tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post4891469002657565957..comments2024-03-19T02:36:35.694-04:00Comments on Ohio Birds and Biodiversity: Red Admiral InvasionJim McCormachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07444322057532066466noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-22834099241358568002012-04-23T10:31:39.422-04:002012-04-23T10:31:39.422-04:00Before I began learning to forage wild plants, I s...Before I began learning to forage wild plants, I shunned and avoided the stinging nettle for years! Now I seek them out wherever I go and have to admit that the twinge of excitement at sighting the first urtica dioica shoots of spring is akin to the one i get when staring down my first spring warbler! This is one of the most delicious as well as nutritious plants in the forager's canon, and its habit of growing in especially large patches makes it an easy sustainable catch. Harvest the top few bracts with gloves and scissors (before they flower) and then pop them into some boiling water for just a few minutes, which destroys the spines and breaks down the formic acid. Then use them as a side dish, chop and add to stir-frys, puree into a hearty soup or make a nettle pesto! These greens are ridiculously rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and other trace goodies. They also have the highest documented protein content of any green! I've heard some foragers speculate that the urtica/laportea clan may have evolved their stinging hairs because without them, they'd be eaten to the ground in minutes! In short, I can only applaud these caterpillars on a great choice of host plant!alexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-86604720559473287762012-04-20T21:32:31.115-04:002012-04-20T21:32:31.115-04:00Thanks for sharing these other reports, and I woul...Thanks for sharing these other reports, and I would like to try some "urticaceous" tea sometime, Nina! Thanks for sharing that; didn't know about it!Jim McCormachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444322057532066466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-1125148337284305512012-04-19T20:25:53.827-04:002012-04-19T20:25:53.827-04:00I live in Saginaw, MI, and have noticed the popula...I live in Saginaw, MI, and have noticed the population explosion of Red Admirals this spring...especially over the last week (even though our early spring retreated to normal highs and lows for awhile).<br /><br />I found it very odd, as they were going back and forth through our backyard, stopping at the apple trees, napping on the warm south facing brick of our house. <br /><br />I was driving down a very busy road today, and every 5-10 feet, one would swoop past me. I was in awe! I asked my ten year old fellow nature buff if he noticed, and he lit up. "Yes!!! Everywhere I look, I see one!!!"<br /><br />We had a mild winter here in Mi (as in other states), but I found an Ontario newspaper article about this....an expert mentioned that when there are mild winters, the Red Admiral does not migrate to the lower South......<br /><br />That would explain the population boom, which I am loving. I wish they ate aphids, though, because I think we are having a pop boom of those too this year....I've found them on every plant in my perennial garden!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-38191096218140736082012-04-18T08:19:48.409-04:002012-04-18T08:19:48.409-04:00A little bit of an aside from butterflies, but I h...A little bit of an aside from butterflies, but I had the rare occasion to sample some nettle tea last week. It was wonderful! I did notice some red stripes across my shoulders that evening, but other than that....ninahttp://natureremains.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-6983671298469941112012-04-17T23:56:46.212-04:002012-04-17T23:56:46.212-04:00I was at Camp Libbey last week, and literally had ...I was at Camp Libbey last week, and literally had hundreds of Red Admirals for company. I was worried that I'd step on them! <br /><br />Nettles, eh? Okay, that one nasty patch near our drive can stay. I'm itching just thinking about the nettles. Your pictures nearly caused welts to appear on my typing fingers!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13102684933543382923noreply@blogger.com