Indicator of a Healthy Stream

Yesterday I was moving firewood to a location away from the house to hopefully reduce the number of ants around the house. I wore gloves because you never know what may be living in, under, or around a wood pile. As it turns out, it was a good idea because there were so many spiders! However, removing those logs was like opening a treasure chest. There were so many things to see: snails, slugs, ants, termites, centipedes, worms, lizards, lizard eggs, beetles (big and small), all kinds of spiders, carpenter bees, caterpillars, cocoons... I kept stopping my work to look at things and/or take pictures; it's amazing I got the job done at all :)

Red Salamander

I don't remember how many loads of wood I hauled, but finally I was nearing the end. There were just a few logs left and I started transferring those to the wheelbarrow. As I lifted one of the logs, I saw a shiny reddish tail poking out from the adjacent log and I got all excited. Before even lifting the log, I raced to get my camera. Then, I carefully lifted the log away from the creature hiding beneath. There, at my feet, was a six inch long, stout looking Red Salamander. I had seen one several years ago, but hadn't seen one since, so I was super excited. I snapped a few pictures then decided I should move it to the new wood pile since I was taking away its home and protection. It was surprisingly strong as it tried to wiggle out of my hand, but soon it was exploring its new home.

 

 Red salamanders can be identified by their yellow colored iris, their orangish-red skin and many irregular black spots. They can be found in a variety of habitats, but are most common around sources of water where they will hide under logs, rocks, and moss. Because they are sensitive to water pollution, they are a good indicator of the general health of a stream. They eat all sorts of insects, worms, and even smaller salamanders. Some predators will avoid eating them because their coloring looks similar to the very poisonous red newt.

Pseudotriton ruber

 Explaining to kids the differences between lizards and salamanders:
- Lizards are reptiles; salamanders are amphibians
- Lizards have dry skin with scales; salamanders have moist or slimy skin with no scales
- Lizards have external ear openings; salamanders lack ear openings
- Lizards have claws; salamanders have stumpy toes
- Lizards have eggs with shells which are usually laid in the sand; salamander eggs don't have shells and must be laid in moist environments (some even need to be completely submerged in water)

What's that slithering away?

I was watching tiny minnows swimming against the current in our creek when I was startled by the sound of slithering in the leaves behind me. Turning quickly, I scanned the ground to see what it could be. We do have snakes along the creek and I've been trying to take a picture of the one that resides near a bunch of roots, but somehow, every time I have my camera, he's not there and when I don't have my camera, I'll end up seeing him sunning himself along the bank. So, I was hoping this could be the snake, but it wasn't.

Common Five-lined Skink

What I saw instead was a light brown, shiny lizard, with what appeared to be faint stripes down its back. It scurried along a log and paused for a few seconds to eye me suspiciously. Then, in a flash, he was gone. Thankfully I was able to snap a couple of pictures and my best guess is that it was a Common Five-lined Skink. As youngsters, they have a bright blue tail and very distinct stripes; however, as adults the stripes become much fainter.

These skinks eat mainly insects, such as spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and termites. They prefer to live in moist wooded areas with lots of cover, but also need open areas for basking. In the spring, they breed and the male will often have a bright orange jaw during the breeding season. Then the female will lay 4-14 eggs under rotten logs, rocks, or leaf litter and will stay with the eggs until they hatch, which is usually 1-2 months later.

Skinks are supposedly among some of the fastest reptiles in the world. If you try to catch them, they will almost always bite, but their bite doesn't usually break the skin because their teeth are so small. However, if you catch them by their tails, they have the ability to escape by letting their tails break off. The tail will grow back, though not as beautiful or as strong as the original.

When I think of the swiftness with which the skink darts for safety at the least shadow of an enemy, it reminds me of how we too should flee from the mere shadow of sin. And if our hand should cause us to sin, Matthew 5:30 says "cut it off" (as in be willing to surrender "the attributes which Satan has inspired" and earnestly put away sin), just as the skink lets its tail go.

Return of the Butteflies

One of the things I love about spring time is the return of the butterflies. As a kid I spent a couple of seasons raising Monarch butterflies. Being able to watch the whole growth process was not only educational, but fun and awe inspiring as well. I spent countless hours watching the delicate yellow eggs, which were laid on a milkweed leaf, until they hatched into voracious caterpillars that ate all day long. Then, once the caterpillar had grown, I gazed in curiosity and wonder as it changed into an exquisite light green and gold chrysalis. I could hardly wait until the chrysalis turned black and red, signaling that it would hatch soon. I never got tired of watching the butterfly emerge, fully transformed from a worm-like creature into something so beautiful.

Spring Azure - wing span about 1-1.5 in.

So far this spring, I have seen two different types of butterflies. The very first one I noticed was the Spring Azure. It was fluttering around in the woods near our creek and around our yard. As adults they like the flower nectar of the Dogbane, blackberry, New Jersey tea, and common milkweed. They lay their eggs on flower buds and the caterpillars will eat the flowers and fruit as they grow. Interestingly, these caterpillars supply ants with a sweet sugary substance known as honeydew, from their abdomens, and in return, the ants protect them from possible predators.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - wing span about 3.5-5in.

The second butterfly I noticed was the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Now at first, I thought I was seeing two different kinds because one was yellow and the other black. But, as it turns out, the black one was a female and the yellow one could be female or male, but still of the same species. The females usually have more blue on their wings. One of them was fluttering around drinking nectar from flowers on the Silverberry bush. After mating, they will lay their eggs on Yellow Poplar, Tulip tree, Black Willow, Black Cherry, Red Maple, American Elm, and Sassafras (to name a few). When the caterpillars first hatch, they look a lot like bird poop, which helps camouflage them, however, as they grow, they turn green and have bright, fake eyespots on their head. Just before they transition into their chrysalis stage, the caterpillar will turn brown.

Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

The process of transformation that the butterfly goes through is called metamorphosis. Did you know that the Bible also talks about metamorphosis? In Romans 12:1, 2 it says, "I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed (the Greek says metamorphose) by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will." Just as the butterfly changes completely from a caterpillar to a beautiful flying insect, so we are to be changed by the complete transformation of our minds. And again, it says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that when God returns, we will all be changed (go through metamorphosis) into His likeness. Definitely some things to think about.

Groundhog or Woodchuck?

For weeks now I've been trying to spot the elusive groundhog that I know lives somewhere near us. I've scanned the fields and forest edges... nothing. Maybe I was out at the wrong time of day... so, I attempted to go out early, then late in the evening... still nothing. Yesterday, as I was enjoying the beautiful sunny afternoon, I walked out to a nearby field and finally spotted something moving in the grass off in the distance. Though I couldn't see him very clearly, I could tell it was a groundhog. He too saw me and became immediately alert and nervous. Even though I was easily 150-200 feet from him (I'm not good at judging distances though), he was taking no chances and started shuffling towards his den entrance. Every few feet he would stop and stare at me, then continue his course.

After he spotted me

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks even though they don't eat wood, are the largest members of the squirrel family. They prefer to eat wild grasses and other vegetation, including tasty greens in your garden, if they can get in. To them, your garden is a free, all-you-can-eat restaurant with delectable choices. However, they will also eat grubs, grasshoppers, insects and snails, as well as certain nuts and fruit. Since they hibernate during the winter, they don't usually store food and instead, gorge themselves throughout the spring, summer, and fall until they are nice and fat.

Just about to disappear into his den

These rodents are incredible diggers and can move more than 700 pounds of dirt when digging a burrow. The burrows often have several entrances and can have up to 46 feet of tunnels. Groundhogs can also climb trees and are capable swimmers, though I have yet to see one do either of those. Sometimes you will hear them make a loud whistling sound. This is their way of alerting other groundhogs about approaching danger. When they are happy, they will make little grunting sounds.

Now that I know where he lives, I look forward to spending more time observing him and learning about his habits.

Devoted Parents

The evening sun was casting golden rays through the forest as I was meandering along the gurgling creek. I decided to pause for a bit and sit on a fallen tree. Listening to the twittering birds was so peaceful. Then, to my surprise, I see this large, shiny black beetle crawling slowly across to log towards me. He was almost 2 inches long and appeared ferocious. However, he moved so slowly that I wasn't too concerned and since I had my camera, I eagerly snapped a few pictures.

Come to find out it was a Patent-leather beetle, also known as a Bessbug or wood beetle. They live inside of old logs, make tunnels in the wood, and eat old decaying wood. Inside these tunnels they live, breed, raise their young, and die. Unlike many insects that lay their eggs and leave their young to fend for themselves, patent-leather beetles will feed their young for up to a year. Can you imagine... for a whole year these insects care for their young and feed them regurgitated food! Since they only live as adults for about 1 1/2 years, that means that they pretty much spend their whole little life devoted to their young. Because the young white grubs cannot feed themselves, both parents feed them a chewed-up mixture of wood and yes, feces. Once the wood goes through their digestive system the first time, it grows a fungus and this is what they are eating. Anyways, they also communicate with each other with squeaking sounds that humans can hear.

 These beetles are considered beneficial because they help dead wood decompose. They are also great for teaching children about insects since they are harmless to humans, move slowly, and are large enough to handle easily.

"The wisest of men may learn useful lessons from the ways and habits of the little creatures of the earth." ~E.G. White

Slimy Wonders!

This snail is about 1 cm long

Your first thought when seeing a land snail may be "ewww!" because of its slimy trail. If you are a gardener, you may dislike them because they have a tendency of eating your tender green lettuce leaves or other green leafy vegetables. However, they are remarkable creatures. Snails are mollusks, which comes from the Latin for "soft" (as in having a soft body). They can't hear and have very poor vision. In fact, their "eyes" are mainly used for light perception. However, snails do have a good sense of smell and are sensitive to touch.

   Snails are surprisingly strong. Experiments have shown that some snails can drag vertically up to 10 times their own weight and up to 50 times their weight when dragging something horizontally, like along a smooth table. So, if you weighed 150 lbs, that would be like dragging 1,500 lbs up a tree or 7,500 lbs along a road. That's incredible! They can also comfortably slide over almost anything, including sharp objects, without getting hurt due to their flexible bodies and the slime that they produce. Sadly, strength and protective slime can't save them if they consume either salt or sugar, substances seemingly so little and inoffensive (something to think about there!).

Snails need moisture and when the environment gets too dry for them, they will retreat into their shells, seal themselves to a hard surface, and "sleep" until the rain brings moisture back into their habitat. They can survive this way for several months. Another thing snails need to survive is calcium. Their shells are made of calcium and in order for them to grow and have strong shells, they need to feed on high calcium foods. If they didn't consume enough calcium, their shells would become brittle and crack. This makes me think about our spiritual growth. As the snail needs food high in calcium in order to grow and strengthen its protective shell, so we need Christ, the bread of life, in order for us to grow spiritually and be strengthened to withstand the devil's schemes.

In the Morning...

It's hard to choose what to write about when there are so many exciting things to see as nature is bursting into spring. This morning I took an early morning walk while the dew was still sparkling like diamonds on the grass and the sun was just starting to creep over the tree tops. The birds sang whole heartedly as they welcomed the morning. According to the Cornell lab of Ornithology, "The dawn chorus is one the most conspicuous vocal behaviors of birds, and one of the least understood." I'm not a scientist, but I'd like to think that the birds are praising God, just as we should every morning.

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee, and will look up." Psalm 5:3

On my walk, I followed the shallow creek up to the pond. The sun hadn't quite reached the dark, green waters and everything was still and calm. I sat down for a bit and enjoyed the peacefulness. A couple of turtles surfaced then dove back down, which is one of the reasons I've nicknamed the pond, "Turtle pond." Every time I visit it, I see turtles. Then I let my eyes wander along the far bank and noticed that the trees of the surrounding forest were finally turning a delicate, light green. Letting my eyes roam a little closer to where I was sitting, I was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful spider web sparkling in the sun's rays.

After just a few minutes, a Great Blue Heron flew overhead and disappeared into the distance. I remained still...observing...listening... Not too long after, I could hear geese honking from somewhere and it was getting progressively louder. I scanned the sky for a glimpse of the geese and finally I saw a pair of Canadian Geese appear over the tree tops. At first it looked like they were going to bypass the pond. Then, they made a sharp, abrupt turn and started their descent. With loud squawking and honking the first goose made a splash landing followed closely by its mate, who was also making a terrible racket. Once they had landed, they dipped their heads into the water several times as though to refresh themselves... drank a bit of the water... then slowly and quietly, they drifted farther on the pond.

With a honk and a splash, the first goose landed

This second one was sure loud as it splashed to a stop (I love its expression) :)

Since Canadian Geese mate for life and come back to favorite nesting spots, I believe this is the same pair that come to this pond every year. It's always just the two of them and it's quite possible they have or will be building a nest somewhere around the pond. Usually the female selects the nest site, builds the nest with grasses, lines it with her own feathers, and then lays 4-7 eggs, which she will then incubate for up to 30 days. The job of the male goose is to protect the mother while she sits on her nest. At least they have found a quiet and peaceful place to raise their young.

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

 ~ Lou Holtz