I Went Viral? What Just Happened?

This was originally a post about Lick Creek Wildlife Area, and then I sat down at my desk on Friday, April 29, to check Blogger.  Here's the view counter:




280 (Edit, it was 304 by day's end) pageviews in one day?  Did I suddenly get famous or something?  Most of these views were on Firefox and Facebook, in the United States:



I have no idea what happened. Could someone explain this to me?  While I figure this out, enjoy my latest adventure to Lick Creek Wildlife Area, as well as a bit of addendum material.






I was in Lick Creek Wildlife Area on a rather impulsive hike (hence my use of my phone for pictures and thus the lower quality) when I came across a Green Dragon.

To quote Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King (the movie, not the book):

"Oh you can search far and wide,
You can drink the whole town dry,
But you'll never find a beer so brown,
Oh you'll never find a beer so brown,
As the one we drink in our hometown,
As the one we drink in our hometown.
You can keep your fancy ales,
You can drink them by the flagon,
But the only brew for the brave and true...
...Comes from the Green Dragon!"

The Green Dragon, in addition to being a fictional pub, is a real name for a real plant.

The plant which has a set of leaves near the top is the Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium) a plant of original woods in Illinois.  By original woods, I mean woods that have not been logged, or at least logged completely.  This species isn't rare, per say,  but it is a notable find, considering I have never seen it before in the wild.  Below is a close-up of the leaf.

Green Dragons were not the only unique plant I saw that day, however.  There was a species of fern present nearby that, while common in Illinois, is still of considerable interest to me, and that is the Rattlesnake Fern (Botrypus virginianus).  This is probably the second most widespread fern in Illinois, though vastly less common than the Fragile Fern.

Another species of plant I saw, albeit more colorful, was the Dwarf Larkspur (Delphinium tricorne).  This plant grows as a spring ephemeral on the forest floor, dying back in a month or so until next year.  In the meantime, it flowers in the woods, providing an excellent contrast to the other plants.

Below is a group of Dwarf Larkspur en masse.  When I first read about these in one of my guidebooks, I thought that it described the range as being  the bottom 1/6th of Illinois.  That would be the Shawnee Hills and below.  After discovering this population two years ago, I reread the guide.  It actually said all but the upper 1/6th of Illinois. Chicago doesn't get this species, but the rest of Illinois does. Despite not being rare, Dwarf Larkspur are still a favorite flower of mine.

Also flowering was a new plant for me, the Cream Violet (Viola striata), pictured below.  I also discovered  and took a picutre of a specimen of the Missouri Violet (Viola missouriensis) nearby, but I have neglected to upload it.  After all, it wasn't flowering, and it looks almost like the Common Blue Violets (Viola sororia) that you likely keep trying to kill in your yard.  Cream Violets, on the other hand, are rarer, less weedy, and bloom for a very long time.  As a result, I am glad to see it.

However, by far  the most noticable plant was the Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata) a species that turned whole patches of floodplain light blue with its flowers, as  seen below:

Below that: CAUTION- GARTER SNAKE!

This Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) below was one of two I saw that day.  For those who don't like snakes, you probably shouldn't visit Lick Creek, considering I almost always see a snake whenever I visit.  I tend to catch only Garter Snakes and Dekay's Brown Snakes, as neither of those species is prone to bite.  Watersnakes and other snakes are more prone to bite, so don't handle those.  Of course, I probably shouldn't try and catch them in the first place, but there's a certain amount of immaturity that takes over.  Brown and Garter Snakes, of course, have their own defense. This fellow released a pungent musk when handled, which thankfully was gone with the application of hand sanitizer.  I was holding this snake and taking its picture at the same time, by the way.

The next two animals are addendum.  We almost got through this post bird-free, after all, so I have to rectify that.  The  Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos),  while ubiquitous in the South, is an uncommon bird in Central Illinois.  Thus, spying one in a tree the other day, I tried to get a picture.  Phone cameras being what they are, here it is, severely cropped:

On another day,  I spotted this little, brightly colored moth on the pavement at my work.

I found out what it was by a long and exhaustive study of some thirty seconds online.  Type in "black and white and red moth" and you will learn of the existence of the Grapevine Epimenis Moth (Psychomorpha epimenis), a species of moth I have never seen before.  It is my personal estimation that during the frost-free months, I see at least one new (to me) species of insect a week.  At some point,  I will just post a number of these and ask people to tell me what they are.  Anyway, ignoring the addendum, that was my recent, very productive trip to Lick Creek Wildlife Area.  I hope you all have a great next few days.  Summer is almost here, and I'm off to the Smokies in less than a month.  I wonder if that will go viral too...

The Crayfish Army (with Video)

I decided to revisit Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary recently. The area has greened up since the fire, but the Chorus Frogs have vanished for the most part, going wherever it is that Chorus Frogs go after their breeding season.

This sparrow, likely a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia?) was quite content to pose for me on a nearby small tree.  Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary is ideal habitat for Henslow's Sparrows, but I did not see one.  The most interesting bird I saw is...

...A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  Yeah, there wasn't as much this trip. The sky was quite nice. In general, the area was still quite pretty, even if it is becoming overrun by an invasive species...

See those reeds along the edge of the marsh?  A large number of those are Sweet Flag,  (Acorus calamus).  This European species is taking over rather quickly along the edges of the marsh.  While it's not a particularly dangerous or problematic species to remove, Sweet Flag will be a nuisance.

Further on, I found the shell (and the rest) of a dead Painted Turtle. I don't know what killed it, but it was a rather small shell for this species.

The waterlife was the real highlight of the trip.  This Bullfrog tadpole (Lithobates catesbeianus) overwintered in the pond and is likely to become a full-grown frog this year, considering it's thicker than my thumb. Finding Bullfrog tadpoles in a pond indicates that it is permanent enough to exist year-round.  Smaller tadpoles and crayfish, by contrast, can live in pools that dry up in summer.

For examples of Crayfish, see the video above.  I've never seen so many... but  I say that in the video.  Below, if you couldn't see so well in the video, is a a section of the pond's bottom, enhanced for contrast.  Do you see all those objects in the water?

Yes, each one of those objects on the bottom of the pond is a crayfish.  The entire pond looked like this.  There must have been thousands of the little crayfish.

I took one out of the water.  I really wish there was an identification guide to the crayfish of Illinois, but I can't seem to find one online anywhere.  Also, this is my hand. These are really small crayfish.

Here's another angle of the same specimen.  As usual, if anyone can identify this species, please let me know.  Additionally, if you want to use this population for bait, you can't, as it is in a preserve.

Here's a portion of that pond full of crayfish, the army base, to extend the joke.  I walked around the edge of it, watching the crayfish for awhile, before heading upland towards some mysterious plants.

These are Wood Betony plants (Pedicularis canadensis) a species of plant that is a hemiparasite.  This means that Wood Betony steals water and a few nutrients from the plants around it.  This also means that Wood Betony is a sign of a high-quality natural area (or a high-quality replanted natural area, where this picture was taken) and is not terribly common.

Another name for this species is Canadian Lousewort.  How this plant got that name, I leave to you readers and your imaginations.

The final discovery of the day was a Purple Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum) a species fairly common in Illinois, but one I had never seen previously.  After this, with the sun sinking, I returned to my car, considerably lightened in spirit.  Hiking gives me such joy.  I will leave you with this article I have just read, discussing how "What Hiking Does to the Brain is Pretty Amazing."  Now, perhaps, you begin to understand why I have, of late, become a frequent hiker.  At any rate,  I hope you all have a great day.  

Osprey, Giant Trees, Cliffs, and... I'm in Springfield still?

Caution...  This is a LONG post. I know some of you don't read everything, and just skim through the pictures, but you should be aware that I drained the power from two camera batteries in one day,  and the results are below.  I cut a LOT of pictures out of this.

Second Caution... Contains Snakes

Third Caution...  Contains Insects.  Of course, if you saw the Second Caution, you probably already left by now.  Most people who hate bugs hate snakes as well.

A day like this requires something to kick it off, and a State-Endangered bird is an excellent way to do so.  This Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) flew over Lincoln Land Community College's pond today. This is the second Osprey I've seen this year, and indeed within the last two weeks.  For all I know, it's probably the same bird, migrating north.

For once,  I also got a good picture of the Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), a bird which has cropped up in a large number of posts as of late.   Yes, that is a Red-eared Slider behind the bird.

 Oh, and I also visited the Bird Banding Station.  This is a Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). a bird that indicates cool weather.  I don't believe I've gotten such a good picture of a junco anywhere.

Speaking of good pictures, this Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) decided to hang out nearby.  Literally, it was hanging over a retaining wall above the pond.  I got several pictures.  A larger one was in the water under me as I leaned over to photograph this reptile.  I don't have any problem with snakes, so that was fine by me.   Later, I returned to the spot.  Somebody else had arrived:

This Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a frequent visitor to this pond, and you can see why.  I don't know what kind of sunfish this bird is eating, but this is the first time I've had a camera ready when the bird gets a fish.  This particular individual just watched placidly as I took pictures.

 It was shaping up to be a great day already, and it became even more so when I saw my first-ever Spiny Softshell  turtle (Apalone spinifera) in the Lincoln Land pond.  (The pond has a name, but I forget what it is.)  This was a much bolder turtle than the Red-eared Sliders I normally see.  It was willing to get within about seven feet of me, albeit with me on shore and it in the water. (By the way,  I cannot tell the difference between Smooth and Spiny Softshells, but I know that the Smooth is much rarer in Illinois, except in the Sangamon River.  I've seen both at one time or another.)

 A nearby Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) also got his picture taken, much to his surprise. (I know its a male because it was singing)

As usual, the mystery creature (There's one every post) has arrived.   I've never seen this type of turtle before, and I thought it was a Snapping Turtle at the time. I've never seen one in the Lincoln Land pond before, so it's a red-letter Lincoln Land turtle day. Does anyone know what this is?

Moving on,  I went to visit Carpenter Park Nature Preserve, a place fairly close to my house that I've never been to.  I am currently having major regrets that I've never been here before.  This is an Illinois Nature Preserve, the only one in Sangamon County.  It deserves the title.

This is the first place I've ever seen female Stag Beetles in the wild.  I need to look under more logs.

On top of the logs grew these colorful shelf fungi.  Big downed logs were everywhere.

For the less than botanical, those plants that look kind of like unfolding umbrellas are Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum), and I've never seen a larger number of these plants than I did here.

Speaking of things I've never seen before... Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is an extremely uncommon plant, though in this state it is not threatened or endangered.  However, in most states, this plant is protected by law.  Even in Illinois, there is a limit on the harvest of this plant, though in a nature preserve like Carpenter Park there is always an outright ban on collection of any species.  

  

Part of the reason Goldenseal is so rare is that it is believed by many to be an herbal cure for... anything, really.  Like acai. pomegranates, and many other "miracle cures" this poisonous plant is considered to be incredibly all-curing with little to no "scientific" evidence.  Considering its rarity and toxicity,  I think Goldenseal should be left alone for the botanist to get excited about.

Speaking of getting excited, an Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)  was discovered in a thicket near a grassland on the preserve...

...and so was this strange little moth, which landed on a member of our party and stayed about for a few minutes.  This is the sort of insect I call a grass moth, which is not its actual name.  It's just a designation for these little grey and/or brown moths that seem to be found in grassy areas.

Up in the trees, this Myrtle Warbler (Setophaga coronata ssp. coronata) jumped about. This is yet another species migrating to Canada eventually.  It's a bit early for most warblers, which prefer to come when there are leaves on the trees.  However, there are always the early birds.

After a bit, we made our way down into the bottomlands, where great trees grew.  This is an old-growth forest, one of the few left along the Sangamon River.  The trees are enormous.

The smaller trees in this area have been cleared before, so the area somewhat resembles a parkland.

Here's the Sangamon River. with an enormous dead tree in the midground.

Violets (Viola sororia), Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) and Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata) all flowered in a colorful grassy sandbar on the forest floor.

I've seen thousands of Phlox flowers from over a dozen species, and this was the first time I ever found a Phlox plant with a six-petaled flower.  Usually, there's five petals.

A second "different" specimen of Phlox had extremely narrow petals.  I've never seen anything quite like either of these phloxes before.  I contemplated what would happen if they were introduced into the plant industry, but that would involve removing them from a nature preserve, which is illegal.  So, nothing's going to happen on that front.  Also, note  the sand.  Sand is an uncommon form of soil in Sangamon County, so large quantities of it are notable in their rarity.

Back to the trees.  These trees... they may not look that big, but the only larger wild trees I've seen were growing in California, and they were called redwoods and sequoias.  This Sycamore, the tree with the white bark, was easily a standout.

Here we are at the base of the tree, looking up.  In case you hadn't figured it out, I like taking pictures from this angle.  It's probably still hard to perceive how big this tree is.

Here we have a man who's six feet two inches tall at the base of this tree.  Ok, get the picture now?

And now for something completely different...  Buttercups (Ranunculus spp.) grow commonly in these floodplain forests.  You might recognize this plant from a previous post.

Here is a blogger in a tree. 

What a rare sight to see!

Northern Cricket Frogs (Acris crepitans) are the most common small frog species in Central Illinois.

Small creeks formed gaps in the slowly rising bluff line, forming a collection of microclimates.

Along the mouth of one of the creeks, Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) had begun to bloom.

Here's an excellent example of the type of landform common along the edge of the river.  Rolling bluffs and small ephemeral creeks meet in shallow but narrow valleys.

On the slopes of these valleys grew many plant species, including Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)

Under a nearby log, a member of our group discovered this Dekay's Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi), which ought to be familiar by now as the most common woodland snake in central Illinois.  I think I've set a personal record for finding this species of snake this year, with five, possibly six, so far.

Sandstone outcrops began appearing, and the top of the bluffs turned into a glade, with differing flora.

Some Cystoptris ferns grew out of the rocky bank.  Also known as Fragile Ferns, these are the most common fern species in Illinois, forming carpets of foliage in some areas.

This is a sandstone cliff.  Wow.  There are actually exposed rock outcroppings in Sangamon County.  That is a rare sighting.  Sincerely, Sangamon may not be the flattest county in Illinois, but it is close, and this is one of the few actual cliffs for miles.

Of course, on exposed sandstone outcroppings come particular plant species.  This rocky-soil specialist, Sand Phlox (Phlox bifida) is a rare find in most parts of Illinois, and the same was true in Carpenter Park, where I saw it in only one location.

This ledge was a good thirty to forty feet above the river.  Don't trip.

Here is an entire bluff covered in nothing but Fragile Ferns (Cystopteris spp.)  I was in heaven.



I couldn't resist.

Away from the river, we found this Jack-in-the-Pulpit  (Arisaema triphyllum), a species notable for having a colloquial name that I do not understand.  I've been told many times how the spike in the middle (not visible in the picture)  is supposed to resemble a preacher standing in his pulpit, but I do not see that at all when I look at the flower.

I ventured down into the canyon nearby, trying to see if there were any orchids or rarer flowers.

Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) grew on the steep, rocky sides of the ravine, the yellow flowers dangling over the edge as in the picture above.

I walked down to the canyon's floor. where a small stream snaked its way down towards the river.  The creeks in Carpenter Park are so undisturbed that they have developed sandy beds and crystal-clear water.  These streams eventually dry up in the summer when the rain slows.

Wild Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) was the last major discovery of the day.  This is a plant I am far more familiar with in cultivation than in the wild.  It appears that this plant, unlike most Sedum, prefers the shady moist cliffsides of wooded canyons.  Of course it's not particular...

Yes, that is a piece of wood.  An old bridge across the creek had apparently collapsed and been left alone for a few years.  The Wild Stonecrop is growing on wood, with a thin veneer of dirt.  The blurry brown spot, by the way, is a gnat that landed on my camera lens.  After this, I departed from this wonderful place, exhausted by the trip but thankful for learning of such a wonderful nature preserve.


I did warn you it was going to be long.