Nature at Close Range

Caterpillar Tent

2012-04-12T17:02:00.001-05:00

Dismalites (Glow Worms)

2012-03-22T17:10:00.000-05:00

Would you believe that there really is such a creature as a glow worm? I had known of the existence of glow worms, but I had always assumed that they would look like a white grub. I had assumed wrong.

Glow Worms glowing from a dark bank (click on the photo for a larger view)

On a warm March night in North Alabama, as my sons and I were walking along a dry stream bed that meandered through the woods near our house, we noticed greenish-blue lights faintly beaming along the dark, damp sides of the stream bank. We knew that the light wasn't caused by fireflies, as fireflies have a yellowish-green light. I confidently told the boys that we had found glow worms- but when we tried to get a closer view with the light of a cell phone- we couldn't find the source of the blue light. In retrospect, I couldn't "see" the source because of my preconceived notion of how a glow worm should appear.

Orfelia fultoni glow worm emerging from its burrow

The next night, my 8 year old son, Shepherd, and I went back to find a glow worm and also attempt to photograph one. We found them again, high on the stream bank; they were almost exclusively in areas protected by an overhang and where the ground was damp and a little mossy.

It didn't take long to discover the source of the illumination. It was from a real worm! Just like an earthworm with a white head or tail! And as we watched them, we learned that these worms had more cool tricks to compliment its illumination trick.

Closer view of its web lined burrow

The little worm makes a trap for insects from a sticky, web-like substance and then uses its light source as a method to attract night critters into its trap. And the worm is very fast. If my son or I became a too nosy or moved a little too close, the worm would dart suddenly back into its burrow.

A common name for this "glow worm" is Dismalite. It receives this name from the abundance at which it is found at the Dismal Canyon Conservatory near Russeville, AL. According to the Dismal Canyon Conservatory's website, the glow worms are so plentiful that "when looking up at the moss covered canyon walls it's hard to tell where the Dismalites stop and the stars begin."

But would you believe that this beautiful worm (I can't believe I just wrote that) is really a fly larvae? And not just any ole fly: it is the larvae for the Predatory Fungus Gnat. Sounds scary, doesn't it? But here's the thing- the adult fly doesn't even have mouth parts! It doesn't need them. It only lives long enough to find a mate and then die. The life span of an adult of this species is about 2 days. The irony is that the larvae of this species live for up to a year. It must be a bummer to be a worm all of your life and by the time you finally earn your wings you have to die.

An insect that shines a blue light from canyon walls and stream sides must have been discovered hundreds of years ago? Right? Nope. Amazingly enough, these worms weren't officially discovered and named by scientists until 1941. B.B. Fulton was the entomologist that discovered them near his home in North Carolina.. He named them after himself- Orfelia fultoni.

To learn more about these fascinating creatures, the following websites were very helpful to me:

http://www.dismalscanyon.com/dismalites/index.html
http://www.tn.gov/environment/tn_consv/archive/bluelights.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17285566/
http://bugguide.net/node/view/67093
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orfelia_fultoni

Be sure to click on the photos to retrieve a better view.

Shepherd getting a closer look at the Dismalite glow worms

Moths at the Back Porch

2011-06-01T12:11:00.063-05:00

A couple of nights ago, a muggy late May night, a lovely lime green Luna Moth (Actias luna) appeared at my back door. I love the brilliant colors of the Luna Moth, so I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos. I also took a few pictures of the other moths that had congregated- including a Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris).

The following night, a Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) appeared. I again hurriedly snatched up the camera and began snapping pics. There aren't many bright pink or lime green animals or insects in nature- so this was quite a treat.

Also kind of cool is the super tiny Moth Fly (Psychodinae) which shares a photo with the Grape Leaffolder Moth in a photo below. The Moth Fly is a fly that resembles a moth and not a moth that resembles a fly, as I had supposed.

Fun Facts:

Both the Luna Moth and the Rosy Maple Moth belong to the same family of insects- the Saturniidae - Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths family. This family includes many other brilliantly colored moths.
An adult Luna moth doesn't have mouth parts, so consequently, it doesn't eat and typically only lives for about a week. It lives just long enough to mate.
My friend, and fellow blogger, Eve Sweatman (http://sunnysideup-eve.blogspot.com/) notified me that the bird, the Tufted Titmouse, loves to eat Luna Moths. She usually only finds the wings of the moth after the Titmouse has made a snack of one of these moths.
A Moth Fly is also known as a Drain Fly because it inhabits many bathroom sink drains and is considered a nuisance.

Luna Moth (Actias Luna)

Luna Moth Wing Detail

Luna Moth Antennae Detail

Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda)

Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris)

Banded Tussock Moth

Unidentified Moth

Rosy Maple Moth

Grape Leaffolder (Desmia) with the tiny Moth Fly (Psychodinae)

Unidentified Moth

Amazing Agility of Hawks

2011-05-06T09:19:00.012-05:00

This BBC video shows the amazing agility of the Goshawk. The Goshawk was given a variety of small openings in which to fly through, each designed to mimic the natural, wooded environment in which it normally hunts. I am especially stunned at the ability of the Goshawk to fly through a small tube by first throwing its feet out in front of it as it enters the tube.

Monster Catfish

2011-01-05T18:00:00.022-06:00

As a Christmas gift for my sons this year, my wife and I decided to hire a guide to take them on a monster catfishing trip. My sons are really into the Monster Fish type shows that are on Animal Planet, National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel. After reading a great article in the Huntsville Times by Frank Sargeant about the Albertville, AL guide, Mike Mitchell I knew that I had located our guide.

Kid's Eye View

I had read about Mike's guiding abilities before. He had been featured by ESPN in an article that I had stumbled across. He also has a documented success rate at leading his clients to the extremely large catfish. Catfish, as in, over 50 pounds, and a few that even weighed more then 100 pounds. Therefore, it was with great anticipation that the kids and I made arrangements with Mike to meet up on December 31, 2010 at 8:30am at the Rock Pile boat dock located on the TVA reservation on Pickwick Lake.

Pickwick Lake is one of several "lakes" that were created by the damming of the Tennessee River. Pickwick, Wilson, and Wheeler lakes along the Tennessee River provide some of the best chances of any place in the world for catching world record size Blue Catfish as well as many other species of fish, including Smallmouth Bass.

The weather on the 31st was ominous. Severe storms were being forecast for the evening, and Mike was concerned about the wind- which is why he chose to fish below Wilson Dam (Florence, AL) as the river is narrower there which would help block the wind and make the experience more enjoyable. A slight warm rain was falling when we left the house to meet up with him at the boat ramp. The kids and I had donned our rain "gear". The gear was chiefly constituted by a waterproof jacket for each of us. My wife made sandwiches and packed snacks. Hardly anything makes the kids happier then knowing that they have a sack full of snacks at their disposal.

We arrived a few minutes late to the boat dock. Mike had already backed his G3 aluminum boat into the water and had it tied off to the floating dock. The rain had stopped and the temperature was a warm (for late December) 50 or so degrees. He helped us into the boat and without much preamble started up the boat's very quiet and smooth running Yamaha 115 4-stroke engine. We were en route to the first spot.

One of my goals for the trip was to learn more about how to fish for monster catfish. I had questions such as: What bait and size should be used? What size and type of hooks? What line strength, rod types, etc.

"The bait question" was promptly answered.. Mike stopped the boat and tossed out the anchor. We were about 75' from shore with a bottom depth of 7'. We were anchored near overturned trees that had fallen and extended out into the river. The water surface temperature gauge on the boat's depth finder read 43 degrees. Mike removed a frozen Skipjack Herring from a large green cooler and began quartering it into large slabs of bait.

Preparing the bait

A #8/0 size Team Catfish circle hook was pushed through the head of a Skipjack Herring. Another hook was applied to the bottom of the head. Mike completed baiting four rods and cast the bait out from the boat. The rods were then placed into very sturdy Monster Rod Holders that were bolted to the gunnel of his boat. (One may be inclined to think that by including detail about the type of rod holder, that I am providing too many mundane details. The type of rod holder isn't a mundane detail. Imagine the force that a 50 to 100 pound catfish can place onto such a rod holder when the catfish suddenly realizes that it has a hook and line restricting its movement. . . suffice it to say that it isn't happy and it will attempt- rather forcibly- to dislodge the hook and will fight vigorously against the invisible force that is holding it. The rod holder has to be extremely strong and designed in such a way that the rod and reel can't be jerked from the mount.)

As the bait lay on the bottom of the river, we sat back and enjoyed the tranquility of being out on the water. Suddenly, the first rod dipped. Less then 10 minutes had passed since we had arrived at the spot and anchored. "A fish!" my sons exclaimed excitedly. "Who want's it?" I asked the boys. My two younger sons, aged 10 and 7, quickly nominated the oldest, Sebastian, age 12, to reel it in. Sebastian took the rod from the rod holder and began reeling. Mike instructed him to keep the line tight as he retrieved the extremely large landing net.

Reeling in the big one. Our guide, Mike Mitchell, is ready with the landing net.

Sebastian cranked in line and fought the fish for about 5 minutes. His arms were getting tired- "my arms are rubbery", he said. Mike noticed some slackness in the line and reminded Sebastian to keep the line tight. Sebastian pulled the fish in close enough for Mike, who was by this time sitting on the top of the outboard motor, to net the fish and swing it into the boat.

The boys and I were speechless. This was by far the largest freshwater fish that we had ever seen. I think "Woah" was the word most heard, followed by "That's incredible." Mike weighed the fish. It weighed 48 pounds! He said, "This fish is a male. And as long as this fish is, if it had been a female, it would have probably weighed around 60 pounds." (Female catfish typically weigh more then the males of the same length.)

Sebastian had caught a 48 pound Blue Catfish! It was a real beauty (for a catfish). It was lean and long. The photos tell the story regarding its size.

A 48 pound Blue Catfish

After weighing the fish and taking a few photos of Mike and the boys with the fish, we released it back into the water and our hopes were high that that would be the first of many fish that day.

Unfortunately, that was the last fish that we caught that morning. But nature kept us entertained. We saw a young raccoon eating berries up in a tree. Mike threw the raccoon a piece of herring which it promptly left the berries for and raced to the ground and snatched it up and ran off with it. We were also happy to see a Bald Eagle, which is always a treat to see.

As we continued to fish, I asked Mike many questions about catfish, how long he had been a guide, how did he learn to catfish, etc. We also talked about Skipjack Herring (the bait that we were using). He mentioned to me that he had enjoyed an article that I had written about the Skipjack Herring. He didn't know that I was the writer of that article until he began talking about the Skipjack and I recognized some of the facts from the article! It really is a small world!

One of the questions that I asked Mike was in regard to where his clients originate. It seems that he gets more clients coming down from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, etc. then he gets from locals (those from North Alabama). I highly recommend Mike to all, especially the "locals".

The trip that we had chosen from Mike's packages of trips, was the five hour trip. I had been concerned that the boys might get too antsy by being in a boat for that long, but the time flew by far too quickly. The adrenaline rush provided by the catch of that first fish held throughout the trip. Furthermore, we really enjoyed learning more from Mike about catfishing and appreciated his willingness to share with us stories from his many experiences. He is a great asset to North Alabama.

If you are interested in a trip or would like to see other monsterous catfish that Mike's clients have caught, please visit his website at http://tnriveroutfitters.net.

By the numbers:

130 lb - the World Record weight recognized by the IGFA for a Blue Catfish
111 lb - the Alabama state fishing record for a Blue Catfish
80 lb - line strength of the leader used
43 degrees - surface temperature of the water
30 lb - line strength of line used
#8/0 - size of Team Catfish circle hook used
7' - depth of water catfish was caught in
Priceless - my sons catching a fish that was nearly as big as them

Florida Blue Centipede

2010-06-17T15:15:00.002-05:00

I found this centipede in my basement. It had evidently discovered a way in after a few days of heavy rains. This species of centipede commonly invades homes. It is a tropical species of centipede that can be found throughout the Southeastern portion of the United States.

And yes, it can inflict a painful bite if mishandled.

Assassin Bug (Zelus luridus)

2010-05-14T10:49:00.007-05:00

As I was looking up into the trees yesterday, I saw this little guy staring back at me. It is an Assassin Bug- specifically Zelus luridus. According to Bugguide.net, it is the most common green Assassin Bug in the Eastern United States.

But why the scientific name of Zelus? Also according to Bugguide.net, Zelus was the son of Pallas and Styx. Zelus and siblings Nike (victory), Cratos (strength) and Bia (violence) were winged enforcers who stood in attendance at the throne of Zeus.

Cool! A "Winged Enforcer"! Perfect.

In the photo it looks as if the bug is about to jump. And it was. After I snapped a photo or two, it jumped down and flew to my arm. I couldn't get a photo of it then because I was using a telephoto lens. It walked around my arm for about 5 seconds and then flew away to another less supervised tree.

And yes, these bugs bite. Notice the sharp little beak that this one has. It works great for piercing skin. :) Fortunately, as I didn't try to catch it or bother it, it didn't bite me.

Since initially posting this article, Gail of http://gailatthefarm.blogspot.com/ passed on her experience with these bugs, writing: "And they do spear hands that get in the way. Feels like to the bone." When I hear the words "bite" and "to the bone"- that tells me that I definitely don't want to be bit by one of these insects!

A Texas A&M website indicates this about an Assassin Bug bite: Although most assassin bugs are slow-moving and non-aggressive, they will use their rostrum in self-defense if handled carelessly. Such bites may be rather painful to humans because the bugs inject the same salivary secretion used to dissolve the tissues of their prey. This results in the death of a small area of cells at the site of the bite. The symptoms are an intense burning sensation, often followed by a small, itchy lump that may persist for several days. However, no true toxin is involved so it is rare for the reaction to last long or to extend beyond the site of the bite.

Children's Museum of the Shoals

2010-05-09T15:48:00.002-05:00

Recently, my friend and Master Gardener, Janna Whitley, contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in helping her with an Organic Gardening workshop that she would be conducting on May 8, 2010 at the Children's Museum of the Shoals in Florence, AL. She was wondering if I would like to talk about good bugs and bad bugs; specifically about how "good" insects could be beneficial in the control of "bad" insects like aphids. After thinking it over for about one second, I quickly replied that I would be ecstatic to assist with such an event! Who wouldn't want the chance to talk about bugs?

Janna identified a few insects for me that she was interested in teaching the kids: lacewings, aphids, assassin bugs, pirate bugs, praying mantis, and especially ladybugs. A great list! What kids wouldn't want to learn more about an assassin bug or a pirate bug?! So we set out to create some reference cards to illustrate each insect and also provide a cool fact or two about them. . Such as, did you know that aphids are a type of "alate"- that is an insect that can grow wings as the need may arise? In other words, when a host plant becomes overrun with aphids- the next generation of the aphids may be born with wings so that they can fly away and populate other plants. Nature is kind of cool that way. As the scientist character says in the movie Jurassic Park- "nature finds a way." I am attaching a slideshow of the insect reference cards. ( A special thanks go out to Bugguide.net contributors Tom Murray and Lynette Schimming for allowing me to use their photos of a Pirate Bug and Lacewing, respectively.)

The Children's Museum of the Shoals is a fantastic place! It is located at the entrance to Deibert Park. The design and decor of the building itself literally draws kids to want to stop in and explore. It is a building of bold, primary colors- which naturally draws attention- but what really gets the kids' attention- as well as adults- is the 20 to 30 foot catfish that adorns a tower wing of the museum. That catfish alone is reason enough for my six year old son to want to visit! But inside, it is even more cool. Almost all of the exhibits are hands on- with fossils, prisms, gravel pits, a river exhibit, tools, etc.- kids are encouraged to do, and touch- rather then- like at a lot of museums- look, but don't touch. Several of the parents commented to me how that their kids can spend hours in the museum without becoming bored or wanting to head right home. That is the best kudos that I can think of for the folks that operate the museum!

The Organic Gardening workshop that Janna was conducting was another of the museums "hands-on" exhibits. When my kids and I arrived at the museum, the shovels, rakes, spades and plants were arranged ready for the kids to pick up and begin working. Three large planting boxes had already been filled with rich dirt and tilled. It looked as if three other families were there to help: about 10 kids altogether. Janna got a few of the kids busy raking the dirt to loosen it up for planting and also directed a few in the exercise of breaking up large dirt clods. Afterwards, she instructed the kids in how to dig the holes for the plants- and then all of the kids- from the age of 4 on up to about the age of 10, quickly planted lots of flowers, vegetables, and herbs. While they were planting, Janna taught them about the plants and the reasoning for the planting of the various flowers and herbs (to help attract "good bugs" that would then help in the control of the "bad" bugs, the aphids.)

A huge thanks goes out to the folks at the Children's Museum of the Shoals and Master Garderner Janna Whitley for hosting such a great event!

Tennessee Aquarium

2010-05-03T17:10:00.001-05:00

The Tennessee Aquarium, located in Chattanooga, TN is a fantastic place to visit. My family and I traveled to Chattanooga yesterday, May 2, 2010, for a quick one day visit. We were primarily going because my four year old daughter wanted to see their Penguin exhibit- Penguin Rock. She is fascinated by Penguins- so we thought that that would make a great trip for her.

According to the Trip Advisor ratings, the Tennessee Aquarium is the highest rated aquarium in the United States. I have been to a few other great aquariums- and I would certainly label it as one of the best. The aquarium is split into two separate buildings, one building for freshwater and one building for saltwater. The freshwater aquarium is referred to as the River Journey. The saltwater aquarium is named Ocean Journey. According to Wikipedia, these two tanks and building hold an outstanding collection of over 12,000 animals.

The buildings are aptly named "Journeys". A long escalator transports visitors to the top floor of each building. A path then winds down for several floors along the sides of the large tanks. The path leads through several different rooms and environments such as rain forests, swamps, special species specific exhibits like turtles, jellyfish, etc. There are also interactive areas such as an area whereby kids (and adults) can touch stingrays, sturgeon, etc. There is also a large butterfly room that provides great photo opportunities. This trip presented more photo opportunities then quite a few trips that I have been on in awhile. The kids and I had a blast!

The following are some of my favorite photos from the trip. (The high res photo gallery is at http://danielspurgeon.zenfolio.com/p24349126)

Glade of May Apples

2010-04-21T14:19:00.004-05:00

Greetings, this is the first of my "in the field" posts, where the photographs and text are taken and entered via my phone.

One of my favorite plants, The May Apple, is in bloom. Remember to be careful when handling this plant- all parts of the plant but the ripe fruit are considered toxic.

Portraits of Nature - Velvet Mite

2010-03-19T19:32:00.005-05:00

Velvet Mite (Trombidiidae)

The Okefenokee Swamp

2010-02-01T21:35:00.002-06:00

The Okefenokee Swamp should be considered a "must see" for every nature lover. It is located in the Southeast corner of Georgia, bordering the Florida state line. I have had the privilege of visiting the swamp twice during the past 14 years. The word "privilege" isn't too strong of a word to use. Indeed, I count my visits as blessings.

The magic begins with the air. Many people envision a swamp as a foul and stagnant cesspool of a place. Not so. The air seems to be filled with freshly minted oxygen. As I journeyed through the swamp, occasionally I would stop, close my eyes, and just breathe; savoring the freshness of the air like one savors a cold glass of pure water. And the freshness of the air makes sense. Life is everywhere in abundance. The Okefenokee is lush with plant life. And what do plants do? They convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. The air very much feels as if your lungs are taking it directly from the plants.

"But there are alligators" many of my friends say dismissively. And with that thought, they walk away from the idea of visiting the swamp. "Yes," I reply trying to win them back. "There are alligators. But alligator attacks on humans in the swamp are very, very rare. And the swamp really is a delight to the senses. . . the rich colors of the Golden Club or the Lotus floating upon the dark tea stained tannin waters is art in its highest form. And the chorus of a million toads and frogs at night is a symphony that isn't to be missed. And did I mention the feel of the air as it bathes your skin? Or the odd sensation of the earth moving beneath your feet as you venture off of a boardwalk?" "But there are alligators" is the reply to my entreaty. And these, my friends, refuse to visit the swamp because of the alligators. Tis a pity. (The earth really does move as you walk across portions of the swamp. "Okefenokee" is the Indian word for "land of trembling earth".)

I visited the Okefenokee Swamp in March on each of my visits. The late winter time or early spring is probably the best time to visit. This is primarily because the insects aren't too bad at that time of year. I have read that the biting insects such as mosquitoes, deer flies, no-see-ums, etc. can make visits unbearable during the summer months. The weather is also mild during March before the blazing Georgia summer sun moves in to beat the inhabitants down.

The following are a few photos that my friend Dr. Ron Van Houten and I captured. All of the photos were taken on a one day visit to the swamp in 2007. Be sure to click on the photos to be able to see the larger size.

American Alligator(Alligator mississippiensis)

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Paddling on a canoe trail with my son Sebastian and Ron's son, Remington

Signs Marking the Canoe Trails

American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

If you need a sign to tell you not to mess with 200lb reptiles, you probably shouldn't go to the Okefenokee Swamp

Palamedes Swallowtail

Papilio palamedes

Stepping onto the "trembling earth"

A carnivorous plant- the Sundew (Drosera)

Enjoying the swamp

Florida species of the Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

American Alligator resting amid the Golden Club plants

Ron taking photos along a boardwalk

Another carnivorous plant, the Pitcher Plant (Sarraceniaceae)

The largest species of squirrel in North America- the Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Spanish Moss covered trees

American Alligators swimming

A Hummingbird Magnet - The Trumpet Vine

2010-01-28T19:43:00.010-06:00

The Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) is a beautiful, useful, hardy native vine of the Southeastern United States. It receives its common name based on the many trumpet shaped orange flowers that it produces. Some of its other common names are also useful descriptors of the nature of this plant: Hummingbird Vine, Outhouse Vine and Cow-Itch.

This perennial vine's use as a hummingbird attractant cannot be over emphasized. Hummingbird's adore this plant and may return year after year to it. The Hilton Pond nature center had the following to say about this plant's use in their hummingbird banding efforts: "it is absolutely an amazing attractant for hummingbirds. We maintain a monstrous monoculture of Trumpet Creeper that serves as centerpiece for our hummingbird trapping area".

But I only quoted a portion of the sentence from the Hilton Pond website- the sentence continued with this warning: "but many folks shy away from this magnificent native plant because it grows so rapidly and, coincidentally, because it causes dermatitis in cattle (and some people)--hence the alternate name of "Cow Itch." Indeed, this is a very rapid growing vine. It will take over any structure that it is planted near. Even Wikipedia warns that "ruthless pruning is recommended" with this vine.

But, one person's junk is another person's treasure. Many people prize this plant because of its ability to cover unsightly walls or structures. This is how it became known as the "Outhouse Vine". The Killer Plants website mentions that this plant was highly prized back in the day of outhouses for its ability to quickly and ornamentally (perhaps fragrantly, as well?) help conceal an outhouse.

At the end of its growing season, the Trumpet Vine produces several 6" - 9", bean shaped seed pods that are filled with small, winged seeds. Once the pods are completely dry (sometime during the winter), they will split open and spill their content of winged seeds. And how many seeds are in a pod? I didn't know, so I decided to find out.

Using a razor blade, I carefully cut along the seam that joined the two halves of the pod together and pried the pod open. The first thing that I noticed was how neatly and elegantly the little winged seeds were packed into the pod. Each seed was lightly connected at a corner to each adjacent seed. And each row of seeds was packed atop another row of seeds- much like sliced bacon in a package. Someone should really study the "packaging" of the Trumpet Vine seeds. It is truly amazing at how neatly and orderly everything fits. One website had estimated around 400 seeds per pod. It was quickly apparent to me that there were more then 400 seeds in the pod. But how many?

I began to weigh the seeds on a digital kitchen scale that could measure as low as 1g of weight. I kept adding the seeds until the scale measured 1g. I counted those seeds- and it appeared that around 250 seeds weighed 1g. I then weighed the rest of the seeds, they weighed 5g. Therefore there was a total of 6g of seeds which gives an estimated count of around 1,500 seeds per pod! It is said that one would have to have a "brown thumb" to be unsuccessful at growing a Trumpet Vine. It is little wonder, therefore, that it can spread so quickly and become an invasive.

Individual Seed

Loose seeds on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. How did that pile ever fit into one pod?

Shoal Creek Preserve Tract

2010-01-24T14:33:00.018-06:00

On January 23, 2010 I was finally able to visit the lovely Shoal Creek Preserve Tract nature area. It is a wonderful part of the Alabama Forever Wild series of land purchases and management. I was really impressed by the quality of the trails. The trails were well marked and suitable for use by all age groups. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time so I was able to only walk a short distance up the Red Trail. If I could have walked a little farther- I would have reached Shoals Creek- which is a fantastically beautiful creek that flows into the Tennessee River at Florence, AL.

Although it is still the middle of winter here in Alabama, I was able to spot a couple of wildflowers blooming: Dead Nettle and Shepherd's Purse. The Turkey Tail fungi was also very striking.

I am really looking forward to watching the various wildflowers beginning to bloom as Spring advances.

Section of the Red Trail (be sure to click on the image to see the full size photo- the trail just draws you to want to see what is around the bend)

Judas Ear Fungi Auricularia auricula-judae

Turkey Tail Fungi Trametes versicolor

Dead Nettle Lamium purpureum

Shepherd's Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris

Interesting Fly Art by Flychelangelo

2010-01-22T11:39:00.001-06:00

The Sky News website is showcasing the "art" work of an artist by the name of Flychelangelo. His (her?) work is very humorous- not to mention creative. The humor in the photos is very similar in style to the Far Side cartoon strip. Who knew that dead flies could be so much fun?

Click here for the slideshow of photos.

Shepherds Purse

2010-01-17T20:41:00.003-06:00

It is winter and you are hoping to spy a wildflower blooming somewhere along the lifeless winter ground. Cheer up- chances are good that you might be able to find a wildflower from the mustard family among the waste places near you. And not just any wildflower, but a wildflower that has a long and rich botanical history for its use as a medicine.

Shepherd's Purse is one of the earliest blooming and widespread wildflowers to be found every year. It's scientific name of Capsella bursa-pastoris translates loosely into the same meaning as its common name. Capsella is latin for "little box", while bursa-pastoris translates literally into "Shepherd's Purse". In either case, it is known as Shepherd's Purse because of its little heart shaped seed pods which remind many of the little satchels that shepherds would carry with them into the fields with their sheep.

Shepherds purse has a long history of use as a medicinal plant. But it was surprising to me to note that the European medicinal uses and the Native American uses of the plant were somewhat different. The Europeans seemed to think more of the plant as a plant that was useful for stopping bleeding, whereas the Native Americans either didn't know of the plant for that use- or simply ignored it. In Daniel Moerman's excellent book Native American Ethnobotany, he documented the following uses for this plant by Native American tribe:

Cheyenne- as an analgesic. They took an infusion of the powdered leaves and stems- or ate small quantities of the powder for head pains (sort of like Goody's powders, I suppose)
Chippewa- Analgesic, anti diarrheal, and as a gastrointestinal aid for stomach cramps.
Costanoan- Anti diarrheal
Mahuna- Anti diarrheal
Menominee- Dermatological. Entire plant was used as a wash for poison ivy
Mohegan- Stomach aid. An infusion of the seedpods taken for stomach pains. They also used an infusion of the seedpods as an anthelmintic for the killing of internal worms.
Apache-made bread and cake from the seeds after they had been ground into a flour.
Cherokee- used the leaves cooked and then eaten as greens.

In 1633 edition of his book Gerard's Herbal, the famed naturalist and herbalist, Gerarde noted: "Shepherds purse stayeth bleeding in any part of the body, whether the juices or the decoction thereof be drunke, or whether it be used pultesse-wise, or in a bath, or any other way else. In a Clyster it cureth the bloudy flix: it healeth greene and bleeding wounds: it is marvellous good for inflammations new begun, and for all diseases which must be checked backe and cooled. The decoction doth stop the laske, the spitting and pissing of bloud, and all other fluxes of bloud."

Mrs. M. Grieve, the author of A Modern Herbal, wrote the following in 1931 concerning the medicinal uses of Shepherd's Purse: "When dried and infused, it yields a tea which is still considered by herbalists one of the best specifics for stopping haemorrhages of all kinds... Its haemostyptic properties have long been known and are said to be equal to those of ergot and hydrastis. During the Great War, when these were no longer obtainable in German commerce, a liquid extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris was used as a substitute."

There are many online stores that sell Shepherd's Purse products for medicinal uses.

Portraits of Nature - Northern Slimy Salamander

2010-01-05T09:52:00.005-06:00

Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)

Some Favorite Nature Photos from 2009

2009-12-31T11:55:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! Thank you to everyone that visited my blog this year. I had a wonderful year blogging- and even more so, enjoying the photos and commentary from my fellow blogging friends.

The following slideshow contains some of my favorite nature photos from 2009. To see a larger version of the photo- simply click on the photo and the browser will redirect you to a larger view of the photo. I tried to include only photos that I haven't already displayed on this blog.

Regarding the photo of the elm tree bud (I think that it is from a elm tree) on the left- I included it, because to my imagination it looks like a Red-haired Native American mom with her child following along behind her. :)

Jacob's Ladder

2009-12-29T15:26:00.007-06:00

Jacob's Ladder is a beautiful, native perennial that begins to blossom in the early spring. It is not only an attractive wildflower, it also has a rich history in folk medicine where it is often referred to as "Abcess Root". Some of its other common names include: Creeping Jacob's Ladder, Spreading Jacob's Ladder, False Jacob's Ladder, American Greek Valerian, Blue bells, and Sweatroot. It is known as Jacob's Ladder because of the shape of its leaves- they branch out into the shape of a ladder.

The Jacob's Ladder pictured with this article was found in the deep shade in the woods near my home on April 8, 2009. It can typically be found growing in the deep shade throughout most of the Eastern United States from early spring to the mid-summer.

The roots have long been used as a herbal medicine- many 19th century pharmacology books refer to its uses as an aid for tuberculosis (often called "consumption"), venomous snake bites, as a diuretic (which would explain the common name of "Sweat Root"), and as a treatment for bronchitis.

In the Eclectic Medical Journal, Volume 67 published by the Ohio State Eclectic MedicalAssociation in 1907, Dr. John Albert Burnett wrote an article regarding an effective use that he had discovered for treating bronchitis using a mixture containing Polemonium reptens root. He wrote:

According to my experience, bronchitis is a hard disease to treat successfully when the ordinary course of treatment is followed that is usually recommended by most writers on this disease. In my opinion the best general all-round treatment for just any and all cases of bronchitis is a mixture of amphiachyris dracunculoides (broom weed) and polemonium reptans(abscess root). In speaking of amphiachyris dracunculoides, Dr. J. M. Massie says: " I have been using this agent for the last six years in a climate where, on account of the sudden changes of temperature, we are subject to all kinds of diseases of the air passages and of the alimentary canal, and I am sure that amphiachyris excels all other agents in the treatment of these diseases. In combination with polemonium and lycopus I get the very best results. If I have a case of bronchitis, I use amphiachyris and polemonium. If a case of bronchitis where there has been some hemorrhage, I add these to lycopus. Amphiachyris is always the leading agent in my prescription, and often the only agent." Dr. Massie further says: "A man thirty-eight years of age had been troubled for several months with bronchial catarrh ; coughed quite a great deal, especially in the morning upon rising from his bed, raising quantities of mucus each day. These conditions continued until the latter part of March, when he had a slight hemorrhage from the lungs. There was a distinct spot in the right lung, in the region of the right nipple, that was very sore, and it was from this spot that the hemorrhage seemed to come. The cough continued, and just four weeks from the time that he had the slight hemorrhage referred to, he had a more distinct hemorrhage, and could determine plainly that the hemorrhage came from the spot in the right lung. There was a burning sensation there alf the time, and a tendency to hacking all the time to relieve the accumulation at that spot. He was put upon the following treatment, and being a believer in the physio-medical practice, he followed the treatment persistently: Teaspoonful every three hours continuously.

This treatment was continued for five months, with the following results: There has been no more hemorrhages, soreness at the spot referred to entirely gone, and the cough entirely stopped, and the patient has passed through the entire hot summer and has gained fifteen pounds in weight. He has now gone for two months without treatment and no return of the trouble whatever." (source)

However, before trying Dr. Burnett's "cure" for bronchitis, it is interesting to note a rebuttal of his findings by the California Medical Journal, Vol XXVIII, No.2, February 1907:

Dr. Burnett's paper is a resurrection of old time Eclectic and physiomedical uses for Polemonium reptans chiefly in the direction of its effects in respiratory diseases. The remedy is practically obsolete and its importance is questionable. (source)

But why was it used as a snake bite aid? Most likely because of its effect of causing people to sweat. According to the King's American Dispensatory, Vol. 2, 1900:

Alterative, diaphoretic, and astringent. A warm infusion of the root will, it is said, produce copious perspiration, and has been found serviceable in pleurisy, febrile and inflammatory diseases. The tincture, made of whiskey, in doses of from 1 to 2 fluid ounces, 2 or 3 times a day, has been found valuable in scrofulous diseases, and other chronic diseases where an alterative is indicated. The infusion is recommended in the bites of venomous snakes and insects, and in bowel complaints requiring the use of astringents. Reported to have cured consumption, but these cases were probably of severe bronchitis. Useful in bronchial and laryngeal affections. The plant deserves investigation. (source)

The scientific name for Jacob's Ladder is Polemonium reptans. Polemonium was named after Poleman, a 2nd century Greek philosopher. Reptans means "creeping".

Radioactive Gifts

2009-12-27T13:05:00.023-06:00

"So, what did you get for Christmas, Johnny?" Johnny's aunt, Sarah, asked. "Golly, Aunt Sarah! I got a Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab! It has over 150 radioactive experiments that I can perform. It's great! Look! My hands are even starting to glow!"

Did you get a radioactive play lab for Christmas this year? Probably not- but a few children between 1951 and 1952 might have received a set as an educational Christmas present.

The Gilbert U-238 lab and other radioactive products is part of an interesting Scientific America article by Adam Hadhazy on their website: 7 Hot Products: Radioactive Gifts and Gadgets of Yesteryear. It is a sobering exhibit- primarily because most of us trust consumer products to be safe. But sometimes, as in the case of the early days of radiation, the manufacturer will assume something to be safe until it is proven to be otherwise. The articles about Radithor (Certified Radioactive Water) and also the radium laced paint (used on early watch hands to make them glow in the dark) illustrate the dangers of willfully not understanding the dangers of a product. In the case of Radithor, the article documents where a doctor had advised his patient to begin drinking Radithor as a tonic to help the patient with his broken arm. Later, because of the radiation poisoning from the "tonic", the patient suffered through losing most of his jaw as well as holes forming in his skull. The article indicates that the drink was marketed as "perpetual sunshine".

In the case of the radium laced paint for early 20th century watches- a supervisor of the women that were responsible for the painting of the watches- actually drank some of the paint to prove to her co-workers that the paint was safe. Many of the women would later suffer from various skin issues and ultimately cancer. (source)

The Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) website has a fascinating virtual museum of radioactive consumer products of the past AND present. For example, Brazil Nuts are listed on the ORAU website as having high levels of both barium and radium. Who knew?

Other current or past radioactive products listed on ORAU's Consumer Products list:

cat litter
low sodium salt
bathroom tile
porcelain dentures

And perhaps the oddest example of an irradiated product- a golf ball. Visit the site and look how misshapen it is after 40 years- presumably due to the effects of the radiation. I would hate to have been a golfer that carried a pocket full of those things around.

Photo of the Gilbert Atomic Lab is from the ORAU museum website

Ugly Bug Contest

2009-12-26T11:55:00.003-06:00

As I was browsing through the web, I came across a contest that I felt that the loyal readers of this blog would want to know about: The Ugly Bug Contest. This year's winner (loser?) is the Agulla "stretch" Snakefly. I was excited to see that a Cranefly was in the running for the title as well. I had taken a photo of a bright green-eyed Cranefly in the early summer (as shown here.)

One gripe that I have about the contest is that all of the images are super, super magnified. I think that the contest would be more effective if the bugs were shown in regular macro mode. I don't think that we can fully appreciate their "ugliness" in the manner in which they are currently shown.

And without further adieu- here is the link to the contest winners: http://askabiologist.asu.edu/uglybugs/index2009_vote.php

Copperhead Video

2009-12-22T14:10:00.001-06:00

The following a short video that I made of a Copperhead snake. Many thanks to my friend and Zoologist, Dr. Ron Van Houten for his contributions in this video. A full article on the Copperhead can be seen here.

A Real Puzzler

2009-12-20T13:18:00.014-06:00

Every now and then I discover a product that is so bad that I will actually purchase it because of its "badness". This United States Jigsaw Puzzle- Official Birds of the States fell into that category. As I was looking at the box while in the store, I was astonished to not only see a few errors, but also an especially terrible sense of photo selection as well!

Click on the photo of the jigsaw puzzle. Can you spot the errors?

Times up.

Michigan, Alabama, and New York all seem to have the wrong species of bird in the photograph. The photo of the robin used for Michigan should be a photo of an American Robin (like in the photo used for Wisconsin.) However, it isn't. It appears to be a photo of an European Robin.

Perhaps the puzzle manufacturer was simply thinking that a robin is a robin is a robin- so it wouldn't make much difference which species of robin they used. This line of thought might help explain why a photo of what looks to be a Mountain Bluebird was used for the state of New York. A photo of an Eastern Bluebird should have been used.

Which brings me to Alabama. My home state. The state bird of Alabama is the Yellowhammer- which is a Southern nickname for the Northern Flicker. The bird used in the photo for Alabama is definitely not a Northern Flicker. Thanks to my friend Eve, of the wonderful Sunny Side Up blog, I now know that the bird pictured for Alabama on the puzzle is actually the Yellowhammer species of Europe- which isn't even remotely similar to the Northern Flicker. Thanks Eve for solving that mystery for me!

Cardinals have to be one of the easier birds to photograph. They frequent bird feeders. They are very common and they are very pretty. So why in the name of all that is good and feathery did the puzzle maker use a photo of what has to be the ugliest Cardinal in the world? Look at the photo of the Cardinal used for Kentucky. Yikes!

I began to suspect that this puzzle must have been designed by someone in China who wasn't familiar with the the birds of North America. No such luck. Prominently and proudly printed in the lower right corner of the puzzle were the words: "Made in the U.S.A." :)

Contributing to Scientific Knowledge

2009-12-15T16:12:00.005-06:00

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources State Lands Division, Natural Heritage Section. Someone from their division had seen a photo of the Purple Fringeless Orchid that I had written about in July 2009. It seems that this orchid is indeed rare in Alabama and they were kindly inquiring as to whether I would provide them with the date and location of the find-which, of course, I didn't have an issue with at all.

The department also provided me a link to a database whereby one could lookup and/or enter the spotting of other species- not only wildflowers, but also amphibians, reptiles, fish, etc.

Needless to say, receiving their inquiry "made my day". I am greatly encouraged by the department's keen appreciation and diligence to protecting our wildlife. It was also very reassuring that they took the time to drop me an email and politely ask for more details so that they could log the sighting accurately. They designated the database entry as "Private" to ensure that the location of the orchid will not be visible to the general public- the reason for doing that is to help safeguard the location from collectors. I am glad that they have that policy in place- often times GPS coordinates are provided which would pinpoint the exact location of a species.

The following is a link to the database that is available for use to all. It is especially handy for the browsing of species at a county level. https://heritage.dcnr.alabama.gov/WebEntry/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/default.aspx New users will need to create a username and password. The site is free and it doesn't take much time to setup an account.

Here is a photograph of the orchid:

Double-crested Cormorant

2009-12-03T11:22:00.007-06:00

A large flock of Double-crested Cormorants have made their winter home at Wilson Dam, on the Tennessee River near Florence, AL. I have been fascinated by these birds ever since I had seen a National Geographic photo of a fisherman in China using a Cormorant to catch fish. The fisherman would tie a rope around the neck of the Cormorant so that it couldn't swallow the fish, he would then allow the bird to dive for fish and bring them up to him in its beak. I was unable to find the photo that I had in mind. However, I was able to find another National Geographic photo that had been taken in Japan of the fishermen using the Cormorants in the same fashion. Here is a link to the photo: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/fishing-cormorants_pod_image.html

Cormorants do eat a lot of fish. So much so that there is an on-going debate in many states regarding the Cormorant's impact on the fish population. Cormorant's are federally protected birds- it is illegal to hunt them.

As recently as 30 years ago, due to the effects of DDT, the Cormorant, like the Brown Pelican, had almost been driven to extinction. And now, also like the Brown Pelican, through the banning of DDT and other conservation methods- the cormorant has made a stunning comeback. I would estimate that I saw over 500 Double-crested Cormorants while at the Wilson Dam location- and that is just one of many wintering sites for the Cormorant in the Southeast. I was also pleased to be able to get a photo of a Cormorant that had been banded for research- band #92E.

The Double-crested Cormorant's scientific name is Phalacrocorax auritus. Phalacrocorax is derived from the Greek word phalakros which means "crow" or "raven". Auritus is latin for "eared" which describes the tufts of feathers that appear on the Cormorant's head during the breeding season. This is also how they get their common name of "Double-crested".