Winter Seals

Since moving from the Northwest to the Northeast 5 1/2 years ago I haven't been going on as many excursions into the natural world, especially during winter. But I decided to make an exception and visit the Jersey Shore to see some seals that I heard were visiting. My first attempt was postponed a week due to bitter cold. The second attempt was still chilly, but a much nicer day. To top it all off, I met up with some friends I hadn't seen since moving from the Northeast to the Northwest over 15 years ago. 

Four seals visit New Jersey in the winter months. They are the harbor seal (most common), gray seal, harp seal, and hooded seal (least common). The seals I saw were harbor seals, and there were two or three dozen of them. After spring arrives, the seals return north to Canada and New England. Since it was getting to be the end of their time in my neck of the beach, I put my discomfort aside and ventured outdoors. 

I arrived in the Sandy Hook area early, so I stopped by the Twin Lights State Historic Site for a quick view. The lighthouse is on top of a hill about 200 feet above sea level, one of the highest coastal points along the Atlantic. From the heights you can see just how narrow the Sandy Hook peninsula is. A few turkey vultures down the hill were basking in the sun.

Sandy Hook seen from Twin Lights

Seals haul out when the tides are low, so I had to check a tide table to plan my trip. Low tides were around 5 AM and 5 PM. I opted for the evening low since there's still light at that hour. And because I didn't want to get up at 3 in the morning on a Saturday. The exact time of the low tide wasn't important. Seals don't wait until the tide reaches its lowest point to haul out. A few hours early was fine, and the seals were at the appointed location ahead of me and my entourage. A small crowd was gathered along a fence, looking into the bay. I said "I bet those rocks everyone is looking at are actually seals." Sure enough, one of the "rocks" moved. 

Harbor seals in Sandy Hook Bay

Harbor seals in Sandy Hook Bay through a scope (NPS photo)

It's important to keep your distance from seals (or any other marine life) not just because it's a federal law, but because seals especially are easily annoyed and will leave if disturbed. Any unnecessary movement burns valuable calories that are keeping them warm. And there's a reason they're on land, so let them stay there doing seal things. There could be any number of reasons for seals to haul out. They bask in the sun to warm up, just like reptiles and amphibians. Mother seals nurse their pups on land. They need to rest just like we do. Their time in the water is spent hunting prey and trying not to become prey. It's exhausting.

I'm glad the day went how it did. Usually wildlife can sense me coming, and I wind up seeing nothing except some tracks and scats. But the seals didn't disappoint. It was great seeing my friends again, and since one is a shark enthusiast, it was a thrill for her to see shark food in its natural environment. In spite of the chill, I would make this an annual tradition.

Seal information came from Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. The NPS picture of seals comes from a post on Gateway National Recreation Area's Facebook page

The 17 Year Itch

That sound you hear isn’t the Six Million Dollar Man using his bionic powers. It’s cicadas by the billions. Every year, at least a few cicadas emerge during late spring and serenade us with their mating call. Chunky and scary looking, these insects are totally harmless but to me at least, just hearing them makes it feel a little hotter and muggier. 

This year is a little louder than most. Brood X, the largest brood of periodical cicadas, is emerging after 17 years underground in the larval stage. They’ve been tapping into tree roots during that time and now that they’ve reached adulthood they’re ready to go out in a blaze of noisy glory. They'll mate soon, lay their eggs in the tree tops, and die. When the eggs hatch, the larval cicadas will drop from the tree, burrow into the ground, and start the timer on another 17 years.

Expect it to be a little louder than usual in the Northeast
(From "This Is Spinal Tap")

All those bugs means not just a lot of noise, but also a lot of food for just about everything. The reason cicadas emerge by the billions is to overwhelm their predators’ stomachs. The strategy is that lots of cicadas will get eaten, but based on sheer numbers, many will survive to continue the life cycle for another 17 years. 

Periodical cicada (NPS)

Speaking of 17 years, why such an odd number? It’s another evolutionary strategy. What other critter can you think of with a 17 year life cycle? It reduces the risk of broods emerging during a population boom for a predator species. As a double failsafe, broods have stragglers that emerge either before or after the 17 year period.  Most are within a 13 to 21 year period. It gives the brood a better chance of survival in the event that the 17th year is a boom year for predators. 

Molting cicada (Baltimore Sun)

I've never seen a cicada coming out of its shell. Like all insects, they have a hard exoskelton, and immediately after emerging they molt. From what I'm being told, people all over are finding a lot of those shells on tree trunks and other surfaces. I haven't seen any yet this year, but I haven't been able to get outside much other than a birding expedition to New Jersey which you can read about later. This week's information comes from the University of Connecticut. 

Species of the Month

Introduction: World Elephant Day is next week, so to celebrate we’re profiling one of the world’s three

elephant species. In addition to the Asian elephant, did you know there are two different African

elephants? There’s the forest elephant and the more commonly known bush elephant, the August

Species of the Month.

African bush elephant (Wikipedia)

 

Scientific name: Loxodonta africana

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Proboscidea (elephants)

Range: Central and southern Africa

Habitat: Savannah, forest, deserts

Lifespan: 60-70 years

Diet: Grasses, herbs, fruit, tree leaves, and tree twigs, roots, and bark

Predators: Lions, African wild dogs, hyenas, crocodiles, humans

Mother and calf (Wikimedia Commons)

Conservation Status: Elephants are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list. They are threatened under

the US Endangered Species Act.

Other Information: The African bush elephant is the largest land mammal in the world. An adult male

can weigh over six tons with a shoulder height of ten feet. Adult males live alone or in small groups,

while females and calves will form a larger herd led by a matriarch. Calves are raised communally

and are totally dependent on maternal care for several months. They reach full independence around

eight years old. Elephants don’t grow their tusks until after they’re a year old and the baby teeth fall

out. They also have a conveyor belt of six molars that wear out and fall out, allowing the next in line

to move forward. After losing the last molars, they can no longer eat properly. The large ears are great

for hearing, but also dissipate heat. Elephants are very mobile with a large range because of the

massive amount of food they need to eat. They can drink up to 50 gallons of water a day. Mud and

dust baths help them keep cool. Predators mainly go after small calves that fall behind the rest of the

herd. The greatest challenges facing elephants are caused by humans. Development has caused habitat

loss, and keep in mind these giants need a lot of room to roam. Poaching is also a serious threat. Most

elephants are confined to protected areas, limiting their population sizes. However, even at a protected

reserve elephants aren’t safe from poachers.

Young elephants at the watering hole (Sierra Club)

This week’s information comes from Animal Diversity Web.

Species of the Month

Introduction: This month we take a look at the badger, a tough little critter that's rarely seen.
Living underground and working mostly at night keeps the American badger off the radar for
most of us. More than just Wisconsin's mascot, they can be found all over the west.

American badger (NPS)

Scientific name: Taxidea taxus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Carnivora (carnivores)

Notice the large claws on the forefoot (Fort Hayes State University)

Range: Great Lakes region and Central Canada south to Mexico and west to the Pacific

Habitat: Grasslands- fields, meadows, prairies, or pastures

Lifespan: 4-10 years, oldest in the wild was 14

Diet: Fosorial rodents- gophers, moles, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, mice, rats, voles;
snakes; insects; ground nesting birds

Predators: Humans, golden eagles, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, bears, wolves

Conservation Status: No special status, but protected from hunting in British Columbia,
Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Other Information: The American badger is a member of the weasel family. A flat body,
stubby legs, and long claws for digging make them an ideal underground predator. They
are one of the few predators that will chase their prey underground, either through
existing tunnels or by making their own as they go. Badgers use several burrows in their
territory, so the unused ones often have other animals living in them.

Mother badger with baby (USFWS)

The American badger mates in late summer or early fall, but embryos don't implant in the
uterus until winter. During winter, badgers are typically inactive in a state of torpor, so the
delayed implantation is likely an adaptation to prevent the females from burning through
fat stores while pregnant. Although coyotes are known to prey on badgers, sometimes they
will hunt cooperatively. Coyotes are more successful catching rodents on the surface, and
badgers are more successful catching them in burrows. Working together, they make more
prey available to each other.

Coyote and badger taking a break (USFWS)

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

Herring Spawning

One of the great spectacles in North American wildlife watching is the Pacific herring spawning. It happens every year in late winter and early spring. Not only does the event produce the next generation of an important fish species, it also sustains the current generation of many other animals.

Pacific herring form an important strand in the food web. They are classified as forage fish, meaning they serve as meals for larger fish like salmon. As we'll see a little later, herrings feed the larger community beyond just the salmon.

Herring spawning turns the sea white (Prince William Sound Conservation Center) 

Herring move to shallower seas during spring, which happens to be right around the same time hungry humpback whales arrive from the tropics. The herring are looking for eelgrass or kelp beds for their sticky eggs to attach to. After the females lay their eggs over the vegetation, the males swim over and release their milt to fertilize the eggs.

Before reaching the spawning beds, the herring must navigate a maze of predators: sea lions, sea birds like cormorants and gulls, bald eagles, and those hungry, hungry humpbacks. Once the work is done, the eggs aren't safe and the smorgasbord continues as diving ducks pick them off. About two weeks later, the remaining eggs hatch and the herring larvae are carried by the tide and are subject to predation by fish of all shapes and sizes.

Herring eggs attached to kelp (US Geologic Survey)

With all that eating going on, it's a wonder any herring survive to adulthood. Females typically lay 20,000 eggs a year, and if she lives a long life, she'll do this three times. Multiply her by a million of her closest friends, and you have about 20 billion eggs. If only 1% hatch, that's 200 million baby herring.

Sea lions await their feast (Tillamook Coast)

In a good year, spawning herring will color the sea white. However, the spawning isn't nearly as good as it used to be. Overfishing is one reason, but loss of habitat (spawning and feeding areas) and pollution are also big contributors.
This week's information comes from Wayne Hoffman, Ph.D. and Washington Department of Natural Resources.
nm1: Prince William Sound Conservation Center https://pwssc.org/herring-spawn/
nm2: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pacific-herring-eggs-macrophytes
nm3: Wayne Hoffman https://tillamookcoast.com/blog/spawning-of-pacific-herring/

Amazing Okavango

Ever hear of the Okavango River in Africa? You probably haven't. It's a rare river that flows into an inland delta rather than the ocean. During the winter, it floods the glassland and creates a seasonal wetland that attracts wildlife from all over Africa in one of the world's greatest migrations. It is an amazing oasis in the Kalahari Desert.

Flooded Okavango (Natural World Safaris)

The annual flood occurs at the height of Botswana's dry season, so it offers welcome relief to the plants and animals in the area, in addition to welcoming migratory animals of all shapes and sizes. The abundance of water boosts the growth of plants, drawing in herbivores. The herbivores attract large predators.

Elephants (Royist)

Safari cruise through the grasslands (National Geographic)

Among the many different animals who take advantage of the situation are elephants, lions, cheetahs, zebras, rhinos, 89 fish species, and 24 globally threatened birds. Not only is the Okavango key to survival of individual animals, it is crucial habitat for entire species.

Lion and buffalo (National Geographic)

A safari in the Okavango is like watching "The Lion King" live and in person. This weeks information comes from UNESCO World Heritage.

Oh Deer!

In August 2017 I had the opportunity to visit Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley, Minnesota. Located just outside Minneapolis, it's an urban oasis of forest, prairie, and wetlands. While walking on a trail through the wooded section, my companions and I saw a doe with two fawns up ahead of us. They crossed the trail and disappeared into the woods. I thought we were done with them. A few minutes later, the doe ran back across the trail the way she originally came from but without the fawns. My friend expected the fawns to follow any second, but they never did. What just happened?
The doe treated us as predators and was protecting the fawns. In her secret deer language, she instructed them to lay low on the forest floor. With their brown coloring and white spots, they would blend in well, even though there wasn't much sunlight dappling the ground that day. They likely had no scent, also. Meanwhile, Mama Deer took off running right in front of us, making as loud as crashing sound as she could. She wanted to attract our attention and trigger the chase response, leading us away from the fawns. Lucky for them, we're just normal humans who were out enjoying nature that day, not expecting to become part of it.

The doe came into view first

Later, we caught a glimpse of the fawns. One is to the left, the
other is slightly visible behind the doe.

This was the last wild adventure from my journey across the country that began with the total solar eclipse. I've shared some other stories from that trip, such as Volcanic Idaho, and there will be more to come in the future. If you plan on visiting the Twin Cities, here is a link to Springbrook Nature Center.

Species of the Month

This month we are looking at one of the largest mammals in North America, the moose. Since they are
found in the northern areas, I decided the dead of winter is a great time to profile this great beast. If you
are ever lucky enough to see one, they are best viewed from a distance. Size may be deceiving. They
move quickly and won't hesitate to mess you up!

Moose in Alaska (NPS)

Scientific name: Alces alces

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed mammals)

Range: Northern North America

Habitat: Forested areas near freshwater

Lifespan: 8-12 years on average

Moose shedding his antler velvet (NPS)

Diet: Twigs, bark, and roots of trees- especially aspen, willow, and conifers; aquatic plants during
summer months

Predators: Wolves, bears (black and grizzly), humans

Conservation Status: Species of Special Concern in Michigan; no special protection in other areas

Other Information: The moose is so cool! Or at least it strives to be. Body size, coupled with an
inability to sweat, means they have to seek shade and water in or to avoid overheating during summer
months. Just how big is a moose? They can grow to be 7 feet tall at the shoulder! Males grow antlers
for mating season and shed them afterwards. Those antlers, largest in the animal world, can span 6 feet.
Calf mortality is high- 50%. Due to their size, calves are more likely than adults to suffer predation by
wolves or bears. Adults are armed with sharp hooves, in addition to those huge antlers on males. Moose
disease is a fatal brainworm parasitic infection, also seen in deer. Ticks also present a problem. They
can weaken a moose to the point of death from blood loss.

Mama moose with calf in Michigan (NPS)

Our moose information comes from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.

Species of the Month

Shark Week is nigh upon us and we're getting in on it with July's Species of the Month. I've chosen the most famous (or infamous) sea creature, the great white shark. While they've been known to attack people, we are not their prey. Shark attacks may be curiosity or just a case of mistaken identity. Unlike Jaws, these apex predators won't eat you, even if they do happen to bite. Sink your teeth into this quick profile!

Scientific name: Carcharodon carcharias

Great white shark (NOAA)

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Chondrichthyes (rays and sharks)
Order: Lamniformes (mackerel sharks) 

Range: Coastal ocean areas of Asia, Australia, Oceana, North and South America, Africa, and Europe

(NOAA)

Habitat: Marine
Lifespan: 30 to 40 years
Diet: Fish, seals, sea lions, sea birds, squid, sea turtles, dolphins, whale carcasses, rays
Predators: Humans, killer whales, other sharks
Conservation Status: IUCN consideres great whites to be vulnerable, protected in the US

(NOAA)

Other information: This massive apex predator can grow to lengths of 20 feet and weigh as much as 6600 pounds! It's mouth can open to over three feet wide, plenty of room for anything it wants to eat. And that mouth is packed with razor sharp teeth. Unlike humans, gifted with two sets of teeth, the great white can apparently grow an unlimited number, replacing teeth as needed. The shark's streamlined body is built for speed and power. Not much is known about their reproductive habits. Females give birth to live young, which eat unfertilized eggs and possibly even siblings in the womb. They are mostly solitary creatures, but sometimes congregate to feed, such as at a whale carcass. In situations like this, they form social hierarchies. In addition to a well-developed sense of smell, great whites can detect electrical fields. These highly developed sense allow them to detect prey by a single drop of blood in 100 liters of water, or by the beating of its heart. The great white's prefer hunting method is to strike from below. A powerful blow is enough to stun the prey, avoiding a chase or a struggle. Across the board, fish populations are declining at an alarming rate and the great white is no exception. Sport fishing, commercial fishing bycatch, and finning take a toll, and as a large species reproductive rates are generally low. As an apex predator, populations are already low to begin with. Sadly, despite its deadly reputation the great white shark has more to fear from us than we from it.
This month's information comes from the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.
nm1 https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?ParentMenuId=123&id=21434
nm2 https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/marine-migration-great-white-shark-3d/
nm3 https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/18whitesharkcafe/welcome.html

Wisdom of the Ages

While it’s cold and snowy where you are, it’s a warm sunny day on the Pacific atoll of Midway Island, where mating season just ended for the Laysan albatross. Most famous of these large seabirds is Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird. She’s at least 67 years old and still laying eggs. Being that old and still raising young makes me wonder just how long these birds can last.

Wisdom’s age was discovered in 2002 when her band was replaced. The biologist who replaced her band looked up her number and noticed that he originally banded her in 1956, and at that time she was an adult of at least 5 years old.

Wisdom (right) and her mate during nesting season (USFWS)

What is remarkable about this particular bird so special, at least to me, is that she managed to survive so many threats in her time, beyond the normal dangers like predators, disease, and typhoons. Working in her favor are the Migratory Bird Treaty and the US Wildlife Refuge System, protecting her and her kind from human predation and habitat loss at their nesting sites on Midway.

Working against Wisdom and other albatrosses are a whole host of man-made problems. Foremost among them is ocean plastic. Laysan albatrosses feed at night, and their food is fish, squid, and fish eggs that come near the surface. Sadly, floating garbage is also at the surface. In a tragic sequence of events common to marine life everywhere, they mistake plastic for food and either eat it themselves or feed it to their chicks. Despite having full stomachs, the birds and other critters die of starvation because plastic is not very nutritious.

Invasive species are also beginning to take a toll on the albatrosses. They have already been extirpated from the Hawaiian Islands, outcompeted or outright killed by the dogs, cats, pigs, and rats that accompanied Europeans as they traversed the Pacific. Now, the Midway colony is under attack by mice. While the birds are much larger than the mice, they succumb to bite wounds rather move to a mouse-free area because of their dedication to their eggs. US Fish and Wildlife Service is working on eradicating mice from Midway, but having lived with them for thousands of years I think we all know how well that will work out.

Mouse attack victim (Audubon)

This week's information comes from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Audubon Society 

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)