Flying rays of sunshine, spirits on the wing – part 1

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Maria dB

Fiery and dun skippers IMG_7262© Maria de Bruyn res It is now early December and late autumn in the Northern hemisphere, so why a blog about butterflies? When I was writing this on the last day of November, I had still seen a few of these beauties a couple days previously, and in the Southern hemisphere it is late spring, so it seems fine as a topic for a nature blog. Also, three weeks ago, my mother passed away, while in two weeks the anniversary of my father’s death comes again — I like to think of butterflies as nature’s emissaries for spirits on the wing. They allow me to think of my parents in somewhat lighter terms than the sadness that predominated during their dying processes. Because there are so many butterflies to highlight, this will be a two-part blog.

This past spring, summer and fall gifted me with a large variety of butterflies – a boon compared to last year when there seemed to be a dearth of them. I had some new butterflies to my garden, like the tawny emperor (Asterocampa clyton clyton), which I also saw at the Mason Farm Biological Reserve when one landed on my arm.

Tawny emperor DK7A2536© Maria de Bruyn res Tawny emperor IMG_4926© Maria de Bruyn (2)

juniper hairstreak DK7A1677© Maria de Bruyn The juniper hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) was another new visitor that at first made me think it was covered in pollen.

A second-time visitor to my yard was the American snout (Libytheana carinenta), which looks quite distinctive with the long protrusion from its face.

American snout butterfly IMG_0257© Maria de Bruyn res

It was a good year for the little skipper butterflies, of which there are many. Quite a few look similar to one another and pose difficulties in identification; fortunately, BugGuide helps me figure out which ones I have been seeing.

Common checkered skipper DK7A8473©Maria de Bruyn

Common checkered skipper (Pyrgus communis)

silver-spotted skipper IMG_0885© Maria de Bruyn Fiery skipper DK7A3463© Maria de Bruyn

Silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) & Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus)

Zabulon skipper female DK7A8091© Maria de Bruyn Zabulon skipper DK7A2945© Maria de Bruyn res

Zabulon skipper (Poanes zabulon), female on the left and male on the right

sachem skipper DK7A6355© Maria de Bruyn Sachem skipper male DK7A7657©Maria de Bruyn res Sachem skipper DK7A1271© Maria de Bruyn bg

The Sachem skipper (Atalopedes campestris) also illustrates how males (top) and females can differ.

A few skippers were new for me this year, like the little glassywing skipper (Pompeius verna) and the somewhat drabber dun skipper (Euphyes vestris) and Ocola skipper (Panoquina ocola).

Little glassywing skipper DK7A2843© Maria de Bruyn Dun skipper DK7A3364© Maria de Bruyn Ocola skipper IMG_4247©Maria de Bruyn

Even though dark in color, the Horace’s duskywing (Erynnis horatius) and the Juvenal’s duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) have beautiful dorsal patterns.

Horace's duskywing DK7A3695© Maria de Bruyn

Juvenal's duskywing DK7A9907© Maria de Bruyn res

It’s always fascinating to see how different the butterflies’ color patterns can be on the upper and undersides of their wings, as shown here by the American lady (Vanessa virginiensis).

American Lady DK7A2242© Maria de Bruyn res American Lady DK7A2292© Maria de Bruyn res

The red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a gorgeous butterfly; a somewhat tattered individual rode along on me and my camera for a while at Mason Farm.

Red Admiral DK7A6667©Maria de Bruyn (2) res

red admiral IMG_4769© Maria de Bruyn red admiral IMG_4767© Maria de Bruyn res

A group that can sometimes be challenging to identify are the sulphurs. Distinguishing the sleepy orange (Abaeis nicippe, top) and the orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme) is no easy task. Both are quite lovely and a delight in flight when they reveal their brightly colored dorsal pattern.

Sleepy orange DK7A8367© Maria de Bruyn Sleepy orange DK7A8263© Maria de Bruyn

Orange sulphur DK7A0410© Maria de Bruyn res Orange sulphur DK7A0476© Maria de Bruyn res

Cloudless sulphur DK7A2774© Maria de Bruyn res

The larger yellow butterflies like the cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae) are great to see, especially when they frequent the brightly colored blooms such as the red cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis).

cloudless sulphur DK7A8466©Maria de Bruyn res Cloudless sulphur DK7A0063© Maria de Bruyn res

Clouded sulphur DK7A0269© Maria de Bruyn

The clouded sulphur (Colias philodice) may be a bit harder to see when it feeds on clover in the grass.

Stay tuned for more butterflies to admire in part 2 of this blog!

Rain drops, dewdrops and frost – Mother Nature’s adornments

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Maria dB

Dewdrops in the early morning, raindrops during the day, and frost covering everything outdoors can be seen merely as various manifestations of heavenly water on earth, but another way of looking at them can be as nature’s jewels. When light and sunshine illuminate the drops and crystals, they lend an air of elegance and beauty to whatever they have covered.

When it rains, leaves and blooms may look uniformly slick with moisture but we often see them covered in rain drops. Have you ever wondered why the rain drops are of different sizes?

The US Geological Survey’s Water Science School reports that water vapor wraps around particles in the air (salt, smoke, dust) which are of different sizes; then when the drops begin falling to earth, they bump into other drops and merge. The drops that merge with more “neighbors” become larger. Rain drops suspended from branches and leaves are quite lovely.

They often roll right off birds’ feathers but occasionally adhere, as was the case for this ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) at a feeder sheltered by a roof overhang.

Dew – water droplets on surfaces of objects and vegetation – forms when an exposed surface cools down by radiating its heat and the moisture in the atmosphere then condenses faster than it evaporates. It looks beautiful on flowers and other plants, such as these grasses, the Virginia meadow beauty (Rhexia virginica) and the Orange mahogany esperanza (Tecoma stans “Orange Mahogany”).

Some plants actually mimic dewdrops, like Tracey’s sundew.

On spider webs, water and ice droplets outline the architecture created by the arachnids, showing off the symmetry and beauty of the lines.

The webs of sheetweb dwarf spiders (Florinda coccinea), often not so visible in the grass, become quite noticeable when covered in dewdrops and then you can often spot the little red spider hanging underneath waiting for its prey.

In this case, the plant looked like a natural jewelry stand for strings of glass or diamond beads.

It was interesting for me to learn that the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and the International Organisation for Dew Utilization (OPUR) created a dew harvesting system for a semi-arid area in India. Their condensers can collect more than 200 liters of dew each night from October through May and could provide an additional water source for people in arid coastal regions.

Leaves and flowers, like this coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) can seem bedecked with glistening jewels when the ice crystals of frozen dewdrops adhere to their surfaces and edges.

Frost may appear to be translucent or crystal clear; when a mass of crystals are together, they look white in color because they scatter light in all directions. The ice crystals of wind frost (also known as advection frost) arise when a very cold wind blows over tree branches, leaves and flowers; they can form gorgeous borders on these surfaces.

Early morning can be a great time for nature walks – beautiful sunrises, brisk (or cooler) temperatures and awakening wildlife make for interesting viewing. And raindrops, dew and frost can add extra scenes of beauty for us to appreciate!

Birdie beauty – hummingbird preening and grooming

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Maria dB

It has been great to welcome back the sun and dispel some of the gloom resulting from the record number of rainy days we’ve had. Watching the ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) in my yard and at nature reserves is also a day brightener and has taught me that these tiny avians are quite fastidious, grooming often and at length.

They cannot use their feet to hop or walk; they only cling to perches and shuffle a bit.

They do use their claws as a “comb” to groom their heads and necks and to scratch itches.

Using oil from a gland near their tail, they cover their iridescent feathers with the oil to help clean them.

When you see them rubbing their long beaks on a twig, they are wiping off debris and pollen.

The youngest birds have a groove in their beak but this smooths out by the winter.

When the hummers look up in the sky, while sitting all puffed up on a branch, they may be taking a sun bath.

A tiny catnap – or hummer nap – can also be observed now and then. This is understandable since their little hearts beat at 1220 times per minute while they fly; this lessens to about 250 times per minute when they are at rest.

You can sometimes tell the sex of the hummingbird by its tail feathers. The tips are white and rounded in both females and first-year males, who do not yet have fully colored throats

.
ruby-throated hummingbird DK7A2031© Maria de Bruyn

In the adult males, the tail feathers have sharp black points.

The red gorget (throat) feathers that give this species its common name are seen in the adult males. Very occasionally, a female will have one or two black or one red feather there, but it is generally a young male that has one red throat feather.

After nesting, females may look somewhat tattered and molt their feathers, like this one in July. The regular molting period is autumn through about March and that is when the juvenile males develop their their red throats.

Both female and male ruby-throated hummers have a small patch of white feathers behind their dark eyes.

One thing is for sure – all these little avians are beautiful to see and watch!

More information:

http://www.hummingbirdworld.com/h/behavior.htm

Hummers haranguing – feistiness in small packages!

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Maria dB

At times, we may see on Facebook or the Internet a photo or video of hummingbird nectar feeders surrounded by at least 6 and sometimes dozens of these small birds, sharing space as they take turns at imbibing some of the sweet water. Here in my part of North Carolina, however, it seems that the ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) are just NOT interested in having their territory host family members or neighbors. This species is known for being territorial and those in my vicinity live up to that reputation for sure.

Both at home and in nature reserves, I’ve watched these tiny birds stake out a claim to a feeder or some choice blooms. They drink a little and then will take up a post on a vantage point where they can keep an eye out for other birds. Occasionally, the waiting spot is out in the open and often it is in a nearby shrub or tree.

When they spot a rival approaching the food source, they may either immediately give chase or first engage in a threat display.

Their displays include both posturing and sound. To warn off other birds, they may chirp both quickly and loudly. Their threat postures aim to frighten away intruders by displaying size and strength and include pointing their long bills at the other bird(s), puffing up their throats, spreading and raising their wings, and flaring their tail feathers, .

They don’t really use their bills to battle as they need to protect this body part but they can fly into each other. On one occasion, in my front yard, I heard a loud thump when the two birds actually collided during a high-speed chase.

The drive to protect territory is not for lack of food. My yard has three nectar feeders out back and one in the front and three of them have at least four feeding holes. This year, a brightly colored male laid claim to the yard while the female was caring for her brood. When the female and young birds began coming to the feeders, “Red” was not pleased. Later, the young males also vied with one another.

Chittering loudly, they sweep in to make the other birds take off; occasionally they do get a chance to have a short drink before another hummer shows up. At my house, the birds can feed because they have to patrol both the front and back yards and can’t be in two places at once.

I witnessed a similar scenario at the Mason Farm Biological Reserve. There was a spot with plenty of blooming trumpet vines (Campsis radicans) and morning glories (Ipomoea pandurata), which were attracting a variety of pollinators. Three hummingbirds were also visiting and, again, chasing one another from the site as soon as they caught sight of their rivals.

In an area near the Haw River where many wildflowers bloom, a similar scenario took place.

This is the time of year when the ruby-throated hummingbirds undertake their migration to Central America, a distance of at least 1000 miles. They need to store energy for this and may double their body mass while feeding during the preparatory phase. However, it seems to me that chasing away other birds from their preferred feeding sites must take an enormous amount of energy and it seems to be an endless activity. In my yard, it goes on all day long!

These birds’ flight muscles take up 25% of their weight; when they rest, their hearts beat at a rate of 250 beats per minute but during flight, their hearts speed up to 1220, so the zipping back and forth and up and down in hot pursuits must use lots of calories and energy. They also may hover mid-air for a while rather than sitting on an outpost twig; the other day, one of Red’s rivals spent a quarter minute suspended about 18 inches from my face, looking me over until Red dive-bombed him.

This summer I’ve been lucky to see the hummers in several places, including Sandy Creek Park, near the Haw River and a farm cultivated by refugees from Myanmar. In all cases, the birds appeared unwilling to share their dining areas. Once in a while, though, one would have the space to him- or herself for a while and I could watch them feed, afterwards flicking out their long tongues.

When they return next year, I hope to learn more about these wonderful little birds through daily observation in my garden habitat.

More interesting information on ruby-throated hummingbirds can be found here:

http://www.rubythroat.org/rthufactsmain.html

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ruby-throated_hummingbird/lifehistory

http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/behavior.php

A lucky, lucky day with monarch guardian angels!

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Maria dB

Yesterday my day turned out quite differently from my modest expectations – it was very lucky and truly a day for gratitude.

In mid-August, I had seen a female monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) at Sandy Creek Park, an exciting find and testimony to the usefulness of planting milkweed there. John Goebel, Sandy Creek patron, manager and care-taker extraordinaire, had planted about five types of milkweed in anticipation of welcoming these guests and it had paid off.

A few days ago, on Facebook, the Friends of Sandy Creek Park group announced that the one male and two female monarch butterflies spotted in the butterfly garden had left behind quite a few offspring. As I had not seen a monarch caterpillar in person before, I took off early for the park, where I found three people assembled to count them. John Goebel kindly told me something about the monarch life cycle.

He pointed out several larger caterpillars, noting that they were stage 4 or 5 larva. The eggs hatch about 4 days after being laid. The larvae eat the plant on which they were born, shedding their skins four times as they grow, a process taking 10 to 14 days. These stages of growth are called instars.

In stage 5, the large larvae look for a protected and hidden spot where they can attach themselves vertically. They use their spinneret (not only spiders have them!) to make a silk pad from which they then suspend themselves, hanging down in the form of a letter J. The culmination of this procedure occurs when they straighten out, a sign, John told me, that pupation was imminent, with the caterpillar turning into a bright green chrysalis. There was already one chrysalis when I arrived with two other caterpillars hanging nearby.

The milkweed plants were attracting plenty of insect action. Many stems were yellow and orange as they were covered with milkweed bug nymphs and aphids. I photographed several of the 43 caterpillars counted, including a small early-stage newbie, and a number of large specimens that were very busy munching on leaves.

After a while, I moved on to photographing caterpillars of moth species and looked around for birds or other interesting insects. Then an unexpected and unfortunate event arose and I had to high-tail it to the bathroom (thank goodness Sandy Creek has one that is open much of the year!).

Emerging from the bathroom and walking down the path to my car to go home, I felt chagrin that my nature walk had to be cut short. But if it hadn’t been for the bathroom visit near the milkweed plants necessitated by my gastrointestinal emergency, I would have missed a first-time experience. As I strolled to my car, I glanced again at the hanging caterpillars and noticed one had straightened out. I balanced the need to go home to shower and change clothes with the desire to see a caterpillar become a chrysalis. I had cleaned myself as well as possible and no one else was around, so I stayed.

The caterpillar that I was watching was hanging quietly on a leaf; the only action came from a small milkweed bug (Lygaeus kalmia) and a large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) that marched back and forth on top, so I turned to the side to photograph an adventurous sibling that had climbed to the top of a nearby plant.

When I looked back, the pupation had already begun and was progressing apace.

John had mentioned that it could take under a minute; this caterpillar was a little bit slower but the transformation was quick indeed. I’d seen videos of this before but seeing it live in the wild was awesome. And I got my own bit of video showing the last bit of larval skin dropping off the chrysalis.

The large milkweed bug came back to perch over the chrysalis. Later, John moved this chrysalis because the leaf of the plant could fall off before the 10- to 14-day pupation period is over – everyone wants all the larvae to become full-grown adult butterflies who can undertake the long migration to Florida or, more likely, Mexico. Their loss of habitat in both the United States and Mexico is devastating to the species and action to prevent further losses is still needed.

As I again prepared to leave, I noticed that one of the other hanging caterpillars was straightening out, so I decided to wait a little while in the hope I would see a second pupation. After watching one caterpillar approach and climb a nearby tree and seeing another trundling through the grass toward the parking lot (presumably headed for a tree further away), I focused on the hanging caterpillar.

Sure enough, the pupation began – in this case, even more rapidly than the first one I witnessed.

A difference with this transformation was that the last little bit of caterpillar did not drop off but remained suspended at the bottom of the chrysalis. Most likely, it will fall off later, which is important; if it remains attached, it could damage the emerging butterfly.

Watching this part of the butterflies’ metamorphosis was an exciting event. I didn’t wait fora third pupation, however, as I really did need to get home. On the way back, I nearly had a collision with another car – perhaps leading the other driver to need a shower, too. At home, I later almost fell on my face as one of my cats wound himself through my legs as I walked so that I came very close to tripping. Both accidents in the making didn’t happen, thank goodness, so maybe the monarch pupae had become my guardian angels for the day. In any event, I did have lots to be thankful for!

For more information:

http://monarchlab.org/biology-and-research/biology-and-natural-history/breeding-life-cycle/life-cycle

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/ChrysalisFormationLPB.html

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Tag Archives: nature

Flying rays of sunshine, spirits on the wing – part 1

Rain drops, dewdrops and frost – Mother Nature’s adornments

Birdie beauty – hummingbird preening and grooming

Hummers haranguing – feistiness in small packages!

A lucky, lucky day with monarch guardian angels!

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