Red Eft

 

An especially bright Red Eft, the juvenile stage of the Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), poses nicely on a lichen-covered rock on a forested slope in Shawnee State Forest in Scioto County, Ohio. Last Wednesday was damp and cool, and many efts were no doubt on the move. The orange coloration is classic aposematism: warning coloration alerting potential predators that the wearer of such colors is toxic. Efts are infused with tetrotodoxin, a powerful neurotoxin, the same compound found in deadly pufferfish. Red Efts boldly march about the forest floor on damp days and are always a treat to encounter. This one was photographed in situ; I did not move him to the showy lichen-dappled rock. Occasionally one cooperates nicely, and this was such a beast.

Talk tonight: Photographing moths!

Join Westbridge Camera Club on Monday, April 4, 2022 for a unique and informative presentation by Jim McCormac on: Photographing Moths - A New Frontier

Meeting Starts at 7:00pm, Zoom Room opens at 6:30pm

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82180060634

April 4 - Jim McCormac - Photographing Moths ~ A New Frontier

Butterfly photos abound. The beautiful insects are diurnal, and relatively easy to shoot. Virtually everyone that photographs nature has trained their lens on a butterfly at some point. The darker side of the Order Lepidoptera, the moths, are nearly ignored in comparison. Yet moth species outnumber butterflies by many fold. In Ohio, about 140 butterfly species have been found, counting rarities. The number of moth species could number as many as 4,000, or more. One could argue, and I would be one, that moths are infinitely more interesting than butterflies. There is no disputing that the subject material is far greater, and far less photographed. This talk will discuss the magical world of moths, how to find/attract them, shooting techniques, and the big picture: why moths are vital to conservation.

Bio

Jim worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for 31 years as a botanist, and later specializing in wildlife diversity projects, especially involving birds. He has authored or coauthored six books, including Birds of Ohio (Lone Pine 2004); and Wild Ohio: The Best of Our Natural Heritage (Kent State University Press 2009). The latter won the 2010 Ohioana Book award. He is a coauthor of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II book. He’s currently at work on books about dragonflies. His book Gardening for Moths, coauthored with Chelsea Gottfried, is in press (Ohio University Press) and will appear in summer/fall 2022. Jim writes a column, Nature, for the Columbus Dispatch, and regularly publishes a natural history blog. He has written numerous articles in a variety of publications, and has delivered hundreds of presentations throughout the eastern United States. He was named 2015 Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Ohio League of Sportsmen. Jim is an avid photographer, shooting a range of natural history subjects. He has had hundreds of photos published in various forums. His photography can be sampled at https://www.jimmccormac.com/

The annual eruption of Goldenstar lilies has commenced!

I visited Scioto County in southern Ohio last Wednesday, and high on the priority list was a stop to see the Goldenstar (Erythronium rostratum). This state-endangered plant occurs in only two locales in the state, both close to one another. The motherlode is in the drainage of Rocky Fork, and there it occurs by the tens of thousands. The mass synchronous blooming is a sight to behold, and you've got to be speedy. It only lasts a week or so. The plants were not yet at peak when I was there, and I bet this weekend is prime time. The place to go is the Arc of Appalachia's Gladys Riley Goldenstar Preserve.

This is NOT a Goldenstar. It is a Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum). This species is really common and occurs throughout Ohio and far beyond. Good chance it is in your local woods. If you see yellow trout lilies somewhere, the odds are astronomically in favor of it being Yellow Trout Lily. It almost certainly WILL NOT be Goldenstar, unless you live in one of the regions shown on the map below.

I have learned that I have to mention the species above in no uncertain terms when writing about Goldenstar. Maybe it will stop the numerous reports that ensue of people reporting that they too have Goldenstar in their local patch. Goldenstar blooms about two weeks earlier, has orangish-yellow anthers, and holds its tepals (petals, basically) out on a flat plane. The fruit also has a prominent beak, but hardly anyone notices the fruit. With Yellow Trout Lily, the tepals recurve strongly, sometimes almost touching their tips, and the anthers often become a brownish-purple color.

This is a map showing the total range of Goldenstar. The green counties indicate specimen records. It probably no longer occurs in many of them. Goldenstar reaches peak abundance in Arkansas and adjacent Missouri, and overall has a very scattered and patchy distribution. Note how disjunct the eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio populations are. While the possibility of discoveries of new populations always exists, any new finds would likely mesh with this pattern and be close to known sites.

Here's a close encounter with a Goldenstar flower, showing the characters I mentioned above. It's truly a handsome flower, and quite conspicuous.

A showy trio of Goldenstar flowers rises from leaf litter. One of the allures of this lily is that it blooms so early, in advance of most other wildflowers. Its blooming period seems to be shifting. My earliest photos of this species date to the mid/late 2000's and they were flowering in the first week of April. Back then, and prior to then, it was thought of as a first or second week in April bloomer. Now it seems to consistently flower in the last week of March, sometimes even a bit earlier.

Here's a ground-level view of Goldenstars peppering the forest floor. The big tree is a White Oak (Quercus alba). American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), Black Birch (Betula lenta), maples (Acer spp.) and Red Oak (Quercus rubra) are other common woody associates.

I hope you can make the trip to the Gladys Riley Goldenstar Preserve and see these beautiful wildflowers with your own eyes. If you do, I'd suggest making a day of it and visiting the Ohio River Bluffs Preserve, another Arc of Appalachia site. The wildflower show there must be seen to be believed, and it will also be nearing peak this coming weekend.

Delmarva Fox Squirrel: A foxy squirrel indeed

A while back, I posted an image of a sensational rodent, the Delmarva Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus), HERE. Seeing this jumbo was high on my list on a trip to the Delmarva Peninsula region of Maryland and Virginia. I met with much success, and here is a bit more of a pictorial essay on the handsome beast.

Here's an Ohio specimen of the Fox Squirrel, and it's a fine-looking mammal. The largest of our tree squirrels, it is distinctive with those bright orangish tones in the pelage. I made this image on February 15 of this year in Lorain County, Ohio.

Here's the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, a different subspecies of the aforementioned Fox Squirrel which is markedly different in appearance. It's every bit as large if not larger and is characterized by its stunning silvery fur. Note the little stub ears. This one is eating the remnants of a pinecone, in much the manner that someone would eat a cob of corn.

PHOTO NOTES: I first encountered Delmarva Fox Squirrels at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland, near my base camp in Cambridge. Over my visits there, I saw about five squirrels - and one Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus caroliniensis). However, I quickly learned that the big silvery fellows are often quite wary, and none of them allowed me shots. Even after I wised up to their behavior and general wariness, I still didn't have much luck with close approaches at Blackwater. That all changed at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. All of the shots in this post were made there. I think the squirrels just see many more people there and are somewhat habituated to us. After spending several hours slowly hiking along the Woodland Trail there, I had several nice encounters with squirrels. I'd often hear them in the leaf litter before I saw them and would quietly sidle into position for shots. The animal in the above photo was the first one I managed to photograph. He had the good manners to sit in a pool of sunlight in an otherwise shadowed woodland understory. It was like a stage light was shining on him. I was using my Canon R5 mirrorless camera and the Canon 400mm DO II with 1.4x extender (560mm) for all of these shots. It's a fantastic rig for handholding and allows the operator to work fairly far from the subject.

I'm forever looking closely at snags in the hopes of seeing a roosting owl, and that's how I noticed this squirrel. It was cold on this morning, and he was sunbathing. Note how the pelage looks whitish. Could be just the way that the light was striking it, or it may be an older animal.

This is a typical Delmarva Fox Squirrel dray (nest) in a broken-off tree snag. I also some drays out in the open in branches which I assume were also of this species.

As part of the recovery plan for the formerly federally endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel, nest boxes like this were placed in suitable habitats to provide additional nest and roosting sites. I saw a number of these boxes at Chincoteague. The squirrels take readily to them, and the animal sunbathing in the previous photo was using this box.

The Delmarva Fox Squirrel was included on the federal governments inaugural list of endangered species, released in 1967. This distinctive and charismatic subspecies once ranged commonly throughout the Delmarva Peninsula region, including parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Primarily due to habitat loss, the population contracted to the point that perhaps only 10% of its original population remained.

They favor mature woodlands - often mixed deciduous and pine - with mostly open understory. Habitat restoration and targeted reintroductions into favorable locations increased the population significantly over time, and the Delmarva Fox Squirrel was de-listed in 2015. Still, I believe it is only found in limited parts of Maryland and Virginia now, and no longer occurs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

I spent a lot of time quietly observing the squirrels, thoroughly impressed with their size and beauty. It was also interesting to see firsthand their behavior and diversity of diet. The woodlands that I saw them in had plenty of greenbrier (Smilax sp.) and this relative of the Lily Family (Liliaceae) still had many fruits clinging to the thorny stems. That's what this squirrel is noshing on, and I saw others eating greenbrier fruit.

It's a testament to the Endangered Species Act that the Delmarva Fox Squirrel still survives, and at least locally, thrives. The world would certainly be a poorer place without these jumbo silvery rodents.

Upcoming talk - April 9, Delaware, Ohio

I'm giving a talk on Saturday, April 9 for the Delaware County Master Gardeners. It's in Waldo, Ohio, home of the G & R Grill and the world's most famous brats! I share the slate with Julie Zickefoose, who will be speaking habitat transformation and Blue Jays. My talk is a pictorial trip around Ohio, featuring a diverse cast of flora and fauna, and their roles in ecosystems.

All are welcome, and it's sure to be a fun time. The venue is the Barn at All Occasions, right off U.S. 23, not far north of Delaware. For registration and further information, go here: Maximizing Ecological Diversity in your Ohio Garden and Beyond

Bertalan "Bert" Szabo: December 4, 1920 - March 22, 2022

 

Bert Szabo, in the field. A legend among natural philosophers, Bert spent an incalculable number of hours afield over his 101 years - far more than anyone who will read this has. And far more than any of us probably will. Always the consummate gentlemen, Bert was a pioneer in many ways. He was among the first formally titled naturalists at the infancy of the establishment of local park districts and many of his ideas led to programs and interpretive tactics still commonly in use today. The product of a life well lived, insatiable intellectual curiosity, and darn good genetics, Bert remained active to near the end.

Bert's full and informative obituary follows:

Bertalan Louis Szabo (“Bert”) passed away on March 22nd, 2022 at 101 years of age. He was born in Lorain, Ohio on December 4th, 1920. Previously a resident of Hudson, he lived in Munroe Falls, Ohio for the last 45 years. He is survived by four children: Judy (Floyd) Aprill, John (Rosario) Szabo, Suzi (Phillip) Gard, and Mark (Vianna) Szabo; nine grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at Dunn-Quigley Funeral Home, 3333 Kent Road in Stow, on Friday, March 25th from 4:00-8:00 pm. A funeral Mass will be at Holy Family Catholic Church, 3179 Kent Rd, Stow, on Saturday at 9:30 am.

The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to Sieberling Nature Realm, Summit Metro Parks, 975 Treaty Line Road, Akron, Ohio, 44313.

A neighbor, Mr. Green, first introduced him to nature at the age of four. As a teen, he roamed the woods along the Black River and French Creek in Lorain County, admiring the birds and wildflowers.
After high school, Bert worked in a steel mill and soon discovered that was not his life’s calling. He found Ohio University much more to his liking. After three years there, WW II intervened. When the war was over, he returned to school, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and masters in plant pathology.

After several agriculture related jobs, Bert began his professional career as manager of the Western Reserve Academy’s Evamere Farm in Hudson in 1951. In 1957, the Akron Metropolitan Park District (now Summit Metro Parks) hired him as an Area Manager. The following year, he began to present interpretive programs about nature in addition to his managerial duties. In 1963 his position was officially changed to Naturalist. After helping thousands of park visitors of several generations to identify, appreciate, and better understand the flora, fauna, geology, and history of the park system, he retired as Chief Naturalist at 71 years old. Toward the end of this career, the unique nature center building that he helped design (located in the F.A Seiberling Nature Realm) had finally opened.

Bert was involved in the creation of Summit Metro Parks Fall Hiking Spree. From its inception in 1964, Bert’s nature walks helped to promote this novel idea. Approximately 600 hikers participated that first year and received a wooden hiking staff. Over the years, the Hiking Spree continued to grow and now attracts nearly 40,000 participants yearly. Of those original 600 original hikers, 12 completed every Hiking Spree up to the 50th anniversary. Of course Bert was one of them!

Since Bert’s retirement he has stayed in close touch with Summit Metro Parks as a volunteer. He organized the park district photographic and historical archives as well as assisted in special events. When he reached 7000 total volunteer hours in 2018, Summit Metro Parks honored him.

An avid birder, Bert served as official compiler for Greater Akron Audubon Chapter’s Christmas Bird Count from 1970-1992. For a decade he volunteered on Lake Erie’s shore with Crane Creek State Park’s monthly bird census as well as pursuing his hobby through travel both domestically and abroad.

Several of his offspring followed in his naturalist tradition. His oldest son, Dr. John Szabo is a retired chairman of the Geosciences Department of the University of Akron. His son, Mark, is a retired naturalist from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks in Michigan. Grandsons Howard Aprill is a naturalist with Milwaukee County Parks, Dr. Michael Aprill is a science teacher in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Shawn Szabo is a wildlife biologist attending graduate school at Oregon State University.

Bert became a member of the Association of Interpretive Naturalists (AIN) in 1958 and eventually served as its president (1969-1971). In 1988 AIN became NAI, the National Association for Interpretation and Bert was a founding member. The organization gave him numerous awards and accolades. Despite the fact that he retired thirty years ago, he remained active in NAI and was a revered as an elder.

Bert served on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Natural Areas & Preserves Council (governor-appointed position) 1970-1983 and 1987-1994 and on the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Sanctuary Council 1981-2004. He also served on ODNR’s Recreation Resources Commission, 1990-1994 and as Audubon’s representative on PPG (formerly Pittsburgh Plate & Glass) Advisory Panel, 2002-2006.

As a board member (circa 1991-2002), Bert helped to establish and grow the Friends of the [Summit] Metro Parks, a nonprofit cooperative organization that helps to provide financial support of his park district.

In the early 1970s, he was an outspoken advocate for the establishment of Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, finally realized in 1974. A few years later the Akron Beacon Journal wrote, ““His grassroots campaigning in the early 1960s on behalf of the National Park in the Cuyahoga River Valley is generally recognized as the force which kept the political ball rolling.” It has since grown to 33,000 acres and was officially re-designated from a recreation area to a national park in 2000.
He was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 2019.

The last paragraph of his last article in the Metro Park “Green Islands” (1991) states:
The pollution of our planet, the loss of forests, plants and animals must be our major concern. They are biological time clocks ticking off the time when man may no longer persevere. We cannot separate natural history from human history – each is dependent upon the other. Protecting our environment is essential for the health and welfare of future generations. It is my hope that I have contributed somewhat to this endeavor.

The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to Sieberling Nature Realm, Summit Metro Parks, 975 Treaty Line Road, Akron, Ohio, 44313.

Bert (L) with another Akron-area legend, Ed Pierce.

Nature: Ferocious hunters, northern harriers are also incredible aerial performers

 

A female northern harrier looks and listens for prey/Jim McCormac

Nature: Ferocious hunters, northern harriers are also incredible aerial performers

Columbus Dispatch
March 20, 2022

NATURE
Jim McCormac

In the 1960s, British aviation company Hawker Siddeley developed an innovative jet capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. This formidable war craft was dubbed the Harrier. Its name was inspired by the hen harrier, an agile raptor capable of impressive aerial acrobatics.

The jet’s namesake occurs here in Ohio. Well, sort of. Until recently, the Eurasian hen harrier and New World northern harrier were considered the same species. However, the world of taxonomy is ever-shifting and ornithologists finally decreed them separate species based on genetics and appearance. Only northern harriers are found in Ohio.

As impressive as the multimillion dollar jet is, it’s got nothing on the bird. Just ask the voles that it hunts.

I recently spent a frosty blue morning observing harriers at Killdeer Plains, a wildlife area in Harpster, Ohio, an hour north of Columbus. A major goal was to get sharp in-flight images. Photographing one of those jets would be far easier. The crafty raptors don’t miss anything and shy away from people.

Fortunately, my field tactics worked and I was able to get some passable images, one of which accompanies this column. Even if I had met with photographic failure, the trip would have been a success.

Northern harriers are beautiful birds, both male and female. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced. The more commonly seen females are significantly larger and dark brown to bright cinnamon. Both sexes have conspicuous white rumps and hold their wings in a dihedral — above parallel thus forming a V-shape.

The comparatively dainty male is sometimes termed “gray ghost”. It is a beautiful pearl-gray color and appears like a ghostly wraith as it floats about the meadows.

Up to eight harriers hunted in nearby fields, offering a tutorial in harrier hunting techniques. This raptor has long wings and tail, the better for instant aerial transitions. A hunting harrier quarters low over the ground, the better to surprise potential prey.

The prey — mostly small rodents — try to counter the enemy by crafting vegetative bunkers. Meadow voles are probably the most common prey here and in many areas. A chunky mouse-like mammal, voles are essentially sausages with legs and raptors covet them.

To better protect themselves, voles create runways — tunnels of grasses in which they can move while avoiding visual detection. Even that strategy doesn’t thwart the technologically advanced harrier. These raptors have evolved conical feathered facial disks which give them a remarkably owl-like appearance. Thus, their hearing is enhanced such that they can hear the rodents scurrying in their runways.

Many times, I have seen harriers pounce repeatedly, springing back into the air with grasses caught in their talons, only to immediately drop again. They are probably hunting mostly by sound, dropping on the runway and trying to seize the vole sight unseen.

Oftentimes they do, but the voles also frequently elude them.

Ohio is at the southern limits of the northern harrier’s breeding range, which stretches from Alaska to Newfoundland. While many winter here, few remain to breed.

Nonetheless one can occasionally witness the spectacular courtship flights. Performed primarily by males, this sky-dancing involves fast, deep U-shaped dives. The harrier strafes the ground before shooting high aloft, nearly stalling at the apogee. Wings flailing, it’ll barrel-roll and drop back toward the ground and repeat the circuit over and over. I’d like to see a harrier jet try that.

A great place to observe harriers locally is the aptly named Harrier Trail at Battelle Darby Metro Park. I’ve hiked this trail numerous times and don’t think I’ve ever missed seeing one, at least from October through March. Park information is at: https://bit.ly/3t9bBS2

Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at www.jimmccormac.blogspot.com.