Day 3 at the Hole

After sending the pictures of the weasel and the groundhog from the voyeuristic game camera to our naturalist Jay Barber, he suggested that we contact him when we got pictures of a mountain lion at the burrow.  It turns out that we are part way there.

The morning after the groundhog showed up, a busy gray squirrel explored the hole at 8:31 AM, but didn't stick around.  There is an overhanging walnut tree as well as multiple hickories along the other lane and he seemed to be out collecting.  It is possible that he thought the hole was deserted and a good place to hide a nut.

Breakfast Nut

At 9:22 AM, a fox squirrel passed by within a foot of the hole, pausing for pictures before hauling off a nut for breakfast.  It seemed to ignore the hole, intent on its mission.  This field has a large population of fox squirrels which had a very successful breeding season this year.  It is seldom that we ride down the lane without having one dart out.


On October 3rd an armadillo showed up for a picture at 6:00 PM, crawling partway down into the burrow opening.  At least one armadillo had babies this year along this stretch of the 1833 Ozark Mail Trace Road.  By now, it is hard to know if this is the adult or one of the kids that have grown.  It showed up again at the burrow around 10:00 PM as seen on the infrared camera picture below.  

Early this summer we traced one of the young armadillos quadruplets to a burrow just a hundred feet away from this burrow.  We watched as the youngsters would dart in and out of the hole, running down the road in front of our ATVs.  The burrow was conveniently located in the thick hedgerow adjacent to the field overgrown with forbs and weeds.
 

The news at ten

Summertime teenager

Animals frequently appropriate holes left by other species so it is unclear if this was the armadillo's property or if it was just house hunting.  If it belonged to the groundhog there would just be an amusing little confrontation between two vegetarians.  If it belongs to the weasel, the groundhog might be on the menu.

Bobcat sniffing the hole

On October 4th a whole new breed of cat showed up around 2:30 AM.  There isn't an outside domestic cat within a mile and we haven't spotted any dropped off strays recently.  Its tail is difficult to see from this view.  It was relatively large compared to the other animals photographed from the same fixed game camera, much bigger than a house cat.  My diagnosis, a bobcat, looking for dinner.

Sniffing the camera

The bobcat, apparently curious about the camera, came up for a sniff and super closeup.  There is a lot more nightlife out there than we imagined so it should have some good eating opportunities.  That is unless a coyote or gets there first.   If we get many more species showing up we may have to put in a stop light on the road.  Who knows, Jay may get his mountain lion yet!

More on animal burrows can be found at this National Geographic site.
An extensive resource on burrowing behaviors is in this umn.edu pdf from Current Mammology.

Foray

Big Turkeytail

Sunday was our annual Missouri Mycological Society (MOMS) foray at Bull Creek.  It was a chilly 45 degrees when we met up, hauling in potluck dishes for lunch, the real reason to never miss a foray.

The action started with a 90 minute hike in the woods, usually in pairs.  Actually it is more of a creep as we study every feature on the ground as well as on trees, standing and fallen.  We collect a specimen of every new species for later identification.  If we find edibles, they all go into the basket.

Daedaleopsis confragosa

You may recall the unknown picture on Sunday.  It was described as a "fun guy" (forgive me) which hangs around trees.  This was the underside of a shelf mushroom which grows on hardwoods.  The closeup view of the underside of this mushroom shows the pores which release its spores.  Many species have interesting patterns on top, in this case leaving ring-like ridges.  This one is Daedaleopsis confragosa.  You don't need to remember that- I know I won't.

Once back at the cabin we begin the identification process.  This requires careful examination, delving into the books, and usually asking Kenton Olson or George Lantz who speak mainly Latin.  Not only do we learn the names, but some of the fascinating characteristics.  For me this is always interesting as I forget the names over winter so each year is a brand new experience!

This white gilled mushroom looks like a lot of other white mushrooms at first glance.  Characteristics such as the attachment of the gills, their spacing, and features of the cap and stalk identify it as Aminita bisporigera, also known by its common name as Destroying Angel.  You may have guessed by the name that this isn't edible.  In fact it is considered the most toxic North American Amanita mushroom.  My lesson is never eat a white stalked mushroom growing in the soil, no matter what anyone says.

Old Man of the Woods

You can't always predict edibility by the appearance or beauty of a mushroom.  The Old Man of the Woods isn't exactly a beauty but is said to be delicious when young.  You would never know it from the picture.  Its Latin name, Strobilomyces floccopus, doesn't exactly enhance its marketability.  This specimen has been around quite a while with its background color turning gray.  Someday I hope to try a fresh one.

Mycena species

Lots of the tiny mushrooms are my favorites, beautiful and delicate.  The only thing they lack is a little fairy princess sitting below them.  You can judge the size of this Mycena species by the fingers holding it.  They grow on dead wood and it frequently pays to roll over a decaying log or strip off rotting bark to expose them.  Some are a beautiful bright orange and may occur singly or in clusters like this one.

Jack O'Lantern

Some mushrooms have bioluminescence, with a faint glow from their gills.  This requires acclimatizing your eyes to the dark over 5 minutes.  A famous example is the Jack O'Lantern mushroom, which is toxic to eat, not killing you but occasionally making you wish it would go ahead and finish you off.  We took this one into the cabin bathroom and turned off the lights and waited.

You have never really lived until you have stood in a tiny dark bathroom with two other adults for five minutes, waiting for your eyes to adjust to the dark to see if a mushroom really glows in the dark.  I bet you wish you were there with us.  If this appeals to you, first join us at MOMS and then come to a foray.  Oh, by the way, the food was great.

Do You Grow Frost Flowers?

Click to enlarge

Have you ever heard of "frost flowers"? If so you had to get out early in the morning during the first few hard frosts. Frost flowers, a.k.a. ice ribbons, are formed by super cooled water being extruded through plant stems and freezing the minute they hit the cold air. They are beautiful, delicate and transient, destined to disappear when the temperature rises – or before – if the sun hits them for a few minutes.

"Frost flower", also called "ice ribbons", occur regularly on the stems of White Crownbeard, Verbesina virginica, Marsh Fleabane. Pluchea odorata and ditany, Cunila origanoides. These are native species found in much of the eastern US,  usually found in disturbed soil and along roadsides.

There are a few vague reports of finding frost flowers on other plants, mainly coming from Europe.  I am trying to compile a list of other plant species that produce frost flowers, no matter how small the "blossoms." It is important to be able to identify the parent plants which may otherwise be unrecognizable late in the season. If you are a gardener, you likely know your plants and likely have a wide variety in your plantings.

Here is where you come in:
Visit your garden early on the morning of the first or second hard frost (below freezing through the night at temperatures below 28 degrees Farenheit) and look around the base of your plants. If you see ice ribbons on other new plants, identify the plant, preferably by genus and species and if possible photograph the frost flowers, if even with your phone. Then email me with your findings at frostflowers@sbcglobal.net.  Your findings and pictures will be posted on a new blog at Frostflowerstudy.blogspot.com anonymously or with attribution as you chose.

We are involving Missouri Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists and Friends of the Garden as well as any other interested person.  I have been in frequent contact with several experts from Illinois and Texas who have published on frost flowers.  Their papers are found below, along with some frost flower pictures.

Your reports of your discoveries can expand our knowledge of these mysterious frost flowers.  Consider: no planting, fertilizing or watering... Just an extra cup of coffee and a warm coat for a 5 minute brisk walk in your own garden. And all in the name of science!

Check out these resources for further information on frost flowers as well as the resources page:
Dr. James Carter references:
Frost Flowers
Ice or Frost Flowers?- James Carter
JR Carter at Illinois State/ice/diurnal/
Dr.Robert Harms

biosci.utexas.edu/crystallofolia.html

scientificamerican.com/cocktail-party-physics

Hole in the Ground

I have always been curious about what is living in the holes we come across in our hiking.  For years, I fantasized about getting a used colonoscope (I am a retired gastroenterologist) and looking into these tunnels.  The thought of viewing a startled critter head on in its home still excites me.

Is it Groundhog Day yet?

I assumed that identifying a critter at the hole provided proof of ownership.  Now I am not so sure.  I bought a better game camera and set it up right where I photographed the weasel with my old game camera.  It turns out that the hole is a very busy place.

On October first I got multiple pictures of a groundhog hanging out at the hole from noon to 6:00 PM.  He (sexually explicit pictures suppressed by editor) was seen emerging from the hole, looking around for predators, and at times posing to show his best side.

Checking out the camera

In one picture he came up close to look at the camera, or possibly he was just wanting a passport photo.

 

The groundhog, a.k.a. whistle pig, woodchuck, land beaver, is famous for its burrows, usually complex with several entrances.  They are vegetarians and typically live along the edge of fields where they can find a large variety of vegetation.  Our field is perfect as it has lots of weeds and native plants on 2 acres cleared for warm season grass restoration and now fallow.

Like their prairie dog cousins, they are always alert to the danger of predators and typically stand on their hind legs to look around frequently.  You can readily see their dental resemblance to a beaver (or Bugs Bunny) in the picture above.  They eat a wide variety of plants, probably including our gourds which are frequently mowed down by rodents.  They get their water through the plants they eat.

Groundhogs are one of the few mammals which are true hibernators, spending up to six uninterrupted months in their burrows.  They eat voraciously in the summer, reaching their maximum weight just before hibernation and emerge skinny and very hungry in the spring.

I owe these pictures to last week's weasel which gave me the excuse to upgrade my game camera.  You can find more on groundhogs on Wikipedia.

Korpella's Dogwood

Our own Bob Korpella's photograph was selected best of Plants and Fungi in the 75th Anniversary MDC photo contest.  His picture is below but this doesn't do it justice so be sure to look at page 30 in this month's Conservationist to see it and the other winners.  The story is below.

Best of Plants and Fungi - Dogwood blossom by Bob Korpella of Aurora

Korpella took this picture while hiking on private land in Barry County. “The dogwoods were almost spent, but the ones still in bloom had huge blossoms. I was intrigued by the center. It looked like a party was going on in there, so I decided to focus my attention on that portion of the blossom,” said Korpella. A Missouri Master Naturalist and Stream Team member, Korpella said one of his favorite activities is heading outside with his camera. He said he photographs in a variety of locations in both Missouri and Arkansas. “But,” he said, “it’s amazing what you can discover in your own backyard.”

What is it?

This will be coming to the blog soon.
They are found in the rocky woods of Bull Creek.
These guys are fun to find and like to hang around on hardwood trees.
What is it?

Pop Goes Our Weasel

When we find a critter hole in our fields, we always wonder what is living there.  Skunks, mink, armadillo, all come to mind.  When we saw a hole near the old Mail Trace Road we decided to break out the ancient game camera and set it up.  We were surprised to find a few pictures of a weasel!

The long-tailed weasel (a.k.a. bridled weasel or big stoat*) ranges from southern Canada down to Central America.  They are said to be present throughout Missouri although relatively uncommon, mostly found in the south-central and southwest.


These voracious little carnivores eat only live creatures, usually rodents, preferably still twitching.  The are famous for taking on far larger prey.  They hunt mainly by smell, twitching their head side to side as they lope along the ground, seldom walking or running.*

A few interesting facts:

• They breed from July to August but don't deliver until the following April to May.  Much of this 270 day period the fetuses float freely in the womb.  After developing for two weeks, they continue to float around until they are implanted in the uterus 24 days before delivery.
• Weasels remain active through the winter, living solitary lives in shallow burrows frequently appropriated from other mammals.  They hunt day and night, their curiosity leading them around large areas.
• They may cover an area a mile wide and two miles long over a period of days.  They may take a bird, eggs or even bats if rats and mice are not available.  
• Although frequently blamed for killing chickens, this is not their primary food source as they eat far more rodents.  They have been trapped for their pelts but are usually incidental catches as their pelts never bring the big bucks.

Over all, they are a positive force in our ecology, causing little harm and lots of good.  Heaven knows, between rats, mice, rabbits and squirrels, there is a lot for them to consume while maintaining the balance of nature.

Incidentally, this weasel has benefited the economy as it forced me to buy a better game camera for next time.



Many of these more colorful description come from Wild Mammals of Missouri by Charles and Elizabeth Schwartz.

* How do you tell a long-tailed weasel from a stoat?  A weasel is weasily distinguished while a stoat is stoatally  different.     -Bill Nichols 
(A stoat is a short-tailed weasel)