Bloodroot

In the space of a day it seemed like, the Bloodroot burst from the ground at my house! I have not found any yet at the park, but I haven't really had a chance to look in too many areas. You have to enjoy the bloodroot flowers while they're up - they don't bloom for long, although the leaves last well in to spring. The leaves have deep notches around the edges, and in my opinion are just as interesting as the flowers. Bloodroot is named for the reddish sap that oozes from the roots. It was used historically for medicinal purposes, but the sap can cause severe skin lesions and can even be lethal if too much is taken internally. The seeds of bloodroot are adapted to be spread by ants. The seeds have a fleshy area called an elaiosome. The sole purpose of the elaiosome is to entice ants into carrying the seed back to their nest, where they eat the fleshy treat, but leave the rest of the seed undamaged, and now buried in a nice fertilized ant mound, ready to grow. How awesome is that! The process of seeds being spread by ants is known as myrmecochory.

Carrion Beetles - Gross Stuff Warning!

White-tailed Deer love to hang out right in front of the EDC. They seem to be shedding their winter coats - we found a few clumps of deer fur along the trail!A park volunteer brought me a partial deer skeleton that he found on the other side of the reservoir. Since it still had some meat and fur on it and is a bit smelly, I put it out alongside the trail for the scavengers and decomposers to finish cleaning. The skeleton has only been there a week and already it has been discovered by carrion beetles (family Silphidae), who were working away industriously at cleaning up the remaining dried up bits of flesh from the bones. Here's a video of some of the beetles working away. There appear to be two types of carrion beetle here - all black ones, and some with orange on their heads, almost like lightening bugs. I find them fascinating, but if the thought of beetles scuttling about and munching on a dead deer grosses you out, you may not want to watch this one. Just imagine how gross it would be if they DIDN'T eat the deer though - yuck!

A Winter's Butterfly

While walking along this Monday we were greeted by the sight of a dark-colored butterfly flitting through the forest - in March! Most butterflies and moths overwinter in the chrysalis or cocoon stage. A few, such as the black-and-orange woolly bear, hibernate as caterpillars, but the Mourning Cloak overwinters as an adult butterfly, and is thus the first to emerge in the spring. Occasionally folks who bring in firewood in the wintertime are surprised when a hibernating butterfly wakes up with the indoor warmth and starts flying around their house! Mourning Cloak adults feed on tree sap more than flower nectar, while the caterpillars feed on willow species. (The photo is from wikipedia - the butterfly we saw didn't hold still long enough for me to get a picture!)

Honeysuckle to Honey Locust

Ah, the first green leaves of spring...unfortunately, they belong to the invasive exotic, the bush honeysuckle. Bush honeysuckles are some of the most pervasive and difficult to eradicate invasive species in Indiana. They create dense shade that prevents native wildflowers and shrubs from growing; some species even release growth-inhibiting chemicals into the soil. The Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society (INPAWS) has a very informative flier that lists the ten most damaging invasive plant species in Indiana, including the bush honeysuckle and the Japanese honeysuckle vine:
http://www.inpaws.org/InvasivePlants.pdf
In addition to the early appearance of leaves, bush honeysuckle can be identified by the opposite branching pattern of the twigs and leaves (most of our native shrubs are alternate).
When walking through the forest sometimes you run across a tree with a strange lump, almost like a tumor. These woody outgrowths are known as burls (also known as burrs). No one is entirely certain what causes them, but it is believed that most are triggered when the tree undergoes some sort of stress - from certain types of mold or insect infestations, physical damage, and possibly genetic susceptibility. Some burls can grow quite large, and the wood is prized by artists and furniture makers for the unique and beautiful woodgrain patterns. The bark of the Cork Elm (Ulmus thomasii) is squishy, and indeed, very corklike! The bark grows in layers, typical of most elm bark. According to wikipedia, the Cork Elm is susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease, which may explain why we only seem to find a few small trees in the park.

If you're a tree hugger by nature, you might want to consider giving this tree a friendly, careful pat instead! These impressive thorny growths are found on the Honey Locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos), making it a very easy tree to identify, even in the winter. The "honey" the tree is named for comes from the sweet pulp of the long bean pods the tree produces in fall, used for food and even fermented into beer by Native Americans. The pulp of the Black Locust tree bean pod is toxic, so be sure you have the right tree if you ever decide to taste it. Thornless varieties of the Honey Locust are often sold in plant nurseries for landscaping.

Semi-tame Wildflowers

Down the sides of the ravine between the EDC and the Peace Learning Center there are some not-so-wild wildflowers growing: the leaves of the familiar daffodil are poking up from the forest floor in good-sized clumps. Most of them were probably planted by the Lilly family (who built what is now the Peace Learning Center as a summer residence), and we have been told they are of an older variety not commonly seen today. Daffodils are are originally from Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and are not native to North America. Although they are an exotic species, daffodils are not considered to be an invasive species; they spread slowly, and do not outcompete the native wildflowers. Daffodils are also sometimes called jonquils or narcissus, and in the southern US they are sometimes referred to as buttercups, although "buttercup" can refer to several other species of flower as well.

Another non-native spring flower found in Eagle Creek Park, the bright electric-blue flowers of Scilla are easy to spot. The name is pronounced "Sill-uh," and it is also known as Siberian Squill. There seems to be quite a bit of variation in the common and even the scientific names - I've seen it called Scilia, Scilla siberica, and Scilla sibirica. Scilla is a member of the lily family, and, as the name suggests, came originally from Siberia. I wasn't able to find any information on whether they are considered invasive or not in Indiana, but I hope not - they're awfully cute! We found this one growing at the beginning of the Pin Oak trail in front of the EDC.

And yet another non-native early spring flower probably planted by the Lilly family: Snowdrops, also introduced from Europe. These hardy little white flowers are usually among the first flowers to bloom, sometimes even in February. They've spread to create large patches down the sides of the ravines just north of the Peace Learning Center.

Here's a close up of a snow drop bloom - when hanging down it is hard to see their beautiful green centers. This one had some tiny beetles living inside, and while I was watching, several bees and flies visited the other flowers to gather pollen and nectar.

The leaves of Virginia Bluebells were poking out of the ground near the same area as the Snowdrops. Some of them had a purplish cast, making them look like little cabbages. This one had some flower buds forming already - usually they don't bloom until later. Virginia Bluebell is actually a native wildflower to Indiana.

Monday Volunteer Walk March 9th Part 2

The leaves of the False Rue Anemone were poking out through the dead leaves on Monday - another sign of spring-to-come. Later they will create carpets of delicate white wildflowers. There is also a True Rue Anemone - not sure why this is considered to be the false one!


More early wildflower leaves peeking up through the forest floor - this three-lobed leaf is much thicker and sturdier than the fragile False Rue Anemone leaves and belongs to Hepatica. The leaf was thought to resemble the three lobes of the human liver, and thus, logically, the plant must be good for treating liver ailments! Hepatica is the Latin word for "liver," and another name for Hepatica is "Liver-leaf." This belief, that the appearance of a plant indicates its medicinal purpose, is known as the "Doctrine of Signatures."
We found the Hepatica growing along the stairs up the hillside leading to the old cabin. Not a pioneer cabin, although it is fun to pretend! This would be far too large and difficult to heat for a pioneer family. The cabin was built in the 1950's by the CEO of Indianapolis power and light (I still need to double-check the date, so don't quote me on that), and is constructed of old telephone poles!

Driving through the park in winter, it is easy to notice all of the young American Beech Trees (Fagus grandifolia) in the understory of the forest. Older beech trees drop their leaves in late fall, like most deciduous trees, but the younger beeches hang on to theirs for some reason. It is fun to hear the dry papery leaves rattle in the breeze, and they often are bent up in the direction of the prevailing winds by the end of winter. Young beech trees are able to grow in the shade, unlike the oaks and hickories, and so beeches, along with maples, are part of the mature Climax Forest of Indiana.

The long pointy leaf buds of the beech tree were formed last fall, and have been waiting patiently all winter for warm weather to come. They look quite dangerous and sharp, but don't worry - they're harmless (although I wouldn't recommend getting your eyes within poking range - look closely, but not TOO closely). You'll see a lot of my fingers in these close-up twig and bud shots - that was the only way to convince my camera to focus!

Another fun leaf bud - this one reminds me of a tiny fuzzy knife blade and is found at the tip of the Paw Paw, or Indiana Banana. I like to pet them - they are so silky soft! The round fuzzy bud further down the stem will open up in to a dark maroon, bell-shaped flower.

The strange and interesting twigs of the Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus), also known as burningbush for the bright red color of the leaves in the fall. The corky ridges are thought to be an adaptation to discourage browsing by deer.

Unfortunately, winged Euonymus (pronounced YOU-WAN-IH-MUS) is considered an exotic invasive species in our woodlands, brought over from northeastern Asia as an ornamental in the 1860's. When planted as a landscape plant away from forests it is usually not a problem, and there are several cultivated varieties that are less invasive and provide beautiful bright red fall color, but recent studies have shown that native trees and bushes are much more valuable to wildlife, especially birds, than the exotic species commonly used for landscaping. The key is in the BUGS!

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Native species are host to a whole community of caterpillars, beetles, and other invertebrates that are a vital source of FOOD for songbirds. Trees and bushes brought in from other parts of the world are missing the network of insects that have adapted to living with them in their home country. Although they provide some shelter, and some species may produce berries or nectar, their main value as an insect smorgasbord is missing.

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Planting native trees and bushes is a much better choice for wildlife. It is a gargantuan task, but we also attempt to control exotic invasive shrubs and bushes in our forests, so that native shrubs have a chance to grow. There are native varieties of Euonymus, although they don't have the nifty wings on the twigs. We'll have to see if we can find some growing this year.

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For some excellent reading on the value and importance of native plants to our declining bird populations, check out the book "Bringing Nature Home" by Douglas W. Tallamy:

http://bringingnaturehome.net/native-gardening

Pileated Woodpecker

On our Monday hike we came across a tree with most of bark stripped from the bottom of the trunk and fresh wood chips in a pile beneath it - someone had been very busy!

When I went back the next day I was lucky enough to run across the likely culprit - the beautiful and impressive Pileated Woodpecker! These large birds are about the size of crows, and often create deep oblong holes in trees more than two inches in diameter. This one was a male woodpecker - the red on his head crest covers the top of his head and reaches all the way to the start of his beak. On the females the red stops at the crest. The video's a little wobbly, since I was zooming from quite a distance - even so, you can see the woodpecker give me a suspicious look now and then!

Unlike their possibly extinct relative, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, which once lived in the dense old-growth forests of Indiana, Pileated Woodpeckers have adapted to smaller patches of secondary growth forest and appear to be doing well. Seeing one is always a treat!

Monday Volunteer Walk March 9th

Weather: cloudy, 55F

Technically, it is still winter, but on our walk today spring was peeking out all around the edges - tree buds were swelling, there were eggs and bugs in the pond, and even some early wildflowers!

Right by the pond there was a tree with clusters of flowers all over its branches, like little pom poms. I don't remember what type of tree it is from last year - we'll have to remember to check again when the leaves appear:


Smallmouth salamander (Ambystoma texanum) eggs in the pond - these were laid some time in mid-February and are already partially developed. The salamander larvae will hatch by mid-March and feed on zooplankton and other small animals, then lose their gills and crawl out on land to live in the forest some time in May or June:



We also found several clusters of snail eggs in the pond - the snail eggs are on the stick on the left and look like small clear blobs of jelly. Each small blob has 20+ tiny clear eggs inside.




Sycamore seed balls were everywhere by the pond, falling from the overhanging sycamore - some whole and round like this one, and some smushed with their brown-yellow seeds scattered across the ground. Sycamore seeds sprout best after being soaked by water, so the white-branched sycamore tree is usually found growing near streams and rivers:

A leaf of a mystery wildflower - maybe Virginia waterleaf? Any guesses? Hmmmm....we'll check back in a few weeks and see.

Wildflower! One of the earliest of them all, Salt and Pepper, also known as Harbinger of Spring. This is a close up shot - in real life the flowers are very tiny and often go unnoticed unless you know to look for them:

We saw lots of other nifty things - Paw paw and spicebush buds, baby beech trees still holding on to their winter leaves and their long pointy leaf buds waiting to unfurl, woodpecker holes, moss and lichens - I'll try to get a few pictures of them tomorrow!

Chorus Frogs

Spring is here! Maybe not officially, but don't tell the frogs. Temperatures were in the near 70's on Sunday, and the chorus frogs (Pseudacris triseriata) were singing full tilt in the wet areas around the ice skating ponds. It's quite amazing - you can be surrounded by hundreds of frogs singing until your ears ring, and not see a single one! It took me almost 20 minutes of waiting before the frogs closest to me came back out and I could finally locate one. They usually call from the base of a clump of reeds or grasses:


Chorus frogs sing in these ponds in the daytime, but at night the spring peepers take over. By mid-April the chorus frogs all head back to the forest, and we won't see or hear them again until next year, although if you pay VERY close attention, you might notice tiny chorus froglets, no bigger than your pinky nail, leaving the pond in May and June. If you have good speakers on your computer you might want to turn them down - these are tiny little frogs, but they're very LOUD!





The purpose of all of this noise is for male frogs to entice female frogs to choose them for breeding. Singing uses incredible amounts of energy for the male frog, and those that can sing loud and long are likely to be the most fit and healthy mates. The male frog clasps the female in "amplexus" and fertilizes the eggs as she lays them:


Freshly laid chorus frog eggs:

After being in the water for awhile, the clear egg jelly surrounding each egg expands, and the eggs orient themselves dark side up, making them hard to spot against the dark bottom of the pond: