A Northwoods Almanac for July 9, 2021

 A Northwoods Almanac for July 9 – 22, 2021  

 

Sightings – Bobcat, Loon Chicks, 

            Bill Draves sent me this note on 6/26: “Canoeing South Branch of the Presque Isle River up from Mallard landing off Highway 64 in national forest. First time seeing a bobcat while canoeing. Seemed about 3 feet long.  Big enough for a little adrenaline rush. Not having been that close before, got out my bear spray and then thought to myself, ‘I really should figure out how to use this sometime.’”  😊

bobcat photo by Bill Draves

            He then added, “First baby loon hatched on Carlin Lake in our 25 years here, out on water today.”

            Speaking of loon chicks, Judith Bloom on Tomahawk Lake wrote on 6/27: “So, of the six nesting pairs I mentioned to you  previously, four now have hatched chicks. Two pairs have hatched 1 each (including the one in the photo) and two pairs have hatched 2 each. For certain one of the other two pairs has not been successful. We have confirmed they are off the nest with no chicks. Interestingly, in that pair we now have a new "Bird #3" identified with bands and confirmed with Walter Piper that is a 5 year old male hatched on Horsehead Lake in 2016. As for the last pair of the six (which is the "new") pair on the lake, we are not certain of their results just yet. So, so far we have six hatched chicks on Tomahawk which is pretty good.”  

loon photo by Judith Bloom

 

Purple Finches

            For the second consecutive year, we have a yard full of purple finches, who are now bringing their chicks to our feeders. We must have close to two dozen individuals, along with a few pine siskins and rose-breasted grosbeaks who are also bringing their young to the feeders. 

            The male purple finches vary somewhat in the intensity of their color, the older males appearing to be more “dipped in raspberry” than the younger males. Apparently, the red pigment comes from a substance called “echinenone,” which is metabolized from many plant sources, but particularly from red fruits.

            A purple finch’s song is complex, rich, and often long-winded. The literature says there are three types of songs in adult males: a Warbling Song, a Territory Song, and a Vireo Song. Look them up if you want to try and distinguish them. Females sing too; in fact, the female song can last 1 to 2 minutes and may be given from the nest. 

            This morning, 7/5, we watched a purple finch chick try its hardest to get an adult to feed him/her, but with no success. I imagine the adults are communicating that it’s time for the  chicks to figure it out for themselves – hunger has a way of doing that.

            BTW, it’s quite common for songbird adults to feed their fledged chicks for several weeks after they’ve left the nest, but there’s still a lot that’s unknown. For example, the authoritative guide on birds in North America is Cornell’s Birds of the World, and for the development of purple finch chicks, it has this to say:

            “Fledge 13–16 days after hatching. Young . . . remain in the vicinity of the nest site during the first week after fledging.”

“Growth - No information.”

“Association With Parents : Both parents feed fledglings for an undetermined duration.”

“Ability To Get Around, Feed, And Care For Self: . . .  ability to care for self is unknown.”

female and male purple finch at our feeders in Manitowish

            I think we sometimes believe that everything is known about our more common species, but that is simply not true as evidenced by the above “no information,” “undetermined,” and “unknown” statements. This quote from Albert Einstein broadens this well beyond our lack of knowledge about even common species: “One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike. We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us. It is entirely possible that behind the perception of our senses, worlds are hidden of which we are unaware.”

 

Canada Goose Population Increase Since 1970

            Canada goose populations have certainly soared in recent decades, and not without controversy. A 2014 study documented trends in resident and migrant Canada goose populations in North America from 1970 to 2012 and found that the “overall Canada goose population increased 4.5 fold from 1.26 million in 1970 to 5.69 million in 2012.” Interesting, too was the massive increase in resident, rather than migratory, geese: “Most of this overall increase was due to a 15.6-fold increase in the population of resident geese (from 0.25 to 3.85 million), especially during the 1990s when the population increased at a mean annual rate of 12.7% . . . Resident geese comprised 68% of the total Canada goose population in 2012 compared to 41% in 1990 and 20% in 1970.” 

            Here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the Canada goose population was quite small in the 1970s, so much so that the DNR frequently captured geese from overpopulated areas in central and southern Wisconsin and released them up here. I remember in the mid-1980s seeing a family of geese in Mercer near the school, and folks were stopped along the road excitedly photographing them. I was excited, too, because geese were that uncommon.  

            Things have changed – geese are everywhere now. I don’t know of a similar study to the one above quantifying the goose population specifically for the Northwoods, but I’ll bet it’s a similar increase, though our long winters prevent most geese from attaining resident status. 

            For the entire state, the Wisconsin Waterfowl Breeding Population Survey has been conducted for 46 years, and from the last survey conducted in 2019, researchers estimated a population of 171,407 Canada geese, 71% above the long-term (46-year) mean. Hard to believe, but when the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, the giant Canada goose numbers were so low that they received serious consideration for listing.

            The best way to reduce numbers around your property? Eliminate or greatly reduce lawn grass, a favorite food for geese. And consider the creation of a shrub/tree buffer zone, which is the key to lakescaping. The vegetation will create a zone that Canada geese won't cross to reach your lawn, a major plus for those of you desiring to keep goose droppings off your property. The buffer zone will also reduce your lawn by one-third to one-half, providing the extra benefits of limiting the attendant fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide inputs.

 

Deer Flies

            Deer fly populations peak in July, and few things are as annoying as the deer fly NASCAR races that often commence around our heads as soon as we go outside. And if they bite, it really hurts, and some folks are quite allergic to the bite!

            So, every year I share this simple solution – wear a deer fly patch on your hat or bike helmet. Deerfly patches are 2” by 6” strips that are two sided and attach to the top of your hat. Basically, they’re duct tape on the side that sticks to your hat and fly paper on the other side. Since deer flies love to attack the top of one’s head, they are quickly caught on the fly paper. Voila! When you’re done with your hike or bike ride, you simply peel the strip off your cap or helmet, and toss it in the trash.  

            This morning (7/5), I took a quick walk on Powell Marsh before the heat of the day set in, and in a half hour, I had 19 deer flies stuck to my ballcap, which, although I try to honor all life, made me rather gleeful. 

            The patches have no chemicals, no odor, nothing greasy to rub or spray on your skin, and since deer flies are not deterred by any repellant, this is the only solution. “Tred Not Deerfly Patches” are available at most sporting goods stores or via their website: https://www.deerflypatches.com.

 

Wild Parsnip

            While I’m on the subject of painful species, I was alerted recently to a stand of wild parsnip growing in Manitowish Waters near the corner of Hwy. 51 and Cty. W. Wild parsnip is a serious invader, because it contains furocoumarins which can make skin sensitive to light. This condition, known as phytophotodermatitis, causes severe burns and large blisters which can last for weeks. So, it’s a plant that absolutely needs to be eradicated whenever and wherever found – it already clothes many roadsides in southern Wisconsin and in other states. One of the many “last things” we want up here is yet another invasive plant, much less one that causes severe burns, so remove it without hesitation. However, rubber gloves, long sleeves and long pants must be worn if hand-pulling this plant.

 

Bog Logs, Sundews, and Orchids

            I love paddling undeveloped, wild lakes for many reasons, but one of the best reasons is for the remarkable communities of plants that can be found on old tree trunks splayed in the water (bog logs). I’ve never seen a study quantifying the number of years it takes for establishing a bog log, but it undoubtedly takes many decades for these communities to thrive.

            We’ve found dozens of species on these waterlogged logs, but what stands out for me are the carnivorous plants like sundews and pitcher plants, along with several species of orchids. On two recent paddles, the sundews were just coming into flower as were the pitcher plants.

            Seven species of sundews are native to North America, with Northern Wisconsin typically supporting just two species of sundews – roundleaf sundew and spoon-leaf sundew, though two other rare species may also be found.

            Charles Darwin was utterly enamored with sundews, so much so that he wrote a friend a year after he had published his origin of species, “I care more about Drosera [the Latin genus name] than the origin of all the species in the world.” Quite a statement by the father of evolutionary theory.

            Sundews capture insects via a highly specialized leaf that is covered with dozens of hair-like filaments that each sport a sticky gland at its tip. The droplets glisten like dew that fools insects into thinking the plant is covered with nectar. In they come, land, and out . . . well, there is no out. They are stuck! The sundew then very slowly curls around the prey and secretes digestive enzymes that takes days to dissolve the insect, the nutrients of which supplements the sundew’s ability to also photosynthesize. 

            During one of the above paddles, we found numerous damselflies stuck on the sundews, something we’d never seen before. I was able to gently pull a number of them away from a certain slow death and release them back into the air. I know sundews have to eat, too, but I felt they should concentrate on mosquitoes and deer flies and leave the beautiful damselflies alone.

 

Rose Pogonia Orchids

            We were also seeing hundreds of rose pogonias on these paddles when I was alerted by a member of our group to an all-white rose pogonia, a rare color morph. That was a first for me!

not the best photo, but good enough for reference

            Rose pogonia orchids ordinarily sport dark magenta on the outside of their lip with a yellow or white center and a fringed tip (“pogon” is from the Greek meaning “beard” in reference to the bristles on the surface of the lip). The colorfully exotic lip and the flower’s fragrance serve as the commercial advertisement for bumblebees to explore for nectar. However, rose pogonias produce little or no nectar, so it’s all a ruse to get bumblebees to enter the flower, pick up pollen,  and distribute it. If bumblebees could sue in flower court for fraud, I’m sure they would.

            Orchids produce large sticky masses of pollen called pollinia that are attached to either side of the flower’s column. The pollinia attach to an insect when touched, and the entire mass of pollen is then transported to the next flower. The transfer of such a large quantity of pollen is thought to help ensure that effective pollination will take place.

rose pogonia on Mirror Lake in the Guido Rahr Tenderfoot Preserve

            Once pollinated, orchids produce the tiniest seeds of any flowering plants in the world, with a typical seed pod containing hundreds of thousands of minute seeds. The seeds are incredibly light, so they may travel long distances on the wind. But when they finally settle somewhere, the seeds have no food reserves, and thus require an immediate partner to provide them nutrients. 

            Enter fungi living in the soil. The fungi enters the seed and provides the nutrients required for germination and growth. No native orchid – none – can germinate without first partnering with a fungi. Over the course of an orchid’s lifetime, they maintain this relationship with fungi. So, this is why orchids are very difficult to transplant – they need the mycorrhizal fungi to be wherever they’re transplanted in order to survive. 

 

Celestial Events

            After dusk on 7/11, look for Venus 3 degrees south of the waxing crescent moon and Mars just a little lower at 4 degrees south of the moon. The next early evening, 7/12, look for Venus to be resting nearly on top of Mars, just a half degree above it. Venus is by far the brighter of the two at -3.9 magnitude.

            As of 7/13, our days are now growing shorter by two minutes every day.

            Saturn will rise late in the evening in the east-southeast around 10 p.m. Jupiter will rise about an hour later also in the east-southeast. If you’re up incredibly early, look to the southern sky by about 4 a.m. and you’ll have a solid view of both planets.            

 

Please share your outdoor sightings and thoughts: e-mail me at manitowish@centurytel.net, call 715-476-2828, snail-mail at 4245N State Highway 47, Mercer, WI, or see my blog at www.manitowishriver.blogspot.com.