, a kind of asters that have pale lavender blooms and patches of bushy spotted jewelweeds with their orange blossoms that resemble tiny cornucopias.
But it was a variety of small birds that made that pasture the most interesting. The stars, as they have been in that meadow for years, were a family of red-headed woodpeckers, an uncommon species in this area. I saw the two striking adults with their red heads, black upper parts and large, white wing patches and one of their youngsters that fledged this summer and still had a brown head and upper parts. All three woodpeckers were flitting about on a large, dead sycamore, the tree they probably have been nesting in, as they looked for insects in the dead wood and under bits of loose bark. Occasionally, one of the adults chased their offspring off the tree. I guess it was time for the youngster to find a territory of its own.
I also saw a female red-bellied woodpecker fly from one tree to another, probably in search of invertebrate food. This species has black and white striped upper parts and wings. Males have red over the top of their heads and down the back of their necks while females have a bit of red on their necks. The red belly spot on the bellies of each of the males is usually not noticeable.
Red-bellies nest in this pasture, and in most other patches of trees and small woods throughout Lancaster County and much of the eastern United States. They are a common species that pushed north in the 1960's.
A male northern flicker was on a patch of bare ground in the pasture and poking into the soil after ants and their larvae and eggs. Flickers are a kind of woodpecker, but are mostly brown, which camouflages them on the ground, rather than black and white like their relatives. And like all woodpeckers, flickers have long, sticky tongues they run into insect tunnels to snare insects. And those brown woodpeckers also nest in cavities them chip out themselves in dead limbs of trees, as all woodpeckers do.
Several eastern bluebirds of both genders, and young and older, flitted among the trees and to the ground after insects in the short grass. Bluebirds are pretty and thrilling to experience anytime of year. Now they are gathering into small groups, some of which drift south for the winter while others eat berries in the north.
There was a kind of plain, little flycatchers in that meadow that apparently were migrating at night and feeding on flying insects during the day, as they were in that pasture that fall day. Several of those flycatchers perched on twigs and fluttered out to snare insects in mid-air, creating a show.
A few other kinds of common birds were in that meadow that morning. A few blue jays, a white-breasted nuthatch and a pair of Carolina chickadees were there because of the many trees in the pasture. And a small group of American goldfinches. a pair of northern cardinals and a gray catbird hid here and there in thickets in the pasture. All those birds added more beauty and interest to that meadow on that beautiful autumn day.
The other meadow I visited that day is about 30 acres in size and has no trees in it. This pasture also has soil that is constantly moist, creating habitat for flowering plants that need ample sunlight and water to flourish.
Large patches of bur-marigolds with their yellow petals dominated this wet meadow, making it cheery in the bright sunlight. Several bees, butterflies and other insects were among those yellow blooms to get nectar and pollen. And I saw several monarch butterflies among bur-marigold flowers; more monarchs than I had seen all summer. It was encouraging to see all those monarchs among the bur-marigold blossoms because that kind of butterfly lately is down in numbers.
Bur-marigolds only bloom in September. They only occupy wet niches, such as ditches and along small waterways in pastures.
A kind of asters with pale-lavender flowers were also common in that meadow. They offered a lovely contrast of colors with the yellow blooms of the bur-marigolds. This kind of aster is typical of damp soil in open, sunny areas.
And this open, sunny meadow had a smattering of other types of flowering plants, including bonesets, joe-pye weeds, ironweeds, blue vervains and cattails in the wet parts, and Canada goldenrods in the drier sections. That vegetation added much to the diversity and beauty of that sunny meadow. Insects of several kinds were also among the white clusters of boneset blooms, adding more interest to the pasture.
And thinking of insect activity, several green darner dragonflies swooped back and forth across that sunny, wet meadow after small insects to catch in their feet and eat. I could easily see those dragonflies flying in the sunlight, against the dark of a grove of trees in the background.
Green darners migrate each autumn, and I suspect that is what these were doing, and catching flying insects to eat along the way. But whatever they were doing, they were interesting to see.
September is a lovely month and pastures like these, with their birds, flowers and insects, add to that beauty. For an emotional lift, get out in autumn and look for meadows in Lancaster County, and elsewhere.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Flowers in September Meadows
Meadows in southeastern Pennsylvania in September are beautiful with cattails, rushes and a variety of flowers. Some of those lovely blossoms grow along little waterways and in moist places in the pastures, while others live on drier soil. Some of the flowering plants had been blooming since summer, while others only begin blossoming in September. But all those cheery blooms on sun-loving vegetation in sunny pastures beautify many of those meadows in this area.
Beginning to bloom in September, the yellow flower petals of innumerable bur-marigold plants and the clusters of tiny, white blooms of boneset dominate the wetter spots in many pastures. In fact, many of those streams and damp spots are bright with bur-marigold blossoms. But a variety of bees, small butterflies and other insects gather on boneset blooms to ingest nectar.
Bushy spotted jewelweed plants with their orange, cornucopia-shaped blooms, along with bur-marigolds, dominate some wet sections of many meadows. Both those large plant species provide shelter for a variety of small creatures, particularly insects and other invertebrates.
Jewelweeds reach their peak of blooming in September when many ruby-throated hummingbirds are migrating south for the winter. Those hummingbirds often stop at jewelweed flowers to sip nectar before continuing on. Jewelweeds are also called "touch-me-nots" because when their seeds are ripe, the pods explode at the slightest touch to expel those seeds a small distance, dispersing them.
Arrowhead plants grow and produce white blossoms along the edges of streams and brooks in the pastures. They grow big leaves that are shaped like arrowheads and begin blooming in August, and continuing into September. Many of the roots and tubers of this plant are eaten by ducks and geese.
A variety of smartweeds with their tiny closed, pink flowers also flourish in wet soil. Some species of this type are a few feet or more tall while other kinds hug the ground among the short grasses. The ground hugging kinds have deeper pink blossoms that form pink carpets in the grass.
A variety of tall aster plants, some with white blossoms and others with lovely, pale-lavender flowers, start blooming in abundance in September and continue well into October. The innumerable asters are one of the single most important nectar plants in this area in autumn. Bees, small butterflies and other insects swarm over aster flowers to sip nectar, which is one of the last sources of that insect food.
Pearl crescent butterflies are particularly abundant on aster blooms because they ate those plants when they were caterpillars. Female pearl crescents lay their eggs on aster vegetation for next year's larvae to eat.
Though not as abundant as the above blooming vegetation in September pastures, dark-headed sneezeweeds, Joe-pye weeds and ironweeds have flowers in the damper parts of meadows in September. The sneezeweeds only start blooming in September and have yellow, scalloped-edged petals that droop like skirts under the dark, heads of clustered true flowers. Joe-pyes and ironweeds have pink blossoms and begin blooming in August. Those latter two species are attractive to several kinds of insects swarming after their nectar.
A variety of plants that flourish on drier, sunny soil in meadows include chicory that have blue blooms, red clovers and pasture thistles with their pink flowers, and evening primroses and a variety of goldenrods with their yellow blossoms. All these species, except the thistles, had been blooming since summer. The goldenrod flowers, like those on asters, often are swarming with insects after nectar. And by winter, the goldenrods, primroses and thistles have seeds that are eaten by mice and a variety of seed-eating, small birds.
Many meadows in southeastern Pennsylvania are beautiful with the bright colors of several kinds of blossoms blooming in September. These lovely flower gardens are inspiring and free to see. One only has to drive through farmland at that time and watch for them.
Beginning to bloom in September, the yellow flower petals of innumerable bur-marigold plants and the clusters of tiny, white blooms of boneset dominate the wetter spots in many pastures. In fact, many of those streams and damp spots are bright with bur-marigold blossoms. But a variety of bees, small butterflies and other insects gather on boneset blooms to ingest nectar.
Bushy spotted jewelweed plants with their orange, cornucopia-shaped blooms, along with bur-marigolds, dominate some wet sections of many meadows. Both those large plant species provide shelter for a variety of small creatures, particularly insects and other invertebrates.
Jewelweeds reach their peak of blooming in September when many ruby-throated hummingbirds are migrating south for the winter. Those hummingbirds often stop at jewelweed flowers to sip nectar before continuing on. Jewelweeds are also called "touch-me-nots" because when their seeds are ripe, the pods explode at the slightest touch to expel those seeds a small distance, dispersing them.
Arrowhead plants grow and produce white blossoms along the edges of streams and brooks in the pastures. They grow big leaves that are shaped like arrowheads and begin blooming in August, and continuing into September. Many of the roots and tubers of this plant are eaten by ducks and geese.
A variety of smartweeds with their tiny closed, pink flowers also flourish in wet soil. Some species of this type are a few feet or more tall while other kinds hug the ground among the short grasses. The ground hugging kinds have deeper pink blossoms that form pink carpets in the grass.
A variety of tall aster plants, some with white blossoms and others with lovely, pale-lavender flowers, start blooming in abundance in September and continue well into October. The innumerable asters are one of the single most important nectar plants in this area in autumn. Bees, small butterflies and other insects swarm over aster flowers to sip nectar, which is one of the last sources of that insect food.
Pearl crescent butterflies are particularly abundant on aster blooms because they ate those plants when they were caterpillars. Female pearl crescents lay their eggs on aster vegetation for next year's larvae to eat.
Though not as abundant as the above blooming vegetation in September pastures, dark-headed sneezeweeds, Joe-pye weeds and ironweeds have flowers in the damper parts of meadows in September. The sneezeweeds only start blooming in September and have yellow, scalloped-edged petals that droop like skirts under the dark, heads of clustered true flowers. Joe-pyes and ironweeds have pink blossoms and begin blooming in August. Those latter two species are attractive to several kinds of insects swarming after their nectar.
A variety of plants that flourish on drier, sunny soil in meadows include chicory that have blue blooms, red clovers and pasture thistles with their pink flowers, and evening primroses and a variety of goldenrods with their yellow blossoms. All these species, except the thistles, had been blooming since summer. The goldenrod flowers, like those on asters, often are swarming with insects after nectar. And by winter, the goldenrods, primroses and thistles have seeds that are eaten by mice and a variety of seed-eating, small birds.
Many meadows in southeastern Pennsylvania are beautiful with the bright colors of several kinds of blossoms blooming in September. These lovely flower gardens are inspiring and free to see. One only has to drive through farmland at that time and watch for them.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Climax of the Year
September 21 is regarded as the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere, but to me it is the middle of that season, and the climax of the year. All of nature all year has grown toward and built up to this time of fulfillment, this time of maturity and bounty. And in the midst of that abundance, all of nature prepares for the hardships and scarcities of the coming winter. Indeed, the climax of life's development happens just before the dormancy of winter, the start of another biological year.
During September, many kinds of plants bear fruits that had been maturing through the warmer months. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins, gourds, apples, peaches and other crops are harvested. A variety of wild berries come to maturity at this time, including on elderberries, deadly nightshades, pokeweeds, dogwoods, tear-thumbs, multiflora roses, American hollies and other kinds of vegetation. Most of those berries are eaten by berry-eating birds, mice, squirrels, and other critters through winter. Some species of oak trees drop acorns now, and hickory nuts fall from their trees. Black bears, white-tailed deer, eastern chipmunks, a small variety of squirrels, wild turkeys and blue jays either eat a lot of acorns and get fat for the winter or store many of them for winter consumption. Weed and grass seeds are mature, abundant and released at this time. They are eaten by mice, sparrows and finches. And some of the pods of common milkweeds open now, releasing their many brown seeds, each one with a fluffy, white parachute that carries it away on the wind.
The climax of the year is accompanied by the beauty of flowers on tall plants that grew all summer and the start of colored leaves, making September the single most pretty time of the year as well. The yellow blooms of evening primroses, goldenrods and Jerusalem artichokes and the whites and lavenders of asters in field edges, woodland edges, hedgerows and along country roads, the yellow flowers of bur-marigolds and sneezeweeds along waterways in meadows, and the orange of spotted jewelweeds and pink of smartweeds in moist places are colorful in fall. And those blossoms are visited by bees, butterflies and other kinds of insects that ingest their nectar and pollinate them, while adding their intrigues to the beauties of the blooms.
But as those wild flowers die and fade away, colored leaves become ever more numerous in the trees' preparation for winter. Deciduous trees let their leaves die and shed them because they won't be making sugar in the cold of winter. Some of the earliest autumn leaves include those on black gums, flowering dogwoods, staghorn sumacs, black walnuts, red maples, poison ivy, Virginia creeper and pokeweed.
By September, most wildlife is done rearing offspring. Now is the time for creatures to rest, build up reserves and prepare for winter, including storing food, putting on fat or migrating.
During this most beautiful and bountiful time of the year, its climax, there is also a feeling of sadness as the amount of daylight each succeeding day gets shorter and average temperatures get cooler. We know winter is coming, and some of us don't care for that frigid season. Brightly colored fall foliage is not only breath-taking, but also reminds us that winter is coming, and quickly. But we still enjoy the beauty in those dead and dying leaves, in the trees and on the ground.
Get out during September to experience nature's progression toward its climax, which occurs around the autumn equinox. And life's many preparations for winter will also be experienced. No time of year is as bountiful, beautiful or exciting as late September.
During September, many kinds of plants bear fruits that had been maturing through the warmer months. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins, gourds, apples, peaches and other crops are harvested. A variety of wild berries come to maturity at this time, including on elderberries, deadly nightshades, pokeweeds, dogwoods, tear-thumbs, multiflora roses, American hollies and other kinds of vegetation. Most of those berries are eaten by berry-eating birds, mice, squirrels, and other critters through winter. Some species of oak trees drop acorns now, and hickory nuts fall from their trees. Black bears, white-tailed deer, eastern chipmunks, a small variety of squirrels, wild turkeys and blue jays either eat a lot of acorns and get fat for the winter or store many of them for winter consumption. Weed and grass seeds are mature, abundant and released at this time. They are eaten by mice, sparrows and finches. And some of the pods of common milkweeds open now, releasing their many brown seeds, each one with a fluffy, white parachute that carries it away on the wind.
The climax of the year is accompanied by the beauty of flowers on tall plants that grew all summer and the start of colored leaves, making September the single most pretty time of the year as well. The yellow blooms of evening primroses, goldenrods and Jerusalem artichokes and the whites and lavenders of asters in field edges, woodland edges, hedgerows and along country roads, the yellow flowers of bur-marigolds and sneezeweeds along waterways in meadows, and the orange of spotted jewelweeds and pink of smartweeds in moist places are colorful in fall. And those blossoms are visited by bees, butterflies and other kinds of insects that ingest their nectar and pollinate them, while adding their intrigues to the beauties of the blooms.
But as those wild flowers die and fade away, colored leaves become ever more numerous in the trees' preparation for winter. Deciduous trees let their leaves die and shed them because they won't be making sugar in the cold of winter. Some of the earliest autumn leaves include those on black gums, flowering dogwoods, staghorn sumacs, black walnuts, red maples, poison ivy, Virginia creeper and pokeweed.
By September, most wildlife is done rearing offspring. Now is the time for creatures to rest, build up reserves and prepare for winter, including storing food, putting on fat or migrating.
During this most beautiful and bountiful time of the year, its climax, there is also a feeling of sadness as the amount of daylight each succeeding day gets shorter and average temperatures get cooler. We know winter is coming, and some of us don't care for that frigid season. Brightly colored fall foliage is not only breath-taking, but also reminds us that winter is coming, and quickly. But we still enjoy the beauty in those dead and dying leaves, in the trees and on the ground.
Get out during September to experience nature's progression toward its climax, which occurs around the autumn equinox. And life's many preparations for winter will also be experienced. No time of year is as bountiful, beautiful or exciting as late September.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Kestrels and Red-tails in Lancaster County
I see many American kestrels and red-tailed hawks in Lancaster County through the year, particularly in farmland, but not necessarily the same individuals. Some birds of each species nest here but move out in autumn, others migrate through during spring and fall, and still others raised young elsewhere and winter locally. Both these adaptable and common species prey on field mice, but kestrels also catch and eat larger insects in summer, and red-tails take squirrels, rats and similar-sized creatures as well. Females of these species, as with all hawks, eagles and owls, are a bit larger than their mates. It could be the females are bigger to better defend their eggs and small young. And it could be that males are smaller and quicker on the hunt to provide food for their families while their mates are brooding eggs and small chicks.
Both these species are beautiful, as all hawks are. Male kestrels are mottled orange, black and gray, with distinctive black "whiskers" on each cheek. Females and young of the year are mostly brown with dark barring that camouflages them.
Red-tail genders are similar with brown upper sides, white chests and bellies and dark speckling across the bellies. Young red-tails have brown tails until they are three years old. At that age, as adults, they have orange tails that distinguish them.
I mostly see the kestrels perched on roadside wires in cropland and on trees along the grassy shoulders of expressways at all times of year. There they watch for prey along roadsides and in adjacent fields. One time in March, I saw a male kestrel drop to a recently plowed field to eat earthworms. Another time in April about a dozen of these little raptors were ingesting small beetles from a field of short alfalfa. Each falcon hovered into the wind a few seconds, then dropped to grab the insect in its sharp talons. Kestrels frequently flap rapidly into the wind just enough to hold a stationary position in the air as they watch the ground for victims. Their hovering in the air is entertaining, and identifies these small falcons.
Red-tails stand upright and quietly on tree limbs, poles and fence posts in fields and along highways, on power towers in fields, and in trees in older suburban areas to watch for prey. When vulnerable victims are spotted, those hawks power off their perches to grab them in their sharp and powerful claws.
Red-tails begin courting in January. One can see pairs of them perched together in trees or soaring with each other high in the sky. Pairs of these large, fierce predators take over crow or heron nests in trees in farmland, suburbs, hedgerows and woodland edges. The one to three young red-tails are mostly on their own by early June.
Kestrels start courting early in March. Pairs of these little falcons hatch two to four young in tree hollows, barns and boxes erected for them to nest in. However, some pairs of kestrels must compete with screech owls, squirrels, wood ducks and other cavity nesters to get a nesting site. Kestrel offspring fledge sometime in June.
Both these species are north-bound during March, and the kestrels into April as well. And kestrels are south-bound in August and September, for the most part. Red-tails, in keeping with their ruggedness, come south mostly in October and November.
Watch for these two kinds of hawks through each year in Lancaster County, and elsewhere. They are entertaining and a common part of the wild in farmland and suburban areas.
Both these species are beautiful, as all hawks are. Male kestrels are mottled orange, black and gray, with distinctive black "whiskers" on each cheek. Females and young of the year are mostly brown with dark barring that camouflages them.
Red-tail genders are similar with brown upper sides, white chests and bellies and dark speckling across the bellies. Young red-tails have brown tails until they are three years old. At that age, as adults, they have orange tails that distinguish them.
I mostly see the kestrels perched on roadside wires in cropland and on trees along the grassy shoulders of expressways at all times of year. There they watch for prey along roadsides and in adjacent fields. One time in March, I saw a male kestrel drop to a recently plowed field to eat earthworms. Another time in April about a dozen of these little raptors were ingesting small beetles from a field of short alfalfa. Each falcon hovered into the wind a few seconds, then dropped to grab the insect in its sharp talons. Kestrels frequently flap rapidly into the wind just enough to hold a stationary position in the air as they watch the ground for victims. Their hovering in the air is entertaining, and identifies these small falcons.
Red-tails stand upright and quietly on tree limbs, poles and fence posts in fields and along highways, on power towers in fields, and in trees in older suburban areas to watch for prey. When vulnerable victims are spotted, those hawks power off their perches to grab them in their sharp and powerful claws.
Red-tails begin courting in January. One can see pairs of them perched together in trees or soaring with each other high in the sky. Pairs of these large, fierce predators take over crow or heron nests in trees in farmland, suburbs, hedgerows and woodland edges. The one to three young red-tails are mostly on their own by early June.
Kestrels start courting early in March. Pairs of these little falcons hatch two to four young in tree hollows, barns and boxes erected for them to nest in. However, some pairs of kestrels must compete with screech owls, squirrels, wood ducks and other cavity nesters to get a nesting site. Kestrel offspring fledge sometime in June.
Both these species are north-bound during March, and the kestrels into April as well. And kestrels are south-bound in August and September, for the most part. Red-tails, in keeping with their ruggedness, come south mostly in October and November.
Watch for these two kinds of hawks through each year in Lancaster County, and elsewhere. They are entertaining and a common part of the wild in farmland and suburban areas.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Roadside Insects
Several kinds of insects live among the grasses and flowering plants along country roads in Lancaster County, as elsewhere. Those insects are most abundant and noticeable by rural roadsides during August, September and October. Those insects, the plants they consume and the predators on those insects make country roadside ecosystems interesting.
A few kinds of grasses grow along rural roads, including two kinds of foxtail grass, wire grass and purple top grass. Those taller grasses are decorative, and provide shelter for insects and other small creatures, and food for a variety of grasshoppers, field crickets and a few types of beetles.
Some of the grasshoppers in the grasses along country roads are the large, olive-green differential grasshoppers, red-legged grasshoppers, spur-throated grasshoppers, the bright-green meadow grasshoppers and Carolina locusts, which are another kind of grasshopper. All these species are camouflaged in the grass they eat. And all can leap and fly from harm as anyone who walks along rural roads in late summer and autumn can tell you. The Carolina locusts are particularly good at flying on dark, yellow-trimmed wings.
Field crickets are small, dark and live at the grass roots level. They chirp through much of the summer and can be spotted scooting under grass to hide when danger threatens. They eat grass and dried grass on the ground.
A few Japanese beetles left over from earlier in summer can be spotted on the plants they eat. And iridescent green and purple dogbane beetles are seen on dogbane plants where they lay their eggs. Dogbane larvae ingest only dogbane tissue and sap.
Red clover, chicory, Queen-Anne's-lace, butter-and-eggs, brown knapweed, goldenrod and other flowering species are some of the plants blooming late in summer and into autumn. That vegetation, and others, provide nectar for bumble bees, carpenter bees, honey bees, hover flies and a variety of butterflies. Some of the butterfly species include cabbage whites, yellow sulphers, meadow fritillaries, a few species of skippers, painted ladies, monarchs and others. Those butterflies flutter from flower to flower to sip nectar, adding to the beauties of the flowers and pollinating them.
Monarch caterpillars feed on the leaves of common milkweeds along rural roadsides. The foliage of the various types of milkweeds are their only food.
A variety of predators prey on insects in vegetation along country roads. American kestrels, a kind of hawk, prey on larger grasshoppers in summer and fall.
American toads, common toads, striped skunks and a variety of small birds, particularly starlings, killdeer plovers and horned larks, feed on roadside insects. The toads and skunks do so mostly at night, however.
Black and yellow, female garden spiders snare insects in their big, orbed webs hung among tall grasses and other plants. When an insect is caught, the spider paralyzes it with a bite and wraps it in silk. Later the spider will suck the juices out of its victim.
Preying mantises, which are an insect themselves, catch insects in their "toothed" front legs and eat their victims alive. Mantises are mostly green, which camouflages them, and are up to six inches long. They look like small monsters when they fly.
Short-tailed shrews, which are small mammals related to moles, but look like mice, also prey on insects along country roads. Having fast metabolisms, shrews are ever hungry and on the prowl.
An abundance of small, brown moths of at least a few species fly across rural roads at dusk and into the night during much of summer and into fall. They visit flowers to sip nectar at night, as butterflies do during the day.
These are some of the insects, their foods and their predators, one can experience by walking along country roadsides, especially during August, September and October. All those living beings, however small, in a human-made habitat, are inspiring.
A few kinds of grasses grow along rural roads, including two kinds of foxtail grass, wire grass and purple top grass. Those taller grasses are decorative, and provide shelter for insects and other small creatures, and food for a variety of grasshoppers, field crickets and a few types of beetles.
Some of the grasshoppers in the grasses along country roads are the large, olive-green differential grasshoppers, red-legged grasshoppers, spur-throated grasshoppers, the bright-green meadow grasshoppers and Carolina locusts, which are another kind of grasshopper. All these species are camouflaged in the grass they eat. And all can leap and fly from harm as anyone who walks along rural roads in late summer and autumn can tell you. The Carolina locusts are particularly good at flying on dark, yellow-trimmed wings.
Field crickets are small, dark and live at the grass roots level. They chirp through much of the summer and can be spotted scooting under grass to hide when danger threatens. They eat grass and dried grass on the ground.
A few Japanese beetles left over from earlier in summer can be spotted on the plants they eat. And iridescent green and purple dogbane beetles are seen on dogbane plants where they lay their eggs. Dogbane larvae ingest only dogbane tissue and sap.
Red clover, chicory, Queen-Anne's-lace, butter-and-eggs, brown knapweed, goldenrod and other flowering species are some of the plants blooming late in summer and into autumn. That vegetation, and others, provide nectar for bumble bees, carpenter bees, honey bees, hover flies and a variety of butterflies. Some of the butterfly species include cabbage whites, yellow sulphers, meadow fritillaries, a few species of skippers, painted ladies, monarchs and others. Those butterflies flutter from flower to flower to sip nectar, adding to the beauties of the flowers and pollinating them.
Monarch caterpillars feed on the leaves of common milkweeds along rural roadsides. The foliage of the various types of milkweeds are their only food.
A variety of predators prey on insects in vegetation along country roads. American kestrels, a kind of hawk, prey on larger grasshoppers in summer and fall.
American toads, common toads, striped skunks and a variety of small birds, particularly starlings, killdeer plovers and horned larks, feed on roadside insects. The toads and skunks do so mostly at night, however.
Black and yellow, female garden spiders snare insects in their big, orbed webs hung among tall grasses and other plants. When an insect is caught, the spider paralyzes it with a bite and wraps it in silk. Later the spider will suck the juices out of its victim.
Preying mantises, which are an insect themselves, catch insects in their "toothed" front legs and eat their victims alive. Mantises are mostly green, which camouflages them, and are up to six inches long. They look like small monsters when they fly.
Short-tailed shrews, which are small mammals related to moles, but look like mice, also prey on insects along country roads. Having fast metabolisms, shrews are ever hungry and on the prowl.
An abundance of small, brown moths of at least a few species fly across rural roads at dusk and into the night during much of summer and into fall. They visit flowers to sip nectar at night, as butterflies do during the day.
These are some of the insects, their foods and their predators, one can experience by walking along country roadsides, especially during August, September and October. All those living beings, however small, in a human-made habitat, are inspiring.
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