Bright eyed and bushy tailed

Eastern Gray squirrels often have two litters of young per year. The first litter is born around mid to late March after a 40-45 day gestation period. They will stay with their mother until they are weaned, which usually is about 3 months. The second litter is born around August or September and will usually stay with the mother until spring. Most litters range from 2-4 young, which are born blind, naked, toothless, and helpless. About 6-7 weeks after birth they are finally able to leave the nest for the first time, but they will stay with the mother for several more weeks.

Since it's March, somewhere in some tree there are baby squirrels being born. I would love to see them, but I know it will be a few more weeks before they show themselves to the outside world. However, the other day I noticed three squirrels playing in a tree. They would pop in and out of holes in the tree...scamper up and down from the very top of the tree to the base... nibble on nuts and even on the bark of the tree... push each other out of the way to peer at me through one of the holes... and perform various other acrobatic maneuvers. At one point, one of the squirrels seemed to be chasing its tail as it went round and round the branch. They appeared to be three siblings exploring their environment. One squirrel took a tentative, exploratory run to another tree, but quickly ran back to the "home" tree and raced to the top. Could it be that these squirrels are from a fall litter? If so, that would make them about 6-7 months old.

Here are a few snapshots of the three of them, though I have to admit I cannot distinguish between them.

Nibbling on a black walnut shell

On his way to the very top of the branch

Peering at me from the safety of his hole

Pausing after having raced up and down on the inside of the tree

Tasting the early spring buds

"Nature is a language and every new fact one learns is a new word; but it is not a language taken to pieces and dead in the dictionary, but the language put together into a most significant and universal sense. I wish to learn this language- not that I may know a new grammar, but that I may read the great book which is written in that tongue."

 ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Exploring under rocks

I love turning over rocks! Beneath rocks are homes, tunnels, trails, hiding places... there's life, struggle, drama, love, and death... there's mystery... there's a whole mini ecosystem to explore. Sometimes turning over a rock reveals a worm or a nest of ants; sometimes it's a slug or a cricket; sometimes it's a centipede and even occasionally a snake... The other day I was carefully lifting rocks along the creek to see if I could find any cool creatures. Under one, a small black beetle scurried away; under another, a spider flattened himself to the grey stone. Knowing that there are often spiders underneath, I'm always careful when I overturn rocks to be sure of where I'm putting my fingers. This bit of wisdom has only come with age and greater awareness. As a kid I would reach under objects or into dark nooks and corners... not thinking about whose house my fingers were intruding.

Northern Dusky Salamander

Well, after turning over half a dozen rocks or more, I finally spotted a salamander. It was a dark greyish-brown with some lighter reddish-brown splotches along its back. I scoured the internet for clues as to its identity and finally something caught my eye. Under the description for the Northern Dusky Salamander was the notation "Dusky's are easily identified by the light line that extends from the eye to the angle of the jaw." I looked closely at the picture I had taken, and sure enough, there was a light-colored line extending from the corner of the eye.

Dusky salamanders are most common where water is running and they will hide under various objects either in or near the water. Some interesting facts about these salamanders include:

• They remain hidden from sight for 70% of their lives
• They have an immovable lower jaw, so they must lift their heads in order to open their mouths
• They are a lung-less salamander, which means they absorb the oxygen they need through the skin and mouth. 

PS. There's a neat book for elementary science teachers or parents that discusses the fascinating habitats that can be found under rocks. It's called Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and other Ughs

 


"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." ~Plutarch

Ripples...

If you spend enough time next to a slow moving creek or calm pond, you are likely to see long-legged bugs skimming across the water, darting here and there remarkably quickly. These bugs are called water striders, though they also go by other names: pond skaters, water bugs, skimmers, and water skippers. They have the incredible ability to "walk" on water. The secret to the water strider is its legs. They have long, slender legs that allow them to distribute their weight over a much larger surface area. The legs also have tiny hairs that repel water and capture air.  By repelling water, the tiny water striders stand on the water's surface and the captured air allows them to float and move easily. Their front legs are for catching prey, the middle legs are used for rowing, while the back legs are used for steering.

In the breeding season, these bugs communicate by sending ripples to each other on the surface of the water. They can sense vibrations and ripples in the water with the sensitive hairs on their legs and bodies. If an insect accidentally falls into the water, the ripples it makes will tell the pond strider exactly where it is. Water striders eat insects and larvae, such as mosquitoes, flies, caterpillars, and fallen dragonflies.

Learning about the water strider's method of communication reminds me of our influence in this world. Our every action creates a ripple, whether it's the things we do, the words we say, the looks we flash, the moods we get into, the attitudes we give... each is a ripple. We can't control the fact that we cause a ripple, nor can we stop it once it has been created, but we can control whether the ripple is positive or negative.

"Throw a pebble into a lake, and a wave is formed, and another and another, and as they increase, the circle widens, until it reaches the very shore. So with our influence. Beyond our knowledge or control it tells upon others in blessing or in cursing." Christ's Object Lessons p.340

First Offical Day of Spring!!

Spring is here! Officially!! Warm sunshine thawing the earth, flower blossoms unfolding into a tapestry of color, lacy green creeping over brown branches, chorus frogs chirping in the fields, melodious bird songs filling the morning air.... Watching spring unfold is so exciting. Granted, spring brings with it often changing weather as well: rain, sun, hail, tornadoes, warmth, cold... but that's all part of spring. Right now birds are carefully selecting building materials for their nests and defending their territories. Soon baby birds will be chirping for food.

Red maple

Magnolia bush

Apricot tree

  I went for a short walk in our yard this afternoon. Rustling in the leaves near me caught my attention and I paused. After scanning the forest floor, I spotted movement and watched as the leaves were pushed up and grass swayed. I followed the winding trail of pushed up leaves with my eyes and finally glimpsed a flash of grey fur. I continued to observe until I saw the secretive shrew foraging for food under the damp leaves... a second... and he was once again hidden from my sight. From its color and location I'd guess it was a Southern Short-tailed shrew. Our cat unfortunately catches many of them.

Short-tailed shrew are primarily carnivorous. They eat spiders, centipedes, earthworms, and insects. They may eat some vegetation as well, but usually they are  not a threat to gardens. Because of their high metabolism, they have to eat as much as three times their weight in food per day. Interestingly they are the only mammal in North America that produces a salivary toxin that is secreted from a duct at the base of the incisors. This powerful toxin, much like snake venom, is injected into the bite wounds of its prey to kill them.

Southern Short-tailed shrew

This little shrew was rescued from our cat and I kept it a few hours to observe it. After spending several minutes just sitting in a "corner" of the glass bowl it was in, it started rummaging around and pushing up the leaves I had placed inside. Deciding it may be hungry, I went out to the yard to find a worm. As soon as I placed the unfortunate worm into the bowl, the shrew was on top of it and valiantly fought with it until with one bite, the worm was severed in half. As soon as it had finished it's meal, it went back to searching for more. Though it was fun to watch the little creature for a while, I knew I had to let it go, so I took a few pictures, then took it outside where it belonged.


"Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm" ~ John Muir

"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between the two is sometimes as great as a month." ~ Henry Van Dyke

Why the clover?

As a youth, St Patrick was kidnapped from his Scottish homeland and taken to Ireland, where he remained until he was around 20, when he finally escaped. His experience brought him closer to God and when he returned to his home, he began studying for the priesthood. Later, he return to Ireland as a missionary to spread the Gospel. We associate clover with "St Patrick's Day" because legend has it that as he was evangelizing, he tried to explain the Holy Trinity using a three-leafed clover. As the clover has three distinct leaves but is one piece of clover so also God has three distinct persons while remaining one God. I love these kinds of object lessons because as a visual learner, it helps me understand a little better a concept that is otherwise abstract.

The neat thing about clover is that it's also edible. There are many different types of clover, but all of them are edible. Then can be eaten in salads, cooked as greens, and made into teas. Though you can eat the flower-heads and leaves raw, they are easier to eat if soaked for 1 hour or boiled. Dried flowers and seed pods can be ground up into flour and mixed with other foods. Clover is also high in protein!

This reminds me that it's almost time for my spring ritual of eating a small garden salad...composed entirely of tender, green wild edibles. My salads often consist of: dandelion (greens and flowers), violets (leaves and flowers), plantain, clover (leaves and flowers),wood sorrel (if I can find some) and whatever other edible greens I can find. Mixed with cold pressed olive oil, lemon juice and salt, it makes a colorful and healthy little salad. Just be sure of what you are picking :)

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Walking the Creek

It was a gorgeous day today. Invigorated by the warmth, the breeze, and the smell of spring, I wandered out to the creek to see what may have changed since my last visit.

 

One thing is for sure, the male Cardinals have been very active recently. I see them battling each other, then going to different parts of the yard to lay claim to their territory by singing from a high up branch. While walking along the creek, I noticed several Cardinals either drinking at the water's edge or bathing in the still cool waters. 

 

 I decided to turn over a few stones to see if creatures were stirring and to my surprise I spotted two large salamanders and about four smaller salamanders at various points along the creek. As soon as I lifted a stone, they would slither away so quickly that sometimes all I saw was the water ripple and a cloud of mud. However, if I moved very slowly when I lifted things, I was able to catch a glimpse of them. Can you spot the one below?

Did you know that the name "salamander" comes from the Greek word for Fire Lizard. This name came about when salamanders came running out of the logs they had been hiding in when those logs were thrown on a fire. Tennessee has about 52 different types of salamanders, while North America has around 150 species.

Another exciting find was a small crayfish. Did you ever notice that they walk forwards, but swim backwards? As they grow they shed their skin and often eat it for the calcium it contains. They are scavengers, so they eat pretty much anything they can find (fish, water plants, worms, insects, snails, and yes, even each other).

Spring cleaning along my creek

These sightings mean that the waters are warming up a bit and spring is just around the corner. I can hardly wait! However, not all was beautiful along my section of creek. Sporadic flooding washes garbage down the creek, where it remains until someone decides to pick it up or another flood pushes it further downstream. I think it would be wonderful if everyone started paying attention to their little spot of earth and/or water and caring about it enough to pick up the trash that pollutes it. If each person did their part, what a difference could be made!

"Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for you children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance."

 ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Hide and Seek: Nature "I Spy"

From insects, to birds, to mammals... God has given many of them incredible camouflage abilities. They can mimic plants, ground cover, and even other animals. Animals use camouflage to hide from predators, while predators sometimes use it in order to sneak up on their prey. Interestingly, some animals are naturally camouflaged, while others change according to their environment. For example, some insects look like leaves and some rabbits change the color of their fur in winter. National Geographics has a really interesting article on camouflage that discusses camouflage tactics animals use. 

 

Below are just some fun pictures that will test your ability to see the camouflaged creature.  

 

Taken from The GrindTV Outdoor blog (Tuesday, March 5, 2013 9:42am PST)

Can you spot the cleverly camouflaged critters?

By: Shannon Dybvig 

It's that time again--it's time to focus your peepers to find the critters hiding in plain sight. Animals big and small, feathered and slimy, are waiting below hoping to be overlooked. Whether they happen to blend into the background, or have a special talent to make their exterior match the exterior, these creatures have many, varied ways to get lost. Can you find them?

This lizard finds it easy being green--and useful for staying out of sight. Image by Sanderslelli

Black and white stripes blend nicely at Kruger National Park, South Africa. Image by Stephen Downes

This Great Grey Owl would be very easy to overlook, which he'd like very much.
Image by Wild for Wildlife and Nature

This image is equal parts branch and gecko. Can you tell which is which? Image by WikiCommons

The ptarmigan isn't too hard to spot, but can you find her five chicks? Image by Paxson Woelber

Can you spot the falcon above? It looks like he's spotted you. Image by Wenchmagnet

This hip-pocket frog is slippery in more ways than one. Image by WikiCommons

One of these palm fronds is actually a lizard. Can you tell which one? Image by Steven N. Maher

These tawny frogmouths in Australia do a mean tree bark impression. Image by WikiCommons

Glimpses from the California Coast

I haven't visited the West coast in years, so it was very refreshing to spend some time exploring and soaking up the rugged beauty along the coastline. For a few hours I filled my senses with the roar of crashing waves, the smell of seaweed, the sight of seagulls gliding over shinning waters, and the embrace of the salty wind.

Walking along the beach I meandered around piles of driftwood and occasionally stepped over Bullwhip Kelp that had washed ashore. From the vantage point of a cliff I could look down over the ocean and see forests of kelp swaying with each wave that rolled in. These forests offer protection to young fish, snails, crabs, and other creatures, and sea otters thrive in them as well. But, though I strained my eyes trying to spot an otter, I never did.

Bullwhip kelp

Along the cliffs grew colorful carpets of iceplants. These plants were originally from South Africa and were brought to California in the early 1900s for stabilizing soil, controlling erosion, and as an ornamental home garden plant.

 I also enjoyed watching the birds. There were Oystercatchers, Seagulls, Cormorants, a Red tailed-hawk, Ravens and others. Before I was able to snap a picture of the beautiful hawk though, several ravens attacked it and ended up chasing it far into the distance.

Black oystercatcher

At low tide, the oystercatchers forage along the rocky shoreline, searching for limpets and mussels. They make a nest out of pebbles and pieces of shells which they position just above the high water mark.

Western gull

I had no idea how many different types of gulls there were until I tried to identify this one. These were definitely not shy birds and bombarded us as soon as we brought some bread out to feed them. A flock of maybe 30 birds swooped in and hovered so close, I could have reached out and touched one.

The Western gull is known for breaking open the shells of their prey (sea urchins and clams) by dropping them from high in the air onto a hard surface below. They will steal from other birds, scavenge from picnic areas, harass pelicans until they regurgitate their food, catch fish or jellyfish that are near the surface of the water, and feed on whatever else they can find along the shore.



However, despite seeing so many wonderful birds, what excited me the most that day was spotting a group of seals hanging out on the rocks a good ways from shore. They appeared to be Harbor seals.

Harbor seals

Seals typically dive for about three minutes, but they can stay under water for as long as 30 minutes and can dive as deep as 600 feet. Unlike sea otters, they don't rely on fur to stay warm. Instead, their thick layer of blubber provides insulation while also storing energy, adding buoyancy in the water and contributing to their streamlined shape.












Spending time in God's nature is always refreshing, but somehow, taking a walk along that rocky shoreline in the brisk ocean air was truly rejuvenating.

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea."

~ Isak Dinesen