Category Archives: Journal

20 June 2015 – Worm Plots

2015-06-20

The worm plots are historically significant because of the role they played in DDT research. In the 1960’s, researchers at the USGS’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center conducted research on the effect that certain pesticides had on raptors. Rachel Carson in her 1962 book suggested that these pesticides were causing serious harm to the environment and to humans. The research conducted here seemed to confirm her suggestion. One of the areas researched by the USGS researchers was on the uptake of DDT by earthworms which are eaten by birds such as robins. The research found that even after 45 years in 2011, the residue of DDT could still be found in the soil at these worm plots.

For more information, see the article written in the Friends of Patuxent Newsletter of January-March 2012 – http://friendsofpatuxent.org/images/JanMar12v23n1.pdf

20 June 2015 – Whooping Crane Observatory

2015-06-20

(Above photo: Two whooping Cranes at Patuxent Research Refuge.)

The Patuxent Research Refuge is home to the USGS’s (United States Geological Survey’s) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. One of the on-going projects conducted by the USGS there is the Whooping Crane Captive Breeding Program.
This actual area where the program is being conducted is not open to the general public. However, the Whooping Crane Observatory is open to visitors by permission and only on special occasions. The cranes involved with the breeding program are kept away from human contact, even from the many of the staff because they are very sensitive to human disturbance. It is my understanding that the two cranes on display and pictured here have been habituated to humans.

Since I only had my macro lens with me, I could not get a clear shot of the cranes. A good telephoto lens would have made the job easier. Maybe another time.

Reference: Wildlife Festival marks opening of crane observatory at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Click on link for full article that appeared in the Baltimore Sun.)

20 June 2015 – Mallard Pond

2015-06-20

20 June 2015 – Snowden Pond

2015-06-20

20 June 2015 – Knowles Marsh 3

2015-06-20

20 June 2015 – Knowles Marsh 2

2015-06-20

20 June 2015 – Knowles Marsh 1

2015-06-20

20 June 2015 – Little American Toad

2015-06-20

20 June 2015 – Gerronema strombodes

2015-06-20

Spotted this interesting mushroom along Mill Race Road just past the swamp. They were growing all over the woods from the humus soil. I can’t seem to find a common name for it, but its scientific name is Gerronema strombodes. In some references, it has been called Chrysomphalina strombodes, Omphalia strombodes and Clitocybe strombodes.

It is saprobic, meaning that it feeds on the deadwood of hardwoods and conifers. Its gills run down the stem.

It is found in the Southeastern USA.

This mushroom’s edibility is uncertain, but at least one states that it is edible. Depending on the person, it has a mild or bitter taste, and its odor is mild or faintly sweet.

19 June 2015 – This evening’s visitors to our porch

2015-06-19

Snout moth - possibly Double-banded Grass Veneer — Snout moth – possibly Double-banded Grass Veneer

Dolichomia olinalis. Yellow-Fringed Dolichomia

19 June 2015 -Common Pug – a Type of Inch Worm

2015-06-19

As I was driving away today at the refuge, I spotted an inch worm on my arm. So I decided to take a few photos of it. It is apparently called a common pug (Eupithecia miserulata), a moth of the family Geometridae.

Inch worms are the larvae of moths of the family Geometridae. There are over 1,200 species of inch worms native to North America. I have no idea which species this one is.

They have six legs on the front end, and four grasping appendages on the rear end. Since they don’t have appendages in the middle of their body, they move around by their characteristic inching gait.

19 June 2015 – Great Spangled Fritillary

2015-06-19

Several individuals of this beautiful butterfly, called the Great Spangled Fritillary, were flying around the North Tract Contact Station this afternoon. They were feeding on the nectar of the Common Milkweed growing in the flower beds around the building.

Its scientific name is Speyeria cybele. It ranges from Southern Canada and Northern California on the west to the Atlantic Coast on the east. It prefers woodland edges and moist meadows. Its larval host plant includes various species of Violets (Viola), which are common on the refuge. There are several accepted sub-species of Great Spangled Fritillary. I am not sure which one this is.

18 June 2015 – Spotted Wintergreen – Chimaphila maculata

2015-06-18

Spent 1.5 hours on the refuge today. Drove out to Lake Allen and spotted some white-colored flowers off in the pine woods on the east side of the lake. I got out of the Jeep to investigate and discovered it was a fairly good-sized patch of Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata (L.) Pursh).

It likes oak-pine woods, sandy woods, well-drained upland forests and other mesic habitats. It is tolerant of acidic soil. It is frequently found in these types of habitats on the refuge.

The Spotted Wintergreen is native to eastern North America and Central America, from southern Quebec west to Illinois, and south to Florida and Panama. There are four populations in Ontario and one small extant population in Quebec. It is secure in Maryland.

Its scientific name and its frequently seen common name Spotted Wintergreen are misnomers. Species epithet “maculata” means spotted, but as you can see from the photo above, the leaves are striped, not spotted. Believe it or not, it is sometimes called Striped Wintergreen and Striped Prince’s Pine.

Seed capsule – picture taken on 30 July 2010

17 June 2015 – Chicken- of-the-Woods – Laetiporus sulphureus

2015-06-17

Found some Chicken-of-the-Woods growing on a rotting oak log today. Its scientific name is Laetiporus sulphureus. It is a polypore shelf mushroom.

The Chicken-of-the-Woods is edible, although some people may be allergic to it. It is said to taste like chicken to some people with a lemony flavor. Others claim it tastes like crab or lobster. It makes a good substitute for meat. One should eat a small amount first to make sure they do not get a reaction to it before eating a lot of it.

The Chicken is a saprophyte, meaning that it feeds on dead trees and also sometimes a parasite, meaning that it feeds on live trees as well.

From what I understand, there are six known species of Chicken in North America, and twelve known species worldwide. This species, Laetiporus sulphureus, is found in Eastern North America.

There is a National Geographic television program (Flithy Riches?) which focused on mushroom hunters who made their living off of collecting mushrooms. The Chicken was one of the featured mushrooms.

WARNING: Remember to get permission from the land owner before collecting mushrooms, and be absolutely certain of the type of mushroom before eating it.

13 June 2015 – Memorial Rose – Rosa wichuraiana

2015-06-13

About 15 years ago, I spotted two colonies of white roses across the street from our house. They were not the Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) which had already mostly finished because blooming, and this rose was in its prime.

It keys it out to Memorial Rose (Rosa wichuraiana) Crép. It is native to East Asia, and has a natural sprawling, but not climbing, habit which makes it attractive as a ground cover. These two colonies could be considered persistent/established and spreading.

These are some photos I took of this simple but elegant flower. There are some cultivar forms of this species including one with pink tinged petals and a double petal form.

In the fall, it produces small red hips. It is named after the German botanist Max Ernst Wichura. Its scientific name is synonymous with Rosa luciae Franch. & Rochebr., which is sometimes seen in literature.

13 June 2015 – Common Winterberry – Ilex verticillata

2015-06-13

(Photo above: flower cluster)

Branch with leaves and flowers

I found some Common Winterberry that was in full bloom today along the Little Patuxent Trail. The scientific name for this member of the holly family (Aquifoliaceae) is Ilex verticillata (L.) A. Gray. Its native range covers Eastern North America from Newfoundland to Alabama on the East, Ontario on the North, to Minnesota and Louisiana on the west.

Leaf in full view

Common winterberry is dioecious, meaning that male flowers (staminate) and female flowers (pistillate) are found on separate plants. So means that male and female plants both need to be present for pollination to occur. The specimen pictured here is staminate.

Common winterberry in fruit. Photo taken on 27 September 2012

Its fruits are red and clustered around the branches, and persist through the winter. The fruits are a favorite to birds.

Branch with leaves and flowers

Common winterberry can be found in wet to dry habitats, but seems to do best in moist soil and full sun.

Ciliate sepals

The sepals of the Common Winterberry are ciliate (have hairs which extend from the margins.) This distinguishes it from the closely related Smooth Winterberry (Ilex laevigata (Pursh) A. Gray), which have no margin hairs on the sepals.

Branch with leaves and flowers

It goes by numerous other common names including Possumhaw, Swamp Holly, Virginian Winterberry, Winterberry Holly, Black Alder Winterberry, Brook Alder, Canada Holly, Fever Bush, Inkberry, Michigan Holly, Coralberry, Deciduous Holly, Deciduous Winterberry, and False Alder.

9 June 2015 – Spotted turtle – Clemmys guttata

2015-06-09

While I was driving on Wildlife Loop on the North Tract today, I saw a small black object in the road. At first, I thought it was a piece of debris, but on closer examination it was a Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). I drove around the turtle and got out of my Jeep to take these pictures.

Spotted turtles are found in North America from Ontario and the Great Lakes region in the USA and in Atlantic Coastal States, mostly east of the Appalachians. This one is a male. Male Spotted Turtles have a tan chin, brown eyes, and a long, thick tail. The females’ chin is orange; she also has orange eyes and a shorter tail than the male. Also male Spotted Turtles‘ bottom shell is concave, while the females’ are flat or convex. The eyes on this guy look orangish probably due to the flash I used. However, he was definitely a male because his bottom shell was concave and because his chin is light colored.

The Spotted Turtle prefers wetland habitats, such as swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, woodland streams, and wet pastures. That is why it was interesting seeing him trying to cross the road. The wet weather we have had this spring could explain this.

The Spotted Turtle is federally endangered in Canada, but not yet listed as endangered in the USA under the Federal Endangered Species Act. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as vulnerable to extinction. It is listed as endangered in Indiana.

9 June 2015 – Harvestman

2015-06-09

I don’t know which species of Harvestman this is. It stood still long enough for me to take a couple of good shots. Some people mistakenly believe that Harvestmen are spiders, but they are not. They belong to the Opiliones order of arachnids. This order consists of over 6,500 known species. They are sometimes called Daddy Long Legs, among other names.

I posted these pictures on bugguide.net with the hope someone can determine which species this is. If not, these are some good pictures of an interesting critter. If you look closely, you can see its eyes on the top towards the front.

9 June 2015 – Maleberry – Lyonia ligustrina

2015-06-09

(Photo of a maleberry shrub in habit.)

Previous year’s seed capsules.

Maleberry (Lyonia ligustrina (L.) DC.) is an Ericad (member of Ericaceae – Heath Family) that is found on the refuge around the margins of wetlands. Its white flowers mature into brown dry capsules which contain seeds. In the USA, it is found from Maine to Georgia on the East, and Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama on the West.

Leaves and seed capsules.

This specimen was found next to a swampy area under the BGE powerline right-of-way on the North Tract.

Inflorescence

6 June 2015 – Hilltop Bog

2015-06-06

(Above photo is a full view of the bog.)

Hilltop Bog is the headwaters for one of the small streams which feeds into the Patuxent River. The water from this bog flows in generally south. The plant community is a variant of the Coastal Plain/Piedmont Acidic Seepage Swamp :CEGL006238. The full extent of the bog has not yet been fully surveyed. I will be back here again.