Honeylocust

I've written before that the Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is one of my very favorite trees. Our honeylocust in the city is always remarkable on mid-October.

In this second photo, you can also see our new solar panels. We're planning a large solar array in northern Hampshire County during 2012.

A Surviving American Chestnut

A friend took me to see this American chestnut, barely surving in a ridge overlooking the South Branch. We collected leaves and sent them to Penn State for DNA analysis, which confirmed it was the original species.

Too Dry

In the Winter and Spring, this path through the wetlands would be bordered by water on both sides - standing water on the right and moving water on the left. This October, there's no water visible in either.

Dangerously dry

The cows are managing to find food despite less than ideal moisture available to grass. Unfortunately, weeds and invasives have an advantage in these conditions.

Underwater ROVs

I'm a SCUBA instructor,and while I've always been interested in underwater videography, I usually have to many responsibilities to focus my attention so narrowly (through a lens). I was intrigued by these underwater remote-operated vehicles in the shape of a fish, with built-in cameras.

Algae blooms in the South Branch

We reported these alga to Potomac Riverkeeper. Algae typically blooms in periods of excess nutrients. In the South Branch, that often happens here in mid-August after a rain following long arid periods due to runoff from farms.

Surprisingly, many cattle farmers still allow their livestock in the river, despite many available, well-funded programs to help farmers be responsible in protecting watersheds. Manure management, particularly at large poultry operations is another source of excess nutirents.

Amaryllis Lilies - Naked Ladies

Amaryllis belladonna are deer resistant, so I'm generally happy when my friends in the city offer me their excess when they divide their bulbs.

Family Hikes

We do lots of mowing to maintain nearly two miles of walking trails. It all pays off during our big family visits. We usually have both morning and evening hikes through the woods and along the river. With just about 1 dog for every two humans, we make several stops for cooling off in the river.

After the hike, Luke and Lily dig in to our fish-shaped waffles. We use frozen blueberries for fish eyes.

We try to enhance the fish-shaped waffles with an assortment of renamed syrups, jams and frostings, including Pond Water (syrup), Mud (chocolate frosting, Fish Slime (honey from our friends at Church View Farm), and Turtle Egg Shell Puree (white frosting).

Young Raccoons

This very young raccoon (Procyon lotor) fell from a nest in a very large silver maple. I don't recall ever seeing a raccoon this young. I wish I had recorded this on video because the crying was surprising. My friend David of Viral Media Productions said I could have retired early off the advertising. I hid it in the bushes near the base of the tree; hopefully it's mama retrieved it before a cat, crow or other opportunistic critter found it.

As trees begin to "leaf-out", few are as impressive as those in the legume family like the honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos). Most species in this family (Fabaceae, formerly Leguminosae) have pinnately compound leaves that develop remarkably fast. The honeylocust is among my favorite trees, and they're indigenous to the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. They make very good street trees because they create just enough shade, are fast growing, and don't require raking in the fall. They aren't disease-resistant, but they certainly recover well. We have many in the woods on our Hampshire County farm with all of their natural, medieval-looking defenses intact. Fabaceae is the third largest family of lowering plants, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species, and they're found world-wide. Many legumes, of course, are economically important as food and they also return nitrogen to the soil in which they grow.

Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) are also representative native legumes widely recognized in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.

First two weeks of Spring

The two weeks following the vernal equinox are always the most impressive to me.  There is often a dramatic change in weather, and of course we see lots of changes in plant and animal cycles.  Passover usually falls on the first full moon after the vernal equinox, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, and in many countries the vernal equinox is the beginning of the new year.  So with lots of observation, celebration, reflection, and changes in nature, these two weeks feel like more of a renewal period and maybe a better time for resolutions than mid-Winter.

Back-yard daffodils

Most of us below 1000 feet have seen the blooming daffodils (Narcissus spp),  forsythia (most are hybrid F. suspensa × F. viridissima), some magnolias (Magnolia spp.), and cherries (Prunus spp.).

Redbuds, almost in bloom.

The redbuds (Cercis canadensis), Virginia bluebells (<Mertensia virginica), and spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) are blooming this week, and many of the trees are beginning to leaf out.

Bluebells along the South Branch[/caption]

Some dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are already full-sized.  We even saw mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) breaking ground on April 1.  I learned today that mayapple leaves and rhizomes contain the poison podophyllotoxin, used by doctors to kill warts, and used by Native Americans to coat corn kernels before planting.

Among reptiles, we saw our first painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) last week, but we didn't see the first wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta) until April 3.

[caption id="attachment_108" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Wood turtles have emerged from hibernating in the river."]

Diane shows the turtle is female.

The spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) were a little quieter this week, but we found our first spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) while my wilfe was transplanting American pussywillows (intentionally misspelled, but known specifically as Salix discolor).

Diane and an adult spotted salamander.

There were lots of new birds this week.  Brown thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) have returned to our hedgerows.  We saw and heard kestrels (Falco sparverius), our smallest falcon, as they hunted overhead.  Crows must be beginning to nest because they are increasingly aggressive toward the red-tailed hawksButeo jamaicensis.

David Blahut reported three bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) along the South Branch near Levels, but the only eagle I've seen since January was on Sunday near Horsepen Pond at Dulles Airport.  There are suddenly lots of turkey vultures () overhead.  I also saw the first swallows of the year (tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor) along the South Branch floodplain, but Frank Wilson reported seeing them upstream over a week earlier.

Near the bird feeders we've seen chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina), brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), and mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos), along with those mentioned earlier this Spring.

Clint Ferguson reported that he's heard turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) gobbling already.  I've heard barred owls (Strix varia) and their "Who, who, who cooks for you" call, which is often mimicked by hunters specifically to locate gobbling tom turkeys.

We find new beaver (Castor canadensis) damage ever week lately, but we also saw some tracks we couldn't identify.  Maybe you can help.  I wonder if they might be from a mink (Neovison vison), but they might just be a turtle.

Thanks to all who are reporting their observations.  

If you know a teacher, be sure to tell them about the reporting form (link) before Environmental Education week (April 11-17).

Spring Peepers and Arriving Birds

Spring peepers(Pseudacris crucifer) are noisy, almost 24 hours a day.  Most people are surprised to learn so much noise comes from such a small creature, which is about the size of the tip of my index finger. We have the Northern subspecies P. c. crucifer in the Mid-Atlantic.


You can hear their call by clicking one of these links: wav file or mp3 file

Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) have arrived and have started singing.

American Robins (Turdus migratorius) seem to have descended en masse too.

Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are inspecting and adopting housing for the Spring. Fortunately, we just installed six new boxes in early March.

Our Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is back.  I really don't know if we have the same Red-tails every year, but it's nice to think so.

Other birds spotted this week (hover over common names to see an image):

White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis)

American Goldfinches (Carduelis tristis

Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata)

Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus)

Hairy Woodpeckers (Picoides villosus)

White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis)

Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus)

Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa)

Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura)

Rock Doves, or pigeons (Columba livia)

There was no good river trash following last weekend's flood.  On the riverbanks and nearby islands, we've found everything from canoes and sailboats to balls and other toys after past flooding, and that somehow makes cleaning up the mobile home parts, refrigerators and shredded blue tarps a little more tolerable.

Seasonal Changes Well Underway

Almost as soon as I posted my March 7 report, I saw a bluebird (Sialia sialis) and the first Red-wing Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) of the Spring. Just before the rains began, I also saw a half-dozen killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in the fields down along the South Branch floodplain. I'll bet many are busy relocating their nests this week.

If you spent time outside or even near a window this week, and realize you're feeling a little better about things, it likely has something to do with both the temperature and the length of daylight. In all vertebrate animals, signals from your retina from an increase in light affect your pineal gland, which is shaped like a very small pine cone, about the size of a grain of rice. As you can see in the image below, it's located near the center of the brain.


The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals that produces melatonin, which is a hormone that affects both daily and seasonal functions of our lives. The melatonin and other biochemical signals it produces affect behavior, migration, shedding, antler loss, and a wide variety of other functions and behaviors. It may affect humans less than other animals because we have regular estrous cycles (come into heat) throughout the year; and because, of course, we use technology to alter our "photoperiod" of available light.

The pineal gland is made up of four or more types of cells, and some of those cells in non-humans strongly resemble retinal cells, leading some evolutionary biologists to suggest a link to the photoreceptors in more primitive animals. In short, the pineal gland may help animals from being fooled by unseasonably warm temperatures that might lead to certain behaviors or cycles beginning too early, resulting in premature migrations, reduced reproduction or lower birthweights, etc.


Most of you have already noticed daffodil bulbs (Narcissus spp.) breaking the surface. Crocuses are blooming (most are Crocus tommasinianus, I think), among wild garlic (Allium vineale) and wild onion (Allium canadense). Wild onion and wild garlic are closely related; the easiest way to distinguish them is to know that wild garlic's leaves are hollow and wild onion's are not. All members of the Allium family (garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, etc.) give me instant hiccups, so I'll rely on one of you to tell us which are best for cooking.

We planted most of our hibiscus seeds in late November and early December, but spread the remainder just before the flooding last week. I hope the folks downstream enjoy them in July and August. Swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is the most common hibiscus in Hampshire County, and has white flowers the size of small dinner plates. We also planted H. laevis (formerly H. militaris) which is usually pink with a purple center; and we planted H. lasiocarpos, which some think is a subspecies of H. moschuetos preferring wetter soils.



Swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)

Birds have begun singing prominantly in the mornings, and I hope you'll tell me which you see and hear singing. This time of the year that singing is mostly territorial, followed by mating later in the Spring. I've been seeing crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) exhibiting territorial aggression.

Flooding has receded, and while the river banks are scarred, take notice of which river bank features contributed to erosion or were eroded, and which river features resulted in sediment deposits. Predicting erosion is often easier than predicting where sediments will be deposited, but engineering solutions for controlling either are often counterintuitive. Fortunately, we have knowledgeable local DNR specialists who are happy to give advice.

Because of the overwhelming saturation of wetlands and bottomlands, I'm very interested in when you begin hearing spring peepers. Use the online form! tiny.cc/hampshireoutdoors

Rapidly Rising Rivers

Flooding is expected throughout the Potomac Watershed this weekend. The ground is saturated from snow melt, and rivers were already swollen, so we can expect the rivers to respond to falling rain almost immediately. Rainfall of up to 4.5 inches is predicted for this weekend.

The most comprehensive online river gauge information in Hampshire County comes from the Springfield gauge on the South Branch, and from the Moorefield gauge upstream in Hardy County. There is an online gauge on the Cacapon near the mouth at Great Cacapon (Morgan County), and way upstream in Hardy County on Waites Run (a tributary) near Wardensville. The Paw Paw gauge in adjacent Morgan County is the first gauge on the main stem of the Potomac River.

Look to the right for links to gauge information, or click on the current forecasts below (Springfield and Moorefield) for expanded information for the South Branch.

Meteorological Spring - March 7, 2010

Meteorological Spring is here.  We'll enjoy about 11 hours and 36 minutes of daylight this week, and that changes by almost 15 minutes per week this time of year.  Our little unheated greenhouse has been breaking the 25C mark regularly (77-78F)s, and with our predicted highs above 10C (50F) all week, I'm starting to get impatient.

When we arrived home on Friday evening my wife called to me from the kitchen, thinking she heard a dripping sound.  As we listened closer, I looked up to see a flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans volans) nibbling something on a rafter above.  The squirrel scrambled down a timber, went to our older dog's bowl, drank some water, then grabbed a piece of kibble and scooted upward again.  Like us, until this weekend, the little squirrel was generally happier inside than outside.  She was too small to be caught in a squirrel trap, so after she was convinced I was safe (eventually eating from my hand), I tricked her into feeling secure in a bag of dog food, pinched it closed, carried it outside, and reversed the process.  Cute as they are, flying squirrels can do a lot of damage and have been known to carry zoonotics.

[caption id="attachment_25" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Our house guest"][/caption]

I saw the first tadpoles in our ponds on Saturday, where the ice was mostly paper thin if present at all.  There's no sign of turtles in the ponds or river yet.  All the wetlands are thoroughly wet, and that makes me optimistic.

Other than ravens (Corvus corax) and crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), the only birds I'm seeing regularly are cardinals (Cardinalis cardalinas), titmice (Baeolophus bicolor), a variety of woodpeckers, Canada geese (Branta canadensis), juncos (Junco hyemalis), and an occasional turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and a few pairs of American mergansers (Mergus merganser americanus) on the river - all winter residents.  The robins (Turdus migratorius) seem to be arriving in places in Zone 7a, so we'll start seeing more of them next week.

Sycamore seeds (Platanus occidentalis) are prominant, but otherwise not much is happening in the plants world, except that the newly exposed ground covers look plenty moist and with plenty of green understory.  The native red cedars (Juniperus virginiana) seem to be doing fine, unlike many of their transplanted cousins from the same family Cupressaceae (aborvitae, Leyland cypress and others), which are sometimes bent over and uprooted by the burden of heavy snows.  We've seen a few smaller white pines (Pinus strobus) that had similar troubles, where the tree tops were still pinned to the ground by snow.

The whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and cottontail rabbits ( Sylvilagus floridanus) I've seen this week still look healthy, although I've seen a few deer remains from what appeared to be younger, probably later-born fawns.

The South Branch, Cacapon and Little Cacapon rivers all seem to be rising slightly, warming significantly, and maintaining that late-winter green color, although I won't be surprised to see a brown color in all three soon.

I'm always curious to know what you're seeing.  Send an email to jim@woodhouseresearch.org or better, use our online form:  http://tiny.cc/hampshireoutdoors

What is Phenology?

Phenology is the study of the timing and interrelationships of biotic natural phenomena (e.g., plant and animal life cycles) in consideration of abiotic phenomena (e.g., climate, weather, daylight, flooding, tides, etc.).

Not only are you welcome as a reader, you can play a role in developing this blog by sharing your observations.  Particularly if you see something special, like a first robin, a bald eagle, invasive plant or a bobcat.

Most of my reporting is done from between 520 to 1000 feet above sea level, not far from Springfield, WV (39.45, -78.69)

Send an email to jim@woodhouseresearch.org or use our online reporting form (best): http://tiny.cc/hampshireoutdoors