Nature on the Run

I may never get to see a moose, but this morning I saw my fourth fisher - second one this year, third along this particular stretch of road.

I was driving eastward out of Newcomb, on my weekly jaunt to The City to run errands, when zip - beautiful fisher dashed across the road not twenty feet in front of my car. It was the best view I've had of this rather secretive forest dweller, despite its speed.

The tail was stretched straight out behind as itbooked with all possible haste to cross the blacktop. What was that gait? I want to say a 2x2, but it really wasn't doing the hunched back thing we associate with weasels. I'd be willing to say it was a lope, if not a full out gallop. Of course, there is no way to know, since pavement makes a really poor tracking medium.

A great way to start the morning.

Viological Inventory of My Yard

When I finally got going yesterday morning, I decided I'd take advantage of the sunshine (lots of rain is in the forecast) and get at least some of the lawn mowed. As I trudged along behind my electric mower, thinking it really felt more like July than early May, I found myself dodging patches of violets. I just can't bring myself to cutting down these cheery little flowers. Finally, the heat and humidity got to be too much (my kitchen thermometer, which, admittedly, isn't the most accurate thing in the world, was hovering a little too close to 100*F for my taste), I decided to grab the camera and do a photo inventory of the various violets scattered about in the grass.

Without further ado, here they are, some wild, some feral, and some domestic:

Inventory at the VIC

The sun was out and we had a full complement of staff in, so I hit the trails this morning - wanted to get a full accounting of what was currently in bloom. Here are my findings, in no particular order.


Ferns - fiddleheads galore, of all species and wooliness. These first two are some species of wood fern. I love how the first image looks like a head and two arms outstretched as if to welcome the sunshine.

This fern, which may be a bracken fern, looked to me like a bunch of fists all bunched up.

And these extremely woolly fiddleheads I think are cinnamon ferns, but I could be wrong. Until they are fully unfurled, my fern ID skills are pretty poor.

The red, or purple, trilliums have been in bloom for over a week now,

but the painted trilliums have only just started to open. This one has to be about the smallest trillium flower I've ever found.

It will be a while yet before the starflowers open, so I was surprised to see a bud already formed on this plant.

At first I thought this was a pile of scat, but a second glance told me they were mushrooms. There were about a half dozen of these brown knobbly 'shrooms along the side of the trail. False morels? This was my guess, and when I got back to the building I looked 'em up. False morels indeed - Gyromitra esculenta. Poisonous. According to my mushroom book, many people can eat this mushroom with no ill effects, but in Europe hundreds of people have died from doing the same. The effects from eating it are delayed, occuring 4-6 hours after ingestion. Even those who have eaten it without problems in the past are liable to eat it one time too many and not survive. It is best to leave this mushroom alone.

My walk took me past the beaver complex, and I was very surprised by what I saw. The water level was waaaay down. As in several feet. In this shot you can see the lodge, complete with formerly underwater entryway and the winter's food remains (all the sticks).

The dam was high and dry.

I followed the sound of gurgling water and about at the center of the dam I found this rushing leak. HM. Is this Mother Nature's work? I wonder if the beavers have moved on, for even the lower dam next to the bridge was draining from three breaches. I'd think that if the beavers were still here, they'd be patching things up. This pond bears watching over the next few months.

I was surprised to see this lone myrtle (or periwinkle) growing on the trail. We have a healthy crop of this non-native plant growing on the slope right at the entrance to the VIC. Did this one travel courtesy of some animal?

While I'm not a big fan of witchhobble/hobblebush (it reminds me of hydrangeas, and I'm not terribly keen on them), I do love the leaves, especially when they are young and full of pleats.

The young flower buds are still quite green,

while the fully-opened flowers are completely white.

This plant was a new one for me. I had no idea what it was.

The tiny flowers were stunning up close. Note the little red pollen packets,

which are missing in this particular blossom. Keying it out when I got back to the office, I discovered this was skunk current, Ribes glandulosum. Or at least I'm pretty sure it is. If I had crushed part of the plant and sniffed, I'd know for sure, for apparently it smells like its namesake. I'll have to do the scratch and sniff test the next time I'm out there.

And, as mentioned yesterday, the shad have started to bloom. In my book, a blooming shadtree is as nice, if not nicer than, a cherry tree. It's delicate, it's wispy, and just the epitome of springtime beauty.

At first I was confounded by this spike of tiny buds/flowers. After careful consideration and investigation, I finally determined that it was a foamflower not yet in bloom. I imagine in a week or so the flowers will be out.

This was another plant that threw me. As soon as I saw it I knew I must know it, but for the life of me I couldn't remember. Back in the office I tried keying it out - not easily done without the flowers actually blooming. Even my boss took a look and said "I know I know it." I paged through a picture guide to wildflowers and just as I said "duh!", she said "baneberry." Yes, it is red baneberry.

And here is the reason I wanted to go out on the trails today: spring beauty. It is a flower that is so well-named. I've rarely seen it since living up here, so it is a special treat to have it along the Sage Trail.

And right close by the spring beauty, is our other early bloomer: trout lily.

I think the back of the flower is as lovely as the front.

Do you see something hiding behind the petals?

These beetles were all over the trout lilies. Apparently they are false blister beetles, genus Asclera. There are two species in the east and one of these is widespread (according to my Kaufman's Insect Guide). Adults, like this fellow, can be seen on early spring wildflowers, like this trout lily. Update: these are red-necked false blister beetles (Asclera ruficollis). These beetles, like the real blister beetles, produce a protective chemical (cantharidin) that can raise blisters on your skin if you handle them.

This red-eyed fly was another great find. It was hanging out on the skunk current. I'm still trying to get an ID on ths one. Update: While a great photo, this doesn't provide enough information (like a good view of the insect's abdomen) for an ID. Pity. Still, I do like the red eyes and think it's a nifty shot.

And here we have yet another fly, this time visiting a spring beauty. Again, I'm awaiting ID confirmation. Update: The good folks at BugGuide have decided this is a Tachinid fly, of the genus Siphona. My photo just doesn't have enough information to provide a more detailed ID, but I'm happy with what I got.

All-in-all, a great day on the trails!

What's Bloomin' at the VIC

Snow or no snow, the flowers bloom on here at the VIC.

I haven't been able to get out on the trails since blooming began, but today I grabbed a couple quick shots of plants flowering around the main building - a sampler, as it were, of what awaits you out on the trails.

First, we have American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis). It's pale yellow flowers dangle like little silver bells beneath the shelter of its oval leaves. Eventually these flowers will turn into red fruits, which look (to me at least) like a very small, glossy red mustache.


The red, or purple, trillium (Trillium erectum) is flowering all over the place. Some plants are just starting to bud, while others have already passed their prime. Soon the painted trilliums will also grace our woods.



And sessile-leaved bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia), aka wild oats, are just starting to put forth their flowers. This flower gets its somewhat odd name from the fact that its leaves clasp the stem. In New York, the other species of bellworts have stems that actually "pierce" the leaves - or so it appears. Like the honeysuckle above, this flower sports pale yellow flowers, which can make it difficult to spot if the sun is dappling the forest floor.

Visitors have also reported trout lily, spring beauty, northern blue and northern white violets along the trails. I hope to get out soon and see for myself which of my botanical friends have put in an appearance so far this spring.

Meanwhile, out the other end of town, the shadbush (Amalanchier sp.) and wild strawberries are just starting to bloom. Spring is creeping up on us (after an earlier headlong rush).

Spring Throws a Curveball

Spring - she has her foibles, eh?

Here's what she threw at me yesterday as I drove out to Montezuma for a job interview:

The snowflakes were so big and heavy that I could feel each one smack me in the back of the head as it landed!

And here's what my street looked like this morning:

The drive in to work:

Yet, despite it all, that lovely pale green shade of green glowed from the trees' new leaves:

By evening, most of the snow had vanished and temps had climbed into the 40s. The weather dudes are calling for the 70s this weekend.

Gotta love spring!

Exciting Things Happen...

...when you don't have your camera in hand.

I'm at my folks' house in central NY, en route to western NY for another interview. It's a good half-way point and a safe place to leave the dog for a few hours while I'm out. But, routines must be followed, so after dinner we went for a walk...in the rain.

I didn't want to do my parents' street as it is populated with other dogs who are not yard-bound, so we drove downtown to walk the sidewalks around almost 200-year-old neighborhoods. In the rain.

Because of the damp conditions, I (understandably) left the camera behind.

As we were winding up our walk, heading back to the car, I heard the sound of a bird in distress. I looked up just in time to see a medium-sized brown bird flying away from a roadside tree and across a yard with an only slightly smaller black bird dangling from its feet. A second medium-sized brown bird was flying along side. All three disappeared into some tall conifers beside a house. The birds may have vanished, but the birdcalls continued. Shortly afterwards, I watched the brown bird carry the black bird to the driveway, where it sat upon its now-silent prey.

I REALLY wanted to walk up that driveway and see who was who, but I knew the bird was likely to take off again if I approached. So I stayed put and watched as best I could in the dimming evening light, wishing I had at least brought my binocs (which were in my pack back at the house; remember - it was raining).

Conclusions:
a) I think it was a sharp-shinned hawk in the role of predator (straight tail, from what I could tell).
b) The victim could very well have been a starling. No great loss there, except on a personal level for that particular bird.
c) Even if it is raining, take your camera along. That's why camera bags have raincoats. And bring an umbrella, which you can hold with your fourth hand, while your third hand holds the dog leash and your first and second hands get the camera out of the bag, focused, and take the photo.

Well...at least it wasn't a moose.

Earth Day

I spent Earth Day travelling.

I was off to Maryland for a job interview, and had taken my camera along with every intention of visiting parks along the way and taking photos, but one thing led to another and I decided that I'd not risk getting lost and ending up late returning the rental car and possibly missing the flight home. So, no pictures.

Suffice it to say, though, that it is already SUMMER in Maryland! And the people I met, all except the surly guy at the parking garage, were incredibly friendly and polite. If that's a sample of Maryland hospitality, I must say I am very impressed!

So, Happy Belated Earth Day to all.