Some juvenile birds: Tis the season

 

An immature White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) peeks inquisitively from a grape thicket. It was part of a family unit of 3-4 young birds and two adults. I have found this species to be quite curious; nosy, almost. Nonetheless, they typically remain well-concealed in dense growth, peering at objects of interest from within the foliage. White-eyed Vireos are also accomplished mimics and insert snippets of other species' songs and calls into their repertoire. Gray Catbirds, Blue Jays, Willow Flycatchers, Eastern Towhees and other species in earshot are all fodder for copy-catting. This vireo family was in Ross County, Ohio, on August 22, 2024.

This little streaked sparrow might throw one for a loop, especially as this species doesn't hold its juvenile plumage for very long. When the adult arrives to feed the little beggar (2nd photo), its identity is instantly clear. While searching out Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels in a Ross County cemetery yesterday, I was temporarily distracted by a family unit of Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina), the youth noisily exhorting the hard-working parents to bring more food.

In this photo, the adult has a beakful of moths for junior. Chipping Sparrows are wide-ranging and adaptive. I see them in the most urban areas, and also very wild places such as the high West Virginia mountains, and massive alvar fens along the shoreline of Lake Huron in northern Michigan. They are always a welcome sight no matter where they are, as is the dry staccato trill of males. These sparrows were seen and photographed on the same trip as the vireo photo was made.

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

 

The eastern "prairie dog", a Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) crouches at the entrance to one of its burrows. Like true prairie dogs, this species is a member of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) and is closely allied to the more westerly prairie dogs. Like the four species of prairie dogs, almost all of the 21 ground squirrel species (formerly in the genus Spermophilus) are westerners. Only the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel and Franklin's Ground Squirrel ((Poliocitellus franklinii) range east of the Mississippi River, and the eastern terminus of the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel range coincides with the former range of the great prairie ecosystem that once blanketed much of the midwestern U.S. The squirrels make it no further east than central Ohio. Franklin's Ground Squirrel barely makes it as far east as westernmost Indiana.

On August 18, Shauna and I made a run down to a relict ground squirrel population near Lancaster, Ohio. As is often the case, it took a while to let the squirrels adapt to our presence. After a bit, the chap in the previous photo popped up into its sentry posture, the better to view its surroundings. Another squirrel raced around behind it, and we observed another across the road.

This is their habitat: A closely cropped grassy field. Historically, Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels were probably associated with the 5% or so of Ohio that was original prairie. As that habitat got pulverized with the advent of steel chisel plows - probably 99.9% or so destroyed - I suspect squirrels began to occupy artificial open habitats in those former prairie regions. Even today, the known populations are virtually all in or at least very near to ancestral prairie lands.

At the time of Jack Gottschang's book A Guide to the Mammals of Ohio in 1981, he listed records from 27 of Ohio's 88 counties, although they were likely extirpated from some of those by then, and conversely, were undoubtedly present in many other counties where they were not documented by actual specimens (Gottschang's standard for adequate documentation). Now, the squirrels are surely in far fewer places. There are many sites where there were known colonies, that no longer exist. Human persecution undoubtedly is the culprit in many cases. Ground squirrels and prairie dogs have long been treated as varmints and pests (personal observation: people who freely use the term "varmint" know very little about natural history, and less than nothing about ecology) and eradicated accordingly. Some once thriving colonies, such as the one that occupied the large field at the entrance to Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, were exterminated by people, in the latter case, cemetery personal.

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels seem to have become scarce enough that formerly listing them at some level of rarity at the level may be warranted. Collection of data on existing populations should be done, to inventory the extent of ground squirrel populations. To that end, if you know of any sites that are still extant, please let me know (locale, at least to the county level, and approximate population size). I can be reached at jimmccormac35 AT gmail.com.

A few random things from recent days, including a beautiful grass

 

A Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) strikes a pose on a wingstem leaf. Last night was hot, humid, with some showers and lots of the little frogs were out and about. This was at a recently acquired Arc of Appalachia property in Holmes County, Ohio, along Killbuck Creek. Our crew found lots of interesting creatures during our nocturnal foray. The peepers were especially notable, and we saw many. August 8, 2024.

As always, click the image to enlarge

The desiccated corpse of a Long-jawed Orbweaver spider in the genus Tetragnathus is enveloped by a fungal killer, Gibellula pulchra, a fungus that preys on spiders. When a spore lands on a suitable arachnid, the fungus begins to envelope the victim, penetrating it with mycelia that consume its inner tissues. As a last hurrah, the fungus sends out rather showy elongated hyphae that produce spores, thus starting the cycle anew. Shauna Weyrauch spotted this grisly scene on an epic nocturnal foray at a new Arc of Appalachia acquisition. Holmes County, Ohio, August 8, 2024.

A portion of the flowering spike of Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula). The orange appendages are the grass's anthers, which contain the pollen. The white feathery objects are the stigmas, which are the pollen receptacles. Rather than evolve fancy flowers to lure insect or other animal pollinators, grasses go for the simpler carpet-bombing strategy. These plants release thousands upon thousands of tiny windborne pollen grains in the hope that some land on the stigmas of other plants and thus cross-pollinate them. The multisyllabic scientific name is a mellifluous delight: Boo-teh-loo-ah ker-tih-pen-do-la. This Side-oats Grama is in my front yard in Worthington, Ohio.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) eggs with freshly emerged nymphs. This pest hails from Asia and was first collected in 1998 in Pennsylvania. Since then, it has spread to nearly if not every state. The first Ohio record dates to 2007 and now they're everywhere around here. One female can apparently lay up to 400 eggs, so the one that dumped these isn't done yet, or she already laid many other eggs. I must admit, there is an artistic symmetry to the bugs/eggs at this stage. My backyard in Worthington, Ohio.

Two upcoming moth programs

Saturday, August 17. Startford Ecological Center, Delaware County, Ohio. 7 - 10 pm.

My coauthor on the Gardening for Moths book, Chelsea Gottfried, will be giving her moth program, then we'll head outside where sheets/light will be set up and luring moths. Stratford has a wide variety of native flora, and it should be very good for moths. Both Chelsea and I will be there for the mothing, which will last for a few hours. This one does have a fee: $25 for adults, $15 for children. The money goes to support the work of this excellent not-for-profit organization. Details are RIGHT HERE.

Saturday, August 24. Fernald Preserve Visitor's Center, Hamilton, Ohio. 7:30 - 11 pm.

I'm giving my talk entitled Mysterious Moths: The Darker Side of Butterflies and following that we'll go check out several nearby mothing stations. The 1,000+ acre site has an interesting history and should produce some noteworthy sightings. This public program is free and open to all.

Juvenile Osprey expels a stream of fishy guano

 

A juvenile Osprey strikes a pose. A pose that can mean only one thing: an impending fecal effluvium. I've got nothing at all against kayakers but couldn't help thinking how cool it'd have been if one had boated up to this fish hawk to ooh and ahh over the cute baby. Then, with no warning, the bird blasted that rope of fishy liquefied guano onto the unsuspecting admirer below. How quick the coos of adulation would change to screeches of horror and disgust! But what photo ops that would have made! Delaware County, July 31, 2024.