Hello spring, hello world :)

Hepatica acutiloba - flowers are bursting open all around!

As always it's been a long time since I've been on here.  Thanks for tuning in.  I had such a wonderful last day of March that I just had to write a brief note about it!  The beginning of my day was pretty standard - taking care of business at school and working on my thesis (currently finishing up my results section for chapter 1), but things got exciting later on!

I had an excuse to get outside in the fact that I am in need of more owl pellet samples to process for my research.  I've incorporated a diet analysis (mammalian prey only) of owls and other raptors into my thesis research in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) as an additional method to detect small mammal species.  I really enjoy this method because walking around the woods looking for owls is fun, finding pellets is exciting, and identifying animal remains from the pellets can be even more exciting!!  It is a great addition to my methodologies because I want to discuss various detection biases etc. via different methods of inventorying mammals.  The major downfall of this method is that I cannot pinpoint where the prey item was dwelling before being captured by the predator.  While it is likely that most of these prey are found within the territory of the hunter, and that average territory sizes are known for these animals, I cannot associate these animals with any particular measured habitat characteristics, nor can I confirm a status of an animal in the park this way.  Regardless, I believe that it is still a worthwhile pursuit, and in the end I will have another dataset to assess the composition and relative abundances of small mammal communities in the CVNP.

Identifiable mammalian contents from one sample.  Species present include; White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda), Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri), and Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)


Comparison of the first premolar in Microtine voles.  Notice how by counting the "triangles" or peaks between the outer loops on these teeth, you can identify a vole to species.  The common Meadow Vole (right) has pointed peaks and at least three triangles between the outer loops.  The Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum, left) has rounder peaks and less than three triangles.  This Woodland Vole skull from a pellet is the only documentation that I have so far of it's existence and I hope to live-trap one to confirm it this summer.

I was given a tip from a fellow birder that some pellets were seen in a Great-horned Owl (Bubo virginianus - who I often refer to as "Bubo") territory recently in one of my favorite spots in the park, so I moseyed on over there.  Sure enough, I found a nice roosting area loaded with pellet fragments and squirrel/rabbit-sized bones.  I saw feathers of at least four species of birds including; Cardinal, Blue Jay, Grackle, and Robin.  I found several avian maxillae as well (upper bills)...does Bubo really incorporate that many birds into it's diet?  I will save the sample to sort out and "process" (identify all definitive remains - generally skulls and mandibles) with a handful of motivated undergraduate students that enjoy working on this stuff with me.

Can you see any pellets or bone fragments in this photo??

While making this visit, I had time to appreciate what a beautiful evening it was shaping up to be.  I hadn't been out in the woods much in a while and I was pleasantly surprised when I came upon my first blooming Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica).  The Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) was back on territory, and many other birds made their presence known to me through vocalizations while I mostly stared at the ground.  Another surprise came in the form of an Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) call as it passed overhead.  When I was done watching the Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) snow (the wind-dispersed seeds were flying all around) as the clouds passed quickly overhead, I proceeded to my next destination.

Claytonia virginiana

I had about an hour left of daylight, and I wanted to go see if one of my oldest avian friends had returned to the CVNP.  Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) is one of the earliest new-world warblers (Parulidae) to return to it's breeding grounds throughout the eastern United States.  This bird dwells specifically in flat/rock-bed streams with forested slopes around.  They are unique among our warblers as they forage mostly along the stream bed for aquatic invertebrates.  They build very discrete nests on the forest slope along these streams.  I usually see this species by 4/1 every year and I have seen it as early as 3/27 I believe, so today (3/31) was a good chance.

Sadly, I could not find any of my LA Waterthrush photos, but I did find this shot that I took of a nest with five eggs in southern Ohio a year or two ago.  My angle makes it easy to see, but these nests are known for being very well-camouflauged!!

As I was about to head up the trail along the stream from my car, I noticed a large group of runners coming down the trail.  "Oh man" I thought, "they probably stirred everything up back there".  Along the trail I was delighted to find my first ramps (Allium tricoccum) of the year, a healthy and delicious member of the garlic family that grows in abundance within rich mesic forests and similar areas.  Munching one of those leaves down, I realized that this stream of runners was still coming!  While weaving my way upstream in more ways than one, I was thinking that even though this mass of people is probably disturbing the animals that I may be interested in observing, at least they are being active outdoors.  I am used to being alone at this time of evening especially in this part of the park.

As another mass came by tromping, and climbing, a middle-aged man yelled out to me "Louisiana Waterthrush?!"

Caught again by surprise, I looked at him and smiled "Yeah, I was hoping to find one, have you guys seen or heard any?"

My new favorite stranger continued running, "No, I've been listening for one though!"

(You probably wouldn't hear it because the 40 runners in front of you already put it into hiding)

How awesome I thought!!!  I can't believe that one within this mass group of people (who I initially assumed that I wouldn't share many common interests with) not only knew what a Louisiana Waterthrush was and how to find one, but he knew that today was the day that they should be returning all over Northeast Ohio, and that it might be what I was was seeking!  Made my day and I'm still smiling about it.

Hepatica sp. is probably my favorite spring wildflower if I had to pick one.  Here is a phone shot that I snapped today (left) and a better shot that I took in the past (right).  This flower can be white (most common), pink, purple, or blue! So beautiful :)
I'm going to find one I thought.  As I continued up stream, the last stragglers were gone and I now had the woods to myself, with only evidence of a small stampede along the trail.  I was approaching this very special and beautiful section of stream and I figured that I would look for owl pellets nearby because I had heard a pair of Barred Owls (Strix varia) here in the past.  Almost there and a rock that was too good not to be flipped called my name.  When I turned it over I saw a lead-phase Red-backed Salamander (Plethadon cinereus) and something that I haven't seen before under a rock - a cicada larvae!  Oh my, is this a Magicicada??  Too much of a tangent to discuss in this post, but the 17-year Periodical Cicadas will be emerging in Northeast Ohio this summer and I can't wait!!!  I think I found one early!  (Although a few emerged last year)

Cicada larvae from beneath a large rock.

Continuing on, I took a moment to look around me and be thankful for the Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) all around me and I even said a little prayer for them.  Telling them that I want them to survive the danger that likely stands in their future with the Wooly Adelgid infestation (another tangent but see here for some basic info http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_007179.pdf)

Eastern Hemlock is my favorite tree, and it is more than just a tree.  Beyond the fact that they are charismatic, long-lived, and gorgeous, hemlocks foster their own ecosystem in which many plants and animals rely on.  These trees grow mostly on north-facing slopes and in deep ravines as they are a shade-loving species.  Their root systems are amazing and they can hold on tightly on the steepest of slopes, just like Yellow Birches (Betula allegheniensis).  A hemlock population will create a darker and damper microclimate in a place, and year-round needles adds extra depth and cover for wildlife or wild people, like me.  Many plant and animal species that are typically found in more northerly latitudes can be found in isolated populations in hemlock forests, extending their range.  If we lose hemlocks, there will certainly be a chain-reaction in the ecosystems and we many species will leave with it.  I would be very sad to see that.  Next time you are out in the woods and you come upon a stand of hemlocks, maybe just give them some extra love :)

Tsuga canadensis

Ok so the story must end soon...and this is why I rarely write blog posts - they take way longer than I want them to!!

The story ends with me in the magical spot as my final destination, and you know who was waiting for me there :)

After watching the butt-bobbing beauty (you just have to see one for yourself to know what I'm taking about) for a bit, I walked into the darkening hemlock stand where I had heard an owl in the past.  I'm getting a pretty good feel for where owls like to roost now as a product of my research.  I looked around and said to myself "If I was an owl, where would I sit?"..."This spot looks pretty good"...sure enough found a bunch more pellets :)

March 31, 2016 was a beautiful day.

Disclaimers - I rattled these latin names out of my brain so I apologize if a letter or two is wrong :D  I don't think that a whole species name would be wrong - LOL

These photos are either from my phone or ones that I have taken in the past, I don't have time or proper equipment to make any new pretty ones right now...