Late Pollinator

 

From our walk I am pleased to report that the Indiangrass is flowering.

Yes, grass does bloom.

One of the earliest warm season grasses to set seed, this prairie tall grass forms upright clumps with blue-green summer foliage that turns gold in the fall.

It is tolerant of a wide range of soils including the crappy heavy clay soils around these parts. 

Many species of grasshoppers and caterpillars feed on Sorghastrum nutans.  In turn,  these insects are important food sources for upland game birds and song birds, where they will also find ideal nesting habitat in stands of tall prairie grasses such as this.
 

Fall Feast

Quercus bicolor​ - the swamp white oak​ - is a North American white oak species​.  A key player in our overall reforestry plan we planted thousands of them decades ago.  Its acorn development follows a fairly consistent cycle, typical of white oaks, but with a few species-specific traits​.

Like all members of the white oak group swamp white oak acorns mature in a single growing season (roughly 4–5 months after pollination).​  Fertilized flowers begin to swell in late May–June​ and the acorns remain small through early summer.​ Beginning now the acorns enlarge rapidly.

The cap is distinctive​ - shallow and scaly​ - covering about one-third of the nut, often with loose, fringed edges.​  The acorns reach full size (about 1–1.5 inches long) in September–October​ and are light brown to chestnut brown when mature.​  They drop to the ground soon after ripening, and because they lack a dormancy requirement, they often germinate in the same autumn if soil conditions are​ optimal.​  They're ​dispersed mainly by gravity, squirrels, and jays.

​This species of oak tends to have high acorn production in mast years, but irregular cycles ​with bumper crops every 4–7 years.​  As a wildlife food source they're relatively sweet (low tannin) compared to red oaks, making them highly favored by deer, turkeys, duck​s and squirrels.

​I have an aux naturele bait pile.....

Another First

First there was The Mysterious Egg Caper; likely solved with the assistance of people who know much more about wildlife biology than I do.

Then there was this from one of the trail cameras.

A Canada goose with goslings in tow.  Decades of trail camera photos and monitoring; this is a first.

We don't (at least I thought we didn't) have geese nesting around here.  The cover is too tall, too thick and too tangled.  Geese prefer manicured landscape allowing them an unobstructed view as a defense from predators.  Don't take my word for it; go visit a park, beach or a golf course.  There will be geese.  Lots of them too.

Never a dull moment around these parts; and another opportunity to learn something new or just be surprised..... 

  

Critters In Winter

The doggo and I got a pretty good gig going for us.  Step outta the house and there’s approximately 3.5 miles of trails to walk.  Better yet, the pup doesn’t have to wear a lead and I don’t get dragged along behind one.  All she wears is her hunting e-collar just in case.  Our walks are free range and à la carte.

North of a year and a half-old Ruby has certainly matured.  Of course that’s relative as she’s still stuck somewhere between puppyhood and solid adulthood.  Nevertheless, she follows voice commands and generally sticks close. If I stop to examine something I’m curious about she’ll wait for me to catch-up.  Conversely, if she’s after something of interest, her bell is a good cue as to her whereabouts.  And she returns when summoned.

The other day we checked-out the prairie habitat north of the house. This stuff is absolutely not indigenous peninsula habitat; but it’s good wildlife cover and it’s our property so we plant what we like.

This is excellent pollinator habitat three seasons of the year so it attracts a lot of birds.  In the fourth season of winter it is terrific cover for overwintering birds and other critters.

Those grasses and forbs that have been blown-down in the photo were about six  feet tall at their prime. Tumbled-over they form thousands of hollow cavities and caves at ground level. When covered by snow these become snug animal igloos.

Sure enough - thermal cover for the birds and other critters to hunker down and hide from the wind and snow.  Predators too.

Now play Where’s Waldo and find the dog in the photo…

 

Living and Dead

From our walk today there was both living and dead.

An aspen tree  shimmering in the breeze as it begins to assume its golden autumn foliage.

And a stately snag of an old dead elm.

Woodpeckers holes everywhere!

Standing dead trees, snags, are crucial to wildlife because they provide essential habitat for a wide variety of animals providing nesting sites, shelter and food sources.  Particularly, for cavity-nesting birds, mammals and insects.  Snags are a vital component of a healthy ecosystem.

Post-Burn Update

There's an old saying about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.

On May 10th of this year we conducted a prescribed burn on the seven acres of pollinator habitat out back.

And at the seven weeks point post-burn things are greening-up rather spectacularly.

View east, north-east....

 

 

 

Scorched Earth Policy

Last Wednesday afternoon, on very short notice, and with the window of opportunity rapidly closing it dried out sufficiently for us to conduct a prescribed burn.

You're probably scratching your head over the notion of someone deliberately setting something on fire beside a BBQ grill.

Drip Torch

Over several generations it has been an accepted practice to suppress Ma Nature's use of fire to maintain the natural order.  While suppressing fire will bring a smile the face of Smokey Bear it also has unintended consequences.  Without the impact of fire combustible fuel accumulates on the landscape making any fire event more dangerous.  Witness the devastating wildfires in California, Colorado and other states.  

 

So, at usually three year intervals, we have a professional burn crew set fire to the seven acres of grassland  wildlife habitat that constitutes our backyard.  This removes combustible material that is close to the house and has other benefits that I'll enumerate.  

Our local BUG Fire Department authorized the burn and both their leadership team and county dispatch is kept informed of the timing.

A controlled burn accomplishes a number of things.  Included among them are:

1. Fire removes excess fuel (built-up thatch) thereby reducing the risk of an out-of-control wildfire.
2. Fire returns valuable nutrients to the soil
3. Fire kills undesirable woody vegetation, invasive plant species and the blackened earth warms-up quickly in the spring sunshine stimulating the growth of desirable native plants
4. Following the application of fire the resulting flush of desirable plant regrowth is a benefit to wildlife – including insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds.

Photos and video clips.....

 

Burn crew

 

Back burning against the wind

 

 

 

Setting the head fire with the wind

 

 

 

Resulting blackened surface

 

 

Wile E Coyote

I was chatting with a friend earlier this month about the uptick in coyote sightings here at The Platz over the last couple of years.

My hypothesis is this is a consequence pf either den habitat or prey (food) resources.  A reasonable conclusion is likely a combination of both.  Consider this.

Following the logging operation performed in 2021 there is considerable slash (limbs, bark, smaller logs and random woody debris) left laying on the forest floor.

After a couple of winters it is noticeably breaking-down and slowing returning to the earth.  Nevertheless, it does provide den cover for coyotes.  But more importantly considerable cover for the critters that coyotes prey-upon; namely small mammals and rodents.

More cover = higher populations of prey (food resources).  Thusly, healthier (better-fed) coyotes and larger numbers of them.

Log it and they will come....