A Little Ray of Sunshine

Ya gotta luv coltsfoot! One of the first flowers of spring, it's stem coated with a furry down, coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) looks like a stylized Sun.

Historically, coltsfoot was so important medicinally that its leaf was used in France as a symbol for apothecary shops (in the days when most of the greater unwashed public was illiterate). It was used as a cure for lung ailments, it's smoke inhaled as the cure for asthma (seems counterindicative, doesn't it?). The leaves were also soaked in saltpeter to create very brightly "candles." It was a major ingredient in "British Pipe Tobacco," a trait perhaps learned from the gypsies who were known to use the dried leaves in this fashion. The Scottish highlanders reputedly stuffed their mattresses with the downy seedheads (although you'd need an awful lot of seedheads to get enough fluff to make a mattress of any worth).

A non-native plant, coltsfoot was brought to this country by our ancestors and it has done well, proliferating in waste areas (roadsides) and gardens with poor soil.

And why the name coltsfoot? The answer becomes more obvious later in the season when the leaves appear: they are shaped like a horse's hoof. Perhaps we should try calling it by its alternative name: son before father, a reference to the fact that the flower blooms before the leaves appear.

Coltsfoot is monotypic, meaning there is no other plant in its genus.

Thar 'tis

YES! Our first flower of the season! That crocus up in the header (and down below) was just a green sprout yesterday, but today it bloomed. And right near it a purple one and a white one have their buds ready to burst.



And yesterday evening Toby and I saw our first flicker of the season.


Spring, even though it comes every year and is more or less predictable, still leaves us all excited as each "first" of the season comes along: first frog, first flower, first robin, first pussy willows, etc. I suspect this is an ancestral thing, when the people from hundreds, or even thousands of years ago greeted spring as another winter survived and the return of life all around. Sometimes it still feels this way.

Help the Bats!

Okay, bat fans, here's your chance to help New York's bats!

Carl Herzog is one of the DEC's biologists working on the whole White-nose Syndrom problem. I went to a talk he gave last spring about WNS and left my name as a contact should any volunteers be needed to help out with anything batty. Today I received an email from him looking for volunteers. If you are interested, here's what Carl sent me:



Here's a very quick overview of the project:

You probably already know about the White-nose problem for the bats. It affects bats that spend the winter in caves and mines and this study will help us keep track of them. NY also has three other species that fly south for the winter. Unfortunately, these three are the ones that get killed regularly at wind turbine sites. Another goal of this study is to determine if these losses to the migratory bats will have an affect on their populations.

When bats fly, they emit high frequency sounds that we can detect with special equipment. Most of the time we can tell which species made the sound. Our plan is to attach this equipment to the roof of a car and drive pre-planned routes, recording the bat calls we encounter. Each car requires two people, a driver and a navigator/equipment operator. We are looking for volunteers from all across the state to fill these two roles.

Between training, preparation, driving the route, and submitting the data, total time commitment can be as short as 3-4 hours. Some folks will want to do more and we can definitely use the help. The routes take about an hour to drive and will be run shortly after sunset during June. The attached map shows how the routes are distributed.

Requirements to participate and not stringent. A team of two obviously needs at least one licensed driver. Use of the equipment requires some basic knowledge of Windows-based computers: following software installation instructions, saving and copying files, etc. The equipment itself is actually pretty easy to operate and we can teach participants all of the details.
We will supply all of the specialized equipment and software, of course, but we are hoping that most of the volunteers already have access to a laptop computer that can be used. Most any laptop manufactured in the last 5 years will work. If you don't have access to a computer, we can probably match you up with someone who does. We also have a few that we can loan out.

That's probably enough information for now. Do you think you might be able to identify folks who could help out with this?

Thanks,

Carl
State Wildlife Grants Biologist
NY State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 BroadwayAlbany, NY 12233
Office: 518-402-8908 Cell: 518-461-4582
fax: 518-402-8925 http://www.dec.state.ny.us/

This is the map of the routes. Is there one near you?

If you are still interested in helping out, you can either contact me or Carl.

Small Mammals 101

One of the great things about working at a nature center is access to The Morgue, which most nature centers have. The VIC is not technically a “nature center,” so sadly we don’t have a morgue, but fortunately for us, the folks next door at the Adirondack Ecological Center (SUNY ESF – Huntington Wildlife Forest) have a great collection and we get to access it. So this morning I zipped over and snagged some photos to help illustrate the vole vs mouse vs mole discussion from Monday.

Here we have your typical mouse: Peromyscus spp. The Deer Mouse (P. maniculatus) and the White-footed Mouse (P. leucopus) are very similar to each other and difficult to tell apart. This one was not identified down to species, but looking at that tail, I'm leaning towards deer mouse. To tell the difference, here is the list of things to look for, according to D.A. Saunder’s book Adirondack Mammals:

* The deer mouse’s fur is very soft and luxuriant, which the white-footed mouse’s is not.
* Deer mouse fur tends towards grey on the upper parts, uniform in color or possibly with a faint darker stripe down the middle; white-footed mouse fur tends to be more of a reddish- or orangish-brown, not grey, with a dark strip along the middle of the back from head to tail.
* The deer mouse’s tail is dark above and white below (bicolored), is longer than the combined length of the animal’s head and body, and has a tuft of white hairs at the tip; the white-footed mouse’s tail is shorter than the head and body length, is pale below but not white, and does not have a white, tufted tip.

Note the large ears, as well as large eyes (or, in this case, eye holes). We’ll leave the jumping mice for another day.

Compare with this vole. This is the Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Voles have large heads, compact bodies, short noses, small ears (“microtus” means small ear), short tail, and smallish eyes.

Here we have a Red-backed Vole (Myodes gapperi); note the color of the fur, compared to the meadow vole. The Adirondack region is also home to the Rock Vole (Microtus chrontorrhinus), and the Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum). I don’t have photos of these.

Moving on to moles, this is a specimen of the Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri). Things that stand out about moles are the tiny tiny eyes that are covered with fur, no external ear flaps, fur that goes no particular direction (this is a great adaptation for an animal that is scooting around underground all the time – no bad hair days), short legs, and especially the spade-like feet.

The Adirondacks are indeed home to Star-nosed Moles, (Condylura cristata), which are noted for the eleven “tentacles” that sprout from the tip of the nose. These tentacles are believed to detect vibrations or electrical signals of prey under ground or under water. Yes – the star-nosed mole is a very capable swimmer and over 75% of its food comes from an aquatic source. Sadly, I didn’t find a specimen of this creature at the AEC, but if you ever have the chance to see one, it is a must.

Then there are the shrews, which are not rodents. Shrews are in a category all their own: insectivora. The most common shrew is this fellow here – the Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda):
Blarina is a hefty shrew (most shrews tend to be fairly small), most noted for its venomous saliva. Yes, Blarina is a deadly predator, which actively hunts other small mammals, even those larger than itself, savagely biting them and “injecting” them with its toxic spit, which is a neurotoxin that shortly paralyzes the food item, enabling this small predator to haul it off without a struggle. According to D.A. Saunders, this shrew’s poison gland contain enough toxin to do in about 200 mice. This is a serious predator.

In the Adirondacks one can also find Water Shrews (Sorex palustris):

Masked Shrews (Sorex cinereus), Smoky Shrews (Sorex fumeus), Long-tailed or Rock Shrews (Sorex dispar), and Pygmy Shrews (Sorex hoyi). I’ll try to get photos of these fellows at a later date and do a blog on shrews. Note that all shrews have the long pointy snouts – a good clue to look for.

So, return another day for Small Mammals 102!!!

The Newcomb Vole Preserve

Sunday morning we rose to a white world...plenty of snow overnight. By noon, however, it had melted off, so I gathered my planting supplies and headed out to get last eight trees/shrubs in the ground. By 4:30 I was done...and tired! Eight $500 holes are a lot of work, especially when the soil is soaked from all the rain!

The thing that stands out the most in the yard this spring is the VOLE activity. I think every vole in Newcomb took up residence in my yard this winter! I had left all the trimmings from my apple trees and from the cut down honeysuckles neatly stacked in various locations. The voles nailed them all - no bark left on any branch that was tender and tasty. Maybe this spared my other plants, like the lilac, which they nailed last year. The yard is covered with vole tunnels, and a lot of the mulch in the flower beds has been relocated (voles being #1 suspect).

What is a vole? A vole is not a mole (although many folks think they are the same). A vole is a small mammal with a short tail, small ears, and smallish eyes. It is about the same size as a mouse...maybe a bit larger. I knew one person who said "if a mouse is a hamburger, a vole is a quarter-pounder." Or, as I always put it, a quarter-pounder with fleas. Hee hee.

Anyway, the critter many people refer to as the "meadow mouse" is actually a meadow vole! They are very common, and can often be seen scampering across the road. These are the ones who leave the open-topped tunnels all over your yard when the snow melts. They also leave bundles of grass in fields - these are often referred to as nests.

Additionallyk, we have the red-backed vole, which is usually/most often found in the woods. These are lovely small mammals with an orangish-red strip (quite wide) down the back.

A mole is almost entirely fossorial (lives its life underground). It has no external ear flaps, wee-itty-bitty-almost-invisible eyes, and very large, spatulate front feet that are used for digging. These guys leave the humped up mounds of dirt in your yard. Up here we have mostly commonly hairy-tailed moles. I'll have to look it up when I get to work, but I think we also have star-nosed moles in the Adirondacks, but I'm not 100% sure (I haven't seen one in ages).

"They" are calling for more snow by tomorrow: 1-5". Well...it is only early April. And even if we get the entire 5", it won't last. That's the great thing about spring: the weather may be lousy, but it won't last.

Spring Planting

I came home after work yesterday to find thirteen trees leaning against the side of the garage: my replacements for the invasive honeysuckles we cut down last fall! These were/are bare root stock, so they needed to be planted ASAP. So, instead of taking the dog out for a long walk, everyone (dog, cat, I) went into the back yard for a couple hours.

After unwrapping the trees (which mostly are sticks with a few roots on one end), I set them in a bucket of water – optimistic that I could get them all planted that evening. In reality, only five made it into their permanent holes; the rest have been heeled in until I have time to dig seven more $500 holes – maybe Saturday morning before I have to leave for the cheese-making workshop.

$500 holes? Yep – you shouldn’t just dig any ol’ hole and stick your tree in and refill it. Oh, no. That would be too easy! No, you have to dig a hole at least two feet across (three would be even better) and one-and-a-half to two feet deep. The sod goes in one pile, the topsoil in a second pile and the subsoil in a third. THEN you put the sod back into the hole, root side upwards: this will provide food for the new tree roots. Then you add the topsoil (and the tree, so its roots are now getting covered). Once the topsoil is in, add two to three gallons of water. Now everything is swimming. This is topped off with the subsoil. By reversing the soil layers, you have put the nutrients down at the base where the roots can access them. If you are really diligent, you will also add compost and such to the top soil, making a really rich food base for the tree. My compost is still iced in, so the trees are going to have to make do with a little peat moss instead. Once everything is in place, you stomp (gently) on the soil (which may be floating, thanks to all that water, if it hasn’t been absorbed yet), packing it in place and forcing out any air holes. This also serves to anchor the tree.

So, what am I using to replace the alien invaders? I have two hawthorns, one nannyberry, two pin cherries, two staghorn sumacs, two red panicled dogwoods, and three serviceberries. All native, all good berry producers for the birds. When they finally get some height to them, they will make a good “hedge,” once more providing a barrier between my land and the neighbor’s (besides the dog fence).

When the dog and I finally got out for our walk, we were graced with the presence of woodcocks! This is the first I’ve heard them this spring, but this is also the latest we’ve been out in a few weeks. With the mild weather we’ve been having, it’s very possible that the woodcocks have been back for a bit.

First, you hear the peent! Next to peepers, it is one of the best audio signs of spring. Then you hear the twittering as the male flies upwards in an ever-climbing spiral, eventually disappearing into the gloom above. When you’ve pretty much lost the bird, it starts its downward plunge, tumbling back to the earth with a popping, squeaking sort of sound. Suddenly the sound ends, and the bird, if you can find it, lands on its patch of ground and begins peent-ing again.

I could’ve stayed and watched for a while, but the dog was not impressed (although if we had gotten really close to the bird, he would’ve become very interested), so we moseyed along back towards home.

Signs of Spring

As I stood in the yard Sunday afternoon (30 March), the wind whipping the snow into a horizontal blizzard, I heard a sound that gave me pause. “No,” I thought, “it can’t be! It’s too soon!” The bird making the noise was silhouetted against the sky, so I could not see it well. Taking a chance, I went inside to get my binocs. When I returned, the bird was on the birdfeeders, and the binocs proved my ears were correct: a bluebird! I checked my bird arrival checklist the next morning, and the earliest I have seen bluebirds in Newcomb is 22 April. This is just a bit too early.

The river is finally “up.” We had over half an inch of rain over the weekend and at last this has made the Hudson rise. All the ice is now gone at the pump house, too (and it was still iced in on Saturday), so it now looks more like spring conditions.

Last night the skies had cleared a bit, and soaring overhead were three turkey vultures (the first of the year), followed shortly by a merlin zipping by (another first for ’09).

We still have no wildflowers blooming, nor any frogs singing, but perhaps these will be early firsts this year, too.