Now that the leaves have fallen from the trees, there are a lot of
natural wonders exposed and easy for the careful observer to find. I
recently noticed a bird's nest high up in an oak tree while out for a
walk. I continued to look up and noticed a big bunch of leaves that was
most likely the handiwork of a squirrel.
Next time you are out for a fall or winter nature walk, look carefully in the bushes and up in the tree branches around you, I bet if you are observant and patient, you'll spot a bird or beast habitat too!
While you're out there, see what you can see for lichen, galls and fungus too!
I was almost giddy when I discovered some bird's nest fungus, or Nidulariaceae in one of our flower beds this fall. Giddy? Yes. I think these are some of the most beautiful little fungi around. Because they are small, they might go unnoticed during a walk in the woods. As the name suggests they look like little nests full of eggs shrunken by a shrink ray!
This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for details.
Fungus comes in such a wide variety of forms with fun and quirky names. Witches butter, turkey tail and hairy curtain crust just to name a few. Although you should always err on the side of caution when it comes to investigating mushrooms and other fungus with kids, they are fascinating organisms to search for.
Why not go on a funky fungus scavenger hunt?Keep a "leave no trace" policy and rather than touch or pick the fungus, photograph it or sketch itwith somecolored pencils in a nature journal. How many different types can you find? Grab a field guide to help you identify and learn more about your discovery.
If you are exploring with adults or teenagers and there is no risk
of anyone taste-testing something they shouldn't, you might want to try making spore prints from mushrooms. Not only can this help youidentify your fungus, but they are also beautiful!
What type of funky fungus did you find? Share your pictures with us on Facebook or Twitter.
I love this time of year, as everything is beginning to leaf and sprout. It's fun to rediscover all of the treasures that lay dormant in the soil during the winter months.
I especially love to see the woodland flowers pop up. There is something a little
more magical about these, as they have not been planted by human hands.
One that is blossoming now is the American trout-lily, or Erythronium americium. You can find this plant in the forest or on rocky cliffs or ledges throughout most of the United States and parts of Canada. It needs moist, partly shaded locations to grow. It is also called Yellow trout-lily, Eastern trout-lily, Yellow dogtooth violet and Adder's tongue.
This pretty little yellow blossom resembles a miniature day-lily you might have growing in your flower garden. The mottled leaves of the flower are the giveaway that the plant is present. In fact, most often you'll see more leafy plants than flowering individuals.
The trout-lily is so named because of the white spotted pattern on the leaves that is thought to resemble the pattern of scales on a trout. Native Americans used the leaves in a tincture that was thought to heal wounds.
The trout-lily can live for two years and has roots that are excellent for storage, tubers or bulbs. It blooms throughout the spring, in the months of March, April and May.
What native flowers have you spotted in your area lately? Perhaps the lovely trillium flower, that you can read about in another See it? Share it! post: See it? Share it! Red Trillium or the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, another of my favorites that pops up this time of year.
You can learn more about plants and wildlife through the other posts on the See it? Share it! page. What have you observed recently? Get out there and explore!
Have you ever seen a grey squirrel with black fur before?
Nope, it’s not a new type of squirrel, it’s just a genetic mutation that
results in more melanin, or pigment, in the fur. This version of the grey
squirrel is called a melanistic squirrel.
This one was foraging around the bird feeders last weekend. We
have seen a few of these throughout the past 4 years. They are always striking and
very noticeable as they don’t blend into their surroundings quite like their
grey relatives.
Grey squirrels can also have a white variation, where some or all of the fur is white. This is called leucistic or partial albinistic. If the squirrel also has pink eyes, then it is considered an albino variant.
Although it doesn’t happen in the wild as much as we see
variation in human genetics, there can be variations in individuals within a
species. Sometimes lobsters are blue, and sometimes dolphins are pink. Deer,
squirrels and other animals can exhibit piebaldism, where they are missing
pigment on some patches of their fur. These animals have patches of white fur
or skin.
What advantages or disadvantages do these genetic variants
have? Here is a lesson plan, “Color On, Color Off” for upper elementary through
high school that explores albinism in animals. You might want to check it out
at school or home.
Have you ever seen an animal of a unique color? If you’ve
seen something like this tell us about it in the comments below, e-mail us at shareitscience@gmail.com or post a
picture to our Facebook page.
Not too long ago on one of our early morning dog walks (in the dark with headlamps and reflective gear this time of year) we came across a porcupine. We were walking along and suddenly my dog lunged toward something on the side of the road that then began to slide down the banking backwards towards us. Quickly recognizing the black and white warning coloration and having come across these large rodents on walks before, I pulled the dog back before any harm was done to either party involved. Luckily, porcupines are not the most fast-moving or graceful creatures!
Although a face-full of quills can be very dangerous for pets and other would-be predators, porcupines are by far one of my favorite animals. You probably have not heard many people say that, but there are probably not too many people who have had the same experiences I have had with them.
When I graduated college I got a summer internship at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. The center educates about wildlife and has a non-releasable wildlife collection that serve as ambassadors for their species at schools, camps, after school programs, etc. That summer and the following two years as I was hired to continue working as an assistant naturalist I shared the porcupine with many audiences.
Why do I love the porcupine so much?
Incredible Adaptations: Although the porcupine has a poor sense of sight, they make up for it with excellent hearing and smell. Their most fabulous adaptation is their specialized hair. They have up to 30,000 barbed quills used for protection. One question I've been asked over and over is how far they can shoot their quills, well first of all THEY DO NOT SHOOT THEIR QUILLS!! They can raise and lower their quills just as your dog or cat may raise its fur when agitated. By lashing their tail back and forth and moving towards another animal, the quills easily dislodge from the porcupine and into the other creature. The porcupine has no mechanism for shooting quills out of its skin. The quills are barbed on one end, making them very difficult to remove. If you or a pet ever were to be quilled it is crucial to remove the quills as quickly as possible as the contraction of muscles pulls them deeper inside.
Porcupine Quills Vary from Species and Individual (image by lamiot from [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
Quills are not the only type of porcupine hair. There are bristly hairs on the tail that help the porcupine keep its balance while up in trees and warm fuzzy underfur to keep the porcupine warm. They also have long guard hairs that help them to know their surroundings, just like a cat's whiskers.
Vocalizations: Porcupines make a variety of sounds for communication. Although it is easy to anthropomorphize because some of their sounds resemble human words, we cannot tell what they are saying. However, it is endearing, and that is probably why Teddy Bear the porcupine from Zooniversity has become so popular. Keep in mind that porcupines in the wild are not eating pumpkins and corn on the cob like Teddy. In their natural habitat they browse on hemlock twigs, and eat an herbivore diet of leaves, bark and soft plants like skunk cabbage and clover.
Baby porcupines: A baby porcupine is called a porcupette! They are born with soft quills that harden within hours of being born. The porcupine only has one baby at a time, and the young porcupette will stay with its mom for about 6 months after it is born.
There are so many other fascinating facts about porcupines. Did you know that they are the second largest mammal in North America? (Do you know what the largest is?) Porcupines have also gone by other names historically, like quill-pig and similarly Stachelschwein, which means "thorn-swine" in German. For a thorough summary of the porcupine, visit Animal Diversity Web's page on the animal.
A pair of porcupines in a tree. (image by: Mattnad (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons)
I am sure that we will observe porcupines again on future ventures in the forest or on the dirt road near my home. Although I love them, we always try to keep our distance!
More fun ways to teach and learn about porcupines! (These are affiliate links, see disclosures for more details.)
Folkmanis makes excellent, realistic puppets that are great for teaching young children about animals. Check out their porcupine here.
What better way to explore porcupine quills than examining them up close? With guidance students can explore these specialized hairs under a magnifier or microscope. Purchase them here.
I was out with my dog a few days ago and she began to wildly sniff
one of our hydrangea bushes. The bush had many dried flowers and had
caught a lot of deciduous tree leaves, so it was difficult to see
what she might find so exciting. All of a sudden she jumped onto the
bush, but it didn't support her weight, so she crashed down into it.
As this happened I spotted some movement. At first I thought it
was a small bird. Then as it jumped from the bush onto the split rail
fence behind I recognized the creature immediately as a white-footed mouse, or deer mouse. Luckily my
pup was still fixated on the bush and I was able to observe for a few
seconds before we left the animal alone.
White-footed mice are unmistakable with their two toned fur, brown
on top and white on the belly and feet. They have bulgy shiny black
button eyes and a long tail. Remembering seeing photographs of the
white-footed mouse nesting in bird nests and other clumps of leaf and
grass litter I wondered if it was possible that the mouse was nesting
in the leaves that had been caught in the dense brittle branches of
the hydrangea bush.
image: NPS, Public Domain
Upon further research I learned many interesting and surprising
things about this little mouse. The white-footed mouse is primarily
nocturnal to avoid predators and only lives about a year in the wild.
They are excellent climbers and swimmers! For some unknown reason,
this mouse will drum on hollow reeds or a dry leaf with their front
feet to produce a low buzzing noise. It is not understood why they do
this!
Although I did not find out whether my hydrangea might be a good
nesting spot, I did learn that they like to nest in warm and dry
locations like hollow trees or abandoned bird nests. Although the
mouse can carry disease through parasites like ticks that can harm
humans, they have many positive attributes as well. The white-footed
mouse eats and helps to spread the spores of many types of fungi.
This helps the trees of the forest because the mycorrhizae, or
filamentous roots of fungus, help trees to absorb nutrients. They can
also help to control populations of insect pests, like the invasive
gypsy moth.
These book suggestions are affiliate links. Please see
disclosures for more details.
Two little treasures about the white-footed mouse:
Deer mouse at Old Farm Road is in the Smithsonian Backyard Series. These are mini-books written in a scientifically accurate way for kids.
Whitefoot: A Story From the Center of the World by environmental author Wendell Berry is another tiny book for children and adults.
There is always more to find out when you look a little closer!
What natural discoveries have you made recently? Share with us on
Facebook, by e-mail or by commenting below.
As the seasons change plants and animals exhibit many adaptations for survival. Migration is a behavior adaptation. Many birds migrate to warmer climates when the weather gets cold. Fall is an awesome time to study animal migration in your science classroom.
Have you noticed a lot of bird activity outside house recently? I certainly have. Lots of different types of birds very busily collecting seeds from this summer's flowers, and scratching around in the fallen leaves. You can tell that the seasons are changing and preparations are happening for the cold weather that will soon be upon us.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission when you make purchases through these links at no additional cost to you. Please see disclosures for more information.
All About Bird Migration
How can you find and observe birds during the
months of fall? Which birds migrate?
Birds migrate to be sure they can find
enough food to feed themselves throughout the year. For birds whose
breeding grounds are in climates that receive snow or frigid
temperatures this means that many have to travel to warmer areas.
Migrating is a very difficult task, and many birds do not make the
trip. This time of year birds are bulking up so that they will
have the energy stores to fly hundreds to tens of thousands of miles to their
winter habitat.
Neotropical Migratory Birds
are those that spend their spring and summer in Canada or the United
States and the winter in warmer places like Mexico, Central and South
America, or the Caribbean. There are many species in North America
that fall into this category. As migration is difficult, actions like
the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act are in place to aid
in conservation efforts and maintain our avian populations.
Observing Bird Migration
How can you observe bird migration?
Migration forecasts are available through Cornell with their BirdCast site. You may also live in one of the
regions recognized as a migration flyway. Birds don't just fly
straight south- there are 4 major flyways
in the United States that many
bird species follow. You can also visit eBird and find where certain species have
been spotted in your area.
Which birds migrate? Many that you are
familiar with! For a list of birds that migrate to warmer climates
see this table from the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
Tracking wildlife is not always easy,
although the data being compiled about bird migration is improving
all the time. Between technological advances such as transmitters and
GPS, and the work of citizens through programs like eBird and Project Feederwatch, we have a clearer picture of where birds are
and where they are going.
Educational Resources for Learning About Bird Migration
Click on the links below to learn more
about bird migration, some great book suggestions for children, and
resources and lesson plans about bird migration!
Not too long ago I picked up some
potted plants that had been on the ground for a while to find these
two newts underneath. These bright orange, red spotted amphibians are
a favorite of mine. Lately, we have been seeing them almost daily on
our early morning dog walks. I knew that this was an amphibian with
an interesting life cycle, but I began to question why there are so
many tiny ones around this time of year and how they deal with the
cold winter months.
The orange newt is in its juvenile
stage and is more accurately referred to as an "eft". Newts
are a type of salamander, but unlike most salamanders the young part
of their life takes place on land. Once they are adults they head
back to the water. The adult newt, which is greenish with red spots,
lays eggs in a pond or wetland in the early spring. They hatch and
enter their larval stage. A larval newt is similar in color to the
adult, but is smaller and has gills. The larvae feed on insects and
other small invertebrates in the water. By late summer the larval
newts have changed into orange efts and move onto land.
The efts grow up to 4.5 cm or just
under 2 inches long (although I believe I've seen larger ones). They
may stay in this juvenile stage for 3-4 years! Then they begin to
darken in color and become adults, returning to a place where they
can spend time in and around the water. Adult newts grow to be around
12 cm, or almost 5 inches long. An Eastern newt can live up to 15
years!
Adult Eastern Newt
By Brian Gratwicke
[CC BY 2.0], via
Wikimedia Commons
The bright orange color of the eft lets
would-be predators know that it is poisonous. Although it lives on
land it still must keep its skin moist. Most often you'll find them
under logs or leaf litter, and dark moist parts of the forest. Over
the winter the eft will hibernate in leaf litter on the forest floor.
Brrr! The adult newt finds shelter away from frost just like the
juvenile and hibernates over the winter.
The Eastern, or red spotted newt is the
only newt native to North America. The range of the Eastern newt is
north to the Canadian Maritime Provinces, south to Florida and
Alabama and west over to Texas and up through the Great Lakes.
(affiliate link)
Have you spotted any tiny efts lately
in your outdoor excursions? It's worth a look, they are beautiful
little creatures!
Comment below with your discoveries, or share them with us on Facebook or Google+.
I love it when I find a renewed
curiosity in something I've seen many times before. This summer while
spending a few days on vacation at a New England pond, I spied some
mussels in the shallow water near the shore. This was not really
shocking, as I remember finding them in the lake and this same pond
as a kid. However, I looked at these creatures with a new sense of
wonder. First of all, there were a lot more than I remembered. What
did this mean? Were the water conditions better or worse? A lot of
people fish this pond, do they also collect and eat freshwater
mussels? How quickly could these creatures bury themselves in the
sand?
I picked a few out of the water to
inspect more closely. They quickly pulled themselves shut tight once
they sensed something was plucking them from their peaceful mud. I
didn't keep them out of the water long, suffering pangs of guilt
remembering how I used to enjoy throwing them back into the lake when
I was young. Sorry mussels! I put these back into the water, one back
in the hole I plucked it from and two on their sides, hoping to
observe and determine how long it would take them to burrow back
down.
Unfortunately we had some bad storms
come through so I wasn't able to check on my science experiment. When
I checked the next day, there was only the mussel that I had stuck in
the mud, the others had moved on. Upon further research once
returning home, I found that these fairly uninteresting looking
mollusks are actually really fascinating animals. Mollusks are
invertebrates with soft unsegmented bodies and in most cases outer
shells, a very large and diverse group that spans from octopus to
shellfish. The mussel is a bivalve, it has two shells that are held
together by a strong ligament. Freshwater mussels have a strong,
large foot which they move through the sand or gravel with. Mussels
have strong muscles (isn't that funny?) to help them open and close
their shells tight when necessary. They are filter feeders that
siphon water into their shells, filter bits of debris and plankton in
to eat and then pump the waste water back out.
Freshwater mussels are helpful in
keeping waterways clean and are important indicator species as they
take in any toxins that might be in the water. Where there are many
mussels it can mean that the water quality is good. Although I have
no data on the population size of these creatures decades ago
compared to now, in my estimation there were many more then when I
was a kid and the water was more clear. There are many types of
freshwater mussels and many are threatened or are listed as species
of concern due to declining populations. I believe the mussels I
observed were Eastern elliptio, which is a species that has a stable
population. I did not learn whether people collect and eat these, but
the local Department of Environmental Services urges people not to
consume them as they accumulate any pollution that might be in the
water in their bodies through their filtration systems.
I also learned from this blog post by
Northeastern Ecological Services
that mussels have some pretty funny common names, like monkeyface and
strange floater! I guess when you study mussels for a living you
probably have a good sense of humor!
I have always loved seashells and now
as an adult I appreciate the ones with inhabitants just as much as
those I can collect for souvenirs. If you or your children enjoy
collecting shells, or observing life near a body of water,
particularly by the ocean, I highly recommend "Seashells by the Seashore" by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Robert Noreika. In this lovely picture book with rhyming text a girl collects seashells for her grandmother. There is an educational piece about each type of shell she collects at the end of the story.
Click book images for more information!
Another great book for exploring seashells is "Next Time You See a Seashell" by Emily Morgan. It has excellent photographs and encourages young readers to observe deeply.
For exploration around the pond I love
"Around the Pond: Who's Been Here?" by Lindsay Barrett George. Another
beautifully illustrated book where a brother and sister use
observations and natural clues to determine what animals live near
the pond. It works very nicely as a guessing game for elementary aged
children.
(These book links are all affiliate links, see disclosures for more info)
If you'd like to teach about mollusks
in your classroom or at home, you might find these resources helpful:
