Nature Messages to my Grandchildren

I have four grandchildren ranging from two to sixteen in age. They are interested in nature, and I share information with them via email. Most of the messages relate to things I've experienced, noticed, or that come to mind while observing nature either in the field or through my kitchen window. 

Bird Tracks:

We had a dusting of snow last night and no wind--perfect for making and preserving these bird tracks that were on my deck.

Some birds walk; others hop. All of the ones that hop are perching birds. (Perching birds are capable of landing on tree branches. Their feet clamp onto the branch, which helps keep them from falling, even while they're asleep.) These tracks were made by a perching bird, probably a Junco or House Sparrow, both of which are very common at the nearby feeder.

But some perching birds walk, like doves and Starlings, for example, so we can't always tell by their tracks that it's definitely a perching bird.

What do you think made the marks in the snow in the center of this picture? 

Answer: They were made by a bird's wings as it took flight. See the heavy footprints above and to the right of the wing marks? That's probably where the bird stood, and pushed off with its legs while taking off.

Grandpa Roger (Papa)

Winter Irruptives:

The term irrupt is sort of the opposite of erupt (like a volcano) and is used to describe animals that move into an area, appearing outside their normal ranges. Winter irruption of birds occurs when they fly south to escape extreme cold or heavy snow cover that prevent them from finding sufficient amounts of food. Several winter irruptives (birds that came here because of harsh winter up north) are in our area now (as of 18 Feb 2014). 

From the top of the dam two days ago I joined another birder, and we saw:

Glaucous Gull, White-winged Scoter, and Long-tailed Duck: These species normally winter on the Great Lakes. I heard that Lake Michigan is frozen, so they flew south and some of them showed up at Carlyle Lake.

Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting: Range maps show these birds here or nearby during winter, but they are seldom seen. I think more of them moved south because of the amount of snow in northern Illinois and Wisconsin as well as other northern states. I found over a hundred of them mixed in with Horned Larks a few miles north of Carlyle. (I heard some had been spotted there, and stopped to see them while en route to Silver Lake to check for Great Horned Owls.) =)

Grandpa Roger (Papa)

Snow Melt:

Here's something I learned in college, and have noticed multiple times over the intervening winters. 

In the above photo the snow is a uniform depth. Its white surface reflects almost all sunlight. But the tree trunks are brown, and they absorb heat from the sun. The warmth is spread downward into the trees' roots, which extend two- to three-times farther than the branches. And many of them are near the surface (3/4ths of the water taken up by most trees is in the top 4- to 6-inches of soil).

All of this means that the soil under trees warms up a little faster than elsewhere. And once warmer weather appears, the snow melts under trees quicker than areas without trees. Here is the snow pictured above, beginning to melt.

The warmth that spreads from the trunks into the roots is not a lot of heat, but it's enough to help the snow under trees melt quicker.

Grandpa Roger (Papa)

Bald Eagle Nest: 

 Snow Goose Numbers: I spoke with a former coworker at the lake office, and he told me the State conducted an aerial waterfowl survey of Carlyle Lake last month and estimated the Snow Goose population at 1.1 million. That's a lot of geese!

Grasher Eagle Nest:   I also visited an eagle nest reported by one of the Audubon members. The photo isn't the best quality because I was looking toward the sun. Through my spotting scope I could see what appeared to be two small heads moving about. Young in the nest already? Looks like one of the parents on a branch to the right of the nest; I didn't notice that while there.

Grandpa Roger (Papa) 

Woody Plant Buds:  Did you ever wonder what buds on trees are for? Well, they're for the next year's growth. Trees and shrubs produce buds during the growing season (summer). Inside the buds on this Bitternut Hickory--see below--are tiny, folded up leaves and stems. When conditions are right with respect to temperature and moisture, the buds will swell up, the scales will flake off, and leaves will unfold and grow. Once unfolded, they'll begin the process of photosynthesis, which converts sunlight and water to produce food for the plant. That will in turn make new leaves, stems, twigs, tissue for moving water and photosynthates (food made through photosynthesis), bark, and roots. Oh, and buds for next year.

The definition of a leaf involves buds. A leaf is that portion of a plant that extends beyond a bud. So this summer beginning around June, if you look, you'll find a bud being produced at the base of each leaf. The only exception will be trees with compound leaves, such as Ash or Hickory. These compound leaves have leaflets, so called because they do not have buds at the base of each leaflet, but follow the stem down, and you'll eventually find a bud, which means that everything above it is the entire leaf. The number of leaflets can range from three (Boxelder) to about twelve (Black Walnut or Pecan). (Some evergreen trees, like Pines, may not have buds. They don't need them because their needles remain green all winter.)

The bud below is from a Bitternut Hickory, which has yellow end buds--the buds on the end of each twig. (My glove is in the picture to allow focusing on the bud; otherwise, the camera wanted to focus on the ground.) 

 

 Some trees, even in winter, can be identified by their bark, like this one. Check the closest tree. The bark is composed of blocks about in inch in size. 

 

 Here's a closer view. This is a Persimmon. Animals and birds love its fruit.

 

Tulip Tree is Blooming: 

Here's a tree like one in my yard. It's blooming now. (These were taken at the lake.)

As you can see below, the flowers resemble Tulips, and that's where one of its common names comes from. It has several names: Tulip Tree, Tulip Poplar, and Yellow Poplar. I think I mentioned before that this is why Latin names are used. The Latin name for this tree is Liriodendron tulipifera. (I think tulipifera means Tulip like.)

It's the tallest tree that grows east of the Missisippi River, and in the right conditions can reach 150 feet in height. That's big, but out west some species are much taller. Giant Redwoods, for example.

September Hummingbirds:

Hummingbirds here are engaging in what biologists call "post-breeding dispersal," which means spreading out in search of food after they leave the nest and before migrating south. They'll build up a layer of fat that will be used to provide energy as they fly across the Gulf of Mexico.  And since they don't weight very much--.11 ounce or 3.2 grams--they'll fly south only when the wind is from the north. They'll ride the winds.

My digital camera is silver in color, and I couldn't get too close to the feeders because the birds would spot the camera and fly away. But my phone is black, and I sat in my recliner and pointed the camera lens at the feeder, then waited for a bird to show up. The same one has been feeding here for days. As a result, I got the best hummingbirds photos I've ever taken.

Grandpa Roger (Papa)

Cooper's Hawk:

A while ago this Cooper's Hawk, wearing adult plumage, swooped into our backyard. They eat song birds, and this one was looking for a meal. Cooper's Hawks look a lot like Sharp-shinned Hawks, but we can tell this one's a Cooper's by the placement of the eyes closer to the front of the head (or so it appears because Sharp-shinned's heads are smaller), and the hint of a crest, which Sharp-shinneds don't have.

Buds of Trees and other Woody Plants: 

Buds on trees, shrubs, and vines are remarkable little bundles of life.  Inside are folded leaves and stems for the next year’s growth.  When days get warm and moisture becomes available, buds swell up, and green tips of folded leaves begin to emerge. After a few days they unfold, and photosynthesis begins.

Buds are an important part of any deciduous plant. Deciduous means they shed their leaves in winter so the plant or tree will stop bringing water up from the roots, which otherwise would make them break apart during winter. [1 cubic centimeter upon freezing exerts 10,000 pounds of pressure.]  So one of the main objectives of the growing season, besides adding leaves and stems, thus making the plant grow, is to produce buds, which will allow the plant to survive the coming winter with miniature leaves and stems ready to go for the following spring. Without buds, woody plants would not survive.

On April 14, 30-days ago, I planted a Sugar Maple in our backyard.  Its buds had not yet begun to swell with moisture.

Here, four days after planting, the buds have begun to swell, and green, folded up leaves, are pushing out from the tops. I planted the tree just in time.  Obviously the roots are bringing up moisture, so everything’s working properly.

Leaves beginning to unfold

The contents of one bud: four leaves and their associated stems. 

15 days after planting they look like Maple leaves. 

And today, 30-days after planting, it looks like this. The leaves are not yet full grown, and the stems haven’t grown a lot yet. That may be because of the shock of transplanting.  

Further, the tree is a “ball and burlap,” meaning the roots have been pruned, and are inside a ball of soil inside a burlap bag.  The tree is taller than I am, and the ball and burlap process enables one to plant a tree that is already taller than a sapling.

To plant, one digs a hole, places the burlap bag inside, and fills it completely with soil. Then it’s watered quite a bit to help settle the soil and provide needed moisture for the roots. During this first year the roots will grow through the burlap bag, which will disintegrate—it’s biodegradable--and make contact and grow into the surrounding soil. The first year is a critical time, and the tree should be cared for by watering it once a week. After the first year, the roots will be established, and the tree will survive and thrive on its own.

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