I have seen a bounty of hawks the past few days here in the woods. I got close to a Red-shouldered Hawk sitting out on a snag in the meadow the other day as I was carrying some firewood in the wheelbarrow. The next day, a Cooper’s Hawk blew by me on the deck as it chased a woodpecker. And while I was doing dishes the other afternoon, I looked out the window to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk land on a branch near one of my feeders, probably hoping to catch some small bird unaware. So, it was no surprise this morning to see a pair of Red-tailed Hawks out on the power line. I was sitting near the garden hoping to get some photos of birds in the morning light when the pair flew over the trees a few hundred yards away, calling their unmistakable shriek, before soaring off over the forested hillside. But they soon returned.
Red-tailed Hawk pursued by crows (click photos to enlarge)
I heard some crows calling their special mobbing call which I hear so often here and then saw shadows coming across the meadow. I glanced up and saw a Red-tailed Hawk being chased by a crow down the power line right-of-way. The hawk appeared to be carrying something in its talons and I managed a few quick shots before it disappeared into the woods. In the quick view I had, it appeared as though the hawk was carrying a squirrel due to the size of the prey, and what appeared to be a bushy tail dangling beneath. Looking at the camera confirmed the prey was, indeed, a Gray Squirrel.
Red-tailed Hawk with Gray Squirrel in its talons
As the hawk carrying the squirrel disappeared, I heard another Red-tail Hawk scream from behind and looked up to see the probable mate of the hunter flying in to perhaps join it for a meal. Online sources say that Red-tailed Hawks sometimes hunt in pairs, with one hawk chasing the squirrel around to the side of a tree where the other waits. I have seen Red-tails capture squirrels on several occasions and watched them chase and miss them as well. Several years ago I found a couple of squirrel skins on the ground in the forest over a period of a few months. The skins were turned inside-out, like when you pull off a sock by grabbing the top and pulling it down your foot. One day while walking my dog, I saw a Red-Tailed Hawk fly up off the ground and my dog went over and found such a skin. Apparently, squirrel skin is pretty tough so some hawks will remove it before tearing at the meat. Given the numbers I see in the woods around here, I imagine the hawks will have squirrel for dinner again soon.
Splitting wood often leads to more than just firewood (click photos to enlarge)
One of the joys of heating with a wood stove is cutting and splitting wood. There is something satisfying about the pile of logs ready for the fire after a couple of hours of work in the cold, crisp air. But often, I find some interesting stowaways in my firewood. Such was the case this week when I finally decided to cut down a large maple snag, all that remained standing of a huge tree that had fallen this summer. The tree had rotted near the base and was riddled with soft wood, insect galleries, and fungi. After felling the snag, I started cutting it into manageable sections with the chain saw. As I cut through one point, I saw something move in a crevice in the wood.
Dark Fishing Spider that emerged from log
It was a huge Dark Fishing Spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus. Way back in March, when I started this blog, I posted on a spider shed I had found – a Dolomedes shed. I have seen the living embodiments of that shed on may occasions since, usually in one of two sheds here in the woods (although I recently found one in the house and promptly captured it and let it go outside – this will probably not be shared with future house guests).
This is one large spider
This is one of the largest spiders in North America, with the larger females having a leg span of up to 3 inches (males are about half that size). This species is the one Dolomedes that is most often found far from water. It is common throughout the Carolinas, hiding by day in dark areas like tree knotholes, stumps, pump houses, and my garden sheds. It is often seen resting in the vertical plane on the sides of walls, trees, etc.
Tarsal claws on spider leg
She was fairly lethargic so I was able to get close to observe. I saw something I had never noticed before, a pair of tiny black claws. Most families of spiders have two, equal-sized claws at the tip of their legs, with some having a smaller, third claw tucked in between.
Pedipalp of female Dolomedes
I could also see the rather straight pedipalps that resemble short legs and are positioned between the jaws and the first pair of legs. The straight last segmet is characteristic of most female spiders. Males have enlarged tips on their pedipalps and the last segment is modified for sperm transfer. I refer to them as looking as if they are wearing boxing gloves.
Another large spider appears
Suddenly, I saw a movement off to my side, and there was another large spider, but only about half the size of the female Dolomedes.
Pedipalp of other spider
I looked at its pedipalps and the tips seemed somewhat irregular in shape so I thought this could be a male Dolomedes. It was much more active so after herding it around with a twig and getting a few shots, I let it ramble off in peace.
Female Dolomedes front view
I went inside to look up the spiders and confirm their identities. The vast majority of spiders have eight eyes and a key feature for identifying different families of spiders is their eye arrangement. I confirmed the large spider as a Dolomedes, (probably D. tenebrosus).
Female Dolomedes with two rows of eyes
Dolomedes spiders are in the family Pisauridae and their eyes are arranged in two slightly curved rows when seen head-on.These spiders do not build webs to catch prey but instead rely on their vision to stalk and capture anything from large insects to small vertebrates such as frogs.
Head-on view of the other spider
When I looked at my images of the other spider, the eye arrangement looked different. Looking in the guides and online (there is an excellent article on spider eye arrangement at http://bugguide.net/node/view/84423), it appeared that the eyes on this specimen were in three rows. This arrangement, with the largest of the eyes being in the middle row facing forward, and the third row being up on top, is diagnostic of the family Lycosidae, the Wolf Spiders. I had also noticed a distinct difference in the chelicerae (the paired, downward projecting “jaws”, each containing a fang) coloration between the two specimens, but I wasn’t sure whether it was a difference between the sexes or indicated different species.
Dolomedes side viewWolf Spider side view
When both spiders are viewed from the side, you can see the difference in the eye arrangement more clearly. Based on this, plus the slight yellowish coloration of the chelicerae and the spiders’ large size, I now think the second spider was a male Carolina Wolf Spider, Hogna carolinensis. These spiders often make burrows to hide in during the day and then come out at night to stalk their prey. These, and other spiders in this family, are frequently seen at night when their eyes reflect the light from your flashlight. This is the largest member of the wolf spider family and is the official state spider of South Carolina. I did not flip it over to check the truly diagnostic feature of black coloration on the underside, but it looks like that species based on other factors, especially its size.
So, as is often the case these days, I frittered away a couple of hours photographing and learning about these two fascinating spiders. I even learned some fascinating secrets of the sex life of the Dolomedes spider, but will save that for another post. Guess that is one of the beauties of retirement, I have the time to fritter. Here’s wishing you some moments to pause and learn about your wild neighbors.
As I mentioned in my last post, I had to leave Cades Cove about noon, and was wondering if my bear mojo was failing me and I would be skunked for bears on this trip (you may recall I am a big fan of bears and enjoy observing them). But, a couple of miles outside of the valley I came across a so-called bear jam. It was attended by a ranger who was trying to keep visitors that were out of their cars from getting too close to the bear and keep those in their cars moving so as not to clog the road. He was having more success with the first objective and the lone bear was foraging up a steep slope and moving away from the road so photo opportunities were limited. Still, it was good to see one at last, so I contentedly continued on through the park. My plan was to drive through the primary road in the park which puts you out in Cherokee on the North Carolina side. Many of the trees had already lost most of their leaves, but there were still lots of spots with beautiful fall colors.
Wooded slope in Smokies
I was intrigued by the splashes of color I saw down some of the steep wooded slopes. The day was overcast and the combination of dark tree trunks with bright yellows and reds looked like an inviting photo op. I stopped at a pullout that looked promising and got out to photograph the scene. As I am looking down-slope and composing a couple of images, another car pulled in and I saw a guy point at something.
Look up and what do you see? Three blobs in a tree (the fourth bear is just out of the image to the upper right)
He asked what it was and when I looked up I was thrilled. It was a bear! Actually, there were four bears, and they were high off the ground in the tops of two trees. Surprisingly, the other car drove off leaving me alone with the bears. The mother bear was feeding on wild grapes which were abundant in the tree tops on many of the steep wooded slopes along the roadway. The three cubs were all lounging, presumably napping, as they barely moved at all in the 25+ minutes I spent with them.
Mother bear eating wild grapes
The large female climbed higher while I watched and was probably 60-70 feet off the ground in the top of a Tulip Poplar when I set the camera up with my long kens to photograph her. Her cubs were almost as high and had balanced themselves in various ways amongst the tangle of branches and vines.
Bear cub relaxing in tree surrounded by clusters of wild grapes
When I looked through the lens, I could see why they had bothered to make the climb – the vines were loaded with clusters of grapes. Black Bears are opportunistic feeders and take advantage of the seasonally changing food availabilities. In autumn, nuts, berries and fruits of various sorts become a critical component as they feed voraciously in preparation for the winter hibernation.
I was impressed by the quantity of grapes the mother bear was able to devour. For the twenty-five minutes I watched, she was constantly feeding, pausing only occasionally to reposition herself on her precarious-looking perch and to grab and pull some more grape-bearing vines toward her. Here is a short video clip of her feeding…
The audio is from all the people that stopped once I set up the telephoto lens pointing skyward – a sure sign there must be something of interest to see.
International tourist taking a picture with his iPhone of the bear as seen on my camera’s LCD screen
If you listen carefully at the very end of the video, you can hear this gentleman thanking me for allowing him to photograph the bear as seen on the LCD screen of my camera using his iPhone. Many of the people that stopped and asked me about the bears were surprised that the bears were up in a tree feeding. It reminded me that this was the third time I have seen bears in the Smokies in trees eating grapes. I have also seen bears in other areas eating wild cherries in tree tops and know that they feed on acorns as well. Climbing to reach these foods gives bears an advantage over competing deer, foxes, and coyotes, who must wait for the fruits and nuts to drop before they can eat them.
Cars stalled in the bear jam I unfortunately helped create
The scene started to become a bit chaotic with more and more cars stopping so I packed up the gear and managed to get out before gridlock set in. I muttered my apologies to the bears for drawing attention to their feeding, but, they really didn’t seem to mind.
Mother Black Bear eyeing grapes
About twenty minutes later I came across another line of traffic, and, amazingly, there was another bear up in a tree feeding on grapes. This was a slightly smaller bear than the first one, but, as I soon found out, it was another mother bear.
Young bear grabbing a grape vine
As the gathering crowd watched, a young bear who had been sleeping at the base of the tree (but was hidden from view) started climbing the trunk toward the other bear. It climbed to a horizontal limb and began grabbing vines to pull grapes within reach. It ate a few and then walked back and forth a couple of times along the skinny limb which was about 30 feet above the ground.
The young bear looked like a high wire artist as it nimbly moved from branch to branch, and only once caused the crowd to gasp as it slipped before grabbing a limb. I noticed the adult bears both used their teeth as aids in climbing and shifting position up in the smaller branches. The young bear tended to be on larger limbs and did not show this aptitude as yet.
With increasing traffic (the line of cars coming in the opposite direction stretched about 3 miles when I left) and shortened tempers on the part of many drivers, I decided it was time to leave. As I was packing up, both bears came down the trunk and headed down slope.
So, in a little over an hour I went from no bears to seven bears, with six high up in the trees. Guess the mojo hasn’t left just yet.
Cades Cove in late afternoon light (click on photos to enlarge)
Cades Cove is a 6800 acre valley on the Tennessee side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is probably the most visited area of the park and the Smokies are the most visited national park in the United States with more than 9 million visitors each year (Grand Canyon is second with about 4 million). And I can believe that Cades Cove is that popular as each of the four times I have been, it has been crowded. This past week was my first autumn visit and I was expecting fewer people, but I was wrong.
Upper end of Cades Cove
The valley is a beautiful place, especially at sunrise and sunset. There are many short trails, a visitor center, streams, and scenic views. There are also a large number of historic structures from the thriving community that lived in the valley until it became part of the national park in 1934. One reason for its popularity (and the reason for my visit) is its wildlife. Cades Cove is well known for its abundance of species such as White-tailed Deer (especially large bucks), Wild Turkey, and Black Bear. There is easy access provided to the valley via a one way 11-mile loop road. The area offers excellent habitat and relatively easy wildlife viewing with its mix of meadows, managed fields, hardwood forests, and mountain streams.
10-point buck at sunset
I arrived late in the afternoon last Thursday and, after hurriedly setting up my tent in the campground, headed out to see what I could find as it was approaching prime wildlife viewing time. A few hundred yards past the entrance to the loop road, I came to a field with several large bucks feeding. There were a few folks out watching so I grabbed the camera and walked out. There were five bucks – two 10-points, one 8-point, and two 6-points, an impressive start.
Two bucks talking it over
One thing that is great about Cades Cove is that most of the wildlife is very accustomed to people and so it is a great place to observe behaviors. While the rut is still in progress, I think some of the passions have subsided. But one large buck started thrashing a downed trees’ branches with his antlers and another soon joined him. The larger buck then started licking the antlers of the slightly smaller one, they briefly locked horns for a very passive shove, and then moved off together to feed side-by-side. Two other bucks touched antlers and then brushed noses as if whispering something about one of the other guys in the field.
Tree silhouette at sunset
I finally drove the remainder of the loop road as the sun was setting and looked for places to check the next morning. As I photographed a particularly beautiful tree out in one of the meadows, I heard coyotes yipping a few hundred yards away under the clear, darkening sky. A great ending to my first afternoon in Cades Cove. I awoke about 4 a.m. and headed out into the cold air toward the bathroom when I heard some rustling in the leaves about 20 feet from the tent. In the moonlight, I could see a dark form and my first thought was bear (there are warnings about bear-proofing your campsite). But when I turned on my flashlight it was a Wild Boar, an introduced species that the park is actively trying to control. They grub through the soil looking for whatever they can find to eat and, in doing so, root up large amounts of plants which can damage sensitive habitats. It looks like a small bulldozer has gone through an area after they are finished feeding. The Boar trotted off and I gladly moved off in the other direction.
Wild Turkey at sunrise
The next morning there were twenty cars at the entrance to the loop road when the ranger opened the gate at 7 a.m. I drove past the field with all the bucks (and most of the cars) and was soon by myself in the upper end of the valley. A few turkeys flew down from their roost and landed in a nearby field so I stopped to watch. They were picking through the grass for who knows what and then walked over and grabbed a few berries from an American Holly. I had just sat down to photograph them when they started to head my way. I was soon surrounded by turkeys, scratching in the leaves under a nearby Sycamore and pecking at unseen morsels.
Wild Turkey in early morning light
As the light started to hit them, their feathers made them shimmer with bronze, green, and rich rust colors.
Wild Turkey head close up
As beautiful as their feathers are, their heads are a bit on the not-so-beautiful side, especially with the close looks I was getting. They continued to peck and feed, glancing my way occasionally to make sure I had not moved from my cold, sitting position in the icy grass. I sat with them for about twenty minutes until a diesel pickup truck stopped nearby and spooked them.
Deer eating Smilax berries
With the increasing traffic, I decided to hike up into the woods near where I had seen a large buck the afternoon before. On top of the hill, I saw movement just inside the woods. A small 6-point buck was stretching his head up and grabbing something. Only when I later looked at the image could I see he was feeding on Greenbrier berries (Smilax sp.). I have seen them eat the shoots of Smilax, but never the berries before now.
7-point buck giving me the once over
Walking down into the woods I came a cross a small herd of deer, all female. Suddenly they all jerked their heads to the left and stared into the woods at something I could not see. A very large 7-point buck then came into view, chased away the does, and started to feed. I moved one step to the side to get a better view and he spotted me and turned my way with nostrils flared and mouth agape. I interpreted that as a “I could take you but I’m going to let you live” look and I didn’t move again until he nibbled his way off into the forest. Driving back to camp later that day I was happy with the wildlife observations except for one thing – no bears. But I still had one more morning.
Doe before sunrise
The next morning was in the 20’s with another heavy frost. I drove out to the far end of the loop road and was, again, relatively alone as most had stopped at the first field with all the bucks. A lone doe was at the edge of the frozen meadow when I spotted something trailing her – it first appeared as just antlers in very tall grasses and saplings, but then became a large, frosty buck.
8-point buck emerging from frosty meadow
His antler spread was impressive as he stared at the disappearing doe. I stayed put and he trotted across the field, pausing once to glance at an oncoming car, before retiring into the edge of the woods.
Buck depositing scent on branch above a scrape
I hung around watching some turkey and small groups of birds (Eastern Bluebirds, American Goldfinches, American Robins, Golden-crowned Kinglets) as they swept through feeding on whatever they could find in the crisp morning air. But soon, the rising sun melted the frost and warmed the valley so I headed back over to where the buck had vanished. I saw a large buck, which I assume was the same one, although I can’t be sure as it was turned away from me. It started making a scrape, in which the buck paws at the ground, exposing moist soil. After pawing at the ground a few times he urinated in the scrape and then reached up to am overhanging branch and rubbed his head back and forth. This deposits scent on the branch from his head and from glands in the corners of their eyes. The scrape serves as a signal to all other deer of his presence and his status. I don’t know about the other deer, but I was impressed.
8-point buck after being in sparring match with two other bucks
I drove on as traffic started to increase hoping to find a bear before I had to break camp and leave. Far out in a meadow I instead spotted three bucks moving in an unusual manner. I pulled over to look and it appeared as if they were in a three-way sparring match, heads down, antlers touching, and slowly spinning in a circle testing each other. I grabbed the camera and headed out, when, of course, they broke apart and started feeding (guess all that testosterone-induced activity makes a guy hungry). They slowly drifted apart as they browsed and I managed a few photos of the largest of the bucks, a compact 8-pointer, as he kept an eye on his departing opponents.
Cades Cove from the upper end
It had been a rewarding couple of days in Cades Cove. My only frustration was the traffic congestion. It was made worse by two things: drivers ignoring the signs saying “no stopping” and “please use pullouts to observe wildlife”; and drivers going half or less of the posted 20 mph speed limit without pulling over to let others pass. I also saw a few visitors get way too close to deer (within feet). This explains the signs that read “Do Not Feed, Touch, or Disturb the Wildlife”. Touch…really, you need a sign for that?
My other disappointment was that for the first time in my four visits to this picturesque valley, I had no bear sightings. I was beginning to think I had lost my bear mojo as I drove out…but, such was not the case. But you’ll have to wait until the next post to see why.
I’ll leave you with a few more images from Cades Cove…
Turkey preeningYoung buck drinking from a roadside puddleTree shadow in Cades CoveHuge antler spread on a large 7-point buckiPhone image of Cades Cove at sunrise
I love the music of autumn….the tapping of woodpeckers in search of a meal, the rustle of leaves as a squirrel dashes to the safety of a tree, and the crackle of a fire getting started in the wood stove. Along with the music, comes the dance of the season – the shimmer from the afternoon light as it hits the broomsedge in the meadow, the spiraling of colorful leaves as they drop to the ground, and the repetitive back and forth flight of chickadees as they grab seeds at the feeder.
Fall Color is at its peak in the Piedmont
The past month or two have been busy, the dancers moving quickly. Not like the gay and free-form dancing of spring, or the lazy, care-free moves of summer, but a more purposeful, steady dance. A dance of preparation, and for some, their final dance. The cold morning’s this week have slowed the pace for many, transforming their moves for a time until the sun gets higher. The sign on the marquee for this play should read – Wild Temperature Swings Likely.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets have recently arrived at my suet feedersWhite-throated Sparrows have returned from their northern breeding grounds
We are seeing a dramatic shift in the players on the stage in my woods and fields with new arrivals from the north coming in and taking over the lead roles. Recent arrivals include Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets sharing the act with White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
American Goldfinch
Even the actors that have been here all along have, in some cases, changed costumes – the American Goldfinches trading in their gaudy yellow of summer for a more subtle shade. And the male Bluebirds are now in a chorus line, flocking up for the winter, instead of their solo performances of a few months ago.
Juvenile Eastern Fence Lizard
Certain players only come on stage when conditions are right. A lone juvenile Eastern Fence Lizard basks on the bench near the meadow, catching the last few rays of warmth before retiring off-stage. The Question Mark butterfly that I wrote about in the last post finally took flight yesterday in the warm afternoon sun after resting on the same oak branch for three chilly days.
Bison in Yellowstone
I read this week that, in my favorite theater, Yellowstone, most of the roads have closed for the season. There, the long, slow dance of winter has already begun, the bison swaying their heads to its rhythm. Here, in our milder temperatures, the actors will come and go, move fast and slow, over the next several weeks, until what passes for winter will set in, with occasional intermissions until the arrival of spring.
Maple leaf with fall color close up
As the days shorten, be sure to walk and observe, pay attention to the details of the set, and get outside and sway with the dance of the season. Enjoy and applaud the performances. Don’t sit this one out, move with the music and appreciate what the season brings.
Sunday afternoon I noticed something as it went to an oak limb over the driveway. I walked over to get a closer look and saw this…
Can you see it? (click photos to enlarge)
You see it, don’t you? Look closely:) Okay, if you did see it, you are good, because it resembles one of the brown leaves on the oak branch. I circled the object of interest in the image below.
Now can you see it?
It is a butterfly – a Question Mark, Polygonia interrogationis. Question Marks and Commas are members of the anglewing group of butterflies, named for the irregular outline of their wings. The common names come from the silver punctuation marks on the underside of their wings.
Question Mark, winter form, wings spread
This time of year, when the wings are open, Question Marks have bright orange and brown coloration. When viewed from above, they can be distinguished from their close cousin, the Eastern Comma, by the presence of a black dash above the outermost black dot at the bottom of the bright orange patch of the forewing (Commas lack the dash). They also tend to have more angular-shaped wings and longer tails than Commas. This image shows the typical winter form of the Question Mark – the upper hindwing of the summer form is mostly black with short tails; the winter form is orange/black with longer violet tipped tails.
Question Mark resembles a dead leaf when wings are folded
When the wings are folded and closed, the Question Mark becomes an excellent dead leaf mimic. The wing outline resembles the twisted shapes of adjacent leaves and the color blends nicely, even in the changing light throughout the day. I saw this butterfly fly up to the oak limb Sunday afternoon. It moved around for a few seconds and then sat still, immediately blending into its surroundings.
Question Mark in late afternoon sunlight
I checked on it a little later as the sun was setting and it was still in the same spot. It was cold Sunday night so I went back out Monday morning – still there. I checked again yesterday at sunset, thinking it probably had flown with the warming daytime temperatures – nope, still there.
Question Mark in same position on a cloudy morning
And again, just a few minutes ago, it is still there. It has been almost 48 hours – amazing. This species is one of our few butterflies that overwinters as an adult so you may see them flitting about on warm winter days where they feed on tree sap, rotting fruit, and animal scat. I had always assumed they passed the cold days hidden in hollow trees or under loose bark. I will be curious to see how long it stays out on this branch. The more I learn, the more amazed I am at what goes on outside my woodland home.
Glowing spots seen on the ground Saturday night (click photos to enlarge)
On Saturday night a couple of friends and I went on an impromptu night hike down the road to see what we might see (plus to help work off a large meal). It was fairly warm for early November but there was not a lot of activity other than a distant Barred Owl calling and the reflected light of what seemed like hundreds of spider eyes in the grass along the road. On the way back, I was ahead of the others and was inspecting some chewed leaves on a low branch when I noticed something on the ground. It was a slight glow in the grass.
Firefly larva
I turned my light on it and found a firefly larva, also called a glow worm. Since there are several other glowing creatures around the world commonly called glow worms, I prefer to call these lightning bug or firefly larvae.
Firefly larva top view
At first glance, they remind me of a short millipede without all the legs, or maybe a large sow bug. The dorsal segments look like overlapping plates that extend to the back and sides. Larvae emerge from eggs in late summer, and live through the winter before pupating in the spring. In some species, the larval stage lasts two years.
Light organs on underside of eighth abdominal segment of firefly larva
Firefly larvae in the family Lampyridae all have a light organ on their eighth abdominal segment which appears as two white spots. When they are crawling about, the light is diffuse and causes a soft glow on the ground. When you flip them over, the light looks like two tiny glowing eyes (the first photo shows two larvae on their backs). And in some species the eggs are also bioluminescent.
Light from the photic organ on the underside of a firefly larva
Adult fireflies use their flashing lights to attract mates. But the slow changing glow of the larvae must have another function. The light produced by the larvae is also a different color than that from adults – it tends to be shifted more to the green spectrum. Like the adults, larval fireflies contain some toxic compounds and are distasteful. Since the larvae are active primarily at night, it is believed that bioluminescence originated as a warning display, suggesting to predators that they are unpalatable. Research has also shown that the eyes of certain predators of larval fireflies are more sensitive to the green region of the light spectrum.
Firefly larva consuming snail
Firefly larvae live in the soil and leaf litter and crawl about at night hunting slugs, snails, earthworms, and other invertebrates. On a museum workshop in the Smokies several years ago, I came across a large firefly larva with its head inside a snail shell, presumably consuming the occupant. They apparently inject their prey with toxins that also serve as digestive enzymes, essentially liquefying the tissues.
Turns out that all of us on the hike had spotted the tiny night lights at about the same time. Walking back, we kept finding more of the faint glimmers in the grass. It was a great moment of shared wonder. As always, when you take the time to look around your surroundings, nature has a way of putting on an amazing show, including an eye-catching glow.
Firefly larva with head outstretched
We are all worms, but I do believe I am a glowworm.
So, here is the answer to the Macro Mystery. It was found along the Inspiration Trail at Umstead State Park in Raleigh earlier this week. I was struck by the texture which reminded me of wavy golden hair or fur.
Mushroom
It was actually a close-up of the underside of a mushroom cap highlighting the wavy spore-bearing gills or lamellae. The mushroom was lying on the ground next to the trail. It was large, perhaps 5 inches across the cap. I am not sure which type it is, but based on the characteristics, it may be one of the Amanita species, many of which are poisonous if eaten. At the time, I wasn’t so interested in what it was as I was in the unusual pattern, so I did not turn over the cap to investigate. I am not sure if the wavy gills are diagnostic or whether they are an artifact of aging of the mushroom.
Mushroom gills with part of stipe (or stem)
NOTE: Someone pointed out that she was able to guess the answer because the name of the image showed up in the URL of the picture when clicked and enlarged. Oops…I’ll do better next time. And, sorry, there is no prize:)
I care to live only to entice people to look at nature. ~ John Muir
Macro Mystery #1 (click photo to enlarge)
Walking around with a macro lens helps me look at nature in a different way. Since even the smallest thing can have wonderful detail if only we stop to look at it, I have decided to share some of these small beauties in the form of an occasional post I will call – Macro Mysteries. The only criteria is that the photograph must be taken with one of my macro lenses, the Canon 100mm macro or the Canon MPE-65 macro. This one is from a woodland trail hike at Umstead State Park earlier this week. I will post the answer tomorrow.
Tuesday afternoon I was joined by my good friend and mentor, Mary Ann, for a walk at Umstead State Park. It was a great chance to catch up and spend some time doing what we both love to do, woods watching. It was a walk back in time for me in a couple of ways – reminiscing about some of the good times we had at the museum helping people get excited about nature, especially the small things that surround us; and reconnecting with the place that started me on my path as a naturalist/educator. My first job as a naturalist was a summer seasonal job at Umstead in 1981 in between grants in graduate school. At the end of that summer, I had fallen in love with sharing the natural world with people, and, as luck would have it, a permanent position came open. I applied and was accepted as the East District Naturalist for the NC State Park System, and so my incredibly satisfying career began. On this day, we did what folks like us do, slowly walking and looking closely at everything from autumn leaves and tree bark textures to slight movements or patterns that catch a naturalist’s eye. The Inspiration Trail provided us with just that, and a seasonally-themed experience as well – a look at some hauntingly beautiful woodland spiders.
Tan Jumping Spider on Loblolly Pine trunk (click on photos to enlarge)
Our first spider was hiding in plain sight on the trunk of a large Loblolly Pine. It was a very fuzzy-looking jumping spider. Using The Spiders of the Carolinas field guide by L.L. Gaddy, I identified it as a Flat Jumper, Platycryptus undatus. A visit to the BugGuide.net web site revealed that it is more commonly known as the Tan Jumping Spider.
Tan Jumping Spider
This is a common species of jumping spider, which, like all of its cousins, builds no web, but instead relies on its’ keen eyesight and speed to capture prey. It favors vertical surfaces such as tree trunks, fences, walls, etc. It is easily observed as it tends to show no fear of humans, and may, in fact, be curious and jump onto a close hand or camera lens for a quick inspection. The bodies of these spiders are somewhat flattened in the vertical direction, which allows them to hide under loose tree bark and in other tight places. The prominent pattern on the dorsal surface of their abdomen is diagnostic of the species (the species name undatus refers to the undulating outline of the pattern). This coloration helps them blend in on mottled surfaces like bark.
Tan Jumping Spider close-up
A close look at this female shows the characteristic large pair of eyes in front and the dark single lashes above each of the other eyes. A male will have a reddish-orange stripe under the row of front eyes.
Magnolia Green Jumper on tree trunk
Next was a tiny specimen of one of my favorite jumping spiders, a Magnolia Green Jumper, Lyssomanes viridis. It is easily recognized by its two huge front eyes and the raised “eye mound” on top of the cephalothorax that is orange or yellow and contains the remaining eyes.
Young Nursery Web Spider
A little farther along the trail we came upon a young Nursery Web Spider, Pisaurina mira, posing on a leaf in its characteristic splayed-leg position. Females of this species lay an oval egg sac, pull some leaves over it, and secure the whole thing with some web. She then remains with the egg sac until the young spiderlings hatch and disperse in late autumn.
Marbled Orbweaver
The final spider of the hike was the most seasonally appropriate – a beautiful female Marbled Orbweaver, Araneus marmoreus. This large-bodied spider is abundant in autumn and, due to its timing and coloration, is often dubbed the Halloween Spider (it often turns more orange late in the season). Although the abdomen is usually bright yellow or orange, it does occur in many other color variations. This one was out in the middle of its web feeding on a small prey item, but I usually find them hiding in a curled leaf retreat off to the side of their circular web. It is always fun to suddenly reveal them to folks on a nature walk by reaching up and tapping the spider’s hideaway and have it come scurrying out. Now if I could only get them to line the pathway up to the door for Halloween night, I might be able to save some of my chocolate treats…
Roads End Naturalist 