Nature Paparazzi-Blue Jay at the Feeder

I took this series of shots of one of the Blue Jays at my feeder. Every time I put out whole peanuts, I get a lot of Blue Jays. This is a common songbird at House In The Wood and is familiar to many people, with its perky crest; blue, white, and black plumage; and noisy calls. Blue Jays are known for their intelligence and complex social systems with tight family bonds.

Backyard Tip:

Blue Jays prefer tray feeders or hopper feeders on a post rather than hanging feeder, and they prefer peanuts, sunflower seeds and suet. Planting oak trees (House In The Wood is mostly oak trees) will make acorns available for Jays in the future. Blue Jays often take drinks from birdbaths.

Find This Bird:

Blue Jays are most often detected by their noisy calls--I think of it as a "rusty pump handle". You can recognize them by their steady flight, rounded wings, long tail and white underside.

Kool Fact:

The pigment in Blue Jay feathers is melanin, which is brown. The blue color is caused by scattering light through modified cells on the surface of the feather barbs. 

Another Kool Fact:

Their fondness of acorns is credited with helping spread oak trees after the last glacial period. They have an uncanny knack for picking weevil-free acorns to bury. In fact, birds in one study cached 3,000-5,000 acorns in ONE Autumn.

Information from my favorite birding website-ALL ABOUT BIRDS 
from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/lifehistory
I just ordered a FREE calendar on the website!

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Getting Ready for Winter-Our Beavers

I was walking along the trail yesterday and  I came across this...

 And then I came across this...

The Beaver Lodge (actually it is a bank burrow)  is in the foreground
and their food branches are frozen in the lake ice.

Our beaver has added to his lodge. He put fresh mud on the top and added a few more branches to the structure. He also gathered a bunch of branches at the entrance to eat during the winter. It has only been about 5 days since the lake froze in the bay. In the fall, beavers cache (store) branches and logs in the water, near a lodge or bank burrow so it is easy to get at in the winter. Beavers will go ashore in the winter as long as they can break through the ice at the pond's edge. More information about beavers on my favorite nature site EEK!

 One of my fisherman says that he has seen a total of 6 beavers! And one is the size of a medium sized dog! He said that they are very busy on the "point" chewing down the Vicki Martinez memorial Willow tree and taking it away.

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Nature Stories--A Branch

We notice a scar on a person's face and, if they are willing, they tell us the fascinating story behind it. Nature cannot tell us its story. We collect and read the signs left behind and write the story ourselves. 

Picture taken in Wyalusing State Park near Prairie Du Chein, Wisconsin

I was walking the Sentinel Ridge Trail when I saw this branch. Look at it. It has had a rich life. 

Note the burned area in the upper left. I checked out the other trees nearby. There was more evidence of a fire on the base of nearby trees. This branch was part of a big fire that spread over a considerable distance. So what was the story of the fire? The fire could have started naturally with a lightning strike. Or it could have also been man-made. Was it an accidental fire started by a careless cigarette or match? Or was it started by the Parks Department as part of a forest management program? 

Most mature trees can withstand a fire on the very bottom of their trunk. This is a fire that doesn't have enough fuel on the ground to burn higher than a foot. It is natural for the forest to have fires every few years. Think of it as Nature's Housekeeper. When people moved into the area however, they put out the fires to save their homes and crops. So detritus from the trees that would normally have been burned away every few years accumulated. Eventually there was so much fuel lying on the ground, it made unplanned fires almost impossible to control once they started.

You can tell that this tree branch has fallen a long while ago as it is bare of bark. The healthy portion of bright green moss on top means it has also remained undisturbed for quite awhile as well. The wood is soft, dry and crumbles in your hand when you touch it so it is in advanced stages of decay. It has to be at least 40 years old and has probably laid in this very spot for another 10 years. 

It was home to an animal that can drill a nice round hole (see middle of the picture) probably a woodpecker. It is impossible to make a nice round hole in decaying wood so the tree was definitely alive when it hosted the animal living in the hole. As it decayed later in its life, other animals moved in like wood-eating insects or insects looking for a place to lay their eggs. This created a wonderful feast that encouraged other animals to tear into the soften wood to find eggs, grubs or insects to eat (see holes bottom center). You can tell they weren't interested in a home because the holes are very shallow and rough as though sharp claws or beaks tore into the wood. 

More information on Fires and Fire Safety from "Smokey the Bear"

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Cats Are Smarter Than You Think

By Terry Fowler, guest blogger

Meet #3 cat Chester

Regular blogger Valerie and I  currently live with three cats. We have always had at least one, so I feel entitled to pass on observations regarding feline intelligence. If you read scientific publications, you already know that cats are smarter than dogs. Chester, our #3 cat, says that is not saying much. Further, research has indicated that cats are up there with chimpanzees and pigs when it comes to smarts.

Need more proof? Please consider the following. Cats do not wear watches and, as far as humans can tell, cannot tell time. Why then do I face three meowing kitties looking for their dinner at exactly 6 pm every day? Add to that the fact that exactly 6 am every morning the aforementioned #3 cat, Chester, sits on my sleeping head and announces that it time to go out?

Meet #2 cat Sparky

As final proof, I offer the following evidence. Pictured is #2 cat Sparky. Normally a good kitty, Sparky is occasionally overly enthusiastic in her pursuit of moles, voles and chipmunks in our backyard. As a result, she does not come in when she should. To correct this behavior, Valerie confronts Sparky and "grounds" her for a specific amount of time.

When I first saw her do this, I laughed out loud. However, it works! After being "grounded," one of our cats will on its best behavior for the next couple of days. It even works for Chester, who is a bit of a knucklehead.

So, cats ARE smarter than you think and even Tomasina thinks so!.

Meet #1 cat Tomasina

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Can't Find Me!

I was looking at the lichen on this tree and then...I noticed this little fellow. 

I was amazed at how well the grasshopper blended into the tree. Look at his colors and patterns. They mimic perfectly the colors of the bark and lichen. When I looked closer, I found another one of these little insects huddled into a groove in the bark. 

It was REALLY cold that morning (I could see my breath). When it is this cold, insects can't move. This makes insects like grasshoppers a perfect breakfast food for predators on a chilly autumn morning. So, if you can't hop away; the next best thing is to hide REALLY well. The grasshopper's CAMOFLAGE is even more effective because most predators see in black and white. This makes the 'hopper virtually invisible. Camoflage means "to blend into the background." It is a very important survival mechanism for many animals including birds, mammals and reptiles.

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Year Around Position Open

We have a year around position opening for Summer Camp Coordinator. Please visit our website at www.houseinthewood.org click on "Jobs" for more information.

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

It's Fall!

Fall here at House In The Wood is about two weeks early this year. I always think of Fall as a time to get ready for Winter. And I think of Spring as a time to get ready for Summer. I hope to have a series of getting ready for Winter pictures in the next few posts. The first is plants...

The trees change color as the days shorten and the nights get colder. So what happens when the leaves change color? The green is a pigment called chlorophyll. It is essential for producing the food for the tree from sunlight in a process called photosynthesis. The yellows, orange and brown are always there but the green is so much stronger in summer that you can't see the other colors. However, when the days are shorter, the photosynthesis slows down so there is not so much green and the other colors can show through.

The leaves fall to get the plant ready for the long cold Wisconsin winter. The plants are actually drawing all of their food back into the plant and then even further down deep into the roots so there is enough energy for next Spring. Next Spring, the plant must produce buds and then leaves before it gets to eat again! Remember that the sunlight hits the leaves and the chlorophyll helps it turn into the sugar which is the food for plants.

There is a more DETAILED explanation on my favorite nature site EEK including where the reds come from--it is a special process. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/veg/trees/treestruecolor.htm

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Nature CSI SOLVED--Who killed FISH and What Happen to the Body?

Looking for clues...What's this?

SCAT! The excrement of an animal--most likely a bird. But WHICH BIRD?

These white spots in the grass cover about 4 feet in diameter.

These white spots on the bushes cover a space of 3 x 6 ft.

Now I remember seeing a Great Blue Heron flying from this VERY SPOT a few times over the last few months AND seeing this very same scat pattern then as well. Hmmm...

Then I researched the subject and discovered that Great Blue Heron rookeries (where birds make their nests in large groups) are full of scat covered trees and in fact, the scat eventually coats the tree and the tree dies. AND, here it is--the evidence... there are often whole fish and fish body parts scattered around the ground and hanging in the trees from the Great Blue Herons feeding in these rookeries.

Watch for more of our regular features...

Nature CSI

Nature Mysteries

Nature Paparazzi

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Nature CSI-Who Killed Fish and What Happened to the Body?

I came across this body part on my walk yesterday. I immediately wondered what happened to the rest of the fish and WHO DID IT?

Check Back on Thursday for the answer.

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Alice and Freddy...A Love Story

Often when you are trying to remember things, it helps to have an easy way to remember it. If you want to impress your family and friends, these are called mnemonic (Knee-Mon-Ick) devices. One of my favorite plants is actually TWO plants living together in a symbiotic relationship. And the way I remember it is this little story...

Alice Algae and Freddy Fungus took a Likein' (Lichen) to each other.

Meet Lichen...

Lichen can be found all over the world growing on rocks, sterile soil, sand, trees, and buildings. Lichen are the first to settle in places that have no soil since they don't require it to live. In fact, lichens are responsible for helping to break down rocks into soil or they help hold the soil in place so that other plants can grow in that area. 

Kool Fact: Lichen can survive in very extreme conditions--even unprotected in SPACE!

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Nature Paparazzi--Great Blue Heron

I have always watched these big beautiful birds as they hunt fish or frogs but I have rarely been able to get them on film. I was absolutely thrilled when I was able to get these shots...

I love the way they hover motionlessly above the water and then WHAM they spear a fish or grab it in their strong beak. Then they tip their head up to slide it down their throat. Great Blue Herons are BIG birds--about 4 feet high with a wing span of 6 feet! Yet I usually don't see them in the water until I am almost on top of them. It is because they are so very still and that grey-blue color really blends into the background.

I have always thought they look really awkward as they take off and fly away. But they are so very elegant as their stride through the water on those long legs as they hunt.

More Information about Great Blue Herons on my favorite nature site EEK!

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Thank You to September Volunteers

We have had a number of volunteers this month. 

One Saturday, Brian and Gordy stopped by to put up a few sections of a split rail fence. They also took care of the large branch on the side of the road that had fallen earlier in the week by chainsawing it into smaller pieces. 

Brian and Gordy

We also had a large group from Northwestern Settlement's AmeriCorps Project Yes! for a day and a half of  work projects. A BIG thank you to: Leila, Sue, Robin, Dan, Jamie, Paul, Marta, Emma, Anna, Naomi, Diane, Kerri Anne, Linda, Julia, Ally, Hannah, Tasha, Mirriam, Miguel, gabriel, George, Bridget, Tasha, Josh, Megan, Jessica, and Neha. 

AmeriCorps Project Yes! 2012

This is what they finished: Trim 1/4 mile Bay Road, Paint two cabins, Finish trim on two more cabins, Mail 800 pieces for our new Outdoor Education Center, Dust bust cabins for allergy sufferers, Wash windows, Create new garden fence, Preserve docks, benches and tables, Take brush to pile for chipping and a large list of "miscellaneous projects from breaking up things for the garbage to making our popular playground event "Dig to China" safe for our children.
And thanks to master gardener Carol for the leadership on making the garden fence.

And then we had our September Work Day...
...we cleared brush and chipped the brush piles.

September Volunteers for Work Day

Thank you to Ralph, Bob, Alex (staff), Steve, Dave, and Tim. Ralph, Bob and Tim are new volunteers this month. Welcome! Mary (another Master Gardener) also spent some time transplanting into our expanded rain garden near Oscar's Room steps. This rain garden got a workout yesterday when we had a 1/2 inch of rain in less than an hour. It held--it neatly diverted the water from washing out the steps JUST LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSE TO DO!

We have a monthly work day every third Tuesday of the month from April to October. Our last work day is October 16--join us from 9am to noon.

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Nature Mysteries Answer--Who Lives in That Hole?

Well, at first I thought the hole in the last blog belonged to one of these guys because they have holes ALL over House In The Wood. As you watch them, they scurry to the edge of their hole, pause, and then disappear down the hole in a flash!

This Eastern Chipmunk pauses to see what I am doing.

But then I looked a little closer and realized that the hole did not go very far into the ground and it didn't seem to have an active resident. This made me think that it was probably a hole left over from Spring when the female turtles dug their holes in the ground to lay their eggs.

Painted Turtles sun themselves on a log over the lake.

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Nature Mysteries-Who lives in that hole?

When asked "Who lives in that hole?" most people will immediately say, "Snake!" Well if you think about it, if it is freshly dug hole like this looks like, it is just not possible. Snakes have NO way to dig--no claws, no hands to move dirt. Although a snake WILL occupy an already dug hole or will enter a hole to hunt whoever lives there.

SO...who do you think lives in this hole? Stay tuned for the answer...

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Monarch Migration Has Started

This butterfly is fairly common in Wisconsin. I wonder if THIS one that I photographed along the road was ready to start its Fall Migration.

In the fall, monarchs head south. With a northerly wind, the monarchs will migrate at high altitudes, taking advantage of the tailwind. This helps them conserve their energy. As they travel, hundreds or even thousands may gather together at their nightly roosting spots.

A Milkweed Pod--there is alot of milkweed along the road

Midwestern monarchs continue south all the way to the Sierra Madres of middle Mexico, where they spend the winter among fir forests at high altitudes. Winter monarch butterflies are kind of sluggish. On warm days they head out to look for nectar, but they don't reproduce. In spring they head north, breed along the way, and then die. Their offspring will return to the northern starting point, where they lay their eggs on milkweed plants.

Here is their route...

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