Crater Lake

This month is six years since my visit to fabulous Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. America's deepest lake at nearly 2000 feet in depth, it sits inside the collapsed caldera of an ancient volcano. Wizard Island near the west side of the lake is a volcano within a volcano. The lake is fed entirely by rain and snow. The amount falling in each year is nearly equal to what evaporates of leaks out the bottom. Crater Lake is what I can only describe as being impossibly blue. Pictures don't do it justice.

Crater Lake seen from West Rim Drive

In addition to the lake, the park also features forests, wildflower meadows, waterfalls, pumice deserts, cinder cones, and formations called pinnacles. The pumice deserts were formed by volcanic eruptions depositing pumice. Like sand, it drains very well so there is little moisture retained in the ground. Like in a true desert, only the hardiest plants can scratch out a living. 

Pumice desert

The pinnacles were originally volcanic steam vents. As gas and steam were released, moisture mixed with the surrounding ash and formed a thick cement. Mount Mazama, the ancient volcano that formed Crater Lake, had its last major eruption 7700 years ago. Following a massive eruption of ash and pumice, a huge explosion caused the mountain to collapse into itself. 

Wizard Island, a caldera within a caldera

Red Cinder Cone, a shadow of the volcanic past

While visiting Crater Lake, I got to do a bit of exploring. I started a sunset hike up The Watchman, one of the peaks along the crater's rim. I got turned around by an incoming thunderstorm. On another hike across the pumice prairie and through a burned forest, I turned around when I lost sight of the horizon with more storms in the forecast. I went down into a canyon along a mountain stream and back up, saw the pinnacles, a waterfall, and small meadow with varying degrees of wetness. Different wildflowers were growing in different areas due to elevation, soil, and moisture levels- a great example of zonation.

Some of the wildlife in the park includes Clark's nutcracker, golden mantled ground squirrels, mule deer, black bears, foxes, bobcats, and pika. I was lucky enough to see the ground squirrel, deer, gray jays, and a tiny frog.

After leaving Crater Lake, I headed to the coast and stayed at the Oregon Dunes. There was no activity at the Sea Lion Caves nearby. The next stop before going home was a quick visit to Mount Hood. I stank after a week in the woods without showers, but the adventure was worth it. This week's information comes from USGS and NPS. All photos are my own. I'll be taking a break for vacation and will return in September with a look at some hard workers, just in time for Labor Day.

Species of the Month

Introduction: This month we celebrate the Easter season with a wild variety of one of the holiday's
decorative flowers, lilies. April's Species of the Month is the Columbia tiger lily, native to the Pacific
Northwest where I first encountered it.

My first Columbia tiger lily sighting

 Scientific name: Lilium columbianum

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Liliales (lilies)

Columbia tiger lily with neighbors in its community

Range: California to British Columbia, northern Idaho and northwestern Montana

Habitat: Open woods or fields with well-drained soils and partial shade

Diet: Sunlight and water

Conservation Status: No special protection

Like the others before, this lily is growing on a mountainside

Other Information: Bright and cheery flowers adorn this lily, which can grow to six feet tall with a
dozen blossoms, although it is typically only three feet tall. The stems droop so the flower faces
downward. Depending on elevation, flowers bloom from June to September. I discovered the tiger lily
in the Cascades, in a forest clearing along the trail. For a good portion of the year, those few plants I
saw are buried under deep snow. Alternate names include Columbia lily, Oregon lily, and tiger lily. I
prefer not to use "tiger lily", as I associate that name with the larger, decorative plant.
This week's information comes from USDA and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. All photos are
my own.

Species of the Month

Just because we're past Valentine's Day doesn't mean our Species of the Month isn't still lovey-dovey. This month we're taking a look at the mourning dove, one of the most common birds in my area.

Scientific name: Zenaida macroura

Mourning dove with baby

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Aves (birds)

Order: Columbiformes (pigeons and doves)

Range: Southern Canada south to Panama

Habitat: Open woods and forest edges near open areas

Lifespan: Average is 1 1/2 years

Diet: Seeds, grains, fruit, insects

Two mourning doves that hatched from the
nest in my flower basket

Predators: Raptors, raccoons, snakes, domestic dogs and cats

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: Mourning doves form monogamous pairs for mating season, with both parents
caring for the young. The male selects the nesting site and brings material to female. He stands on her
back while she builds. I'm not exactly sure how that helps her, but I saw it happen with my own eyes.
Doves in northern areas may migrate to warmer areas in the winter. They make a whistling noise when
flying, and also audible flapping sometimes. Mourning doves get their name from their mournful
sounding call. When I was a kid, I thought it was an owl. You probably see them sitting on a wire by
the side of the road. They have a pointy tail and call out "Who ah who, who who." I noticed the ones in
Washington sound a little different from those in Pennsylvania. Even birds have a Philly accent.

Check out those pointy tails (eBird)

This week's information comes from the Animal Diversity Web again.

Christmas is for the Birds

This year is the 120th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. It began December 14th and runs through January 5th. The tradition started in 1900 in at the beginning of the conservation movement. Since the beginning, citizen scientists have used the information gathered to track trends in bird populations.
I took part on December 15th and had an eventful and cold day. Once again, I put my discomfort aside for the sake of nature. The day began at 4 AM with three hours of owling. My partner Chris drove us around to a few sites where we'd listen in the dark for owl calls. In an attempt to draw them out, he played owl calls on his phone. We heard a screech owl at one location and a pair of great horned owls in a duet at another place.

Great horned owl

After a pit stop around 7 AM we picked up the third member of our trio at sunrise and began our visual observations with nearly three dozen turkey vultures overhead near a roosting site. I happen to know about this roost because I drive past it on the way to and from work, and depending on my schedule I see the vultures either leaving for the day or returning for the night. Right away my presence paid off. In past years, Chris and John start their count headed the other direction.
Over half our time was spent in the car. Much of what we saw was from the road. We did some walking though, and it was tough in some places. Recent rain meant soggy ground. It's December and Pennsylvania, which is rarely a good combination. In addition to the cold, it was windy. The wind made for great raptor conditions, but bad for everything else. It was difficult to hear bird calls over the sound of the wind. Watching for motion in the trees and bushes was confusing because everything was moving.

Turkey vulture

This year we counted 47 different species, and a total of 735 birds. In 2018 we counted 38 species and 754 birds. Canada geese were the big winners this year, coming in at 266. However, they were mainly in two flocks. The birds we spotted the most times were turkey vultures and house finches. I look forward to counting more birds in 2020!

Canada goose

Species of the Month

Christmas is upon us once again and in keeping with tradition, we have another festive Species of the
Month. American mistletoe, like its European cousin, is a Christmas symbol dating back to the arrival
of European settlers who brought their customs with them. The mistletoe association with Christmas
dates back hundreds of years before Europeans reached American shores. Learn more about this little
plant below!

American mistletoe

Scientific name: Phoradendron leucarpum

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Class: Magnoliopsida (dicots)

Order: Santalales (hemi-parasitic plants)

Range: Eastern and Southwestern US

Habitat: Forest, swamps, and desert

Diet: Sunlight and water for photosynthesis; xylem and phloem of host plant through parasitism

Predators: Birds and small mammals

Conservation Status: No special protection

Mistletoe berries

Other Information: While it may bring good luck to have mistletoe in your home during Christmas, it
certainly isn't lucky to eat the berries. They are poisonous to humans, though not usually fatal. Mistletoe
is hemi-parasitic, meaning it is a parasitic plant but can also photosynthesize. Berries contain a single
seed, which is spread by when birds defecate after eating the berry. The seed is sticky, and with any
luck the bird will be sitting in a tree when it passes. This sequence of events gave mistletoe its name.
"Mistle" the Anglo-Saxon word for dung, and "tan", the word for twig were combined, as folks in
those days noticed mistletoe grew were birds left dung on the branches. Because it seems to grow out
of nothing, mistletoe was thought to have fertility properties. Mistletoe acts as a parasite by growing
a root-like haustorium (your big word of the day) through the host tree's bark and tapping into its sugars
and water. Parasitization can cause the host tree to become deformed or distorted.

Pine tree with deformations from mistletoe

This week's pictures and information come from University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse.

Species of the Month

With Thanksgiving just a week away, once again we turn our attention to the dinner plate. In years past, November's Species of the Month has featured the wild turkey, venison, and clams that were likely present at the first Thanksgiving. This year, we look at a staple of the modern celebration, the North American cranberry.

Whole berry cranberries (UWLC)

Scientific name: Vaccinium macrocarpon

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Class: Magnoliopsida (dicots)
Order: Ericales (heath)

Cranberries on the shrub (UWLC)

Range: US west coast, northeast US and Great Lakes areas
Habitat: Bogs with acidic soil
Diet: Water and sunlight
Predators: Bears, rodents, birds, deer, humans
Conservation Status: Listed as endangered in Illinois and threatened in Tennessee

Cranberry bog

Other facts: Cranberries grow in freshwater peat bogs. They are grown commercially for use in food products. The best use is the canned jellied cranberry. Cranberry plants are useful as a food source for animals. Birds, bear, and rodents eat the berry, while deer browse the shrub. Birds and rodents also use the stems for nesting material. Birds may also build a nest in the shrub. Cranberries also form a symbiotic relationship with fungi, giving up sugar in exchange for access to soil nutrients. Cranberries can survive being submerged for long periods, and even being kept on ice over the winter.

Cranberry flower (Cape Cod Cranberry Growers)

This week's information comes from Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, USDA PLANTS, and University of Wisconsin- La Crosse. Pictures, except the flower, are also from University of Wisconsin- La Crosse.

Species of the Month

With Halloween right around the corner, October's Species of the Month is another creepy crawly. You might be afraid of spiders or bats, but no one wants to see a rat in the house. This month we profile the ubiquitous black rat (AKA house rat, AKA roof rat, AKA ship rat), destroyer of crops, chewer of things, and spreader of plague. 

Halloween rats from Pintrest

Scientific name: Rattus rattus
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class:  Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Rodentia (rodents) 

Range: Worldwide; native to India and Southeast Asia
Habitat: Almost anywhere
Lifespan: Average 1 year, up to 4 years

Black rat (Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel)

Diet: Omnivorous, but mainly plant-based (fruits, grains, seeds)
Predators: House cats, birds of prey, foxes, coyotes
Conservation Status: No special protection
Other facts: The black rat was spread around the world by travelers. They are also called ship rats because if their affinity for sailing to new homes on distant shores. The moniker roof rat comes from their climbing skills. They are an invasive pest everywhere outside of their native range, ruining food stores by soiling what they don't consume. They were a disease vector during the plague outbreaks of Medieval Europe, carrying fleas that hosted the virus. While plague is not as serious a threat as it was in the Dark Ages, the fleas on a rat can still spread other diseases to humans and livestock. A similar species, the Norway rat, is just as widespread and will kill the smaller black rat. Despite the headaches caused by both rats, they are important links in the food chain now that they've become established. Hawks, owls, coyotes, and foxes are among their main predators.

Black rat (Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association)

This month's information comes from the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web once again.

nm1: 
nm2: https://www.aepma.com.au/PestDetail/96/Black%20Rat

Species of the Month

To celebrate Easter, let's take a look at one of the non-native wildflowers popping up in front yards everywhere. The Species of the Month, grape hyacinth, is not a true hyacinth like those Easter flowers with a strong scent. Until a few years ago, I never knew the name of this little flower, but always called it grape flower because it looks like a bunch of grapes on end.

Scientific name: Muscari armeniacum

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Order: Asparagales 

Range: Native to eastern Mediterranean to Caucasus but now distributed in other areas

Habitat: Forest, meadows, yards and fields

Diet: sunlight and water

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other information: This little flower is a popular decorative plant. It can be found blooming in your yard from March or April to May or June, for about two weeks. Plants are dormant summer through winter before reemerging with the spring. This plant bears fruits, small green ones that turn brown by May. A small plant, grape hyacinth reaches about ten inches tall at most. It likes full sun, well-drained soil, and to be surrounded by friends- it does best when planted in bunches.
This week's information comes from The Ohio State University.

Animal Attraction

People are more like animals than we like to admit sometimes. Rather, we tend to believe that animals can be so human sometimes. One area where the lines between humans and animals can become blurred is that of courtship rituals and relationships. This Valentine’s Day let’s look at “love” in the animal world. Hopefully our finned, feathered, and furred friends don’t feel as awkward as we do.

Many times, in the animal world it is the female who chooses a mate. Males might compete with each other not by fighting, but other means. Bowerbirds build little houses with decorated yards to impress females. Prairie chickens and sage grouse gather in a lek, where the males display for the females. South American birds called manakins show like an 80s break dance fight from a movie. It reminds me of teenage boys trying to upstage each other to get a girl’s attention.

In other species, brute strength carries the day for males eager to win mating rights. Large mammals like elk and bison have a dominant male who controls a harem of females, unless a younger and stronger challenger is able to put him out to pasture. This behavior reminds me of countless schoolyard and lunchroom fights over a girl.

Once these critters become an item, how long does their relationship last? It depends on the critter, just like with us. Some species are monogamous pairs, some are promiscuous males, and some are promiscuous females. For those that have a hard time getting around, like corals and clams, it’s free love. Look around at our own society and you’ll see the same scenarios, though not always for the same reasons.

In promiscuous relationships it is the female who raises the young with no paternal help in most cases. The bison and elk, where a male controls a harem, are male promiscuous. He will mate with as many of the females as he can. His goal is to have as many offspring as possible, while the female’s goal is ensure that her offspring have the best chance of survival. Surely the strongest and most fit of the males has the genes that offer better odds.

Sometimes it is the female who gets around. Several species of primates and birds practice this. The female hopes for better reproductive success by keeping her options open. It may also have the advantage that comes with several males all believing the offspring are theirs. Since the male’s goal is to have as many offspring as possible, the uncertainty will make sure they are looking out for any that are potentially theirs.

Everyone’s favorite relationship is monogamy. A pair mates for life and we think it’s so sweet. It’s almost like they’re married. This behavior is seen in bald eagles and gray wolves, for example. In this situation, both parents care for the young. In most cases, the pair nest together year-round. Not so for the Laysan albatross like Wisdom, who we met a few weeks ago. While she has a monogamous partner, they spend most of the year apart, coming together only for the breeding season. Once they chicks fledge the nest, they all go their separate ways. Wisdom and her mate will see each other again next year.

The messiest mating strategy is dispersal. Wind pollenating plants (think of pine trees) use this method, as do many sea creatures. Some environmental cue triggers corals, clams, and other sessile critters to release sperm and egg cells simultaneously. The sea becomes a soupy mess as the currents mix everything together. The pinnacle of group sex, critters who have never met or even seen each other become proud parents of children drifting off to parts unknown.

Every species is adapted to whatever mating and parenting style works best to ensure the next generation will survive. A general rule of thumb: fewer offspring get more intense parenting, while more offspring get little to no parental care. Either way, parents are playing the percentages to make sure they win the mating game.

 This week's information comes from Nature Education and the Washington Post.

Species of the Month

Up on the rooftop click click click, down through the chimney it's the species of the month! Christmas is right around the corner, so it’s time for another festive species of the month. The caribou is the wild version of the domesticated reindeer. Santa’s herd is safe, but their wild counterparts face habitat loss and in some areas have been hunted to extinction.

Woodland caribou

Scientific name: Rangifer tarandus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Circumpolar- Canada, northwestern US, Greenland, northern Europe

Habitat: Arctic tundra and boreal forest

Lifespan: 4.5 years on average

Diet: Leaves, bark, lichen, mushrooms

Predators: Bears and wolves

Conservation Status: Endangered (US), IUCN Species of Least Concern

Lighter colored tundra caribou (NPS)

Other Information: Caribou are the only deer species featuring antlered females. Not all females grow antlers, however. Male antlers are larger and more intricate. Males use theirs in sparring during the rut. Like other deer species, mating is controlled by a dominant bull who fends of younger challengers. The fights leave males injured and/or exhausted and vulnerable to predators. Domesticated reindeer have been used as beasts of burden and for food for thousands of years. There are several subspecies of caribou. Northern caribou are nearly white and smaller than their southern counterparts. In North America, the woodland caribou is a dark brown and critically endangered. Just a handful lived in the wild in Washington and Idaho. Recently, they were all captured and sent to a secure area in British Columbia to protect them from predators in the hopes that their population will increase. Caribou hooves are very large and concave, serving as snowshoes.

Caribou hoof (Where To Next)

The size and shape also aid in swimming. Caribou migrate long distances and must cross many rivers. When walking, they make a loud clicking sound, caused by a foot tendon rubbing on bone.

Information once again comes from the good people at Michigan’s AnimalDiversity Web.

Domestic reindeer (The Nature Conservancy)

Species of the Month

Don’t laugh at November’s Species of the Month. Although it lends its name to the fiction hometown of the Griffin family in TV’s The Family Guy, the northern quahog (pronounced co-hog) is a real animal. A species of clam, it was likely eaten at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. The Pilgrims neglected to save a menu for posterity, so we’ll never know for sure. Will your Thanksgiving meal include any seafood? 

Northern quahog (NOAA Fisheries)

Scientific name: Mercanaria mercanaria 

Kingdom: Animalia (animals) 

Class: Bivalva (bivalves) 

Order: Veneroida (saltwater and freshwater molluscs) 

Range: East coast of North America from Gulf of St. Lawrence to Gulf of Mexico 

Habitat: Estuarine intertidal mudflats 

Lifespan: 30 years or more, a separate Arctic species was found to be 507 years old 

Diet: Zooplankton and phytoplankton 

Predators: Moon snails, oyster drills, whelks, rays, skates, shorebirds, humans 

Conservation Status: No special protection. 

Northern quahog (Chesapeake Bay News)

Quahogs are commercially harvested. In addition to a food source, they act as a natural filter by feeding. They filter feed through a siphon that extends from the shell. Plankton and pollutants go in, clean water comes out. Quahogs are mobile, although they don’t move much. A single foot at the base of the shell holds it in place in the mud or sand and can quickly dig in to avoid predators. It can also be used to move laterally. Quahogs reproduce by releasing sperm and egg cells into the water, where they randomly meet and fertilize. Within two weeks, the quahog larvae have formed a foot and shell and anchored to the substrate. Ocean currents aid in fertilizing the eggs and dispersing the larvae. This week's information comes from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.