Nature's Surprising Colors

It has been a busy summer, so much so that I haven't had time to simply walk around our yard to just listen and observe nature around me. This past Sunday morning I decided to do just that. As is typical, Nature was full of surprises. The first thing I noticed was the noise from all the birds - almost as loud as in the spring. There were quite a few robins, which was interesting because I haven't really noticed that many all summer. Up by one of my gardens, a hummingbird was sipping nectar from the Anise Hyssop and then perched itself on the fence. I ran back to the house to get my camera, and of course, by the time I returned it was gone. I spotted another unique bird at the top of a tree. It was yellow, but was larger than the goldfinches that frequent the thistle feeder and are abundant every morning. I took a snapshot of the bird and then ran back to the house to get my binoculars to get a better look. Alas, by the time I came back it had flown away. Fortunately, my one picture turned out pretty well.

Yellow bird in birch tree

I used my Merlin Bird ID App through Cornell Lab of Ornithology  to identify it. I was surprised to discover that it was a female Scarlet Tanager. Although I know that female birds are typically not as colorful as their mate, I did not know that the mate of this bright red and black bird could look so different. Similarly I learned last year that a female red-winged blackbird is brown with white streaks. Now I can readily spot them near wetlands.

Female Red-Winged Blackbird in a Vermont Wetland

As I continued to walk around the garden, I saw out of the corner of my eye what first appeared to be  a leaf on one of my raised bed frames. I took a closer look, and saw that it was a tiny frog.

I did not know what kind it was and was intrigued by the color. I looked it up later and identified it is a Gray Tree Frog. With that name alone I wouldn't have made the connection, but its scientific name is hyla versicolor - meaning variable in color. In fact, it changes color like a chameleon, although more slowly. I'm not sure if it knew if it was on a brown log or if it was trying to blend in with the green moss. It is also possible that this particular frog had recently metamorphosed, at which time they are typically bright green.

I was glad that I took the extra time to take a closer look at the environment that is literally outside our back door...you should too.

Two Studies Report on the Biodiversity of Grasslands

A team of over sixty researches, reported August 17th in Nature on the importance of biodiversity at all levels in providing ecosystem services. The study was done to address the limits of other research that focus only on a single trophic group. This study demonstrated that species richness across multiple trophic groups had a positive influence on the services that are provided in the environment. This means that when considering the importance of biodiversity to human health and the environment, it is important to look at all groups of life, such as insects above ground, as well as soil organisms that cannot be seen.

The study, lead by Dr. Santiago Soliveres from the University of Bern, evaluated 150 grasslands in Germany, looking at 4,600 species of plants and animals across nine trophic groups, including micro-organisms. Dr. Eric Allan from the University of Bern, said "Many different groups are important for providing essential ecosystem services. In order for nature to continue 'working' reliably for us we therefore need to protect biodiversity at all levels in the food chain". One implication is that by applying pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to the land, there may be short term gains in plant growth, but the long-term loss of biodiversity of insects, plants and micro-organisms could ultimately adversely impact life on the planet through loss of soil fertility and habitat that support numerous species that provide beneficial services such as pollinating insects.

Biodiversity is more than an abundance of plant life

Another paper published in August titled "The underestimated biodiversity of tropical grassy biomes" by Brett P. Murphy, Alan N. Andersen and Catherine L. Parr, demonstrated the importance of preserving grasslands in the tropics. While people are all too familiar with the biodiversity of rainforests and understand the importance of preserving this valuable ecosystem, the species richness of grasslands is often overlooked. This study looked at existing research and determined that even though plant biodiversity may be low, the diversity of vertebrate life is just as rich in high rainfall grasslands as it is in tropical forests and concluded that further research to aid in conservation efforts for these grasslands in needed to preserve their species biodiversity.

Not all tropical grasslands are protection like Serengeti National Park.

Photo Credit: courtesy of TripAdvisor

 Sources:

"Biodiversity at multiple trophic levels is needed for ecosystem multifunctionality"
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature19092.html#ref3

 "The underestimated biodiversity of tropical grassy biomes"  http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/371/1703/20150319

Turtles and Frogs are Not so Different

Small ponds and wetlands are habitat for a host of species, but in particular they provide the necessary conditions for the survival of turtles and amphibians. Turtles and frogs are amazing creatures, both having survived on this earth relatively unchanged since the age of the dinosaurs.

While bike riding along Lake Memphremagog in Vermont a couple weeks ago we stopped on a bridge to admire the view across the lake, and to look for wildlife in the small wetland on the opposite side. This is where we have spotted osprey and beavers in the past. This day, in addition to some ducks, the first thing we saw was this bullfrog.

Bullfrog

Bullfrogs live in water and like to hang out near the shore, pretending they are hidden underneath the surrounding  aquatic plants. While staring down at the water, what we thought was another frog, turned out to be a painted turtle. We are not sure why they were hanging out together. The turtle kept swimming closer. I am not sure if they were thinking of each other as potential prey, but since a frog's bulging eyes allow it to see almost completely behind itself, I'm sure that the frog was keeping a close eye on the turtle.

Bullfrog and Painted Turtle

Bullfrogs and turtles have similar diets, feeding on plants, insects, and occasionally small mammals. I read that both can eat small birds,  but I'm not sure how they would catch them. 

Hundreds of tadpoles in a small vernal pool

Bullfrogs can lay up to 20,000 eggs, but obviously only a small number of those will survive to adulthood. It takes two to three years for a bullfrog tadpole to transform into a frog. For those that do survive, they can live up to nine years on average. The painted turtle on the other hand, will typically lay only five to six eggs in a nest, possibly twice in a season. Those that do survive can survive two to four times as long living up to forty years.  It is interesting to see how similar, yet how different these two species are, one an amphibian, the other a reptile. Both have been endowed with characteristics that have allowed them to coexist and survive for over 200 millennium.

Quinoa, Black Beans and Kale

 

I love my cookbooks, but the internet is great for finding a recipe on the fly. Just type in a few ingredients you have on hand and hit Search. A search of black beans and kale brought up literally millions of results, but I didn't have to search beyond the first page to find this recipe, which I modified to include fresh green beans and summer squash.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup quinoa

1 clove garlic chopped
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 Serrano pepper chopped 
2 cups chicken broth

1 can black beans drained

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro or more if using fresh
1/2 cup water
1//2 cup chopped green beans
1 small summer squash cubed
1 cup chopped kale
1 tomato chopped

Rinse Quinoa and place in saucepan with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, heat oil in large skillet and saute garlic, red pepper, and onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beans, Serrano pepper, cumin, cilantro, lime juice and water and simmer 5 minutes. Add kale, green beans, squash and tomato and simmer another 5 minutes. When quinoa is done, add to bean mixture and heat through. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Tree Swallows

I bought a colorful all-weather birdhouse this spring, hoping to attract a pair of bluebirds. It didn't take long, however, for the tree swallows to find their new home instead. I didn't mind, since they are both pretty cool birds.

The tree swallows are one of the first migratory birds to return in the spring. During the first warm days of April, they began circling our yard, entertaining me with their acrobatic maneuvers, either searching for a mate, a nesting box, or just flying for fun.  In addition to being a pleasure to watch, tree swallows serve a very useful purpose as they can consume up to 2,000 insects a day!

A Tree Swallow protecting its nest and awaiting some food.

During the month of June, one of the pair, would peek out of the nest box, and the mate would return frequently with food. Where ever I found these boxes, the site was the same. One parent in the box, and the other constantly flying near the box and returning with food. The box above was located in a wetland area along with about a half a dozen other boxes. They were all filled with nesting swallows. Wetland edges are prime habitat for swallows due to the abundance of insects.

Now, it is August 1st, and just as quickly as they arrived, the tree swallows are all gone. In fact, they were no longer in the nest box or around our yard by the second week in July. After nesting, the birds prefer to hang out in flocks and will be seen where food is most plentiful - usually around water.

When they aren't foraging for insects, swallows like to perch on telephone wires.

When summer ends, the flocks of swallows will  begin their migration south, following the Atlantic Coast down to Florida and the Caribbean. When insects are less plentiful, they are able to survive by eating berries, particularly bayberry. This allows them to survive cold spells in early spring, late fall and winter.

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Sources:     https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/id
                   www.sialis.org/tres.htm
                   http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/tree-swallow
                   http://www.treeswallowprojects.com/index.html