HollerPhenology

Out in the holler: Wood Thrush, Hummingbird and lots of leaves to hide them

There's been a leafy-green explosion in the holler since last week's phenophase report. Even the oak family -- typically the last tree buds to pop around here -- have a few small leaves. Both American beech trees I observe have leaves, and Beech-1, now in a nut-making year, has hundreds of open flowers (not visible in the photo below) among its young leaves, which means this will be a great bird and squirrel watching season for the holler phenologist:

Beech-1, Fagus americana, April 16, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

The Amur honeysuckle had open flowers on April 15th:

Lonicera maakii flowers, April 15, 2017. [Photo: Cathie Bird]

I got two tree surprises this week. In the years since I started observing Buckeye-1, I've discovered several other young buckeyes and one buckeye fruit on my side of Hudson Branch, but I've never seen a mature buckeye in the holler. On a holler walk last week it occurred to me that since these baby buckeyes had leaves before most other species, I should look for bigger trees across the creek before everything else leafed out. So, looking over and up...duh!...I easily located close to a dozen of them on Gobbler Knob, a hill that forms the opposite side of the holler from the one my house sits on. There must be something that buckeyes really love over there -- I looked in all directions to locate others, didn't see any. 

Buckeye-1, April 19, 2017. [Photo: Cathie Bird]

The second surprise is that Hophornbeam-1 is loaded with flowers this year. It was this tree's fruits that caught my attention several years ago and led to my pursuit of its identity and eventual addition to my observation list. Since then I'd only seen one partially formed fruit (last year). I couldn't get a good image, but (at least to me) such an exciting event in the holler is worth a lousy photo:

Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) catkins, April 15, 2017. [Photo: Cathie Bird]

Both wingstem plants have grown beyond their compact emergence phase, with clearly identifiable leaves now present. Here's wingstem-1:

Wingstem-1 (Verbesina alternifolia), April 19, 2017. [Photo: Cathie Bird]

Fortunately, I'm not super-sensitive to poison ivy, which is a good thing because it's everywhere and getting bigger. Here's one of the first of them to come out into the holler:

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), April 14, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

Activity among bird species this week rivaled that of the trees. On consecutive days, a pair of cardinals and a pair of eastern phoebes hunted and gathered food outside my study window. Based on the frequency of the phoebes' appearance, and their behavior when they caught an insect, I suspect that their population exploded along with the leaves.

By the sounds of things, at least two male wood thrushes have made it back to the holler. I saw a male ruby-throated hummingbird twice, and finally caught sight of a male hooded warbler, likely the one I've been hearing near my house every day. Other birds I heard with greater frequency this week: cardinals, titmice, chickadees, yellow-breasted chats, and another recent arrival, the white-eyed vireo. Also maybe some gray catbirds, whose songs I'm still learning to recognize.

The foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia) peaked this week. I bent down to photograph an especially tall, full one and found this:

West Virginia White (Pieris virginiensis) butterfly on a Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), April 19, 2017. [Photo: Cathie Bird]

And the rain goes on. I dumped 3.5 inches out of the rain gauge yesterday about this time, and I think I can see 3 to 4 more inches in it. We have a flash flood warning in effect -- as does much of eastern Tennessee -- until 8pm this evening. Here's a screenshot from my weather widget:

What's up in the holler: rue anemone, trout lily, white trillium, buckeye, maple leaf viburnam

New activity in the holler has kind of left me breathless this week -- and with a lot of images in my photo files!

Rue Anemone-1 (Thalictrum thalictroides) on March 29, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

The rue anemones, as a whole, have more plants up, with multiple buds and flowers, than I recall seeing last year. I added a second anemone from a group in slightly different conditions than Rue Anemone-1. Both have made it through a few frosty nights since they emerged.

Rue Anemone-2 (Thalictrum thalictroides) on March 29, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

The space in which Rue Anemone-2 grows has more tree cover, thus more shade. Both plants get sun once it comes over the ridge into the holler, but with less cover, Rue-1 gets a little more of it.

This species is one of my favorites of the early spring flowers, maybe because it's one of the first signs that my least favorite season is on its way out.

Trout lily-1 (Erythronium americanum) on March 27, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

I finally caught a trout lily bud at a very early stage (above). Two days later it stood taller on the stem (below); the following day it had opened but, alas, no camera. Today I noticed five or six of Trout Lily-1's colony mates have buds or flowers out, more than I've ever seen in this 1-square foot area.

Trout lily-1 (Erythronium americanum) on March 29, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

Trillium-2 was the first of two Trillium grandiflorum on my list to appear. The plant behind it (in the image below) has a bud that opened a day or two ago. No sign of a bud on Trillium-2, no sign of anything yet around the Trillium-1 marker. Along the road about  a mile from my house, quite a few white trilliums have open flowers.

White trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), March 29, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

In the middle of my watch for turning leaves last fall, some animal -- maybe a deer -- bit off most of the buckeye I observe. I had it flagged with sticks rather than white flags, and, unfortunately, the twiggy thing I'd been been watching turned out not to be the real Buckeye-1. I rediscovered it when I checked out an awesome patch of trout lilies, star chickweed, rue anemone and yellow trillium on March 26th. The earliest buckeye leaves, being dark and slender, blend into the forest floor really well. I planted an official flag nearby immediately, enabling me to find it again for the photo below a few days later:

Buckeye-1 and some of its neighbors, March 29, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

I wrote a little about the shady invaders project in my last post, which includes a photo of a multiflora rose bush. Buds on a second species I observe for this project -- a mapleleaf viburnam -- broke out around March 27th. To get the image below I had to use some of my marker flags to help the camera focus on the bud.

Just to compare the two species to date, buds on the multiflora rose are all open and, as I noted today on my holler walk, 95% or more of its leaves are about as big as they're going to get. It definitely has a headstart on the native mapleleaf viburnam.

Mapleleaf viburnam (Viburnam acerifolium), March 29, 2017 [Cathie Bird]

Leaf buds on the cloned Appalachian Spring dogwood I observe (image below) opened the same day as the viburnam. They grow within 50 feet of each other, in similar canopy cover, soil and moisture conditions.

Appalachian Spring dogwood, March 29, 2017 [Photo: Cathie Bird]

Although I don't observe them for Nature's Notebook, I watch for phlox and several yellow buttercup species. I saw a few individuals of each species already flowering this week. Several species of violets -- yellow, white, and blue-ish purple ones -- are out as well.

Busy week for all of us species here. Spring really does seem to sweep through the holler.

Out in the holler: blooming, leafing, chirping, croaking

It's happened again...spring is moving fast through the holler but I have not kept up with it on this blog. Fortunately, I have photos to remind me what's come out so far.

Three of the flowering plants I observe for Nature's Notebook have bloomed (see photos below). The cutleaf toothwort, echinacea, and both orange jewelweed plants have leaves. Last year I missed the emergence of the wingstem. It was the first year I'd observed phenophases for this species, and it was up before I knew what I was looking at.

Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) on April 18, 2014 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

This week, the center flower of the rue anemone (above) dropped its petals and now has some fruits forming. The dogtooth violet's fruit has already come and dried. The trillium still had a flower yesterday when I looked.

Trillium grandiflorum, April 17, 2014 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

All the tree species I observe -- forsythia, redbud, American beech, red maples, white oak, hophornbeam and 2 cloned dogwoods -- have flowered or have open leaf buds, and most of them now have leaves that are clearly increasing in size everyday. Yesterday when the wind came up the air was filled for a short time with beech bud parts and red maple fruits whirling down to the ground.

I'm still planning a separate post on the cloned dogwoods, and hope to get photos today.

Dogtooth Violet (Erythronium americanum), April 6, 2014 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

I think a big plant story in the holler this year will be the apple tree. This is the first time in about 3 years that its flowers have not been frosted to death. So far. In the last few days many of the petals have dropped and fruits are forming from some of the earliest flowers to emerge. This is good news for the deer, turkeys and other wildlife that drop by for a bite of the apple. I really felt bad for them last year -- the apple tree and the wildlife -- I only saw one apple make it all the way, and it looked like it had come through a war zone.

Apple blossoms on April 17, 2014 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

After my March 11 post on all the bird activity, increased sightings and hearings continued. So far, the male phoebe that has been chattering near last year's nest site does not seem to have attracted a partner. At least one phoebe pair is nesting in my neighbors' barn further down the holler. I'm not sure if I'll have a nesting pair here, though I haven't given up on that phoebe-guy. He's pretty energetic.

I'm routinely hearing male cardinal and chickadee calls on my holler walks now. This week I heard common yellowthroats for the first time this year, and saw a blue-gray gnatcatcher and black and white warbler just outside my study window. The blue jays are still around, too. A couple of weeks ago I made a positive ID of a ruby-crowned kinglet. I think I may have seen some around here before, but I saw the little red crown on this one.

No bull frog sounds yet, but I've heard other frogs. No spring peepers up here either this year. I heard them at lower elevations earlier this spring. I'm wondering what's happening with them, as I used to hear them a lot. Like other amphibian admirers, I have concerns that their absence may be a not-so-good sign.

Okay. Now I'll see if I can do a better job keeping up with the rest of the spring, summer and fall life cycles manifesting in the holler.

 

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Out in the holler, the bird is the word

Study: Oldest trees are growing faster, storing more carbon as they age

A letter published yesterday in Nature reports researchers have found that the biggest trees grow faster and hold more carbon as they get older. These results challenge an older notion that large, mature trees are unproductive. One of the researchers cites the importance of long term, large scale data collection to studies such as this one:

In a letter published today in the journal Nature, an international research group reports that 97 percent of 403 tropical and temperate species grow more quickly the older they get. The study was led by Nate L. Stephenson of the U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center. Three Oregon State University researchers are co-authors: Mark Harmon and Rob Pabst of the College of Forestry and Duncan Thomas of the College of Agricultural Sciences.

The researchers reviewed records from studies on six continents. Their conclusions are based on repeated measurements of 673,046 individual trees, some going back more than 80 years.

This study would not have been possible, Harmon said, without long-term records of individual tree growth. "It was remarkable how we were able to examine this question on a global level, thanks to the sustained efforts of many programs and individuals."

Read the whole article at www.sciencedaily.com

Related articles

Oldest trees are growing faster, storing more carbon as they age

Oldest trees are growing faster, storing more carbon as they age

Giant Surprise: Old Trees Grow Fastest

Out in the holler: just about everything!

Spring emergence has been in warp drive here in the holler for the past 10 days or so. On April 11, a common expression in the neighborhood was, "It's like everything popped out overnight!"

Redbud1 and Beech 1 on 18 April 2013 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

Today Redbud1's flowers are peaking, Beech1 has both leaves and flowers, and Beech2 has leaves on several branches. The apple and cherry trees both have flowers that so far have survived the cold nights. Oak trees in the holler have baby leaves out in the open as well.

In the past week I've seen many eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies, and at least one zebra swallowtail. I think it was around April 15th when I saw a number of Horace duskywings. One of the white species has been around as well -- usually the West Virginia whites show up first here. At least one species of azure is out but I've had trouble getting close enough to narrow down the species. A mourning cloak continues occasional visits.

Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) on 12 April 2013 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

The rue anemone have peaked and foamflowers have taken over the most-prominent-bloomer designation in the holler. I've seen a lot of phlox plants with buds -- lots of them blooming at lower elevations but none here yet. This was also a good toothwort year for me. I discovered that the fineleaf toothwort grows in the holler...four species of toothwort for me to follow now.

Fineleaf toothwort (Dentaria multifida) on 14 April 2013 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

In a post on April 3 I noted that trillium was prolific this year. I thought I had Trillium luteum and Trillium grandiflorum. About 10 days later I happened to discover my first red trillium species, Trillium sulcatum and Trillium cuneatum, though not within my designated observation plot.

Trilleum cuneatum on 13 April 2013 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

Trilleum sulcatum on 18 April 2013 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

Today I see that the fleabane have flowers. A little further down the lane I've seen lots of wood vetch and Robin plantain. Common blue violets are out in large numbers now as well.

Two days ago I noticed indigo buntings in the neighborhood. On Friday -- while it was still raining -- a female ruby-throated hummingbird came to the window and looked in for a few seconds.

The eastern phoebes have finished the nest. One of them -- I assume it was the female -- sat on the nest all day for the first time last Sunday (14th), and today she is there again. I'm wondering if she has laid some eggs...she leaves the nest very infrequently. I moved the car to the back of the house on Monday and now use the back door exclusively. I'll do this until any young phoebes fledge. This phoebe couple had five chicks last year and, as near as I could tell, all of them were successful in leaving the nest safely.

I'll end this post with a photo of the eastern box turtle that I almost tripped over when I went to check on progress of Forsythia1 on Thursday (18th):

Terrapene carolina on 18 April 2013 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

 

 

 

Out in the holler this week...Spring!

Whoa! I didn't realize how long it's been since my last post. Now that plants and butterflies I observe for Nature's Notebook are starting to emerge, I hope to have a more regular update.

I found buds on the Forsythia on March 11th; today I counted four open flowers but did not get a photo. Here are some buds:

Forsythia flower buds on March 13, 2013. Photo credit: Cathie Bird

The first butterfly I saw this year was a mourning cloak. I saw it again today...almost got a photo, but it wasn't landing within range long enough to get it. On Saturday (3/16) I think I saw a Comma.

I spent some time today adding new species to my observation list, and will include the eastern phoebe this year. I saw my first one yesterday, and heard at least one individual today.

I am so ready for spring!

 

Ground Hog Day 2012: Quince flowers and daffodils on the way

I was in Crab Orchard, Tennessee last Friday and heard quite a few spring peepers; a couple of days later I heard some down at the lower end of the holler. This is the earliest I've heard them since I've lived here.

I thought Ground Hog Day would be a good time to get some photos on the holler walk. I'd noticed a couple of days ago that daffodils were coming up. The quince -- all seven bushes -- have buds, leaves and at least one open flower. Here are some photos:

 

Daffodils at the edge of the yard, 2 February 2012. [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

 

Quince bush buds on 2 February 2012 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

 

Fully open quince flower, 2 February 2012. [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

 

So far none of the plant species I observe for the National Phenology Network have visible signs of entering a new phenophase. Here's a photo of Beech2 I got today just for reference:

Beech2 bud, still on hold, 2 February 2012. [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

Christmas Holler Walk

Very quiet out there today...my favorite moment though was a very dynamic connection with all four elements: all at once, standing on earth, listening to water, I was touched by a light wind and warmed by the sun.

Here's my favorite photo from the walk today:

Hudson Branch, Campbell County, Tennessee on 25 December 2011. The tree trunk that's visible is American Beech2, one of the species I observe for Nature's Notebook. [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

Getting a handle on the emerald ash borer

[This post has been updated since the original publication.]

Huffington Post Green had a great article today about efforts to study and control the emerald ash borer (EAB).

The EAB was introduced into North America from Asia, and according to the US Forest Service, it's the most destructive forest insect in recent history. So far, the EAB has been  difficult to detect, let alone control or eradicate, thus it often establishes itself several years before it is detected. Because foresters have had such a hard time managing EAB infestations it's feared that the majority of ash trees in North America could be lost.

Agrilus planipennis, the emerald ash borer [Photo credit: forestryimages.org.]

Large numbers of infected ash trees were first reported in the Detroit and neighboring Windsor, Ontario in 2002. The EAB has now spread to Michigan, much of Ohio, and parts of Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Newer infestations have been confirmed over the past two years in Kentucky, Minnesota, and New York, more areas of Ontario and in Quebec. 

According to the HuffPost Green article, more than 60,000 purple triangular traps have been placed in 48 different states as part of a survey led and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to track the emerald ash borer. Surveys have been conducted annually since 2008.

A purple trap used for a U.S.government-sponsored nationwide emerald ash borer tracking program. This one was found on Meier Road in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, near Darmstadt. [Photo and caption credit: Bob the Wikipedian]

The USDA Forest Service, in collaboration with Michigan State University (EAB website administrator), Purdue University and Ohio State University, have set up an emerald ash borer website to provide comprehensive, accurate and timely information to the public. Resources there include the integrated program strategy document (pdf 343kb) for reducing impacts of the EAB throughout the northeast, links to photos and information for homeowners. You can also access some informative on-demand webinars on the emerald ash borer.

 

Climate change causing massive movement of tree species across the West

Interesting article at Science Daily summarizing studies on tree species shift in the West:

A huge "migration" of trees has begun across much of the West due to global warming, insect attack, diseases and fire, and many tree species are projected to decline or die out in regions where they have been present for centuries, while others move in and replace them.

Read the whole article at www.sciencedaily.com

Here are the study references:

Nicholas C. Coops, Richard H. Waring. Estimating the vulnerability of fifteen tree species under changing climate in Northwest North America. Ecological Modelling, 2011; 222 (13): 2119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.03.033

Richard H. Waring, Nicholas C. Coops, Steven W. Running. Predicting satellite-derived patterns of large-scale disturbances in forests of the Pacific Northwest Region in response to recent climatic variation. Remote Sensing of Environment, 2011; DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2011.08.017