So long, and thanks for all the fish.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Shaking the dust off my sandals... (FINAL POST!)
I write this on Day 18 of being unable to upload photos. As a result, my new blog is in process of being developed. I hate to end working here, as it's a difficult process to pack up from the simplicity of this format and go to wordpress. However, I have. You can find all future content (and some imperfectly-formatted previous content) at lostinnatureblog.wordpress.com. Please go there to see what I've done in the meantime! I'm currently coming to grips (with many gripes) on that website. I wish Google had done something to fix this problem, but I gave them two week and more. It's a sad note to be ending, but this isn't really the end.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Issues...
I've been unable to upload photos since my last post. This may result in a website switch if I can't get this under control. Prior to this problem, I had to lower the image quality of my pictures in order to avoid paying for photo storage online. I also find that the name of my blog is becoming irrelevant, as I will be moving out of the Land of Lincoln within the next several months. For this variety of reasons, it seems possible that the Wild Land of Lincoln blog could be dying out just shy of a two-year anniversary. If I get the problem fixed, I may change my blog's name and keep going, but at some point, I'll probably do what I said before. It's been fun, and I don't intend to stop. However, I do intend to look into other options.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Finding Three Lifers in a Flooded Cornfield (Four Corners, Meredosia NWR)
The last day of May was one of the better days I've birded this year. I was going to visit Emiquon and look for a vagrant White-faced Ibis and Western Kingbirds, but the Ibis had left and the Western Kingbirds will wait for now, since they're a breeding species. Furthermore, I couldn't find any birders to go along. So, after 17 Dunlin and two Red-necked Pharalopes were reported at Four Corners in Morgan County, I decided to go looking, as I'd never seen either species. I started out ambling in the country, up towards Beardstown, a town to which surprisingly I've never been before. Dickcissels (Spiza americana) (above) sang along as I went.
Evidently Beardstown has a marsh. All I found in it was Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Wood Ducks, as well as a calling Sora, not seen but heard. A Sora is a type of rail, little birds with tendencies to hide in marshes and make weird sounds. Ordinarily, a Sora would be the best bird of the day, but not on this particular day...
Four Corners was the next place I stopped. This place, south of Beardstown near Meredosia, is a series of large fluddles, or flooded fields, around a four-way intersection of two county roads. At the time of my visit, the flooded zones were the size of small lakes, and they had been there for at least a month or two, allowing much life to grow in them. This mixture of insects, worms, and algae was the perfect stopover for migrating shorebirds, including...
Dunlin! These were the first lifers of the day. Dunlin (Calidris alpina) are a fairly common shorebird, but one I'd continued to miss for some reason. They are the long, thin-billed birds with gold backs and black bellies above. Dunlin migrate from the edge of the Arctic Ocean, far above the Arctic Circle, all the way to the Florida Coast in the winter, and then back again.
Forster's Terns (Sterna forsteri) sat by, and a Common Tern flew off before I took this photo! Both of those are State-endangered, because while they're very common migrants, they only rarely breed in Northeastern Illinois.
Can you spot the Red-necked Pharalope? It's got a white belly and white cheek patch.
I met up with Vaughn Suhling here, and we birded from about 4:45 to 7:15 PM. These Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) were only the tip of the iceberg when it came to birdwatching here.
About two dozen Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) roamed through the fields, often flying at other birds. The Killdeer would chase off the Semipalmated Sandpipers, and the Black-necked Stilts would chase off the Killdeer. I presume this aggression is a display of these birds defending their nests, as I've seen something similar at Emiquon.
One of my favorites were the thirty-two Black Terns (Chlidonias niger) flying overhead. Black Terns are another Illinois State-endangered species, primarily because they nest in freshwater marshes in far Northestern Illinois- much like Forster's Terns and Common Terns.
A few White-rumped Sandpipers (Calidris fuscicollis) hid among the terns on shore. These are distingushed by having longer wings, slightly larger size, and white rumps when in flight.
Dunlin and White-rumped Sandpipers weren't the only species present. The majority were Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), the small, pale, plain ones in the photo above.
A few Stilt Sandpipers (Calidris himantopus) also hung about, including this one cleaning its feathers. They were a nice side bonus to the day.
The highlights, however, were the Phalaropes. Phalaropes are among the oddest birds in the world. The Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)below in the center (Killdeer [Charadrius vociferus] on the left, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the right) is a female, and the females are more colorful than the males. This is common among humans, but generally not among birds. Furthermore, Phalaropes are in the group called shorebirds, but the Red and the Red-necked Phalarope both winter out on the deep sea, eating plankton and swimming on the surface of the water, far out of sight of shore. Odd for a SHOREbird!
Perhaps most fascinating about this group of shorebirds is how they feed- they spin in a circle to produce a current and stir up their food. At any rate, this was my first Red-necked Phalarope, and these aren't easy to find in Illinois during the spring, so I was quite happy!
A second one can be seen on the left side of this photo. I watched them spin for a bit, among the many Semipalmated Sandpipers, before moving on.
We were briefly interrupted by the arrival of a speeder getting pulled over, and this inspired us to go looking for Common Gallinules where they breed nearby. We found one of these state-endangered birds, among a flooded marsh/prairie with breeding Pied-billed Grebes and American Coots calling, when a Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) showed up. This State-endangered species is rare away from Northeastern Illinois and Emiquon, to my understanding. I also saw a Green Heron, a Great Egret, and Great Blue Herons here.
Calling Dickcissels were everywhere, as, deeper in the grasses, were Northern Bobwhites and Ring-necked Pheasants. A few Indigo Buntings also sang, though I didn't get any good photos.
We then went over to the nearby Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge, looking through prairies with the bluffs above the Illinois River in the background.
A few American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) hopped about in a field where the uncommon if uncomely Henslow's Sparrows had been seen, though we heard and saw nothing more exciting than a Grasshopper Sparrow, another little brown bird non-birders don't care about, here.
Next, we went looking for a Blue Grosbeak at another spot, just north of this.
This spot had my first Illinois Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius), though I did recently see a few of these for the first time in Missouri, in this post here.
Last migrants, the Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) are flying north, and I've seen a few hundred in the last few weeks or so, mostly at times and places it's inconvenient to record them.
My second-ever in Illinois Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea), a female, looked over at me from its perch and posed perfectly for the camera. This is one of several bird species far more common at Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge than most other spots in Illinois.
Another bird in that same category is the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), and here's one below. This unique "thrasher-warbler" (it's a warbler with the song and behavior of a thrasher/mockingbird) is one of the more common "rarities" in Illinois. It seems to me that birds in Illinois sometimes have their rarity determined based on how many times they are seen in Chicago. Chats seem fairly easy to find in sandy, brushy areas downstate.
Just as we began to leave again, a state-threatened species, the Black-billed Cuckoo, a third lifer for me, flew across our path and into the bushes. We stopped leaving once more, and began looking for it. Black-billed Cuckoos are a nemesis of mine I'm glad to have conquered, albeit with a lack of a photo.
Though we didn't refind it, I did see a Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) and took its photo. These rarely-seen birds were calling all over, but I hate to report them if I don't see at least one. This is usually about as much as you see of a Bell's Vireo, and to be fair, it isn't the most exciting bird in Illinois. The fact that I found my first one only a week before is far more exciting to me, however. Bell's Vireos are a little gray Western bird that are locally abundant in Illinois. Some spots have many, most have none. They like shrubs on the edge of prairies in western Illinois.
I drove back home along the scenic bluffside roads an extremely happy man. Three lifers is a very good day, and with all the other birds on top, today was probably my best birding day of this spring. And I wasn't even expecting to go to Meredosia as of that morning!
Bird of the day, among so many good birds, would have to be the Black-billed Cuckoo, followed by the show-stealing Black-crowned Night Heron and the Red-necked Pharalope. However, over half of the birds I saw today would be the highlights of any other average day. Heck, seven of these birds are state-listed as threatened or endangered. (To be fair, the Black, Common, and Forster's Terns and the Wilson's Pharalope are kind of cheating on that, since they're fairly common migrants.) Seeing the state-listed Black-billed Cuckoo, Common Gallinule, and Black-crowned Night Heron made my day just as much as the lifer shorebirds. Thanks to Vaughn for showing me around!
(P. S. I had one last stop at Centennial Park, just a second or two late for the setting sun, but not too late to capture the Foxglove Beardtongue spectacle at the park's prairie restoration)
Four Corners (I have 51 species- this may be my longest checklist ever!)
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37301701
Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37301834
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
"Those rocks aren't THAT big..." Visiting the Ozarks, Part 4 (Finale!)
Ozarks Spring 2017 Series
This is Part 4
At this point, people might be tiring of the Ozarks, and I was starting to as well. That's why I've saved one of the best finds for last, and also because I don't want to reveal its location. This is an Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris), and it is one of the more odd residents of the place where I found it. Most Collared Lizards live in the southern Great Plains and the deserts of the West. However, Missouri has microclimates in the Ozarks that resemble its habitats out west. so it lives here. I'm just going to say that this lizard was found in an unexpected location.
Now, you might think that I'm being overly cautious in not saying where this was. However, the Eastern Collared-Lizard is a state-listed (protected) species in Missouri, because people regularly capture these attractive lizards for the pet trade. This has led them to vanish from much of their habitat. I don't want to contribute to that, so I'm not going to say where I found it.
I flipped over a rock in the same place and found a Prairie Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridis) hiding underneath. It took off a second later., and as I've mentioned before, they earn the name racerunner! They do a slithering series of dashes that's quite fun to watch.
If they were easier to catch, I'd be worried about the Prairie Racerunners being caught for captivity in a similar fashion. It's my opinion that they are the most attractive lizard in the eastern United States.
Now, to return to our regularly scheduled nonsense, we stopped at Elephant Rocks State Park on the way to home. The first rocks we saw weren't that large, hence the title of this post. In front of the bathrooms Nathan found this moth, a Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus). This impressive moth was the last of the many stunning moths we saw on this trip.
Several Prairie Racerunners may or may not have been seen there, to the point where they may or may not have been one of the most numerous animals in the spot where they may or may not have been found. I may or may not be concerned about people trying to catch these where they may...
Ok, I give up, this is getting exhausting to write. Herpers aren't supposed to disclose the locations of reptiles, I've found out. Also, a herper is somebody who likes reptiles/amphibians (herptiles). However, I hope it's vague enough if I say these lizards were EVERYWHERE!
Pencil Flower (Stylosanthes biflora) , a new plant for me, bloomed along one of the many side-trails people have made here. There were dozens of these, all well-worn with use. We used some of them. because the main path was literally designed so that a visually-impaired person would be able to use it. As a result, it went around the interesting rock formations we wanted to see, not up close to them. We didn't blaze any new trails, however, and stuck only to areas where people had walked before us.
The rocks slowly got larger, with little bonsai-like oak trees growing in the cracks and dirt patches.
Fence/Prairie Lizards (Sceloporus consobrinus) like this unusually reddish one vied with Prairie Racerunners as the most common lizards. Either way, there were more lizards here than in the average Floridan garden, and that's saying something, because Florida gardens have lots of lizards!
A few Lichen Grasshoppers (Trimerotropis saxatilis) hid in the lichens here, but there were far fewer fruticose lichens, so their ability to hide was compromised.
Here's Tayo trying to climb up this rock. It defeated his attempts to go on top, but I use him here for a sense of scale. These were large, oddly-balanced rocks!
Here you can see the unusual wetlands in small sinkholes atop the rocks. Frogs had laid their eggs here some time back, and dozens of tadpoles lived on the algae in a few of the rocky pools.
The rocks do bear the vaguest resemblance to a pachyderm, and I do mean the vaguest. Also, a pachyderm is an elephant, rhino, or hippo- some large thick-skinned mammal, of the sort that would be found in the average nature documentary.
We sat under some boulders, where a triangular window let in the sun.
On the other side, the ground sloped down. Two precariously-balanced boulders on the edge threatened to imitate Raiders of the Lost Ark as we ran downslope ahead of them. However, the analogy to that Indiana Jones escapade was inexact- the boulders remain, as far as I know, fixed in the same position, balanced on the edge of the slope, still threatening to fall down.
On the edge of the woods, we encountered a toad. I have been told that this is a Dwarf American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithii), which would be a new type of toad for me.
A large quarry pond reminded us of Elephant Rocks's history. Before being a state park, Elephant Rocks was a pink granite quarry. In general, the quarry added little to the beauty of the rocks, but this pond is an exception.
I did mention there were lizards here, right? While photographing this lizard, I spotted a red shape with an unusually light, thin bill fly away- Summer Tanager! I then heard some odd birdcalls coming from the nearby bushes, so I crept forward, towards the calls. I'd wait, then I'd hear another one, and I 'd creep closer to my target. I raised my camera- Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater). Boo. This is one of the most common birds at Elephant Rocks, so I was annoyed.
Jokes about "regular hiking time, and birdwatcher's hiking time" began about this point, and proved popular. However, this was merely some good-natured ribbing. I was trying to see it all, and I missed much, including a snake species I'd always wanted to see, that someone else in our group saw.
Now, I could have done without seening this. I'd seen few invasives prior to this, but this was an unwelcomingly healthy population of Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) (a vine, unlike the bush, Amur/Asian Bush Honeysuckle, that is usually called Japanese Honeysuckle). The sickly-sweet scent reminded us why this plant grows here now- it was brought over for gardens. Even today, some people still grow it in their gardens. However, Japanese Honeysuckle takes over and then demolishes native landscapes, its heavy vines blocking out anything else growing in its path.
An equally unwelcome native also grew on the side of the trail- Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), shown here in flower. I'd never seen it's flowers, though it has white berries in fall that I have seen.
An incredibly colorful bug landed on Professor Croteau's back as we ate snacks nearby. This proved to be the last major sighting of anything until we got back to Illinois. As we unloaded our van in the LLCC parking lot, a Common Nighthawk called and promptly flew overhead, a great Fifth Orchid for a truly amazing trip. It's taken me four blogposts, and I'm sure I haven't written half of it! However, all good things must come to an end, and for the sake of privacy, time, and lack of further photos, I must bring this series to a close. I can't wait until my next visit here!
Ebird Checklist:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37026176
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