Walk on the Wet Side

Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually without fish, thus allowing the safe development of young amphibian and insects unable to withstand competition or predation by fish. I was surprised not to hear any frogs.

Hays Kennedy Park in Prospect, KY, has a prime example of vernal pools. The long narrow pool is quite shallow. They are called vernal pools because they are often, but not necessarily, at their maximum depth in the spring ("vernal" meaning of, relating to, or occurring in the spring) and by summer, only a few frog puddles will remain.. Vernal pools may form in forests, but they are more typically associated with grasslands. While many vernal pools are only a few meters in width, playas and prairie potholes are usually much larger, but are still otherwise similar in many respects, with high water in wet periods, followed by dry conditions.

The pool usually hosts dabbling ducks such as Mallards, Northern Shovelers and Bluewinged Teal. Last year a pair of Red Necked Phalaropes found this pool, so you don't assume that nothing exciting ever happens here. In March, when we had a slight warm spell, you could hardly walk along the pool for all the goose poo on the banks. I never knew that teals make a peeping cheeping kind of sound. They sounded like baby chicks!

Meadow Larks sing on the other side of the water, but they usually hide down in the grass.

Between snow showers yesterday, the sun came out occasionally, highlighting all the crab apple trees in bloom. They grow so close together, you can tell they haven't been planted by anyone.

At least I think they are crab apples. Don't Bradford pears escape to the wild sometimes? I sank down into the squishy mud, hiding at the base of the trees. This is a very wet place in the spring.

But the only wild flowers would be considered weeds, such as this Dead Red Nettle...

...and the first Garlic Mustard of the season. Poison Hemlock is sprouting right behind the Garlic Mustard. Ah well, this is an easy stop on my way home from Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, well worth the walk on the wet side.

Spring Serenade

Horned Grebe

Today I re-learned a basic fact. In the "Middle of the Lake" means just that. No matter which side of the Long Run Park Lake I stood on this evening, I could not get a closer photo of these Horned Grebe which chose the lake as their night's stopover while migrating north. Sigh. They looked better in the scope, but were busy preening, or just napping as the sun set. This is the first time I've ever seen them with the males in breeding plumage, and it was pretty exciting.

Louisville's newest park is called The Parklands of Floyds Fork, and will eventually connect five parks including hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, and restored wetlands, along many miles of Floyd's Fork. The Fork itself is 62 miles long, not quite enough to be classified as a river, but a wonderful place to canoe and explore. The eastern part of Jefferson County is quickly being overrun by development, and this park will help to save some of it at least.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to drop by the Parklands, hoping to hear Woodcocks peenting. Nope, no Woodcocks tonight, but the marshes had plenty of frogs and waterfowl. So close your eyes and just enjoy the sounds of spring!

March Lions and Lambs

Witchhazel

The word 'March' comes from the Roman 'Martius'. This was originally the first month of the Roman calendar and was named after Mars, the god of war.  March was the beginning of our calendar year. We changed to the 'New Style' or 'Gregorian calendar in 1752, and it is only since then when we the year began on 1st January. The Anglo-Saxons called the month Hlyd monath which means Stormy month, or Hraed monath which means Rugged month.

Song Sparrow

Well, the ancients certainly knew what they were talking about when they named this month, didn't they? On Tuesday, it's sunny and warm, Wednesday morning is blustery, rainy and cold. On Tuesday, Beckham Bird Club has a wonderful hike at Bernheim Forest with our guest, Greg Miller, of "The Big Year" fame. He's a regular guy, very nice, with a rough history. Greg says he now gives speeches about a contest he didn't win, and a book he didn't write, which was made into a movie he didn't star in. He did serve as the avian consultant for the movie though, and got to meet all the cast. The casting director did a great job with Jack Black taking Greg's part. Black nailed Greg's mannerisms right on. He was most touched by a letter from a man who started birding with his son after they watched The Big Year together, because Jack Black was in it.

Eastern Bluebird

By the next morning, winter had returned, and a few of us braved the elements to join Thor Hanson, our evening speaker and author of a terrific book about Feathers:the Evolution of a Natural Miracle. Following feathers from the dinosaurs to ladies' hats, he was a delightful speaker at our annual dinner, and endured the unpleasant weather the next morning in good spirits. If you are interested in birds, I recommend his book.

Red Maple Blossoms

The sunshine gleams so bright and warm,
The sky is blue and clear.
I run outdoors without a coat,
And spring is almost here.
Then before I know it,
Small clouds have blown together,
Till the sun just can't get through them,
And again, it's mitten weather.

Sunrise and sunset are close to twelves hours apart today, and the birds and plants seem to know that spring is here, and willing to take a chance on the weather. The early bloomers are out, and bees are looking for them. I, on the other hand, go out whenever the sun shines, and wrap up in my favorite blanket on days like today, when it is going to rain/sleet/snow once AGAIN! But I'm more than ready to have it be spring every day!

Wildflowers in Charlestown State Park

Charlestown State Park, near Charlestown, IN, recently merged with the Falls of the Ohio State Park, so many of our volunteer activities are now extended to this other facility.  Opened in 1996, it occupies part of a 15,000 acre site formerly run by the US Army as an ammunition plant.  Many of the old rusty, collapsing buildings are still there since the plant shut down after the end of WWII.  Another Army testing ground near Madisonville, IN, has been turned into a National Wildlife Refuge. CSP sits on the banks of the Ohio River, though, at the former Charlestown Landing and Rose Island Park locations. Saturday's Raptor Day Event at the park was cut short due to severe weather that roared through - high wind, hail, thunder, and darkness accompanied by driving rain.  I know because I tried to drive home through the middle of it!

 Our friend and fellow volunteer, Richard Lyons, led the wildflower hike along Trail 6, described as a rugged 2.3 mile trail.  We started down a flat wooded path along the river, where the Dwarf Larkspur, Wood Poppy, and Wood Anemone bloomed in profusion.  This isn't so bad, I thought to myself.  Why is it described as rugged?

In spots along the trail we saw limestone bluffs above our heads through the trees. Downstream, where the city of Louisville sits, the valley is broad and flat, although the Interstate cuts through solid limestone to get there.  At this point, we saw the outcropping of that limestone on the Indiana side of the river.

Then we started to climb, up and up and up.  After the heavy rain the day before, the trail got a little slippery in spots, but the creek flowed without silt on its 200 foot downward journey to the river.  My yoga and exercise at the YMCA is paying off.  I climbed the hill without having to stop and catch my breath on the way up!

Bright green ferns sprouted from cracks in the solid rock, sheltered by moss. Wood Anemone bloomed in the moss atop limestone boulders.

Pawpaw trees sported  little purple umbrellas...

...and one group of boulders hosted a colony of native Columbines, noted for preferring to grow in the limestone.  These may need another day or two to actually bloom, but the spider didn't seem to care as she spun her small web in the buds.

When we returned to the lower level, I admired the red bud trees.  Tree blossoms always intrigue me.

Their flowers are just as intricate as any growing closer to the earth.

On Territory

As I walked down the trail at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve this afternoon, I heard the clear song, Drink your tea! in the nearby brush.  Eastern Towhees are some of my favorite birds, but since they like the low dense brush, it's hard to find them at all, let along get a clear photo. This may be my chance, I thought, and stepped off the trail into the leaves.

If I had to depend on my stealth in the forest to find food, I would surely starve to death.  Trying not to snap more sticks than absolutely necessary, I walked toward the sound of the Towhee.  This bird must be on territory, since he sat in one spot singing continuously, for at least 15 minutes while I searched.  When I stepped to one side of the tree, he seemed to be in the opposite direction. When I moved that way, he seemed to be back in the original spot again.  Finally, I looked straight up, and there he was!  He has my vote for stud Towhee of the forest!  All the other males better look somewhere else for their territory this year.

Creasey Mahan has a Bluebird trail with houses donated by the Louisville Audubon Society.  We had birds in some of them last year, and hope more will be occupied this year.  As I drove in, one pair of Bluebirds checked out the box they had nested in last summer.  But of course, Bluebirds aren't the only ones who nest in those boxes.  This Tree Sparrow sat on the utility line above the Nature Center, just where he sat last spring while his mate cared for her eggs in the box.

BUT there is a squatter in his box!  He wasn't too happy about this and flew down a few times to drive the interloper away.  House Sparrows are pretty stubborn though, and I don't think this one plans to leave.  That has to be the most determined face I've ever seen.

Mockingbirds are very territorial, of course, and prefer to perch on the highest spot in their territory.  At home the Mockingbird will chase others away from the feeders with little provocation.

I went back to the Falls of the Ohio for a while, to see how the river is receding.  The Ohio is no longer flooding, but not back in its banks by any means, and debris leaves a clear high water mark along the shore.  This Hairy Woodpecker is the first I've ever been able to photograph.  He must be after some yummy bugs that drowned on this floating log.

I must really like the Internet.  I am webmaster for two different websites, Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve and Beckham Bird Club, plus my own blog.  This week I started a nature blog for the Nature Preserve called KY Natural Inquirer.  Tavia and I will work on it together, focusing on the seasonal changes and natural questions that arise at the Preserve. Hope you will enjoy it too.

Let's Go For a Walk

"Let's go for a walk," my daughter said. "I've got the day off, and have never seen Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve. You always talk about it, so Bailey and I want to go." What a wonderful idea! And how nice to have your adult daughter suggest it! The sun is shining through the bare trees, while buds and small plants bravely poke their way out from winter's hiding.

We started down Mahan Lane and said hi to the volunteers working to prepare the six acre fern garden for more planting. Things were quiet at the Frog Pond, so we headed down towards the waterfalls and Little Huckleberry Creek. One of my favorite places is Hidden Spring, and as we climbed up to its outlet, I saw a slight movement on the ground. It's a beautiful common garter snake, about a foot long.

The March Open House Saturday is going to be about snakes. One of the naturalists from Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort will come on March 19th with some of his snakes, but I thought it would be great to have a local representative. Mary Beth had a plastic bag in her pocket, so we caught this one, and put him in a tank back at the office. According to the internet, they eat earthworms, frogs, and mice, among other things. In turn, they provide an important food source for many birds and mammals. The red-shouldered hawk, in particular, relies on the collection of snakes to help feed their young during the nesting season. This little guy felt very strong as he wrapped around my fingers. And his tongue is red! When the event is over, we'll take him back where we found him for release.

With all the rain we've had in Kentucky lately, the creeks on the Preserve were full, but not cloudy at all. The Fallen Rock waterfall usually just trickles behind the stones, but this time the water actually falls over the front of the rock. Other springs burst from the limestone hillsides, merrily rolling toward the largers creeks, and ultimately, the nearby Ohio River.

Bailey, my granddog, had a great time. She's spent most of her life as an apartment dog, and isn't too interested in taking walks when she stays at our house. But all the smells intrigued her, and she stayed as far out on the leash as it goes the whole time we walked the trail. Finally, she couldn't stand it any more, and had to wade in the creek. "After all," she said, "I am a Retriever!"

A Promise of Spring

In mid-February, Mother Nature has given us a break from the dreary relentless winter cold, snow and wind. Instead, we are enjoying a hint of Spring to come. Everyone notices different signs of Spring. I saw the green sprouts of wild onions and poison hemlock among the brown grasses at a park. But the bird songs are always the most reliable clue, and I begin to notice them every year after Groundhogs Day in early February. You can't mistake the conk-kor-ee of the first Red Winged Blackbird in the cattails.

But you really know Spring will come when you hear the first flock of Sandhill Cranes flying north overhead, with their unique call. Does anyone know how to describe that call? The International Crane Foundation website says they call a "loud, rattling kar-r-r-o-o-o," while the Baker Sanctuary generally describes it as a repeated series of trumpeting “garoo-a-a-a.” See, they can't come up with anything recognizable either. But you know it when you hear them, and I always smile and run outside to look. The Kentucky bird list has been full of people posting their sucess with the Cranes at the small community of Cecilia, Ky, about an hour's drive from Louisville. My birding buddy Del says our usual Crane locale in Brownstown, IN has no Cranes at all this year. Apparently the farmers planted soy beans rather than corn last year due to late season flooding, and the Cranes prefer to feed in the corn stubble.

So I got the directions, and drove out in the country this morning. The bird list has reported thousands of Cranes in Cecilia over the last few weeks. Either I'm at the tail end of the migration, or between shifts for the birds. In Indiana, we've seen them by the thousands in one or two fields, all calling at once in other years. However, this time, the largest group I saw at one time numbered about 200. Otherwise, I noticed smaller family-sized groups of 12 or so spread out in many different fields. I'm happy with my trip though, because I was able to get much closer to them for photographs than ever before. My Prius with the silent electric motor let me glide along the back roads, taking photos of birds just over the fence.

Remembering Del's comment, I did notice that more birds were in the corn fields, and only rarely did I see them in soy bean fields, and none, of course, in cattle pastures. No grain to glean there. A bit of water in a ditch or small creek is a big attration too.

Other country birds sang for me this morning too. The Meadlowlarks were particularly vocal, teasing me from the distance. The birdsong CD we have describes their song as "Spring of the Earth" and I thought they were absolutely right today. If I heard and and tried to find one, the bird always flew away if I even walked in its direction. When I don't have my camera, they will perch on a fencepost 20 feet away!

Another bird I don't find around home too much is the Horned Lark. I saw this one fly across the road before me in a brown blur. When I found it, I was delighted to hear its high pitched chi-dit, seerp/tseep, and buzzy calls. You won't hear this guy if your car window is up or the radio is turned on.

Spring makes the Cranes dance with joy too! Just watch the video I took of their dancing.

Flower Bowl

Most birders have had a mountain-top experience while birding. You know, the kind where you see more cool birds than you've ever seen before, and you jump up and down in excitement. Well, I do that any way...Today I had one of those experiences, but with wildflowers!

Raven Run Nature Sanctuary contains over 700 acres on the palisades of the Kentucky River, operated by Lexington, Ky, Parks and Recreation in Fayette County. Most importantly, more wildflowers grow there than I have ever, ever, EVER seen in one spot in my life!! The Phlox have a fragrance similar to lilacs, so the entire trail smelled just wonderful. I have got to get Tavia the Flower Woman here before they finish blooming.

I suppose that this area has not been farmed or timbered for a long time, to have this many flowers and so few invasives. Is this what it looked like when the pioneers arrived? How spectacular! At the top of the hill, the trail went along more open fields, and the now familiar invasives started taking over again, to our dismay.

One spot is called the Flower Bowl, and wildflowers grow up and down the hillside for at least half a mile. Double click this photo to enlarge it and see how many different species of flowers you can find. I don't have any answer, and there's no prize for the highest number. Just give it a try and have fun!

One spot on the trail overlooks the palisades on the Kentucky River. Despite my fear of heights, we went out to the edge, and I found a Columbine in full bloom, hanging over the edge of the rocks. Straddling a convenient tree which also hung over the edge, I braced myself to lean over for a picture.

We also found huge ammonite fossils. The entire area of the Bluegrass in central Kentucky is known as the Cincinnati Arch to geologists and rock hounds. A strata of Ordovincian rock, far older than those at the Falls of the Ohio, has uplifted into visibility, so really old, ancient fossils are easy to find.

We picked up a list of wildflowers that bloom from February to April, and saw and identified 32 of 41 wildflowers, not including the non-native plants and leaves of those already finished blooming! I haven't started a life list for wildflowers yet, but maybe this is the time to begin!

I'm used to primarily white or yellow wildflowers in the spring, but these blue and purple flowers just blew me away!