Star of Wonder

Science is very good at explaining things and can even solve a mystery that has no remaining witnesses. Science is able to tell us how long ago a frozen cave man lived, and even how he died. One mystery that science has been unable to explain, but has offered many possible solutions to, is the Star of Bethlehem that the Magi followed. The star is mentioned in the gospels, and many biblical events have been confirmed by archaeology. But is the star a legend, a myth, a miracle, or something perfectly logical?

There are several astronomical phenomena that could explain the star. People at the time were very astute when it came to sky watching, as the stars and moon were (and still are) great navigational aids, so anything out of the ordinary appearing in the sky would have been noticed and documented. Some examples of astronomical phenomena that could have occurred on the First Noel include a planetary conjunction, a nova, a supernova, and a comet.

A planetary conjunction is when two or more planets appear very close to each other in the night sky, and may even appear to be a single object. Just such an event- a Jupiter and Saturn conjunction- took place in the year 7 BC, just outside the accepted date of Jesus’s birth (6 BC- 4 BC). The timing is very close and the position in the sky is correct, but the planets were not close enough to appear as a single star and while the conjunction may have led the Magi in the general direction of Bethlehem from Jerusalem, but did not stand over Bethlehem as stated in the Bible. 

Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, 2015

A nova (“new star”) is star that suddenly flares up many times in magnitude. It is given this term because in most cases, it is a star that ordinarily is not visible to the naked eye. Similar to a nova is a supernova, a star which has exploded. Chinese and Korean records indicate either a nova or supernova occurred in the year 5 BC, which also fits the timeframe for the nativity. Unlike the planets, however, a nova or supernova would remain in a fixed position in the sky. 

Remnants of 1987 supernova (NASA)

A comet is best described as a dirty snowball orbiting the sun. Depending on location and trajectory, they can become visible to the naked eye as they approach the sun. The period of visibility and brightness vary from comet to comet, but as an object in orbit, it would certainly move about the sky. Chinese records indicate a comet appearing in the year 5 BC, which is within the accepted time of Jesus’s birth. The comet’s location in the sky would have it preceding the Magi first to Jerusalem, then to Bethlehem. It even appeared during spring, which is when it is believed he was born, even though we celebrate Christmas in December. That’s a different story for a different blog. 

Comet ISON (NASA)

Over 2000 years later, the great mystery of the Star of Bethlehem may finally have an answer thanks to forensic astronomy and the meticulous records of the Chinese. Was it really a comet, a completely rational cosmic occurrence, which led the Magi to Bethlehem? If so, did divine intervention place the comet where it needed to be at the right time? That question might never be answered.

This week's information comes from two sources. Speculation about conjunctions and comets comes from Colin J. Humphreys and the speculation about novae and supernovae comes from Mark Kidger.

Species of the Month

December’s Species of the Month, like last December’s, is a living symbol of Christmas. Holly, with its green leaves and red berries, has become of a jolly symbol of the most wonderful time of the year. The Species of the Month is American holly, native to the eastern US and lower Midwest.

Scientific name: Ilex opaca

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Class:   Magnoliopsida (dicots)

Order: Celastrales (flowering trees)

Range: New York and southern New England south to the Gulf Coast, west to Texas

Habitat: Well-drained forests, coastal areas

Lifespan: About 100 years

Diet: Sunlight and water

Predators: Insects including southern red mite, holly leafminer, and holly midge; fungal diseases; birds may eat the berries and herbivores may browse the leaves.

Conservation Status: No federal protection; listed as Exploitably Vulnerable in New York and Threatened in Pennsylvania.

Winter holly at Gateway National Recreation Area (NPS Facebook photo)

Other Information: American holly is used as an ornamental planting. Its branches are used in Christmas wreaths. The Pilgrims named American holly, based on its similar looks to their familiar English holly, which had been established as a Christmas decoration for some time. A slow grower, it is typically an understory plant, although some have been known to reach 100 feet tall. Because it is usually found in the understory, it is rarely the dominant plant in a forest. However, an excellent example of a holly forest can be found at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Both male and female hollies flower, but only the females produce berries. Birds are an important method of seed dispersal. Holly’s wood is among the whitest woods on the market. It is not very strong so its commercial use is limited. Small green flowers are hardly noticeable.

This week's holly information comes from the US Forest Service. 

My 2016 Christmas card, featuring holly in my yard

Coastal holly in North Carolina (NPS)

More holly in New Jersey (NPS Facebook photo)

Coca-Cola's Fuzzy Ecology

Remember a few years back when Coke started running their polar bear commercials around Christmas? Not long after that, they added penguins to the mix. I don’t know about the general population, but apparently the marketing people at Coke don’t know much about polar ecology.

Geographically and ecologically incorrect soft drink

Aside from wild animals drinking carbonated beverages, the biggest mistake in the commercial is mixing animals that are literally polar opposites. Polar bears live at the North Pole and penguins live at the South Pole. You could theoretically have them share a Coke, but one or the other would have to travel quite a distance for that to happen. Not all penguins live at the South Pole, but none live at the North Pole. The southernmost polar bear range doesn't even come close to the northernmost penguin's range.

Polar bear in search of seals and Coke
(US Fish and Wildlife Service)

Penguins, seen here being photobombed by a seal.
The seal is hiding from polar bears. (USF&WS)

Polar bears are carnivores that prey mainly on seals, which glide through the water in much the same manner as penguins. I have a feeling that if they shared overlapping range, rather than drinking Coke and playing together, polar bears would have another option for their holiday feasts. Hungry polar bears have been known to chomp on the occasional puffin, which looks like the flying penguin of the north, so it's not too much of a stretch.

I'm Lichen This Blog

This week Nature Minute will take a look at another unsung hero of ecology, the oft-overlooked lichen. There are many different lichens and they can be found just about everywhere. You’ve probably seen lichens. Maybe a greenish-gray circular spot on a rock, or on the bark of a tree (mistakenly referred to as moss).

Last year, I did a two-part series on the importance of soil. Lichen is just as important to life, if not more so, because lichen will frequently colonize bare rock and secrete chemicals that break down the rock. Thus begins the making a toehold for more advanced plant life to follow. This succession is the beginning of soil formation.

Notice above I said “many different lichens” and not “many species of lichens”. That was intentional, because while a lichen is a living organism, it is not a single species, but a symbiotic odd couple relationship between a fungus and an alga (singular of algae). Some lichens will have a green alga, some will have a blue-green alga, and still others will have both.

How does this crazy living arrangement work? The fungus provides the lichen’s structure. The algae provides the food through photosynthesis. In many cases, the fungus and the alga are perfectly capable of living on their own. Yet for some reason, sometimes they chose to live as roommates in a lichen apartment. There must be an evolutionary advantage.

Perhaps it is the chemicals produced by lichens. Very few insects munch on them, although tundra animals will. They are also very hardy, able to withstand complete desiccation. I don’t know of any fungi or algae that can do that on their own.

Because of the separate living components of lichen, it is impossible to trace the evolution of lichens like we can trace other organisms through DNA and the fossil record. So scientists can’t say how this unlikely partnership formed, although they can tell us how new lichens are made. Because it’s different species living together, you can’t just have a male lichen mate with a female lichen. The fungus and alga can reproduce individually, but their offspring won’t necessarily form a new lichen. However, the lichen can form a soredia, a group of the alga’s wrapped up in filaments provided by the fungus. This little ball of oddities rolls off and starts a new lichen. Another way for lichens to “reproduce” is for a piece of lichen to flake off and drift to a new home.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s fascinating look at one of nature’s weirdest partnerships. Now that you know how weird those mundane little blotches are, maybe you’ll take a closer look. Enjoy some lichen photos I’ve taken during my sojourns. Lichen information this week comes from the USForest Service and the University of California’s Museum of Paleontology here and here.

Lichen on a rock in Idaho

Lichen on a rock at Yellowstone NP

Several small patches of lichen on a rock

Lung lobaria lichen on a tree in Washington

Lichen in the branches of a tree in Washington

Lipstick cladonia on a tree stump

False pixie cup on a tree stump

Endangered Species

This week Nature Minute will take a look at something most have never seen before- endangered species. You may have seen one or two because there are so many species that are endangered, but most likely not because there are so few of each species. They come in all shapes and sizes, from lichens to flowers to trees and from insects to corals to snails to whales.

In legal terms, an endangered species is defined by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as being in danger of becoming extinct. A companion term in ESA is a threatened species, which is under threat of becoming endangered. ESA requires protection for endangered and threatened species as well as their habitat, because how can a species survive without having a place to live?

While ESA is an American law, it also extends global protection to species listed as threatened or endangered wherever they may be found. For example, the cheetah is listed as a foreign endangered species. While US laws regarding the conservation of cheetahs and their habitat can’t be enforced in Africa, the extent of the law here at home prohibits trafficking in them and other foreign endangered species.

Currently there are close to 2000 threatened and endangered species just in the US. When a species is listed, the appropriate state and federal agencies must develop a recovery plan. The recovery plan outlines how to increase the species population and preserve habitat and specifies a target population to be considered sustainable so the species can be delisted. Lead federal agencies that oversee ESA listing and recovery plans are the US Fish and Wildlife Service for terrestrial species and National Marine Fisheries Service works with oceanic critters. Both partner with state fish and wildlife agencies, local and tribal governments, private organizations.

My time in the field gave me the opportunity to work on conservation projects aimed at species recovery. I was even lucky enough to see some of the species I was trying to help.

In the US, four of the five Pacific salmon species (pinks are excluded) are listed as threatened or endangered. I volunteered with the Nisqually Land Trust, an organization that works to preserve and enhance salmon habitat. Although the salmon is a fish, salmon habitat begins with healthy forests that keep the rivers cool and clean.

Chinook salmon returning to spawn

I also volunteered with the Center for Natural Lands Management on two prairie preserves. I removed invasive blackberries and Scotch broom from the Glacial Heritage Natural Area and also collected wildflower seeds from there and the Mima Mounds Natural Area. The work I did was to open space for native plants to grow and collect seeds for propagation at other sites. The prairies are home to the endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, Mazama pocket gopher, and golden paintbrush, a flower. 

Golden paintbrush

Mazama pocket gopher (US Fish and Wildlife)

Taylor's checkerspot (US Fish and Wildlife)

My list of endangered species that I’ve seen in their natural habitat is short, but probably longer than most other people’s. I’ve seen the beluga whale (Alaska), golden paintbrush (Washington), Chinook salmon (Washington), black-footed ferret (South Dakota), and West Indian manatee (Florida).

Black-footed ferret (National Park Service)

West Indian manatee

I am glad that we have ESA to protect endangered species. Several, such as the bald eagle and the alligator, are considered recovered and have been delisted. The road to recovery takes a long time, and sadly the list gets longer as new species are added before the existing species recover. 

Bald eagle

American alligator (National Park Service)

My only regret about ESA is that it takes a reactive approach to protecting species with critically low populations, rather than a proactive approach that prevents them from needing to be listed in the first place. For more information on the Endangered Species Act visit the US Fish and Wildlife website here.

Species of the Month

November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.

November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.

November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

White-tailed doe resting in the cover of a forest

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.

Information this month comes once again from University of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web. 

A mother and two fawns browse in edge habitat.
A buck is behind and uphill.

White-tailed buck (Pennsylvania Game Commission)

Feeling a Little Squirrely

If you live near a park, or even just a tree, you’ve probably noticed how busy the squirrels are this time of year. I’ve been watching them scurry about looking for acorns outside my office (no, this isn’t my day job) and getting into fights. In another one of those perfectly timed connections in the natural world, the acorns are dropping with the temperature and giving squirrels a feast to carry them through the lean winter months.

The eastern gray squirrel is the dominant squirrel species in my neck of the woods. Others that I’ve seen in my journeys are the Douglas squirrel and golden mantled ground squirrel in Washington and Oregon, the American red squirrel in South Dakota and Alaska, and I even saw a black squirrel in Minnesota. The black one was actually an eastern gray squirrel with a condition called melanism, which is sort of a reverse albino. 

Douglas squirrel

Golden mantled ground squirrel

Squirrels are one of my favorite critters. They are rodents and belong the family sciuridae. Several species of squirrels have a scientific name beginning with Sciurus and I just love that. Every time I see sciurus it makes me think of scurry, which is what those little guys do when they aren’t climbing trees.

Rodents have front teeth (incisors) that never stop growing. It’s great for beavers, since chomping on trees all night will quickly wear out their teeth. It is also helpful when you’re just a tiny little thing eating nuts and acorns. If you’ve ever gotten close enough to a squirrel to see its teeth, they are frighteningly large considering the size of animal attached to them.

Terrifying squirrel teeth (Capitol Theater)

Squirrels spend a lot of their time in trees, and they are agile climbers but they occasionally have an accident. You didn’t hear it from me, but a squirrel in the park fell into the creek once back in the 90s. It made me promise not to tell, and it’s probably dead by now but it’s best not to take chances. 

Eastern gray squirrel (Ohio Department of Natural Resources)

Red squirrel (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums)

All those nuts and acorns the squirrels are gathering now are too much for a meal and won’t fit inside a squirrel house. So they hide their overstock from other critters that might want them by burying them in the ground. With so many nuts hidden in so many holes, there’s no way a squirrel will remember each hole. The ones that get left behind stand a chance of germinating and growing into trees. So not only are squirrels terribly cute, they are also little horticulturalists.

In addition to your basic tree squirrels, there are also ground squirrels. The ground squirrel side of the family includes marmots, groundhogs, chipmunks, and prairie dogs. While they get their name from their dwelling, ground squirrels are not averse to climbing trees. 

Western chipmunk

Live Streaming

After so many stories from the road, this little story about one of my last events in Washington got shoved aside. I spent some time in Percival Creek with the Thurston County Stream Team conducting a stream bug survey, also known as a biological index of benthic invertebrates (BIBI). File this under “Things I wasn’t allowed to do 30 years ago”.

Stream bug monitoring is an important way to gauge the health of a stream. Some thrive in polluted water, some thrive in pristine water. To know how many of which kinds of insects are in the stream is a good indicator of water quality. Just what is a stream bug? The ones we looked for are actually the larvae of insects such as mayflies and caddisflies. The larvae are aquatic, living in freshwater, making a living in a variety of ways such as scrapers and shredders.

The method used by my group was to sample three areas within a riffle of the stream. A riffle is an area of faster moving water. Our leader, Debbie Smith, is the coordinator for Tumwater Stream Team. She supplied us with all the necessary equipment, minus our own boots. To collect samples, we used a funnel-shaped net that had a metal square at the front which marked the boundary of the sampling area. A weed fork is a great tool for the stream to, scaring up bugs on the rocks and in the substrate by rapidly mixing it around inside the metal square. Debbie also brought a stop watch, buckets, insect field guides, and lab equipment including magnifying glasses, headlamps, forceps, and sealed containers. While we began collecting samples, Debbie stayed behind with one other from our group to set up the lab. 

Net similar to the one we used for sampling. The front section defines the sampling area.

Weed fork

After washing our boots in a mild chemical solution, we took turns mixing up both the surface and substrate of the stream bed for a minute, loosening the bugs which then flowed into the net with the current. Large rocks in the square went into a bucket for analysis. Stream width and depth at the sample sites, as well as the length of the sampled riffle, were recorded for each sample. Distilled water (to prevent outside bugs from being counted in the sample) was used to rinse any bugs on the net into the collection bag at the bottom. 

Example of stream bugs clinging to a rock

Processing samples in the lab (Debbie Smith photo).

Our samples were taken to the lab for analysis. Our lab was a simple setup on a bridge that day. Small rocks in the collection bag were removed and inspected. Any bugs were removed with forceps and placed in alcohol for later analysis by entomologists that can ID them by genus and species. The same was true for the large rocks in the bucket. The collection bag was emptied and scoured for bugs. Rocks were not sent to the entomologists, but any organic matter in the net, such as leaves and woody debris, did go along with the insect samples. We did this at three different riffles, for a grand total of nine minutes of churning up creek bed.

We did our survey in because stream levels are low. If the water is too high, the bottom is unreachable and the current can be dangerous. There were always at least four of us in the water: one holding the net, one using the weed fork, one running the stopwatch, and one holding the bucket of rocks. If anything happened to one of us, there was always someone available to help. Always think safety in the lab and in the field. 

Stream Team following a successful morning of splashing around
Percival Creek. I am 4th from the left in the green shirt.
(Debbie Smith photo)

Species of the Month

October’s Species of the Month is another Halloween-related critter, just in time for the spooky holiday. Last year it was the little brown bat; this year we profile the great horned owl. Because they are primarily nocturnal, you are most likely to see one perched in the branches of a bare free, silhouetted against a full moon on a window cling or cardboard cutout decoration. 

Scientific name: Bubo virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Aves (birds)

Order: Strigiformes (owls)

Range: North and South America from northern Alaska to southern Brazil

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, desert, swamp, and urban areas

Lifespan: 13 years in the wild, on average

Diet: rabbits, rodents, insects, amphibians, crustaceans, reptiles         

Predators: crows, raccoons (egg depredation)

Conservation Status: No special protection

Owl in a tree, Eatonville, WA

Other Information: The great horned owl is specially adapted for night hunting. The large eyes make efficient use of low lighting, and the round face funnels sound to the ears. The ears are offset, one higher on the head than the other, allowing the bird to locate prey by sound with pinpoint accuracy. Feathers have special edging that make for silent flight. The “horns” are feathers, not ears, and may serve as camouflage. They mate for life, and find each other during hooting rituals. While males hoot all year, females only hoot during mating season. A clutch of one to six eggs per season is the norm, although the number of offspring is dependent on prey density. Great horned owls are one of the most widespread birds, ranging from the polar regions to the tropics. As such, individual diets vary depending on specific habitat and location. Nests generally are someone else’s abandoned nest, such as a squirrel’s. The owls I saw in Washington flew out of a barn when I approached it, and I observed pellets (undigested feathers and bones that are coughed up) and droppings but no nest.

Information on owls comes once again from University of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web. 

Owlets (Missouri Department of Conservation photo)

Adult great horned own (Missouri Department of Conservation photo)

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meteors

The Orionid meteor shower, happening through the end of October, reaches its peak October 20-22 (Friday-Sunday). Luckily, the peak nights for viewing are on a weekend; the best time for viewing the meteors, which appear to radiate from the constellation Orion, is around 2 AM. Expect to see about 20 meteors per hour.

The Orionids are named for the constellation they appear to radiate from. They are specks of dust and debris left by Halley’s Comet, which last made an appearance in 1986. Comets orbit the sun just like Earth, and leave behind a trail of junk as they orbit. They are basically giant, dirty snowballs and as they near the sun, they begin to melt somewhat, causing the debris trail. If a planet’s orbit crosses the debris field, whatever gets swept into the passing planet’s atmosphere will heat up and burn from friction. Odds are, those bright streaks you see in the night sky are no bigger than a grain of sand.

Meteor facts this week come from Space.com. 

The Trees Must Be Crazy

Fall has finally fallen here in the Northeast, at least for a few days. In parts of the Northwest, it may already seem like a distant memory as an early winter is settling over the Cascades. Seasonally, despite the wacky weather, it is a perfect segue into this week’s Nature Minute: the odd foliage of the Pacific Northwest.

Everyone knows the old line about deciduous trees ending chlorophyll production in the fall. We see the leaves change colors and drop off annually. Also, you know that evergreen trees keep their green needles year-round. They actually shed needles constantly, but stay with me here! What if I told you that in the forests of Washington, some of the trees have it all mixed up?

In areas less than 50 miles or so from the Pacific coast, there is a deciduous tree called the Pacific madrone or madrona tree. It has thick leathery leaves, and it keeps them all year. Unlike the maples, oaks, cottonwoods, and alders of the Northwest that go bald every year by November, the madron sheds its leaves every other year.

Pacific madrone

Leathery leaves of the Pacific madrone

Unripe berries of the Pacific madrone. The berries will ripen in fall and winter,
providing a much-needed food source for birds and other critters.

Another tree that defies the consensus is the larch, a conifer found on the east slope of the Cascades. Like its friends the firs, spruces, and pines, the larch has needles on its branches. However, once fall arrives, the larch’s needles turn golden yellow and fall off. That’s right, the Northwest has an evergreen deciduous tree and a deciduous conifer. Now that everything you know is wrong, the big question is why. The easy answer is that no one knows. But fall is a great time to curl up with a mystery.

Summer larch (British Columbia Ministry of Forestry photo)

Fall larch (Herb Museum photo)