Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road

  • All Roads…

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Moving doesn’t change who you are. It only changes the view outside your window.

    ~Rachel Hollis

    Most of you probably already know about our coming big change (we put it up on FaceBook a few weeks ago). But, if you don’t, here it is. Melissa and I bought a house in Gardiner, Montana, the north entrance to our favorite place, Yellowstone National Park. We have thought about it for a long time but the opportunity was never there, until this summer. Melissa found a place for sale online right before we went out in June and we managed to take a walk-through, and…well, we move in May. It will be hard to leave our beautiful home in the woods, our friends, her family in VA, and the many special places we love in NC and the East, but, as I said in my FB post, “if not now, when?”

    We drove out in early November to start some projects and make contacts with folks. It took 4 days to drive out, truck camping along most of the route. We bypassed most of our usual dispersed camping sites in the National Forests because of hunting seasons and the resulting greater number of people out camping in those areas. Instead, we stayed at some state parks along the way which were virtually empty this time of year. A quick drive through one of our favorite wildlife refuges, Loess Bluffs NWR, gave us a break from the hours on the interstates and a nice view of a pair of eagles discussing changes in their neighborhood.

    Pair of Bald Eagles calling at another pair that had just flown into some nearby trees (click photos to enlarge)

    The house sits at the base of a travertine cliff overlooking the town (some willows across the road block out the view of most of the buildings). But it will be a big change from here – we have neighbors! I can talk to them from our deck. We will live in a town! Gardiner has a population of about 700 people plus the couple of million that come through in the peak visitation months. And our local fauna (in our very small yard) will be quite different than what we see now.

    Elk on our street on our first morning in the new house

    The previous owners installed an electric fence behind the house to protect their plantings (mostly non-native plants it seems) from the deer and elk. The right side of the house is protected only by having the shrubs encased in welded wire fencing (a common practice for anyone with shrubs or trees they want to protect in the town or nearby park headquarters in Mammoth). So, it is a bit ironic that we will go from an acre or so enclosed in a deer fence with 13 acres additional to a tiny plot of rocky terrain partially protected by electric fencing, wire cages and some rabbit fencing (Mountain Cottontails appear to be abundant). And I probably won’t mind seeing the megafauna eating the plants outside our side window (even Bison occasionally graze on the “lawn” in winter as they pass through town).

    Trio of Mule Deer browsing our shrubs off the deck

    And though I love watching the birds, insects, and other critters from our current home’s windows… as the quote implies, a new view to enjoy awaits us. Our living room windows look out across town to the park lands beyond the Yellowstone River. Two mountains loom above the southern horizon as viewed from our house – Sepulcher Mountain and Electric Peak. Sepulcher is 9,642 ft high and is in Wyoming. Electric Peak is the tallest mountain in the Gallatin Range of Montana at 10,969 ft. In addition to being close to the state line, our new home is only a couple of miles from the 45h parallel of latitude, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole.

    Moonlit view of Sepulcher Mountain within Yellowstone as seen from our deck.

    Though Gardiner seems like a busy little town in summer, it lies in a vast landscape of sagebrush and sagebrush mixed grasslands. The surrounding area is lower in elevation and drier than much of the nearby park lands, making it ideal winter grazing habitat for ungulates such as Bison, elk, deer, and Pronghorn. When viewed from the surrounding hillsides, Gardiner is a small strip of human presence in a sea of open wildlife habitat.

    View of Gardiner from the park entrance road. Our house is to the left of the white water tower seen in the lower third of the photo.
    A short hike up the road next to the house gets you into US Forest Service lands where you can view Gardiner with Electric Peak in the background.

    Most of our days at the house were spent measuring to see what will fit, getting the basics of electricity, water, etc. set up, starting some renovation projects like painting kitchen cabinets, and learning about what we can and can not get in our new hometown. Many things require an hour or 1.5 hour drive to Livingston or Bozemen. But, amidst all the tasks, the abundant windows did provide some distractions, especially at sunrise and sunset.

    Sunrise looking out one side of the living room (shot with 500mm telephoto).

    We did get some snow a couple of the days and we finally made an afternoon trip into the park toward the end of our stay. This time of year does spoil you with so few visitors out in the park. At one point, we were the only car in the entirety of Lamar Valley, something that hasn’t happened for me since my early pre-wolf introduction trips of the 1980’s. We saw a few Bison herds, a couple of nice groups of elk, and Melissa spotted a beautiful Red Fox.lounging on a snow-covered boulder close to the road as we headed back to town.

    Elk inside the park that had been digging in the snow to feed

    She was driving and the fox was on my side of the road. We stopped and I grabbed a couple of pics with the 500mm (I should have grabbed her camera and zoom lens) as the fox stared off the the edge of the rock. It soon stood up and then nose-dived into the snow bringing up a small rodent of some sort which was quickly dispatched.

    Red Fox near the road spies or hears something as we stop for a photo
    Right after I took this photo, the fox leaped into the snow and caught a rodent

    A few minutes outside of town is a great spot to view Bighorn Sheep this time of year. They come down from the hgh elevations of summer and are herding up in time for the rut which happens from November through January. We spent an hour late one day admiring some of the many nice rams in this herd as they checked out each other and the available females.

    A nice Rocky Mountain Bighorn ram on alert for the competition

    On our last afternoon, Melissa wanted to go for a hike up the road. We walked a hundred yards or so up behind our house and walked off into the National Forest lands. It looks like a great place to explore and watch for wildlife. I also wanted to get up behind the house and take a closer look at the cliff that looms above our new place (I did ask all the neighbors if a rock had ever hit their house….so far, no). It is a pretty steep incline but we followed a well-used game trail up to the base of the cliff and walked along the ditch line that had been put in years ago to catch falling rock (comforting). There was lots of scat from deer, elk, rabbits, marmots, and unknown critters (so much to learn). Then Melissa called me over to take a look at something she had found under a ledge on the cliff face.

    The cliff behind our place (ours is the second house and has the white pipe running up the back)

    It was a carcass of what looked like a Pronghorn. This is not a typical spot for a Pronghorn to hang out. She sent a pic of it to our friends that are wildlife experts and they think it could be a Mountain Lion cache! I guess a trail camera may be needed here. This is what is so surprising about this place…we will soon live in a town and there are pigeons, starlings, and house sparrows in the yard and on the cliff behind the house. But there are also elk and deer in the yard and maybe a Mountain Lion killed a Pronghorn and stashed it up under a ledge in the cliff behind our house!

    The carcass of what looks like a Pronghorn lying under a ledge in the cliff face above the house

    The proxinity to the park, the abundant wildlife, the community of people (luckily, we have great neighbors and good friends a short walk away). All of this is still sort of swirling around in our heads as we prepare to make this jump into a new, yet familiar world. So many things we will miss about North Carolina and Chatham County. So many things to learn in this new place (important stuff like what caterpillars will be out there for gosh sakes?). And, in some ways, we still go back and forth…are we crazy to upend our rather comfortable lives for a place we do love but that has many uncertainties in terms of daily living? Well, the new place “spoke to us” on the last morning as we were getting ready to pack up the truck. We saw the wolf research plane circling across the river inside the park so Melissa started peering though our spotting scope (soon to be a designated piece of living room furniture). She soon spotted WOLVES! Yes, that’s right, we saw a pack of at least 11 wolves inside Yellowstone from our living room window.

    Melissa scoping for wolves on our last morning

    When we got home I remembered something that happened on my very first educator workshop in Yellowstone almost thirty years ago. We were in Lamar Valley standing in the freezing cold hoping to see wolves. The Druid Peak pack had a den in the trees above the road and we had learned of their presence from some wolf biologists we had met earlier. Some teachers had borrowed the van keys to get inside and warm up for a bit. We were about 75 yards from where the vans were parked. After spending several minutes in the van, they started walking back to the rest of us when we heard wolves howling, including the higher-pitched notes of wolf puppies. It was an emotional moment for everyone and I saw the teachers that had been at the van jumping for joy and hugging each other in their excitement. When they got back, I asked for the keys and the one person carrying them had apparently dropped them in all the commotion. They had walked along the side of the road back to our group, so we would have to search all along a sagebrush edged road looking for a set of keys. I was upset and a little panicked as I wasn’t sure how long it would take for the rental company to get us an extra set of keys from Bozemen if we couldn’t find them. An elderly Japanese wildlife photographer had been standing with our group and overheard what had happened. He joined us as we spread out along the road searching for the keys. I guess he could tell I was getting even more nervous as we searched. He leaned close and gently whispered “If it is meant to be, it will be”. I found the keys lying under a sagebrush right after that! And I now realize he might not have been talking about just those keys.

  • Glimpses of Our Wild Neighbors

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.

    ~John Muir

    I keep telling myself I’ll do a blog about something other than our trail camera findings, but then I check the cameras and see more cool stuff. So, here’s another one with some quick glimpses into the lives of the critters in our woods.

    –It seems we may have too many deer in our woods as scenes like this are fairly common. It is no wonder the understory is so sparse.

    Many species are attracted to the creek after heavy rains. This pool is a gathering spot for Raccoons, Coyotes, and White-tailed Deer. But here is a reason for not drinking creek water…

    –Interesting to see so many deer decided to pee in the pool. I guess that may be a common trait in many mammals:)

    We are getting into the peak of the mating season for our local deer and the big bucks are constantly patrolling looking for receptive females.

    –A nice buck walks by the camera

    –About three minutes later an almost identical large buck goes by the same spot

    –A doe lays down in front of the camera on our south slope

    –The doe enjoys a 20-minute rest but then something startles her and she takes off after giving an alarm snort…it’s a pesky buck chasing after her

    There were also the usual quick glimpses of our Coyote clan plus these two uncommon visitors which I have slowed down so you can see them a bit better. The cameras have a slight delay from the time movement triggers them to when they start recording so they often capture something that is already almost out of the field of view.

    –This Gray Fox came through about 9 a.m one morning. Always love seeing foxes here and over the years we have had both Red and Gray Foxes recorded on camera. But, the presence of Coyotes is a deterrent to other canids.

    –A real highlight anytime we see one on camera – a Bobcat. Though they are more common in the forests of the mountains and coastal plain, Bobcats do occur statewide.

  • Critters on Camera

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Our desire to document is bringing us closer to nature and to animals. 

    ~Ruxandra Guidi

    It seems as though the cameras are catching more clips of extended behavior than in the past with our woodland neighbors pausing or maximizing their routes by the cameras so we catch just a little more of how they behave.

    In my last post, we saw lots of deer behavior. I thought I was finished sharing that for a bit, but this week, two nice bucks decided to spar right in front of a camera. This behavior is common right now and I have many clips showing bucks of different sizes testing each other. When it is a mismatch in antlers, it is usually a brief match. These two went after each other a while longer but moved away from the camera in many of their bouts.

    –A pair of bucks testing themselves as the season of the rut is upon them

    The cameras continue to catch our Coyotes going to and fro and I have often wondered whether some of the scenes of deer running or Coyotes seemingly chasing something were interactions between these two species. One camera finally caught a brief scene that gives an interesting insight into what may happen when they meet.

    –A deer gives an alert signal (leg stomp) as a Coyote walks by

    Studies have shown no significant impact on deer populations in areas colonized by Coyotes. Coyotes probably do have an impact on fawn recruitment, but are not big predators on adult deer. However, the presence of Coyotes may alter the behavior and foraging patterns of deer and keep deer moving more within their home range, which could have a positive impact on the plant community and other groups of organisms that depend on these habitats.

    We caught the adult female Coyote I call One-ear doing something you probably have seen a dog do – scraping the ground vigorously after urinating. This is called “scrape behavior” and is believed to help mark a Coyote’s territory by spreading the urine scent. Canids also have scent glands in their paws which most likely adds additional scent to the scraped area. The scraped area may also be a visual sign to indicate a Coyote’s presence on the landscape.

    –One-ear scrapes the ground after peeing

    Several clips showed one or two of the pups in One-ear’s clan. They still look scrawny with their thin summer coats on though that should start to change this month as their longer winter fur comes in.

    –One of the pups wanders along a ridge just outside our deer fence

    Always glad to see an opossum on the trail cameras. I think the Coyotes may be having an impact on the ‘possum population as I am not seeing quite as many as in the past. This one is preparing a den by carrying leaves (and perhaps an unintentional stick) with its tail. This camera is near the large Tulip Poplar that houses some Raccoons and Gray Squirrels, so this Virginia Opossum may be moving into that productive wildlife condo.

    –A Virginia Opossum carries leaves (and a stick) with its tail and heads to a new den site. It pauses to add some more leaves (by scooping them underneath and into the tail) at the end of the clip.

    Our intermittent stream has been flowing more this month with all the heavy rains. I shared a clip last time of a deer playing in a pool and it seems the local Raccoons also enjoy a playful dip.

    –Raccoons enjoying the pool formed by recent heavy rains. They played here for about 20 minutes non-stop on each of two nights

    It looks like a stretch of nice weather is finally headed our way over the next week or so. Looking forward to seeing what the cameras catch next time.

  • Deersplaining

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Now and then we hear the wilder voices of the wilderness, from animals that in the hours of darkness do not fear the neighborhood of man: the coyotes wail like dismal ventriloquists, or the silence may be broken by the snorting and stamping of a deer.

    ~Theodore Roosevelt

    Signs of the approach of Fall ar now in full swing here in the woods in spite of the still warm temperatures. Yellowed Tulip Poplar leaves are drifting down on our walkway and the sound of this year’s abundant acorn crop thumping on our roof and deck are increasing. The trail cameras are also showing changes, especially in the resident deer herd.

    With the Fall molt, their color changes from the reddish brown fur of summer to the gray brown of winter. The summer coat has no underfur and only thin, short, and solid guard hairs. In winter, the guard hairs are almost twice as long, thicker, and are also hollow. There is also a thick underfur. The trapped air provides excellent insulation. The darker color absorbs more solar energy and makes them much harder to see in the drab colors of the winter woods.

    –Their coat color changes within just a couple of weeks from the summer reddish-brown to the winter gray-brown. This change helps them blend into the winter woods and provides insulation for the coming cold.

    Another noticeable change occurs in the male deer. Bucks have been regrowing their antlers all spring and summer when they were covered in a soft velvet. The velvet allows oxygen-rich blood to reach the growing antlers, which, in white-tails, can grow as much as 1/4 inch or more per day. With changing day-length that growth stops and the velvet begins to peel off and get rubbed off in September. Bucks can usually rid their antlers of velvet in a day or two. When this big guy walked by a camera, I felt lucky to have captured that look..

    –This 8-pointer has velvet hanging off his antlers as the rut is about to begin. He’ll be rubbing against trees to get his rack in shape for the battles to come. I have not seen this guy in our woods all spring and summer so he has moved into this doe-rich territory for the mating season.

    Bucks rub their antlers on trees and shrubs to remove the velvet and mark their territory. Scent glands on their head deposit oils that help claim their turf and dominance.

    –Two young bucks rub their antlers on saplings as part of the prelude to the rut and sparring with one another.

    –The same young bucks engaging in some sparring. The one buck had laid down several minutes earlier and as the other approached, they both lowered their heads in anticipation of some pushing and shoving to test each other (or maybe just to practice).

    –Finally, the one buck stood up to give the challenger a bit more of a tussle.

    Another sign of Fall is the change in diet for our local deer. The White Oaks and hickories produced an abundant crop of nuts this year and the deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and other wildlife are cashing in on this nutrient-rich food source. For deer, it is a noisy meal.

    –Deer are actively seeking out oak and hickory trees to forage on the nuts underneath.

    This has been a very wet September with heavy rainfalls on several days. One thing I love about the trail cameras is they catch moments of just deer (and other animals) doing what they do that we normally miss seeing.

    –A group of bucks working their way through the woods after a heavy downpour. This guy decided to shake off to get rid of some the rain drops.

    –We have recorded this playful behavior before. Here, a young deer seemingly enjoys splashing around in a pool formed in our creek after the heavy rains. Apparently deer also dance like no one is watching.

    –This herd of deer hung out in this pool for almost 20 minutes. Shortly after this clip, they hurried off.

    –This may be the reason the deer departed…these two adult coyotes (not the usual pair that includes One-ear) came through the pool about 5 minutes after the deer left.

    Next time, more trail camera videos of what the other critters have been doing lately.

  • Coyote Capers

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Coyotes have the gift of seldom being seen; they keep to the edge of vision and beyond…

    ~N. Scott Momaday

    On our last round of trail camera videos, we caught members of the local coyote clan in several places, often alone, and on a few occasions, as a group

    —-A Coyote trots by a trail camera in the now dry creek bed

    This clip shows two adult Coyotes (based on their fur quality compared to that of the pups I have seen recently). Neither is the one called One-ear. This footage was captured at about 3 a.m. on September 8.

    –Two adult Coyotes passing through. I believe they are not part of One-ear’s current pack.

    A few hours later, at 7:44 a.m., that same camera caught this action. It is very fast, so take a close look.

    –One-ear (I slowed it down and can see that it is her) blows by the camera with two other Coyotes following along with her (look in the background for one of them). Something must have gone through before her and triggered the camera since there is a part with no action before you see her move through.

    Two minutes after this action, a lone Coyote pup runs through in the same direction. Two more minutes lapse and then three pups go through on the same path.

    –Three pups following the path that One-ear took just a few minutes earlier

    Eleven minutes after the three pups passed through, One-ear and 4 pups come back by the same camera going in the opposite direction.

    –One-ear and her 4 pups coming back after the chase

    So, what just happened? Over the last few weeks, the cameras have caught One-ear’s clan of her, her mate, and 4 pups. But, unless one of the Coyotes doubled back, the chase and follow ups show a total of 7 Coyotes (the 3 in the chase scene, the one trailing pup I mentioned, and the 3 trailing pups from the video). What were they chasing? I assume that, if it was prey, they did not catch it. My guess is they might have been chasing the two adults shown in the earlier night-time video. And perhaps the Coyote seen running in the background of the initial chase scene is not a member of One-ear’s pack, but is, instead, one of the interlopers.

    Let me know if you have any other thoughts. It is always interesting to see what the trail cameras observe.

  • Change is in the Air

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.

    ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The change is happening…we have longed for it, and it is starting to tease us with the possibility of cooler nights and sunny, comfortable days. I see it in our woods as well in the plants and critters. New activity as the hummingbirds prepare to depart. More birds at the feeders on the cool mornings. Hints of the future arboreal hues as yellow Tulip Poplar and bright red Black Gum leaves create a pop of color against a sea of green. And in me having a renewed desire to get outside with a camera to see what I can find. My good friend, Art, has loaned me his mirrorless camera and lens as I try to figure out if that’s the way I want to go (it sure s light weight compared to my big old lenses). I practiced with it a bit this week on a juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird that dominates the feeder out back (we have three hummingbird feeders out now that there are more of the tiny fighter jets out and about). A cloudy day gave me a chance to test the low light limits of this camera and lens combo.

    A juvenile male hummingbird with a couple of his gorget feathers in place. He will get his full red gorget this winter. (click photos to enlarge)
    Young males also typically have heavy streaking of dark patches on their throats
    After defending his feeder all day, the young male needed a few stretches to loosen up
    Meanwhile, a male Northern Cardinal is wondering, “hey, what about me?”

    Out in the woods, the trail cameras are catching the usual suspects – lots of deer (with this year’s fawns starting to lose their spots); squirrels busy with the heavy acorn and hickory nut crop; and the resident coyote clan making their rounds.

    Here is the female I call “one ear” trotting through with what I believe are three of her pups from this spring. The pups all seem to have very short fur, although I must admit that last one is tough to see.

    The family gathers down in the creek bottom. You can clearly see why I dubbed the female adult “one ear”.

    Not sure what is so interesting back there, but “one ear” seems to claim it (and scent mark it)

    Looking forward to this change of season and and all that it brings.

  • Dog Days

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Now came the dog days – day after day of hot, still summer, when for hours at a time light seemed the only thing that moved…

    ~Richard Adams

    The last week has provided a nice break from the typical heat and humidity of this time of year, the so-called dog days of August. Historically, the term was associated with the rising of the star system, Sirius (known as the Dog Star), in late July. It is traditionally one of the hottest parts of the summer and nature seems to heed the call and move at a slower pace (as do we all). But, if you look closely, there is still magic to be found. Here are a few of the high points of these past few weeks here in our woods that the cameras captured.

    One of my favorite insects, the odd-looking Acorn Weevil. Females lay eggs in developing acorns where the larvae feed on the nut meat and then gnaw their way out of the acorn when it falls. They pupate underground (click photos to enlarge)

    My good friend, Art, has loaned me his mirrorless camera for a few weeks while he is at sea so I am shooting some things using that and the amazing Canon 100-500mm telephoto. Here are some of the first images.

    A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird in summer molt
    A White-breasted Nuthatch checking me out as it approaches the feeder
    After a breach in the fence allowed the deer to eat most of our wildflowers, it has been slim pickings for our usual cast of pollinators. The butterflies were glad to see the Joe Pye weed start to bloom this month. Here are a female (left) and male (right) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on a flower head.
    A large Robber Fly ready to strike terror into any careless passing insect
    This Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid is eyeing me as I approach

    The trail cameras also captured some dog day activity, but we’ll start with some cat capers.

    –A Bobcat pauses to check its surroundings on an early morning walk through our woods

    The resident Coyotes made several appearances. Most are just brief glimpses as they trot through the field of view at a brisk pace, but sometimes they linger.

    –Two Coyotes stop to scent mark in the creek bottom

    –A beautiful Coyote strolls by a camera on our south-facing ridge

    Let’s hope the dog days quickly transition to the cooler nights that signal an approaching Fall.

  • Night Beauties

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    There is something to be said for the night. The darkness holds a sense of promise, as if anything could happen.

    ~Meg Collett

    The frequent evening storms have kept me from setting up my moth lights, so with a break in the rain earlier this week, I jumped at the opportunity. I was feeling a bit lazy as I just set out one on the back deck with a sheet tacked to the exterior of the house. I usually also turn on our two deck lights, much to the delight, no doubt, of the resident orb weavers that tend to spin their webs nearby. I checked the sheet every half hour or so until a little past midnight. Here are some of the highlights.

    The night started with a new species for me, a beautiful Angel Moth, Olceclostera angelica. Larvae of this species feed on ash. (click photos to enlarge)
    The most abundant insects on the sheet were several species of caddisflies. This one, the Zebra Caddisfly (Macrostemum zebratum), stood out due to its extremely long antennae. The larvae are net spinners in flowing water.
    I’m always excited to see Dobsonflies at the moth light. This one is a female (one of two that showed up). It is amazing they are consistent visitors on moth nights since it is probably a half mile or more to the Haw River from our house. The larvae, called hellgrammites, live in fast flowing water. Note the small insect next to it – another type of caddisfly.
    This huge Scarab beetle was calmly sitting on the deck all night. Though I have never seen one with this coloration, my references say this may be a completely dark female Hercules Beetle, a species we often have come to the lights.
    Allways happy to see the Southern Flying Squirrels at the sunflower seed feeders on mothing nights. There were two enjoying their free meal while I came in and out to photograph the insects. One never budged, the other would quickly jump into the tree branches to hide every time I opened the screen door.
    The Black-fringed Leaftier moth, Psilocorsis cryptolechiella. Larvae feed on several hardwood tree leaves and build a leaf shelter.
    Splendid Palpita Moth, Palpita magniferalis. Larvae feed on ash.
    Maple Looper Moth, Parallelia bistriaris. Larvae feed on maple and a few other hardwoods. The adult moths often rest on the ground where they blend in very well with the leaf litter.
    Hebrew Moth, Polygrammate hebraeicum, so named because the pattern on the wings is similar to characters in the Hebrew alphabet
    Shagreened Slug Moth, Apoda biguttata. This distinctly marked little moth was apparently named for its textured scales which reminded the namer of a rough-surfaced type of leather called shagreen.
    Curve-toothed Geometer, Eutrapela clemataria. Larvae are an amazing twig mimic.
    Baltimore Snout, Hypena baltimoralis. This distinctive triangular moth is a common visitor on our moth nights. Larvae feed on maple leaves.
    Grape Leaffolder Moth, Desmia funeralis. These small day-flying moths lay eggs on grape species. The larvae create shelters by rolling grape leaves with silk which contracts as it dries, pulling the leaf edges together.
    Juniper Geometer Moth, Patalene olyzonaria. Another dead leaf immic as an adult and a twig mimic as a caterpillar.
    Black-bordered Lemon, Marimatha nigrofimbria. A beautiful little moth whose larvae feed on grasses (espcially crabgrass) and certain morning glorys.
    Waved Sphinx, Ceratomia undulosa. A large sphinx moth that blends well with tree bark when perched. Larvae are large caterpillars and I often find them on Beautyberry and Frringtree.

    I aways enjoy seeing members of the Silkmoth family. Living in the woods means we often have several species of these colorful moths visit our moth lights. Monday night was an especially productive one.

    The Rosy Maple Moth, Dryocampa rubicunda, is one of our favorites. I’m not sure what advantage this striking color pattern could give this beauty, but it is a pleasure to see one. They are common in our woods and at one point Monday night, there were seven on the sheet.
    Luna Moth, Actisa luna. The moth species that sparked my interest in the night-flyers many years ago. Larvae feed mainly on Sweetgum in our area. This large moth with its trailing tails is one of the few night-flying insects that I can positively identify when they fly in front of one of my trail cameras at night.
    A gorgeous Tulip-tree Silkmoth, Callosamia angulifera. These beauties are one of our more common silk moths as their larvae feed on Tulip Poplar, probably the dominant tree on our property. Cocoons are made of silk inside a folded leaf that falls to the ground when the leaf drops. One more reason to “leave the leaves”.
    The stars of the night were the Imperial Moths, Eacles imperialis. They are huge moths, (perhaps our second largest behind Cecropia Moths) with females (like this one) often reaching 6 or 7 inches in wingspan.
    Male Imperial Moths tend to have more darker colors in their wings than females, but these moths can be highly variable in their patterns and colors. Around midnight we had seven Imperials at the lights (4 females and 3 males). When they first come in they are very erratic, flying all over the deck, hitting the sheet, the light, and me. Then they suddenly land and freeze their movements.

    As always, it is a treat to see some of the amazing creatures we share these woods with and to learn more about their life histories. We will certainly do it again soon (if it ever stops raining!).

  • Mountain High

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    Wherever we go in the mountains, we find more than we seek.

    ~John Muir

    My long-time friend, Scott, is working at Mount Mitchell State Park this summer so I decided to pay him a visit last week. It was good timing, since the predicted high temperature here at home was in the mid- to upper nineties while up there atop the highest mountain in the Eastern Unites States, it was in the low seventies! Melissa was leading a museum workshop down the Blue Ridge Parkway all week so this was a solo trip to see Scott and some other friends in the area.

    It was a real treat to spend time in our high elevation mountains (click photos to enlarge)

    On his days off, Scott has been photographing some hummingbirds that regularly visit a patch of flowers near the far end of the restaurant parking lot. I’m always up for a photo challenge, so we spent some time in the morning and afternoon standing by the flowers and shooting whenever the dominant immature male hummingbird visited. We did see one or two interlopers from time to time, but the dominant bird quickly chased them off (good way to work up an appetite!). It was overcast and breezy (and very cool!!) so that added another challenge as we both tried to capture the action.

    –A nice patch of Green Conehead and Bee Balm flowers along the edge of a parking lot at Mt. Mitchell State Park

    One of the “interlopers” sneaking in for some nectar while the guardian male was preoccupied

    The flowers were so thick and, with the breeze, there were few times that one of the birds was clearly visible for a photo. But, we kept at it.

    The dominant male finally came up high enough to photograph. Young males (hatched this year) may show a few red neck feathers (the gorget) in late summer.
    One more as a bird comes into the bee balm

    I probably got about 6 decent photos the whole time we were there but it was fun trying to anticipate the hummingbird’s moves. Between our two bouts of hummingbird stalking, we drove down the Blue Ridge Parkway to look for wildflowers, especially the abundant and gorgeous Turk’s Cap Lilies (Lilium superbum). These are the largest of our native lilies reaching heights of 4 to 8 ft. A single plant may have as many as 40 flowers.

    Turk’s Cap Lilies in bloom along the parkway
    The stunning orange color, recurved petals, and long stamens jump out from the background of green along a stream on a cloudy day

    Hummingbirds and large butterflies, like Pipevine and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, are the primary pollinators of Turk’s Cap Lilies.

    A fallen leaf caught my eye with its odd color pattern. Not sure what causes this.

    We found another plant puzzle back up on the mountain near the park office. Common Yarrow, Achillea millifolium, was blooming in scattered clumps along the roadside. Yarrow is one of those plants that has a wide native range in the northern hemisphere, but is considered both a native and non-native since it is difficult to discern its true distribution. It is a good pollinator plant and has been used for centuries for various medicinal purposes. The genus name is after Achilles, who used plant extracts from yarrow to treat soldiers’ wounds. The species name means “a thousand leaves” referring to the highly divided leaf form. Many tribes in North America used yarrow to treat a variety of ills from wounds and burns to colds and headaches.

    The usual color is white, but we observed three distinct colors of yarrow within a space of just a few yards – white, pink, and magenta. Is this just natural variation, hybridization with cultivars, or something else like soil conditions?

    A white clump of Common Yarrow
    Pink flowers are also fairly common at Mount Mitchell
    There are a few clumps of this magenta-colored yarrow with white centers. This photo doesn’t do the color justice – it really pops when you see it among the green grasses and other low plants

    Back at the flower patch, there were other critters visiting the flowers besides the hummingbirds. As it was a cool and breezy day, the main pollinator insects I saw were the numerous bumblebees working the blossoms.

    A bumblebee gathering pollen on a Green Conehead flower

    We also had a few other bird species drop by, mainly in the trees behind the flowers – a Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and some Cedar Waxwings. The sparrow would sit atop a branch and loudly sing. Then we noticed plant stems moving in the flower patch, time and again in the same location. That meant a nest in the flower patch.

    Song Sparrow singing its loud sweet song
    A Song Sparrow bringing in some insects and/or spiders to feed its nestlings

    Late in the day, it started to rain so I reluctantly said my farewells and headed back off the mountain. A nice rainbow greeted me on the parkway, perhaps the mountains’ effort to convince me to stay in the cooler temperatures a little longer but I stoped only for a few photos before heading home.

    Rainbow along the parkway

    A few days later Scott had an interesting experience at the flower patch and sent me the photo below. Remember, this patch of yellow and red flowers is at the end of the parking lot closest to the restaurant at Mt. Mitchell. There are bear-proof trash cans and a dumpster (inside a fence) within yards of the flowers. Scott was standing at the patch waiting to make a phone call (one of the better places in the park for cell phone service it seems) when a young Black Bear crossed the road and went through the flowers to check out the dumpster, just to make sure it was bear-proof we suppose. It walked around the dumpster and Scott thought it had moved on, but it came back. So, he yelled at it and the bear ran off. But, a bit later it apparently walked over to the seasonal barracks (just 100 ft or so away from the dumpster). Here’s hoping it doesn’t become a problem bear.

    The bear-y patch. A cute, but a bit too bold ,young Black Bear passes through the flower patch on its way to check out the dumpster enclosure (photo by Scott Hartley)

    As the quote at the top of the post says, sometimes you find more than you seek when you go to the mountains, especially if you are lucky enough to live and work there.

  • In Our Happy Place Part 2

    Posted by

    Mike Dunn

    [The public lands represent] in a sense, the breathing space of the nation.

    ~Richard Nixon

    After Melissa joined her group of educators, I had a few days in Yellowstone on my own. You shouldn’t be surprised that I wanted to spend as much as time as possible out in it, watching wildlife, staying away from the crowds, and feeling grateful for another chance to spend time in this magical place.

    A Uinta Ground Squirrel, perched atop a large boulder, greeted me (sort of) as I started my walk (click photos to enlarge)

    That afternoon, I stopped at the pullout for the Crystal Creek drainage and hiked up the trail along the creek. In past years we have seen a lot of birds in the willows along the creek as well as Pronghorn and other wildlife in the surrounding grasslands. There had been active beaver lodges and small dams along the creek, but this time it seems there were no active lodges and a couple of the pools were mainly mud flats with a small creek flowing through. My main companions were several Uinta Ground Squirrels which let their neighbors know of my presence with a series of high-pitched squeaks.

    The next morning I drove through Lamar and decided to check out one of the ponds in Little America where I had seen some waterfowl the day before. Walking down to the pond edge, I slowly meandered in a zigzag path with frequent stops, so as to not alarm the birds. I finally positioned myself on a rock about 15 feet from the edge.

    The pond in Little America

    Several years ago, some Trumpeter Swans nested in this area and it was closed to walking, but that has not been the case for some time. There was a narrow gap in the pond vegetation through which I hoped to photograph the many Ruddy Ducks, Eared Grebes, and American Coot that were swimming and feeding along the shallows.

    A male Ruddy Duck in between his courtship displays

    The male Ruddy Ducks were putting on a show, both visually and audibly, as they attempted to impress some nearby females. They hold their tails upright and rapidly beat their Cariolina-blue bill against their inflated breast, ending the display with a loud fart-like sound (a ruddy duck raspberry). I didn’t have a tripod for my telephoto (no room in the luggage) so was unable to do video, but maybe next year…

    Eared Grebes are a favorite of mine in this area with their striking “ear” plumes and scarlet red eyes.

    I was hoping to get some photos of baby American Coot that were abundant in the edges of the pond. They are so homely that they are actually cute! Most of the feeding action between parents and young was happening on the far end of the pond, but one duo finally swam close enough for a pic, though the adult was partially obscured by the grasses. Young coots lower their head in a twisted position when begging for food.

    A baby American Coot

    I mentioned in the last post the butt-cleaning behavior shown by mama Pronghorns to their babies. This mom just wasn’t satisfied and continued to clean the poop off for several minutes as the fawn tried to walk away.

    There seemed to be fewer Pronghorns out in Lamar and Little America than I have seen in some years but we did see several females with fawns.

    Male Pronghorns have the descriptive prong on their horns (females do not). Pronghorns are the only ungulate in the world that sheds its keratin sheath annually making their horns sort of a blend between a true horn and an antler.

    Bears were everywhere this trip, both Grizzlies and Black Bears. At Tower, I pulled into a crowded parking lot and spied a couple of volunteers standing near the back. They were wildlife volunteers whose duties included keeping people and wildlife a safe distance apart. They pointed to a somewhat problematic Black Bear sleeping in a tree at the end of the lot. Her one cub was apparently on the other side of the trunk out of sght. She has a habit of staying close to the roads and park facilities, almost always causing issues with traffic jams and crowds of visitors approaching her. The volunteers appreciated this nice break where very few of the hundreds of people passing through this spot even knew she was there.

    Black Bear taking a snooze in a large tree at Tower
    A cinnamon-colored Black Bear grazing on grasses and wildflowers. I can see why so many visitors mistake these for Grizzlies. The left shoulder of this bruin looks like a hump from a distance, but the facial profile is still distinct – Grizzlies have more of a dish-shaped or concave profile from the eyes to the nose tip whereas that area in Black Bears is rather long and straight
    This was on of three bull Moose feeding near Pebble Creek, and they were less than 50 yards from the cinnamon Black Bear – quite a morning

    I saw Red Foxes mainly in the northeast part of the park between Lamar Valley and Silver Gate. Unfortunately, it is obvious at least a couple of the foxes have been rewarded with human food as they routinely approached visitors and vehicles to beg. I would shoo them away when they did that although they also seem to have a knack for recognizing the precursors to being fed and will veer away if you don’t show any signs. The fox below wandered close to some cars at a pullout but never got rewarded and then proceeded to snoop around looking for more natural prey.

    Red Fox surveying its scene for a snack

    I saw one failed attempt at catching a small songbird in a shrub and then a successful pounce on a Northern Pocket Gopher.

    The fox trots off with its prey pocket gopher secured

    One morning as I approached the area where the moose and calf were hanging out, I saw a stopped car coming in the other direction. I saw the Moose and quickly stopped hoping to give them a buffer zone without any harassment (mine was the first car in my direction). The cow and calf attempted to cross the rushing waters, but the calf got swept downstream several feet and turned back to the rocky shore. This section of road was washed out in the 2022 flood and is now stabilized with large angular rocks).

    The cow came back to the calf and looked for a place to cross the road.

    The cow came back across the creek to be with her calf. She then decided to try to cross the road to the safety of the trees. Meanwhile, a truck had driven around me and was now stopped in the middle of the road in the section that had been an opening for the Moose. The cow was obviously agitated now (hackles raised and stomping as she walked). The calf struggled trying to climb the rip rap wall (I was worried it might break a leg. The the cow came back down to the creek and they both walked upstream to try to get to dry ground. A growing number of people were now outside their vehicles and moving closer. I hollered to them to back up and give the Moose some room to get back on land. Some listened, others did not. Soon, the cow decided to cross the stream once again with her calf closely following.

    The cow and calf crossing the stream
    This time, the calf made it across, shook off, and raced to get to its mothers’ side

    On my next to last day, I was driving through Lamar and encountered one of many “Bison jams ” during the visit. It is not unusual for people to stop when a Bison is close to the road and stick a phone out the window for some photos. I get that, but there is a limit to how long you can sit in one place in the middle of the road once the Bison give you a gap. Cars in both directions had come to a stop even though the Bison were just milling along the side of the road. And then, when there was a clear space through the behemoths, nobody moved. So, I slowly eased my car past the next couple of photo-obsessed drivers and finally had a clear space to get through. Suddenly, it got more complicated…

    –Just when I was about to squeeze by the Bison jam, this happens

    This is just one reason why you always need to plan for extra time when driving through Yellowstone.

    Our friends Dan and Cindy are owl experts and always seem to have an idea of where to find them. Dan told e about a place we might find a Pygmy Owl, a species I have never seen. I sent an email to see if we could go out the day before I was scheduled to leave but that wouldn’t work so they suggested I come over the morning of my departure. My flight from Bozeman (about 2 hours away at a minimum, depending on wildlife jams, etc.). I was hesitant at first, but, hey, it is for a Northern Pygmy Owl! So, I met Dan the next morning at 6:15 and we headed out.

    We hiked into the conifers and waited. I must admit, when sitting quietly in Grizzly country, trying not to move, your mind begins to notice every little noise. When by myself, I have started wishing for a small parabolic mirror in front of me so I can see what is behind me without turning around. After about an hour an owl flew in and I managed a few shots.

    A Northern Pygmy Owl is just that, tiny, about the size of your fist. Even so, they are fierce predators, often taking prey (mainly songbirds, but small mammals as well) up to three times their size. Pygmy owls frequently hunt during the day
    When the owl turns its head, the feather pattern on the back of the head looks like two large eyes, which may provide some protection from would-be predators fooled into thinking this little guy is something bigger

    That was a great way to end my stay (thanks Dan and Cindy) though I did miss what would have been an awesome pic of the owl with a prey item while I futzed with my camera and heavy telephoto lens. But, to see a species I have been after for years was worth it.

    As always, time spent in Yellowstone is time well spent. And, besides, I’ll be back soon.

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